CULTS INTERVIEW WITH TERRY CHRISTIAN RADIO MANCHESTER FEBRUARY 2007

RADIO INTERVIEW ON CULTS & BRAINWASHING.

My live Radio Manchester interview on my 1981-85 cult involvement years (www.arthurchappell.clara.net/brainwashing.htm) went very well. I was impressed by how perceptive and knowledgeable and genuinely interested in the subject the presenter, Terry Christian was. He has certainly matured from the style of presenting he used on The Word, and he came across as a genuinely nice guy.

The producers had been unable to find a practicing member of the now somewhat reclusive cult, (Divine Light Mission – aka Elan Vital) to present the opposing case. They did try to surprise me by bringing in cult expert Dr. Eileen Barker without warning me of this in advance. (She spoke by phone – she wasn’t in the studio). Fortunately, I have read some of Dr. Barker’s books, and pointed out that they have been regarded with some controversy in many circles because she tries to completely discredit and dismiss the brainwashing hypothesis, and tends to move to ‘apologetics’ about cults. However, her points in the discussion were not ones I could disagree with too much, as I said. Poor Terry looked rather startled when I casually disclosed this.

The show went out due to interest in cults rising through a forthcoming and well publicized Channel Four Television interview commemorating the Waco suicide cult siege tragedy. On the whole the mood of the interview was quite light. I pointed out that I was in Rome on a pilgrimage to see my then Hindu Messiah when the Pope was in my hometown of Manchester. Terry jokingly closed the interview by suggesting that he would start his own cult. I joined in by reminding him that his surname suggested he had a good start.

On the whole, a rewarding discussion, which I hope will encourage, further thought, and helps deter people from getting involved in cults.

My reviews of two books by Dr. Eileen Barker are available here.

http://www.arthurchappell.clara.net/bookreviewb.barker-makingofamoonie.htm

http://www.arthurchappell.clara.net/bookreviewb.barker-newreligiousmovements.htm

Audio MP3 file of the 14 minute interview itself. http://www.mediafire.com/?8uwndyimgo5