From braintree!news.concourse.com!ragnarok.oar.net!malgudi.oar.net!rclnews.eng.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!jussieu.fr!oleane!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!news.mathworks.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!li.net!peegee Fri Nov 3 10:11:57 1995
Path: braintree!news.concourse.com!ragnarok.oar.net!malgudi.oar.net!rclnews.eng.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!jussieu.fr!oleane!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!news.mathworks.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!li.net!peegee
From: peegee@newshost.li.net (Merchant of Chaos)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology,alt.clearing.technology,alt.religion.unification,alt.meditation.transcendental,alt.mindcontrol,alt.support.ex-cult,alt.recovery.religion,alt.religion.christian.boston-church,alt.religion.eckankar,alt.religion.krishna,sci.skeptic
Subject: CAN CONFERENCE/FIRST UPDATE!!!
Date: 3 Nov 1995 06:15:47 GMT
Organization: LI Net (Long Island Network)
Lines: 66
Message-ID: <47cc2j$mqu@linet02.li.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: linet01.li.net
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Xref: braintree alt.religion.scientology:120448 alt.clearing.technology:14987 alt.meditation.transcendental:18721 alt.mindcontrol:4283 alt.support.ex-cult:3502 alt.recovery.religion:7102 alt.religion.christian.boston-church:1488 alt.religion.eckankar:8229 sci.skeptic:135035
Greetings once again from CAN Internet Headquarters!!! Naturally, I am
far too tired to type anything long and detailed, so I'll just give you a
brief synopsis of the day's events...
The FOCUS pre-conference went off without a hitch, except for the lack of
photocopied handouts...fortunately the geniuses at CAN chose a hotel
right across the street from Office Max! After dashing back and forth, twice,
carrying a pile of photocopies in the rain, everything was fine.
Steve Hassan did a mind control seminar in which he explained "thought
control," "behavior control," "emotional control," and "information
control," while former cult members gave examples from their personal
experiences. The former members were Monica Pignotti (ex-
Scientologist), Adam Mali (ex-Asthetic Realism), John Knapp
(ex-TM), and Candy Anderson (I don't remember what group she was in.) I
made a brief appearance as well...
After spending a few brief moments getting lost in the labyrinth across
the street, which the natives refer to as a "mall", we had lunch, and
then returned to the pre-conference. Some people attended the "mini exit
counseling" with Dave Clark, Joe Kelly, and Pat Ryan. I did not attend
the session, but I was hanging around pretty closely...if there had been
any "kidnappings", "beatings", "rapes", or people "tied to beds" I'm sure
I would have heard something ;-)
Other people chose to attend the small group discussions on the mind
control experience. This was followed by another session in which people
either attended a men's issues group, a women's issues group, or a group
for people who were born and raised in cults. Finally, there was a
wrap-up session, and then those who had not already done so, began
registering for the main conference.
During the FOCUS workshops, there were also CAN Affiliate workshops,
which were followed by a showing of videos brought by affiliate members.
One video contained the "Today Show" from November 8, 1993, a piece which
slam-dunks the Moonies BIG TIME, another contained video footage of a
picket, in which members of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (a
Scientology front group) were protesting outside a psychiatric hospital.
There have been a few reports of clam sightings (that's Scientologists,
for those of you in other newsgroups), but as of now there have been no
incidents. A woman told us, at one of the FOCUS workshops, how she as
cornered by clams at last year's conference, in Cleveland, when she found
herself alone in an elevator with them. She said they started grabbing
her arms and laughing at her. Everyone was warned to beware of who they
get into elevators with.
The best part for me so far has been performing the "pinch test" on
unsuspecting conference attendees! Using my "Biofeedback Stress Monitor"
I can determine a person's stress level by the sound it emits. The
beautiful part about it is that it works on the same EXACT principle as
the Scientology E-meter, which the Co$ sells for about $3000 each. I
bought mine in Radio Shack for $9.97!!!!
I have been really talking up the Internet since I've been here! People
who have never seen me before are recognizing me because I have "Merchant of
Chaos" written on my nametag! A great moment was when two former members
of Worldwide Church of God, who had never met, were sitting in a FOCUS
workshop together. They were not talking or interacting with each other
at all, then, one of them spoke up about their cult experience and the
other one immediately recognized him from the Internet...it was so
touching...
More updates to come....time permitting...
ÿÿ