the moonies....
"The recruit is not left alone. As the neighbors of the Moonie encampment in Pope Valley have attested to, they walk in pairs. J. Isamu Yamamoto states in his book The Puppet Master, It becomes immediately apparent to you that you are not to be left alone and that all 'spiritual children' have someone of their opposite sex (seed-same sex) from the family assigned to them. If you should wander off by yourself(don't even try in the seed you will be tackled to the floor), someone will follow you and politely ask you to rejoin the group. You are even escorted to the rest room( and then ovserved and logged in the seed)." The book continues, "You also learn that there is a rigidly held schedule. There are specific times for eating, exercising, playing, singing, listening to lectures and discussing them. You are separated into small groups (boys rap, girls rap), led by a team leader who has to have perfect control, not approximate control. From the beginning, the leader directs his or her group like a kindergarten teacher, telling you when to do this or that."
If the leaders of the group should slacken in their enthusiasm or diligence, they are sternly reprimanded. The recruit is rarely permitted to engage in any casual conversation with anyone. They are only allowed to speak about spiritual(seedling) things within a structured framework. Creativity is frowned upon, conformity is stressed. "All day you are bombarded by ideas and concepts," states The Puppet Master. "There is little relaxation, and so your resistance is low. When you refrain from sharing or resist in any way, you are met with benevolent concern (come down sessions). Peer approval is an important technique which subtly tells you to conform. The family members aim directly at your most vulnerable points the need to belong, to feel useful and to feel love. Throughout the workshop you are flooded with affection, hugs, pats, hand-holding and smiles."
Recruits react to the regimental control by trying to please. "But, you quickly learn that the only way to please is to conform," The Puppet Master states. "You succumb many times to small acts of conformity without realizing it. You feel guilty when you hold back, and you are told that wanting to be alone is a symptom of fear and alienation." It is at this point that the recruit is asked to join the movement. The family member who has spent all the time with the specific recruit will beg and plead for the recruit to stay. "There will even be tears along with promises. They will continue to implore until you decide to join," The Puppet Master states.
After joining the Moonies, the recruit will be given about two weeks of adjustment....After the "losing period" the regimentation becomes even more rigid. The recruit is required to adhere to even more demanding workshop schedules. They sleep five or six hours a day. Their diet consists of starchy foods and low proteins.
Anything here ring any bells?
what about their ideals?
Here are a few...
Seek to become that master of love. Program your life like that, and you will never be a loser.
Open up the baggage of your mind and look what you find there.
We need to change our concepts. Our attitude is an environment that must be prepared in order to receive spiritual help.
The main differences between the moonies and the seed circa 1973 are as thus...
the moonies were voluntary (yet coercise) while the seed was not.
the techniques are much harsher and severe in the seed
the moonies had a religious element.
the average age of the moonie was 6 or so years higher.
This is for anyone struggling with the concerpt that you were in a cult.
