Hello Lil Pon,

Wow, I had to go back and look over the posts to even remember the conversation. As it just happens I consider it one of my obligations to inform the public about cults and how they work due to a little too much personal exposure to those groups.

So let me just try to respond to your questions one by one.

I consider a lot of cult leaders smart - as in intelligent, cunning or having "street smarts". I do not consider them "lunatic" as in having psychotic disorders, although I agree with you that most of them most likely suffer from personality disorders. In this case I use the term "most likely" because I am not a mental health professional capable of officially diagnosing anyone.

Which is the same reason I referred to the legality of contracts signed by scientology members with a "most likely". I am not a lawyer and not capable of citing cases or legal statutes to back up a claim of what is legal. I note also that your original post specifically asked about the legality of said contracts. I did state in my original post that those contracts have more emotional standing than legal standing. I stand by that comment.

For the next part of my post I was responding specifically to your questions about legal cases between cult like groups and ex members or organizations helping ex members of cults. I commented on some of the situations I have seen where those fighting against the cults hurt their own case by being too emotionally entangled with the subject matter. Not that I think CAN did that at all eventhough they certainly where hurt by $cientology. Just noting that I have seen it happen quite a bit.

Your current answer is about something else - namely will therapy help former cult members. I am myself a former cult member having been a 5 year member of a small cult in Europe now around 12 years ago. I lived with the group, and had relatively little outside influences during my stay with them.

It took me several years to have the courage to ask for professional help after leaving the group, but it helped when I did so. I have quite a few friends who are also ex members. Most of them have used therapy to heal from their experiences, but some of them felt like you that it would just be triggering. Either way I respect any former cult members right to choose how they go about healing from their experiences and I think that any blanket statements about how ex members are supposed to do it continue to take away choice from ex members. So in all honesty I take issue with your blanket statement that ex members cant benefit from therapy. Some will benefit from therapy, others might not. It is the individuals right and obligation to determine their own path to healing.

I will also say that specifically for legal situations (which was what the initial question was about) even face to face talk can be detrimental to a legal case if those participating in the conversation has not healed sufficiently to keep the conversation professional.

Warm regards
Da Friendly Puter Tech