AMA/Livestream January 2020
Added 2021-01-28 04:42:02 +0000 UTCThe first DTG AMA/Live hang out thing, in which we focus on the suggested topic of social media platforms and the issues surrounding de-platforming/moderation. With additional insights offered by two of our Patreon Galaxy Brain Gurus: Madhav & Chris!
Thanks for coming guys- was fun!
Comments
Thanks all! I think it would be really interesting to build some kind of practical ‘how to detect a guru’ guide. A bit like those guides on how to spot a narcissist. A little overlap of course, but this is mainly how to develop what they call ‘critical information literacy’ - a way to recognise and avoid bad epistemic sources... (Matt)
Christopher Kavanagh
2021-02-01 10:47:11 +0000 UTCI’m glad you enjoyed them!
Chris Spanos
2021-02-01 01:22:58 +0000 UTCI loved your contributions! Very interesting stuff.
Rebecca Christiansen
2021-02-01 00:25:49 +0000 UTCThe very same cult. Now Triratna. New name, same tricks, possibly less sexual abuse.
Nina Davies
2021-01-30 10:39:43 +0000 UTCI had a lot of fun participating – in the future I'll start with Chrome first (I was using Safari, but had to log out because of lag and AV issues). There's an iPad version of Crowdcast which looks pretty good too. I might give that a go next time!
Chris Spanos
2021-01-30 10:23:20 +0000 UTCOh that’s interesting, I (Chris) had some experience with the FWBO in Northern Ireland. No personal trauma but did have contact with some figures who were alleged to have been involved in very abusive stuff. Part of my introduction to cult dynamics and charismatic leaders.
Christopher Kavanagh
2021-01-30 06:09:32 +0000 UTCLast year a journalist wrote an article about the particular cult I was involved with. He is a 'colour writer', which basically seems to be a brief form of ethnography. He was incredibly thorough and did loads of online and historical research, even covertly visiting Buddhist centres. We spoke a number of times and I answered questions and set him off on new lines of enquiry. Just before publication the journalist said to me 'I knew this guy (the Guru) was a con man as soon as I saw the first film, which is what set me off on this hunt'. I asked him was the signs were and all he was able to say was 'years and years of dealing with con men'. The essence of what Matt was saying is that you could be looking for the ultimate 'how to spot a con man' formula. I suspect it is being able to spot narcissism.
Nina Davies
2021-01-29 09:13:53 +0000 UTCPlease excuse me sharing my dubious research experience, but I thought it may help! I started an online forum in an attempt to get a Western Buddhist Order (cult) to acknowledge the history of sexual 'misconduct' (exploitation and general weirdness). I ended up being there for over two years. As I'm an Anthropologist, I couldn't help but do participant observation. This was of course deeply flawed for any kind of publication because I started the forum and was fully prepared to be a scapegoat and figure of hatred. After a while I realised that the research I was doing was discourse analysis. Interestingly, Contrapoints' latest feature length production on J K Rowling is also hugely reminiscent of discourse analysis. What she does is recognises features of language and provides an historical frame. We all do this if we see the word 'cabal' - we know we are in the presence of a conspiracy theory. What I noticed immediately was that followers of the guru repeated stock phrases in his defense - as if to protect themselves from deeper questioning. The 'stock phrases' you have noticed already are to do with your low intellectual calibers (I had the same - how dare I attack an enlightened genius?). What jumps out for me as a fifty year old mother of 3 is that internet language assumes a level of membership and understanding that I don't possess,
Nina Davies
2021-01-29 09:01:19 +0000 UTC
