ENDED: Live Q&A on Cults and Brainwashing

Tonight, Sunday, CrownHeights.info will once again be hosting Rabbi Shea Hecht for a live question and answer session on the topic of cults and brainwashing as well as programming and deprogramming. The broadcast will feature viewers questions beginning at 8:30pm.

Friday we published Rabbi Shea’s article entitled ‘I Attended… Now What?’ which dealt with the aftermath of people who attended the alternative therapy group known as the Call of the Shofar, and its revelation of how it is mostly based on the principals of eastern religions.

Readers who wish to submit questions may do so by sending them to news@crownheights.info and they will be presented during the broadcast, which is slated to be approximately an hour long.

47 Comments

  • question

    so you dont think anything else we do from education to frum therapists using techniques to help people have origins in avodah zara?

  • thank you rabbi hecht and chinfo

    for publicizing this!!!

    although i cant understand how one can take the good out of it when their convinced its all good- while its really all bad coming from ossur source…?

  • Someone who went to cots

    Rabbi shea thank u thank u for speaking the truth!!! Amazing

  • excellent!!!

    THANKS CROWNHTS.INFO FOR ALLOWING US TO VIEW THIS.
    SHEA YOU ARE YOUR FATHER’S SON.
    I AM SURE YOUR FATHER IS PLEASED WITH WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

  • Michael Paskin

    Amazing fantastic truly enlightening thank you so much for this. Also of course thanks for defending me and my friends we need it most thank you!

  • shiya is great

    Now let him address other pressing issues.

    Are the people that say yechi also a cult?

    should we hate those crazy lubavitchers that say yechi?????

    what should we tell our children???

    shiya we love you!!!

    we need answers!!

    • CHLEAKS.COM

      First of all, what do you tell yourself, do you have a clue? what do you know about this issue?

      once you learn, study and come to the truth you will tell your kids….hmmmmm….the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth/emes.

      Second, yes the meshuchistim are a cult of avoda zora, i and many like myself have been proclaiming this for ages.
      What needs to happen now is the perging of meshichistim from chabad institution of education.

  • Superb!

    Thank you, Reb Shea.

    Now it’s time for the rabbonim who were misled to speak out to protect all yiddisher neshomos and declare this shofar pusul!

    Hinei lo yanum v’lo yishan Shomeir Yisroel.

  • we are on a roll towards improvement

    well this got us started on a roll towards improvement Baruch Hashem!
    let’s keep it that way and omit all silly non positive remarks. We are capable of great things and we have the proper tools and best guidance from our Rebbes.
    Let’s start beginning tomorrow to concentrate on helping one another……..this is the key to true happiness and ultimately will bring Moshiach!!
    If we all do one more good selfless deed I bet we get to actually greet Mosiach!!
    Thanks Shea for presenting this in such a positive light – it enables us to go forth with hope!
    Please come back again soon and continue to inspire.

  • NoYechi770InJerusalem

    What about the yechi cult in your own building Shea?
    When are you going to deal with that?
    I am sure your late father,ZT”L & Rabbi Jacobson,ZT”L would not be too happy about it.

  • Clearly Missing

    Notice again at how going to the Rebbe/Ohel was not mentioned once. A man is reaching out to Chassidim and gives great advise, but fails to mention going to spill ones heart and soul (cheshbon nefesh) at the resting place of the Nosi Hador (the leader of our generation)?

    Is the word ‘Ohel’ a dirty word r”l?

  • not so certain

    I watched the program and here are some thoughts:

    Shia’s main reason why COTs is so bad is because the program has roots in Avoda Zorah. I find this to be a generalization. Shouldn’t he be a little more specific?

    using his example, he says a rabbi doesn’t need to taste something to know it’s traif, he only needs to know the ingredients. I couldn’t agree more. To me, it seems like he’s making a paskin without really knowing the ingredients. It’s as if he’s saying the food isn’t kosher because the chicken comes from a farm where there are pigs. So it must be traif.

    Shouldn’t he actually look into the ingredients??
    Almost every jewish song comes from guyim. Do we say it’s avoda zorah? no. We may say it’s not chassidish, but we still allow it in our homes.

    So I just don’t buy into shia’s premise.

    It’s clear he doesn’t like this guy Simcha, and that’s fine, but that shouldn’t be a reason to destroy something that has helped so many.

    Rumor has it, Simcha earned a lot of money last year. shia says even more that he makes. Wow! heaven forbid someone get compensated for hard work.

    I didn’t find shia convincing enough. Only if we can establish that it truly is avoda zora can I continue to listen to what he has to say.

    Oh and here’s the kicker.
    To detox yourself from the cult, he suggests doing the very thing that cOTS claims to do. He says you should go to seclusion and really think about life and the rebbe. Don’t talk to anyone and go to a peaceful place.

    He’s telling me where to think, how to think, and what to think about. Very ironic.

    • Correction

      “It’s as if he’s saying the food isn’t kosher because the chicken comes from a farm where there are pigs. So it must be traif.”

      No. It’s as if he’s saying this egg is Traif because it comes from a Traife bird…

    • to 15 - not so certain

      if you don’t want to listen to Rabbi Y. Kahn, Ezra Shochet, rabbis Schwei and Braum, R. Aron, Shea Hecht, A cots participant and to the comments who researched what this is based on, if it is fine to hear goyishe music, to lock feet with your parnter etc. to go on the floor like an animal and scream and shout, if you have no seichel to understand all that is being said, then GO AHEAD and do what your heart desires!!!!! just don’t be a mechanech and don’t hide it so we can know who not to make shidduchim with.

  • Yankel Ser Shlepper

    # 15 go get help and quickly before it is too late!
    #14 go get a life!
    Finally someone take the bull by its horns but we alwasys see those that are here only to say some idiotic comments. This issue is too serious for the idiots to comment.
    Thank you Rabbi Shea Hecht and thanks to all that supported him to take this stand.

    • Responding

      You shouldn’t respond to comments with the using the comments number, as the comment number keeps changing (as people respond).

  • Mimi

    Oh Shea, stop confusing us with the FACTS! There are none so blind as those who will not see.
    Yashar koach. May you go from strength to strength.

  • Yankel Ser Shlepper

    bs”D
    the biggest question is: People that particiapated int COTS retreats, can they be the teachers of our kids? can they be in positions of Mashpieim? can they stillbe the Rebbe’s shluchim? can they be preachers to our communities and outsied our communities?
    These people are suppose to be salesmen for Yiddishkeit and Chassidus but they decided to bring the biggest enemy of Chassidus – the KLIPOS – into their lives. If they would be salespeople in the business world they woudl be fired for breach of trust and many more good reasons.
    Only in Lubavitch they can be Melamdim, Mashpieim, Principals, Preachers and WORLD REKNOWN SPEAKERS, Head Shluchim of states and countries etc. etc.
    Are we CH”V getting a “new testiment” as well? we teach the future generations that we have no principles and we change our minds and positions as the wind blows.
    what a shame!

    • Calm Down

      Rabbi Hecht addressed these issues in the video. Take a few deep breaths and watch it.

    • watch then comment

      You obviously didn’t watch the video. watch it then comment. save everyone the time of reading a “couldn’d-care-to-do-basic-commenting-ettiquette” babble.

  • Please explain

    I heard R’ Hecht say that we should take what we got something from and let go of the rest (paraphrase). Isn’t that contradictory to the overall point of a deprogramming? As far as I am aware, one should not assume that another can make a decision as to what was or was not appropriate to keep vs, let go. If one is programmed, and not fully deprogrammed, I do not think there is room, at least in the process, to determine such issues. I was understanding what he was saying until that point, and then I doubted his premise. Also, he seems to be leaving it up to the person to deprogram, as if everyone is fully able to do so fully on his/her own. I think that’s pretty risky. I don’t get it. Furthermore, I am becoming convinced that much more than what was said is going on. Otherwise, what is the reason trained specialists are not being called in to “deprogram” in a fully professional manner. Isn’t that what we want? Yes, I think we want our folks to be pure in the pursuit of our Jewish (frum) commitments. Ergo….

  • Following rabbonim & Shea Hecht

    Why haven’t they re-instated the very fine mechanech who Rabbi Shea Hecht said is now cult-free?
    Rabbi Hecht said he would trust him with his own child!

    Do you have more experience than Rabbi Shea Hecht in dealing with cults?

    Do you have a higher authority than the rabbonim who speak dvar H’ who said no one should be fired?

  • amazing!!

    thank you for an amazing in depth explanation… We are fortunate to have people like you! You’re passion and enthusiasm made it exciting to watch until the very end :-)

  • miss

    did I miss something?
    a few questions here, some for thought, and some real straight forward questions:

    Were the issues that were happening in COTS created and implemented specifically to be a cult?

    if not, then :

    if a restaurant has some food there which they mistakenly took in which are not acceptable kashrus wise….then does the mashgiach have the restaraunt closed down, or does he request that they make those needed changes?

    it doesnt seem to me that is intentional to make a cult……could be that this COTS just modeled after something else, (Landmark?) not realizing that his model was not so kosher. Can’t he just be shown what needs to be changed to make it kosher?
    I would start with the yarmulka issue, which is really easy to change….see if they will change it.
    Does that make any sense.
    I don’t see how this guy really wanted to have a cult, it seems that he was looking to offer some intense assistance to people who are hurting. True, its a big cost. but any other places cost alot for therapy and growth as well.
    doesnt make sense to make such a huge issue of this, when we have molestation in our communities, and other serious mental health issues.

  • if you are still not convinced then ...

    if you are not convinced yet to stay away from COTS then you are either an investor or simply a nay sayer.
    When in doubt we leave it out, period!!
    The program is most definitely (at least) questionable – how can one argue that it might be a good idea to attend??? I cannot believe that adults actually went along with this weird and whacky stuff. I cannot believe that adult men sat in a room with young bachurim sharing their intimate and private information with everyone?!?!
    I wonder how their wives feel about this?
    The young bachurim who attended cannot have come out of there healthy – no way! I am saddened for them. I guess this is history repeating itself yet again. There were always yidden that went along willingly with Avoda Zara but I never thought that a generation that actually saw and heard the Rebbe could fall victim to this. I guess the klipa is working very hard – but I truly hope the Emes will prevail.

  • TECHIYAS HAMESIM

    Thank you SHEA.You are eloquent and amazing.
    I understand that COTS HAS GONE UNDERGROUND. They are resurfacing under different names.
    Therefore if you see therapy being advertised under the names of:
    Smell Of The Esrog
    Spin of the Dreidle
    Taste Of The Latke
    Do be careful.

  • Speak Out To Help Yourself And Others

    Speak Out!

    If you have worked for or participated in COTS retreats or workshops and you realize at some level that you have been manipulated and that the things that you saw and may have done are bad, please do not feel embarrassed. You are not to blame nor are you weak. No one is invulnerable to this type of mind control and thought reform. So-called healthy people have fallen prey to this insidious rishus for decades.

    Most people free themselves from this type of mind control and thought reform over time. The effects begin to wear off and the feeling of dependence on the security of the group recedes and the ‘groupspeak’ begins to drop out of their lexicon: “well being,” “path,” “place of fear,” “unconditional love,” “fear of judgments,” “connect,” “resonate,” “individuate,” klall-pratt-klall,” “racket,” “game,” etc., etc., etc.
    These are terms and slogans that were used to manipulate you and many of them are classic devices of thought reform “cults”.

    Everyone who has the strength to so do should be coming forward to tell their story in order to protect others. Do not be afraid of being judged. Do not be afraid of what your former “friends” may think of you. Do not be afraid of their ridicule. Do not be afraid that you are somehow violating a sacred trust, which is exactly the fear that your manipulators have instilled in you. It is part of the firewall they have built to preserve their enterprise.

    If in your gut you feel violated, used, exploited, taken, listen to that voice, not the fictitious one that the facilitators have implanted in your psyche. Speak out…for yourself and for others. Contact your mashpia, Rabbi Hecht, or Rabbi Aron and help put an end to this plague.

    Hashem yishmore es nafshecha.

  • Still confused

    There has been a lot of talk/allegations of people being brainwashed/programmed but nobody including r Shea has explained what shofar participants were programmed to believe. Can somebody please explain.

  • Yaakov Mark

    #31 you did miss something. As a Religious Jew, who wants to better himself, would you go to a person that has you remove all your defenses and expose all your secrets, and let him lead you come what may, and yet you would not eat his Shechita? Shea says this guy is not Yeres Shamayim, and knowing Shea, I beleive him if hes gonna say such a thing. He wouldn’t say it lightly. So whats the point of helping him change the program. Instead, lets help himm by sending him to Yeshiva, and lets deprogram him and teach him how to have Yeres Shemayim. Maybe then he might be qualified to help others.

    From what I understand, This guy learned this mind manipulation from Landmark Forum. Landmark Forum came from EST. EST came from Scientology. These techniques are the same as what they use in Scientology. Shea didn’t mention that, but its true. Look it up.

  • If You Like The Landmark Forum, You're Gonna Love Shofar!

    The Forum: Fast, Powerful and Highly Unethical

    I grew up in rural Montana in close proximity to a well armed, survivalist, doomsday cult and so I considered myself very in tune with cult mind control and recruitment techniques and the very real dangers and elusive rewards that destructive cults offer. With my first hand experience always in the back of my mind I didn’t think that there was any way that the destructive influence of a cult could sneak into my life. I was wrong!

    My wife told me about a self-help ‘workshop’ that she wanted to take. A friend of hers had taken a weekend course called The Forum or Landmark Education and bragged to my wife about how empowered and insightful she had become since taking the courses. Her friend was so influenced by this group that she started dedicating huge amounts of her own time and money to expanding and recruiting for the group. My wife became interested in gaining this insightfulness for herself. Until this point I had never heard of Landmark Education or the Forum and had no reason to be suspicious or even skeptical of her friend’s claims. I have always been completely supportive of my wife’s personal growth and even though the $375 price was a stretch for our budget I didn’t give it a second thought. After 8 years of being together I had nothing but respect for my wife’s judgment and the only literature that I had seen from the group was nondescript but very commercially slick. I couldn’t imagine what kind of insights my wife hoped to gain from such a corporate sounding group.

    Both my wife and I were particularly busy in the weeks leading up to her Forum weekend and had not really had a chance to talk about it in depth. It was not until the night before the Forum that I learnt that it would run from 9 am until about midnight! Knowing that sleep deprivation is one of the cornerstones of mind control a red flag went up in the back of my mind. I went to bed that night slightly concerned but still respectful of my wife’s judgment even though we both know that she doesn’t function well at all on less than 8 hours of sleep a night.

    The next night I went to sleep before she got home from her first night at the Forum but was shaken to find out the next morning that not only had she gotten home well past midnight, but she had also stayed up for hours afterwards doing ‘homework’. But what frightened me even more was that she was starting to use ‘loaded’ language which I knew was a tool that cults use to verbally isolate their members from the rest of society and limit their critical thinking capabilities. Later I even found out that the leader had manipulated the group through coercion and peer pressure to go as long as six hours without using the bathroom, my wife dealt with this by simply dehydrating herself for the whole weekend. Physical discomfort is another means by which to enhance the affects of thought reform . I tried to talk with my wife about my concerns and to try to gain more information from her but found her to be in a completely manic, defensive, self-absorbed mindset and unable to intelligibly discuss the situation. And of course she had to rush back to the Landmark offices for her second day. When she did eventually call me later that day on one of her ‘breaks’ it was not to discuss my concerns but to try to recruit me into the group!

    It was at this point that I started to call various friends to see if anyone else had heard of the Forum and to see if I had justification to be concerned. I was eventually lead to find information on the web and was stunned about what I read. Such as the 60 Minutes exposé on the group and their megalomaniac leader Werner Erhard who had been accused of everything from bigamy and tax evasion to child molesting and spousal abuse, he even claimed to be God. Or the many stories of people having psychotic episodes or even committing suicide after attending the Forum. Probably most disturbing was their classic use of thought reform and peer pressure techniques to coerce their attendees into following and expanding their empty and self-serving philosophies. It was also becoming evident to me that the Forum had developed a pattern of using their considerable legal power to persecute anyone who opposed them. How could something like this have snuck into my life? Could my wife not understand the dangers involved with thought reform? Or the tragic possible consequences associated with attending these types of groups? Reading what others had written about their personal experiences with the Forum and some of the tragic results that had come from involvement with the Forum gave me the bravery to go down and pull her out.

    Unfortunately for me I underestimated the raw psychological power that Landmark Forum could have over its converts’ minds in just a few days. Gone was my loving, emotionally and mentally complex wife replaced with an almost child like narcissist capable only of babbling Forum jargon (Loading of the Language). My every concern was met with a short, terse reply that started with ‘the Forum leader says’ and ended with some simple, catchy, close-ended sound bite such as ‘the Forum is not a cult because cults hurt people while the forum helps people.’ She simply could not be reasoned with and finally threatened that the only way she was leaving was if it was going to be the end of our marriage. She urged me to go and speak to one of the Forum ‘counselors’ otherwise she was going back. My wife had NEVER EVER spoken like this before and I can honestly say that seeing her mind this far gone without her even being able to realize it was the single most terrifying and confusing experience of my entire life. She happily went back to the Forum and told the Forum leader all about my apprehensions, he was quick to reassure her I was wrong.

    That night when she came home I was at a complete loss of words and had no idea what I could say or who I could turn to. A distant acquaintance of mine had been in a cult and had gotten out with the help of friends and the Cult Awareness Network so I tried to contact them only to later find out that none other than Scientology and Landmark Forum had sued the nonprofit out of existence . I simply had no idea of whom I could turn to or where to go for help.

    The next day when she went back I was utterly out of my mind with worry and confusion as to what to do or who to turn to and finally decided with much heartache to do the most radical step I could think of to try to snap her out of what almost seemed like a real, powerful spell. I decided that I needed to move out of our house hoping that this would shock her into realizing what a big mistake she was making. Once again however I sadly underestimated the raw power that the Forum had over my wife’s mind. When she found out that I had left she STILL DECIDED TO STAY! The Forum leaders were able to convince her that I was simply threatened by her personal growth and that I was a roadblock holding her back from her true potential, they on the other hand were her true friends who could guide her to enlightenment while I was only going to hold her back. They even convinced her to sign up for advanced courses. It was only through the intervention of other family members that she was able to realize how out of control she was and they were able to stop her from going to the ending Tuesday night ‘graduation’ (read recruitment) session.

    As I read back over these events I realize that a lot of people might think that my wife and I simply have one of those dramatic, crazy relationships, but this is simply not true. I’m not going to pretend that my wife and I had a perfect marriage, but I’m also not willing to say that we had anything less than a very good one. We were passionate about our love for one another, creative and engaging in our communications and we enjoyed a close and supportive network of family and friends that appreciates and understood our values. We both only worked part-time doing our dream jobs that we were passionate about and this allowed us to spend more quality time together than most couples. We were financially secure and enjoyed the quality of our lifestyle; we were even in the process of building a vacation home together. We had projects that we worked on together as well as healthy friendships apart from each other and were active members of the local community. At the risk of sounding sappy, we were the kind of couple that turned to each other at least once a week and asked sincerely, “how on earth did we get so lucky to have such a great life?”

    The Forum brought this all to a crashing halt and has caused a huge gaping hole of mistrust and anxiety between us. The financial cost and time commitment to the Forum was relatively small, but the emotional cost to the friendship and trust with my wife is immeasurable and priceless. Even the financial cost of couples and individual therapy to bring us back together is staggering. In the long run I hope that my wife and I will be able to rebuild our relationship with a greater understanding and respect for each other but right now that still looks like a long and painful road.

    Ironically I do agree with about 40% of the Forum’s philosophies: We should take more responsibilities for our actions, we should reach out and clean up our old emotional relationship messes, we should all be aware of the things that we are doing inside ourselves that are holding us back and the like. The Forum however takes all of these ideas to such an extreme that they become self-destructive and uses them against its victims. These methods become especially destructive in the group context in which Landmark uses thought reform. Any value taken to an extreme becomes worthless; bravery for an example taken to an extreme simply becomes stupidity. Ultimately what the Forum offers is a hollow extremist philosophy built by a greedy self-centered company around continually turning people against themselves and into Forum junkies all while recruiting family, friends and associates to do the same. Yes, like many cults the Forum has helped people do great things and gain greater understanding of themselves. However the cost of these benefits is very high in giving up the ability to think and reason for ones self, which I personally feel, is one of the most sacred and important values of all. If you really want to make some real changes in your life you are going to have to find a good therapist and perhaps more importantly, do the work yourself.

    If you are reading this there is a good chance that you are in a similar situation that I was in and wondering what you can do about it. If you are in the unusual situation of reading this while a loved one is having their Forum weekend and if you are feeling at all uncomfortable about it, I urge you to rush down and simply pull them out. Yes, they have guards at the door and everyone in the room will sneer at you and you will probably have to make a big scene. There is even a good chance that your loved one will be spaced out and desperately want to stay and have a long mental list of all the reasons why they should. Simply stand your ground. Tell them that you think that they have not made an informed decision, tell them that if they should come home with you and do more research about this group and should they still think that they want to go that you will personally pay for it. Tell them whatever you need to, but be firm and get them out because the Forum does not just manipulate your mind, they manipulate your heart and that is simply not a part of you that you want this greedy and unethical company to control.

    The good news is that there are helpful, thoughtful and well balanced organizations out there such as Cult Counseling America (www.MyOwnMind.com) that present a reasonable and broad array of information about these types of groups (and they even let you go to the bathroom!) Also, the armor that Landmark Education wraps itself in is actually quite thin if you are willing to look past their glossy brochures and slick sales techniques. You are not alone if Landmark Education has mistreated you or a loved one and there are people out there who can help.

    I have chosen to present this letter anonymously for two reasons, the first of which is that this whole episode had been painful and embarrassing to my family and we simply need to put this episode behind us. Writing this letter and warning others about this group has been an important part of my healing process. The second reason is that we simply want to be left alone; Landmark Education continued to call us even after we asked them to stop and only discontinued after I threatened legal action. Landmark Education has a long history of aggressive legal action against anyone that stands in their way and I simply want them to stay away from my family and me.

    Notes:

    1. ‘Homework’ is assigned to the attendees by the Landmark Forum to keep ones mind occupied during the few hours of free time they are given so that they don’t have time to properly reflect, analyze and digest the powerful processes, social and otherwise, which are at work. By having one stay up late doing ‘homework’ Landmark gains by having a tired person the next day whose ability to resist their intrusive daylong, un-ethical psychological processes is diminished.

    2. Landmark uses other methods of keeping their attendees physically uncomfortable such as running the air-conditioner to keep the room well below comfortable temperature (what attendees describe as chilly or cold) and having them sit on hard chairs which – as attendees describe them -“make you extremely uncomfortable”.

    3. Be careful! For many years, the non-profit Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was a grass roots organization, which provided information and support to those in need. In 1996, a member of the Church of Scientology in federal bankruptcy court purchased the Cult Awareness Network (CAN) name, logo, and phone number. CAN is now manned by cult members or their defenders who do not believe that mind control cults even exist. When an unsuspecting family member or friend calls CAN, they will not get the help they need. Unfortunately, CAN’s confidential files were turned over to Scientology and Landmark Education.

    Copyright, 2002 MyOwnMind.com

  • c.s.

    It seems there are two issues touched upon here –

    1. the idea of a cult and is COTS defined as such (as it seems to be). Cults can be neutral or negative. Chassidus was at one point called a cult (kat). As for brainwashing – although the word has a negative connotation, to a certain extent we do “brainwash” our children when we teach and train them proper behavior constantly and consistently throughout their school and formative years.

    2. the issue of COTS being connected to avoda zara, even in the remotest way (which it seems to be).

    The Rebbe writes in a letter about TM, yoga that it is avoda zara. However – the Rebbe goes on to say that there are certain aspects of these cults (with no connection to their religious rituals) which have mental health benefits and being that so many Jews go to these cults (r’l) for these mental benefits, it is urgently needed to establish a mental health clinic/facility which incorporates these methods in their program, so that Jews will be able to have a kosher alternative to yoga/unholy cults. The Rebbe impresses frum mental health professionals with the critical need to establish such a facility and to give it wide publicity and even indicates that “I will be able to provide the funding for the initial stage…”. It is clear from the Rebbe’s letter that he considered this a serious matter and wanted the therapeutic aspects of yoga to be used to help Jews attain good mental health, done the kosher way – so that they do not ch’v go to unholy sources.
    This seems to be very much in keeping with the Rebbe’s general teachings that we use everything for the good, for the service of Hashem.

    Just something to think about.

  • 29 makes a good rhetorical point

    why not obey the Rabbonim and the Cult-expert
    and give Sternberg and Godstein their jobs back??

  • to still confused

    that YOU now have a new nassi for dor hashmini and everything the Alter Rebbe toiled and authored – na that is nothing worth as you see it didn’t affect all the tiere chassidim (at least we thought they were) to know what is right and wrong. ya, the Alter Rebbe didn’t know of this method of crawling on the floor like an animal and shouting.so burn all the tiffe chassidus and maamorim of ….of the Rebbeim. chas v’sholom chas v’sholom
    The Amolikeh Chassidim were deep into learning learning and more learning Gmoro yes gmoro and the chabad of today? well this is what happens rachman litslan, ch’v ch’v
    I actually don’t blame you!!!!

  • #39

    This is the only thing anyone needs to read. Forget Hecht’s self-serving, self-aggrandizing almost non-sense. The most important issue is that people know exactly what COTS is. It is NOTHING new. This has been around in various forms for a long time. This time it’s packaged for frummies/Lubbies, but it’s the same old money-making scheme run by money-hungry people. It’s about m oney and only about money. As the article says, they serve up age-old wisdoms, platitudes that are often true. But they LOAD your LANGUAGE in such a way that you’re beholden to them. And then you’ll pay more money and get more people to pay them money.
    It’s one more scam that been scamming innocent people using different guises.
    (Just think about the Chanuka oil sets that were sold all over using the Rebbe’s picture – deceptively making you believe it was 100% olive oil but only reading the small print told you it was not 100%. The Rebbe’s picture on the cover was BIG, the small print was the truth. And this same marketing technique was used in all the frum neighborhoods using the Tzaddik of the community picture!)

  • My CBT therapist

    also records every word I say,

    so I don’t see how its any different

    Nore do I see what makes the mashpia from down the block any more trustworthy.

  • Cots=bad, mashpia=good?

    He’s shifting the evil to Cots, as if there’s no problem with those who did the marketing for them.

    It’s the other way around.

    Cots is not “buddist”, its just like any other mind controlling medium such as the very pixels before you. Psychiatry is also a victim of a mass mind programming media, and so is the doctor who convinced you to bee needled. And so is your local mashpia. And so is our religion – explanations of sophisticated differences between a rav and a guru makes sense to my hippocampus but not to me higher order cortex. All of society would jump at the slightest signal by the media – Just look at the recent front cover image of the NY Post. We are all brainwashed. If there’s power involved, there’s mind control as well. the two are inseparable.

    And as far as reinstating the mashpia, who cleverly comes clean of any association to the big bad and greedy, what makes Shia think he is not the real issue here? Firshling did nothing wrong, he simply offers a service he thinks is good for humanity. He didn’t go be masis umadiach the masses. Roping in the unsuspecting was the work of our own mashpeiim.

    So if you vilify cots and diefy mashpiiem, then tomorrow you will need to denounce the next New Age craze, and the day after you will need to denounce the next Breakthrough in the name of Science. Their all the same.

    The problem is in us, not them.

    The problem is the deities we entrust our children, for tomorrow they will send our kids to the next master in the helping profession.

    We need to watch out from our own rabbonim, not some foreign evil from Outer Space