29 VOLUME 7 |ISSUE 2 |2016
Correspondents
,
Reports
Viladecavalls, where the lady mayor is
favorable to Scientology.
Groups of Oriental Origin
In the Spanish city of Malaga, Francisco
Martínez, founder and Messianic
leader of Dharma Tradición, a group
that mixes doctrines from various
religions and which he claims is based
on Tibetan Buddhism, is being tried.
He and other members of the sect are
being accused of sexual abuses against
a 14-year-old female whom they
initiated into various sexual practices
beginning when she was 13. Expert
trial witnesses have confirmed the
victim’s testimony.
Esoteric Groups
The Faculty of Medicine at the
University of Seville hosted two
presentations in February 2016 on
“Mind and Meditation,” organized by
the Circle of Gnostic Anthropology
(CIAG), one of the sects derived
from Colombian Samael Aun Weor’s
esoterism. The hosting was criticized
by several experts and institutions.
Lectorium Rosicrucianum, present
in Spain since the 1970s and about
a thousand members strong, is
particularly active in Andalucía, in the
south of Spain, where it is carrying out
various recruitment activities.
In the Colombian department of
Quindío a temple dedicated to Lucifer
has been built as headquarters of the
Semillas de Luz (Seeds of Light) group,
led by Víctor Damián Rozo, well-known
in the world of witchcraft and santería.
He offers Satanic pacts for exorbitant
prices and has stirred controversy in
that country.
Pseudotherapeutic Groups
Catalonia’s Colegio Oficial de Psicología
released a statement in January 2016
to the effect that it did not approve
or support the “Bioneuroemoción”
model developed in Spain and used
in other parts of Europe by some
Spanish psychologists led by guru
Eric Corbera. The Official College of
Psychology states, “Bioneuroemoción
does not correspond to any scientific
model and is only a brand name
created for commercial purposes.”
It continues, “its application creates
alarm, confusion and excessive and
magical expectations of healing
which endanger the physical and
psychological wellbeing of the
follower/clients.”
In addition, several scientists
who are skeptical and critical of
Bioneuroemoción pointed out that
in December 2015 a Spanish patient,
Maribel Candelas, who abandoned
her treatment to follow this new
psychotherapy, passed away. She not
only believed in the new method but
had even become an active promoter,
appearing in an interview with the
movement’s leader.
Report from Sweden
Noomi Andemark
Stockholm Conference
In November 2015, Hjälpkällan
(Help Source) of Sweden arranged
a conference in Stockholm titled
Life After Cults, which is available
for viewing and download from the
website of the national educational
television channel Utbildningsradion.
Nine lectures are available at
ur.se/Produkter/193535-UR-
Samtiden-Sekter-och-livet-efter-
Sektbegreppet#Om-serien
Hjälpkällan Support Group
A new support group arranged by
Hjälpkällan for former cult members
is meeting in Gothenburg every
month except July and December. A
psychologist with experience with
leaving a cult is available at every
meeting. Each meeting starts with a
theme for example, the March theme
was about how to handle lasting
symptoms from being a member.
participants are free to bring up topics
they consider important. The meetings
are free of charge they are held at
Södra Larmgatan 20 at 6 p.m. on the
last Wednesday of each month.
Jehovah’s Witnesses
On January 28, 2016, the Swedish
government turned down for the
fourth time Jehovah’s Witnesses’
application for state funding. Religious
groups are entitled to grants in
Sweden, but only if they embrace
democratic values. The earlier
rejections pointed out that members
of Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed
to vote in political elections. This time,
the government especially stressed
the issue of the organization’s rules
against blood transfusions. The
decision referred to the UN Convention
on Children’s Rights, which says
that the government is ultimately
responsible for ensuring that minors’
rights are protected it also noted that
in several cases social services decided
to take custody of children because
their parents tried to refuse medical
treatment for them.
The Board of State Aid to Religious
Communities has agreed with the
government’s decision, stating that
members of Jehovah’s Witnesses have
little space for personal opinions, and
that their children are not encouraged
to think critically. The Supreme
Administrative Court has overturned
the government’s rejection twice
since 2007, However, the government
has decided to stand by its rejection.
Jehovah’s Witnesses say that the
government is biased and suffers from
a lack of reality in this matter. n
Correspondents
,
Reports
Viladecavalls, where the lady mayor is
favorable to Scientology.
Groups of Oriental Origin
In the Spanish city of Malaga, Francisco
Martínez, founder and Messianic
leader of Dharma Tradición, a group
that mixes doctrines from various
religions and which he claims is based
on Tibetan Buddhism, is being tried.
He and other members of the sect are
being accused of sexual abuses against
a 14-year-old female whom they
initiated into various sexual practices
beginning when she was 13. Expert
trial witnesses have confirmed the
victim’s testimony.
Esoteric Groups
The Faculty of Medicine at the
University of Seville hosted two
presentations in February 2016 on
“Mind and Meditation,” organized by
the Circle of Gnostic Anthropology
(CIAG), one of the sects derived
from Colombian Samael Aun Weor’s
esoterism. The hosting was criticized
by several experts and institutions.
Lectorium Rosicrucianum, present
in Spain since the 1970s and about
a thousand members strong, is
particularly active in Andalucía, in the
south of Spain, where it is carrying out
various recruitment activities.
In the Colombian department of
Quindío a temple dedicated to Lucifer
has been built as headquarters of the
Semillas de Luz (Seeds of Light) group,
led by Víctor Damián Rozo, well-known
in the world of witchcraft and santería.
He offers Satanic pacts for exorbitant
prices and has stirred controversy in
that country.
Pseudotherapeutic Groups
Catalonia’s Colegio Oficial de Psicología
released a statement in January 2016
to the effect that it did not approve
or support the “Bioneuroemoción”
model developed in Spain and used
in other parts of Europe by some
Spanish psychologists led by guru
Eric Corbera. The Official College of
Psychology states, “Bioneuroemoción
does not correspond to any scientific
model and is only a brand name
created for commercial purposes.”
It continues, “its application creates
alarm, confusion and excessive and
magical expectations of healing
which endanger the physical and
psychological wellbeing of the
follower/clients.”
In addition, several scientists
who are skeptical and critical of
Bioneuroemoción pointed out that
in December 2015 a Spanish patient,
Maribel Candelas, who abandoned
her treatment to follow this new
psychotherapy, passed away. She not
only believed in the new method but
had even become an active promoter,
appearing in an interview with the
movement’s leader.
Report from Sweden
Noomi Andemark
Stockholm Conference
In November 2015, Hjälpkällan
(Help Source) of Sweden arranged
a conference in Stockholm titled
Life After Cults, which is available
for viewing and download from the
website of the national educational
television channel Utbildningsradion.
Nine lectures are available at
ur.se/Produkter/193535-UR-
Samtiden-Sekter-och-livet-efter-
Sektbegreppet#Om-serien
Hjälpkällan Support Group
A new support group arranged by
Hjälpkällan for former cult members
is meeting in Gothenburg every
month except July and December. A
psychologist with experience with
leaving a cult is available at every
meeting. Each meeting starts with a
theme for example, the March theme
was about how to handle lasting
symptoms from being a member.
participants are free to bring up topics
they consider important. The meetings
are free of charge they are held at
Södra Larmgatan 20 at 6 p.m. on the
last Wednesday of each month.
Jehovah’s Witnesses
On January 28, 2016, the Swedish
government turned down for the
fourth time Jehovah’s Witnesses’
application for state funding. Religious
groups are entitled to grants in
Sweden, but only if they embrace
democratic values. The earlier
rejections pointed out that members
of Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed
to vote in political elections. This time,
the government especially stressed
the issue of the organization’s rules
against blood transfusions. The
decision referred to the UN Convention
on Children’s Rights, which says
that the government is ultimately
responsible for ensuring that minors’
rights are protected it also noted that
in several cases social services decided
to take custody of children because
their parents tried to refuse medical
treatment for them.
The Board of State Aid to Religious
Communities has agreed with the
government’s decision, stating that
members of Jehovah’s Witnesses have
little space for personal opinions, and
that their children are not encouraged
to think critically. The Supreme
Administrative Court has overturned
the government’s rejection twice
since 2007, However, the government
has decided to stand by its rejection.
Jehovah’s Witnesses say that the
government is biased and suffers from
a lack of reality in this matter. n
