The UN arias (find their TV shows and images)

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-fascinating-80s-public-access-films-produced-by-a-california-ufo-cult?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page

The Saint Germain Project

http://www.saintgermainfoundation.org/SGF_01_MightyIAM.html

WEIRD THINGS SAID IN THE WAY

1. After 30 years of membership: "well, you have all this time to explain why you aren't converting!"
2. "You shouldn't travel alone; you could get depressed and kill yourself, or worse, lose your faith!"
3. "This is the gateway. This is the door that God has opened for you; you can enter now, and stay in this community, the place where God lives; or you can leave and live in the world, spiritually dead. But you need to choose now, because the door is only open for a little while. If you leave now there will soon be a point where you won't be able to come back, and if you stay, you are committed. But what joy to live and die with this love, this community!"

An excellent academic resource on defining a Cult.

Benjamin Zablocki, 1997: a cult is "an ideological organization held together by charismatic relationships and demanding total commitment."

Cult (totalist type): A group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control (e.g. isolation from former friends and family, debilitation, use of special methods to heighten suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, suspension of individuality or critical judgment, promotion of total dependency on the group and fear of leaving it, etc.), designed to advance the goals of the group's leaders, to the actual or possible detriment of members,  their families, or the community. (West & Langone, 1986, pp. 119-120)

"Cults are not all alike.   Nor are all cult members affected in the same way, even within the same group.  Nevertheless, a huge body of clinical evidence leads ICSA associates to contend that some groups harm some members sometimes, and that some groups may be more likely to harm members than other groups. "

http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/essay_cult.htm  

THE INTERNATIONAL CULTIC STUDIES ASSOCIATION:

A list of academic resources:

http://www.icsahome.com/elibrary/studyguides/formergroupmembers 

An excellent abbreviation of the facts... albeit from a conservative Catholic's point of view... http://www.cathud.com/RESOURCES_CATHOLIC/pages_MR/Neocatechumenal_Way_Kiko_Arguello.html

"OBEDIENCE

OBEDIENCE

Obedience is your biggest gift to God

Obedience is how you show love to your parents, to your spouse, to your catechists

You are NOT OBEDIENT. This is the cause of your sin. THIS is the cause of your suffering.

What we are saying, we are saying because God is speaking THROUGH us. God is telling you to be OBEDIENT! For your joy!

It IS hard, but it is the only thing stopping your happiness. Your refusal to obey."



TL:DR: The Neocatechumenal way's brainwashing is somewhat subtle, and feel-good, while being will-destroying. Destroy someone's will, and with them, you shall have your way...

Similar methods of brainwashing: Landmark Education and 'The Way'

So this link contains insider video of the 'business' cult landmark education.

It seems they use almost identical methods of personality destruction and indoctrination to the Neocatechumenal Way.

One person up the front, confesses something deep and painful about their life, and the person in a higher seated position has charge of psychoanalysing them and "giving them truth". The result? Oftentimes, breakdowns, a sense of emptiness, a reliance for affirmation on the leader becomes solidified. Their value is nothing unless it is given them by their leaders; and if they're told they're a monster, that's exactly what they end up taking on.

Pretty disgusting if you ask me...


http://www.caic.org.au/index.php?Itemid=12&id=1243&option=com_content&task=view

A response (to fundamentalist arguments)

"Christianity is an experience, not a religion."

Something I often heard in the Neocatechumenal Way.

Why, then, do you attack all those who attack religion?

Why are you even defending yourself?

Why, then, do you have a God; a number of liturgies and ceremonies that are impermissible to skip; a sequence of worship that must be followed come hell, or high water; and why do you insist on believers staying, whatever the cost to them?



Another aspect of their incredible thought reform (brainwashing) comes undone.

Damanhur- So charming (such mind control)

Discovered this group in Piedmont, Italy through the net- called Damanhur. Members call themselves Damanhurians. They are quite fascinating. Their temples inside a mountain have been called the eighth wonder of the world. Turns out, of course that they are a veeeery well disguised cult... check out this section of a video tour of the temple.

A good reminder to keep your eyes and ears on alert when people are telling you how WONDERFUL and BEAUTIFUL their ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY is...