Newsletter: Cults, Hypnosis, and Healing
Join Us for a Unique Live Event- My work with Jim 31 years ago that helped him understand how his mind got hacked.
Dear friends,
This week I’m excited to be doing a Live event on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok Live with my friend and colleague Jim Picariello, a survivor of Frederick Lenz’s “Zen Master Rama” cult. Lenz was a controversial figure who blended Buddhism with a lifestyle of luxury, snowboarding, and computer programming. Also, you’ll want to listen to my Influence Continuum podcast featuring Dr. Julie Linden, an early pioneer of pediatric hypnotic pain management and the Past President of The International Society of Hypnosis, who was lead editor of The Routledge International Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis. I co-authored two chapters on the Dark Side of Hypnosis in this textbook. Read on for more!
Join me on Wednesday, March 20th, from 2-3 PM EST for a Facebook and Instagram Live session. I will be speaking with Jim Picariello about his involvement with a group led by Frederick P. Lenz III, also known as Atmananda or Zen Master Rama.
Our discussion will explore Jim's experiences within this group, which was characterized by its exclusive nature, members seeing vivid hallucinations, the high financial demands placed on members, and the controversial techniques Lenz used, including allegations of drug use and exploitation. We also plan to discuss how I helped him exit by showing how Lenz used unethical hypnosis.
In this episode of The Influence Continuum, Dr. Linden and I discussed how metaphors and storytelling often help people connect with their bodies and how past traumas can make people feel disassociated from bodily sensations. We also spoke about other professionals specializing in cultural competencies, therapeutic metaphors, and resourcing awareness in clinical settings.
This past Friday, the Financial Times published an excellent article focusing on the lives of women who were labor trafficked by Opus Dei, an authoritarian group that was once a Papal prelature of the Catholic Church and shows a high level of control through the BITE Model. Former Opus Dei member Eileen Johnson did an interview with me. Interestingly, Pope Francis has been dismantling Opus Dei’s power step by step. We have a collection of blog posts about Opus Dei and other related organizations in our archives.
As always, feel free to let us know what you think about these pieces, or what you’d like to see us talk about in the future. Thanks so much!
Spring has almost sprung, and our crop of Freedom of Mind T-shirts are the perfect way to show your support while stepping out into the warm weather!
Our Facebook group is growing and YOU are invited! Join us for insightful, respectful dialogue on cults, mind control, undue influence, authoritarianism, and much more. Together we can discuss what needs to be done to make a better world for all of us. We hope to see you there!