Here's their website: New Acropolis - Philosophy for living

At first glance, they look like just another New Age collective. "Cult" may be too strong of a word, however, they are extremely vague about what they actually believe or do.

Whenever I run across groups that are really big on trying to get you to join them, but also really vague about their actual principles, then it's a pretty good sign that there is something questionable going on.

-ITL-

---------- Post added 11-22-2009 at 08:42 PM ----------

After looking at their site further, I conclude that these people are nutcases.

They are one of those New Age Unification Theory groups. In other words, a group that tries to blend just about EVERYTHING together as part of their philosophy.

For example, they make allusions to:

- Pyramid Power
- The Celts
- Alchemy
- Angels
- Chinese Folk Religion
- Egyptian Mythological Symbols
- Buddhism
- Hari-Krsnaism
- Christianity
- Islam

Ad Nauseum

These Unification Theory groups are a dime a dozen and in almost every case they are whack-jobs.

-ITL-

Thank you so much for replying, I just think there is something weird about this organisation because this person I know since joining has left her husband and family and she doesn't say anything about what they are doing. She still has contact with the family but she gets very agressie when her husband tries to talk about it. She went away with them on a trip and the people around her think they did some kind of ritual and that it's since then that she is almost like a different person. There have been a few rumors that it is a brainwashing cult but I think I should find something more robust to understand what they do rather than rely some rumors. I would go to a few sessions to see for myself what they are about but they dont have a base anywhere near I live...

Just because they parade the term "philosophy" and wave its flag doesn't mean they have any sort of understanding about what philosophy is, just as groups who shout "freedom!" from every possible soapbox really want others or themselves to be free.

Surely the example of the person you know should alert you to the very real possible dangers of this group.

Welcome to Philforum, by the way.
Regards,
John

Without knowing the circumstances of her marriage and family situation it's difficult to make a determination. However, on the surface based on what you said that sounds very much like a cult situation.

There are many incidences involving cults in which people join and abruptly leave their normal life behind, getting extremely hostile when people ask them for reasons or about the group they've joined.

Not too long ago, a guy I worked with invited me to join a "social group" he belong to on a weekend retreat. When I asked him what we'd be doing, he wouldn't say. When I asked him about the group, he also wouldn't say. His argument was: "You don't have to know about the group; all you have to do is trust me. If you can trust me, then you can trust the group." - LOL

Yeah, right. I didn't trust him and I didn't trust the group either and I wasn't about to go off somewhere to a unknown location with a bunch of people who wouldn't even tell me what we were going to be doing.



None of this is suprising to me. There are two techniques used by cults on these retreat trips.

1) The "Love Hook" - Basically, everybody the potential initiate encounters showers them with affection and encouragement. They are told that everyone is delighted to meet them, to know them, and people hang on their every word and tell them they are wise and 'a good person', etc,
No offense to your friend, but for people who are struggling emotionally or are bitter / cynical about life, this psychological false-empowerment floods them with positive emotions, validation, and acceptance.

2) Constant activity - From the moment the potential initiate is present, there are non-stop activities, lectures, singing, group hugs, very little sleep and no alone time. This keeps the person constantly engaged in the group's activites, keeps them in a constant state of emotional flux, and never gives them a chance to stop and think about all of this.



If you do find a session, bring at least one other person with you and don't allow the group to seperate you. That's another trick that is often used: keeping people isolated from anybody except other members. Also make sure that several people know where you are going and when you will be back.

I'm not suggesting that they will abduct you, but it's better not to take chance with religious whack-jobs who follow obscure belief systems.

-ITL-

sometimes these groups have nothing to do with religion or spirituality. one i learned about through someone (and i attended a 'meeting' and saw for myself) was actually a scheme to sell insurance policies, but the scheme part was to hook the people into selling. but what i saw right away is that they deliberately target people who have just lost their job or are recently divorced, etc...really sickening tactics.

There's a group called "Amway", a mutli-level marketing scheme, which uses the same kind of principles. They will say ANYTHING to try to get you to a meeting.

On three different occasions, I've been duped by this group because each time the person I talked to presented the organization as something completely different. Once they said it was a 'spiritual communication seminar', once it was a 'open forum political debate', once it was a 'philosophy conference'. -- They don't care. They'll tell you whatever they think you want to hear to get you in the door.

Of course, once you get there you realize in about 10 seconds that it's Amway and walk back out. It's kinda funny actually.

There are so many shady groups out there. I live in a city that has tons and tons of bizzare, New Age style groups. Whenever I meet anybody who randomly invites me to some "meeting" out of the blue, I remember an old latin phrase:

Caveat Emptor - "Let the buyer beware"

-ITL-

IntoTheLight and everyone thank you so much for your insights on this. I think she had the perfect profile for their potential 'victim'.

She has suffered a lot of stress over the past few years as she and her husband run a business that has gone through a lot of financial difficulty, so she has been yearning for 'peace' for a while now. So I suppose as far as that is concerned the marriage was a tired one but I think if it wasn't for this organisation it could have had a good chance to survive. She still sees her husband although she has moved out, they go for coffee or dinner but she does not want any sort of discussion about this organisation or serious matters in general in fact she becomes very angry when the topic comes up. She makes it like she cares for her husband and she knows he cares for her deeply but this doesnt seem to stop the outbursts.

Her husband is a very social and extrovert person he has some family and friends, on the contrary she has no family other than her husband and children (she has other family but no contact with them) and she has no friends. Any social event would be around her husband's family and his friends and I am suspecting she never felt 100% comfortable. In general even though they have tried to create a close family she must have felt somewhat alone. Also she never expresses any kind of disagreement and she just lets all her negative emotions bottle up.

She has always had a keen interest in philosophy but somehow particularly lately she seems to be more 'superficial'. I think in a way she must have been a bit jealous of her husband for being so dynamic so now she feels secure she has created her own kind of 'social circle' in which she is made to feel good and special. She does all sorts of chores for this organisation and they are calling her all day for all sorts of little things...