Cults are groups, not always small, that view themselves as in some way separate from the mainstream. In and of itself, that may be harmless. There are cults that obsess with certain artists or works of art. Even certain teams and sports figures develop a cult-like following. But, things sometimes get a bit weird.
Often, cults build around a charismatic figure who seems to be teaching a new approach to life. They are convincing in their ability to make others believe that they have the answers and, they will share them with all who follow obediently. If this sounds like religion, it is. Many religions, including Christianity, started as small cultish gatherings. However, many cults are really only about one man's love of power. Remember, Jesus said, 'by their fruits shall you know them,' so let us look at three examples. These were all from the 60s, all ultimately failed and all produced sorry fruit. These were relatively small cults; it is easier to chronicle them instead of the mega-cults like Scientology, but the process is the same.
First, Ken Kesey and The Merry Pranksters. Kesey, in interviews admitted that he loved power. He was kind of the ringmaster fro this travelling circus that was devoted to acid evangelism. Ken set the tone and was the primary teacher. What did they do? Well, they convinced a whole lot of young people that it was a great idea to scarf down acid, speed and grass in huge quantities, anytime and anywhere. They had no truck with the urgings of Tim Leary and Alan Watts that the drugs be used carefully with proper attention to the state of mind of the user and the proper, safe setting. This finally led to the infamous Acid Tests where groups as diverse as kids, artists, intellectuals, street people and Hells Angels gathered to get ripped in the most chaotic environment imaginable. To say this was a bad idea is an understatement. Why do this? All I can say is look at financial and logistic issues. The Pranksters were not a group of wealthy folks. most being grad students, struggling artists and a few recently discharged GIs. Ken was a published author but let me assure you, newly published authors are not rolling in cash. Yet, the group was kept on the move and supplied with a seemingly endless supply of weed, speed and acid. Now, we know that this was the era of MKUltra and they were fascinated with the idea that psychedelics could be used to control group behavior. In the Pranksters and the Acid Tests they had a travelling laboratory. Make your own conclusions, but I think it all had an unsavory odor. Then, suddenly, it all stopped. Kesey went back to writing and running a dairy farm, others back to various artistic pursuits and a few just burnt out and died. Strange, is it not?
Next, take a look at the Fort Hill Community. In Boston, there was a fine musical group. the Jim Kweskin Jug Band that hired a skinny little guy name Mel Lyman, a good singer and banjo player and an awesome harmonica player. Just where Lyman came from and how he arrived in Boston is a bit mysterious, but he showed up and in an era when most folks barely had knew a thing about marijuana, he was already deeply experienced with LSD. No one knows how he gained that knowledge but he went right to work. He rapidly took control of the group, using acid as a programming tool. The group knew this. They later said that they knew what he was doing and that was just fine because he was improving them. New members were given massive doses of acid and required to spend the last few hours of their trip with Mel. It was there that he programmed his world view into their brain. His was an extremely Gnostic view of the World as evil and ready for destruction and that he, as God's emissary, or God Himself (his position varied) was going to see to the coming destruction. The group was disciplined, polite, neat and hardworking. Many were skilled craftsmen, besides being musicians, and they built a thriving home remodeling business that morphed into construction and real estate. They still exist, although Mel died years ago, are prosperous, and still think of themselves as a community. All they had to do was surrender their minds. Mel is the key and the question, Where did he come from? How did he understand mind programming so well? Where did he get his seemingly endless supply of acid? I think I detect the fine hand of the Government again, but those folks were always good at hiding their trail.
Finally, I mention the Manson Family. I will not bore you by rehashing their already well known history. I would like to raise a point or two. Charlie and the girls were well known to the LA Sheriffs office and several times plans to raid the ranch were in the works. Each time, orders came down from higher ups to call off the raids and leave the group alone. Several former Sheriffs have mentioned their surprise at this and their suspicions that something was definitely askew. After all, isn't Law enforcement supposed to go after known criminal operations. Second, Charlie had an interesting friend, a known CIA agent named Ronald Hadley Stark. There are pictures of the two together and they were often seen strolling and chatting. Interesting because Charlie's neighbors in San Francisco were The Process Church, an infamous off shoot of Scientology. Well, their founders, Robert and Mary Ann Degrimston, were also good buddies with Stark who also links with Tim Leary, William Mellon Hitchcock, a rather shady financier whose dear family friend was CIA agent and later head of operations of the nasty little group, Richard Helms, and the biggest drug smuggling ring in the Land, The Brotherhood of Eternal Love. All buddies it seems right at the time when their was a violent power struggle going on over who would run the massively lucrative drug distribution business in California. Funny, that one of the Tate massacre victims. Wyjtold Frykowski, was trying to corner the distribution of psychedelics among the Hollywood elite. And, funny how all sorts of weird folks always end up at the same place, at the same time, but authorities never seem to make the connections. One last point. The CIA claims that they, with a massive budget and many top flight scientists, developed nothing really useful from the MKUltra research. How strange then that Manson, a near illiterate who had spent most of his life in penal institutions, managed to take such control over a group of men and women. Contrary to popular belief, most of Manson's group were from fairly decent backgrounds, Troubled yes, but not horrific. Squeaky Fromme, for example, had a father who was involved in aero-space research. Tex Watson was a well liked respected young man from Texas, a top athlete and decent student. Yet Charlie managed to do what the CIA with all of its resources, could not. There are those who believe that Manson was a puppet of the CIA, an experiment in mind control and violence. Seems about right to me.
Cults do not get as much mention these days. We seemed to have grown so weird that this has become the era of the lone nut. I believe that so much was learned from the manipulated cults of old that the Powers that Be, have taken those techniques, refined them and through their media outlets, feed them to every one at once. Most folks are still strong and centered enough to remain little effected, but some grow deeply disturbed. thus, the lone nut.
Will the cults make a comeback? Sure. When you see ISIS, that is what you are looking at. In this Nation, I believe you will see similar things plus a corresponding rise of variations on the KKK/ Christian Identity/Nazi cults. What may seem like just a bunch of oddballs may have a more sinister purpose and that charismatic leader may just be a shill, a frontman for some very powerful folks.
If you see friends or family becoming obsessed with any group, especially one with a very charismatic leader, if they start separating themselves from old friends and loved ones and spending all their times with their new group, if they speak of how loving everyone in that group is, be worried. Try to reach them. Try to get them into a different place. Try to reason. They may respond, they may not, but be aware that they are in serious trouble. Next post: the spooky world of the occult and magick.
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