Review by Wacamato1961 -- The Cult Next Door
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Wacamato1961
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Review by Wacamato1961 -- The Cult Next Door
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]
The Cult Next Door is a biographical and deeply personal account of the author's 20-year journey as a follower of a charismatic and manipulative individual. Elizabeth R. Burchard bravely and honestly chronicles the highs and lows of placing your life and soul in the hands of a leader you trust and virtually worship. With her friend and mentor Judith L. Carlone, Liz recounts her bittersweet involvement and subsequent break away from the control of biofeedback technician turned self-styled guru, George Sharkman.
Liz's introduction to George happens at age 17 with a simple biofeedback session aimed at stress reduction. Having lost her father at a young age, she is very naturally drawn to the strong male figure, seeking to balance the controlling and loveless style of her mother Rachael. She was vulnerable and starved for love, and George's influence over her progresses from that point to near-complete mind control as he asks her, in the name of enlightenment, to do increasingly unspeakable and sometimes hideous things.
These "stress therapy" sessions are quite expensive, yet the devotees are willing to pay any price for time with George, the only source of the Energy, and to be chosen for his glorious mission. Liz had received a large inheritance from her father, which is undoubtedly a factor in George's targeting of her. Though he preaches that money is unnecessary and that the Energy will supply all needs, Liz ultimately comes to realize that George likely "laughed all the way to the bank"!
Fortuitously, Liz meets Judith Carlone who, baby step by baby step, leads Liz to view the cult through unbiased eyes. Upon meeting the group, Judith does sense a strong energy field, though to her it is "terribly frightening" rather than peaceful, leading one to wonder if the source of the Energy was evil rather than good. Even as George descends further into true insanity and Liz witnesses more and more deviant forms of worship, yet, as one of the first converts, she admits that "leaving the group had never entered my mind".
Whether styled a "stress therapy group" or the "Universal Church of Life for People, Plants, and Animals", this has been Liz's life for years, and she doesn't know any other way; but with Judith's guidance, she begins to see the truth. She struggles, confessing that "Each day I worked at breaking my connections to my family, my belief system-my life" and "Addicted to my entrenched role as a dedicated devotee, I trembled from withdrawal..." She is physically consumed with the terror of not being able to function or even survive without George's Energy guiding every decision.
The use of the title The Cult Next Door reveals to the reader that George's followers are not mindless outcasts who have no life outside the group. Debunking the common concept of cultists, these people are entrepreneurs, authors, and politicians; possibly your next-door neighbor! Liz is extremely intelligent, becoming valedictorian of her junior high school, moving on to Bronx High School of Science, and then Swarthmore College where she graduated with a B.A. in Biochemistry, majoring in French. She established Expressions Photography Studio and even designed and published Flash Blasters and Exambusters educational aids.
Perhaps Liz's most heartbreaking revelation is the lack of a happy relationship with her mother. Near the end of her life, Rachael confesses to her daughter that she never understood the concept of love, and that "perhaps there should be a 'parent's license'".
On the lighter side, Liz is quite comical when describing some of Sharkman's questionable therapy styles; she mentions his curious "headshaking" more than 20 times. Hilarious! It is astonishing that George is able to shift focus from time to time to a completely new mode of worship as his worshippers follow without hesitation.
The Cult Next Door is professionally written and edited; I note no profanity or typos. I feel this work is a masterpiece, giving the reader a rarely glimpsed view behind the closed doors of a mainstream cult, and into the mind of a skewed, manipulative sociopath. This book is suitable for education, religious interests, and those who love human triumph stories. Top of the reading list at 4 out of 4 stars!
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Cult Next Door is a biographical and deeply personal account of the author's 20-year journey as a follower of a charismatic and manipulative individual. Elizabeth R. Burchard bravely and honestly chronicles the highs and lows of placing your life and soul in the hands of a leader you trust and virtually worship. With her friend and mentor Judith L. Carlone, Liz recounts her bittersweet involvement and subsequent break away from the control of biofeedback technician turned self-styled guru, George Sharkman.
Liz's introduction to George happens at age 17 with a simple biofeedback session aimed at stress reduction. Having lost her father at a young age, she is very naturally drawn to the strong male figure, seeking to balance the controlling and loveless style of her mother Rachael. She was vulnerable and starved for love, and George's influence over her progresses from that point to near-complete mind control as he asks her, in the name of enlightenment, to do increasingly unspeakable and sometimes hideous things.
These "stress therapy" sessions are quite expensive, yet the devotees are willing to pay any price for time with George, the only source of the Energy, and to be chosen for his glorious mission. Liz had received a large inheritance from her father, which is undoubtedly a factor in George's targeting of her. Though he preaches that money is unnecessary and that the Energy will supply all needs, Liz ultimately comes to realize that George likely "laughed all the way to the bank"!
Fortuitously, Liz meets Judith Carlone who, baby step by baby step, leads Liz to view the cult through unbiased eyes. Upon meeting the group, Judith does sense a strong energy field, though to her it is "terribly frightening" rather than peaceful, leading one to wonder if the source of the Energy was evil rather than good. Even as George descends further into true insanity and Liz witnesses more and more deviant forms of worship, yet, as one of the first converts, she admits that "leaving the group had never entered my mind".
Whether styled a "stress therapy group" or the "Universal Church of Life for People, Plants, and Animals", this has been Liz's life for years, and she doesn't know any other way; but with Judith's guidance, she begins to see the truth. She struggles, confessing that "Each day I worked at breaking my connections to my family, my belief system-my life" and "Addicted to my entrenched role as a dedicated devotee, I trembled from withdrawal..." She is physically consumed with the terror of not being able to function or even survive without George's Energy guiding every decision.
The use of the title The Cult Next Door reveals to the reader that George's followers are not mindless outcasts who have no life outside the group. Debunking the common concept of cultists, these people are entrepreneurs, authors, and politicians; possibly your next-door neighbor! Liz is extremely intelligent, becoming valedictorian of her junior high school, moving on to Bronx High School of Science, and then Swarthmore College where she graduated with a B.A. in Biochemistry, majoring in French. She established Expressions Photography Studio and even designed and published Flash Blasters and Exambusters educational aids.
Perhaps Liz's most heartbreaking revelation is the lack of a happy relationship with her mother. Near the end of her life, Rachael confesses to her daughter that she never understood the concept of love, and that "perhaps there should be a 'parent's license'".
On the lighter side, Liz is quite comical when describing some of Sharkman's questionable therapy styles; she mentions his curious "headshaking" more than 20 times. Hilarious! It is astonishing that George is able to shift focus from time to time to a completely new mode of worship as his worshippers follow without hesitation.
The Cult Next Door is professionally written and edited; I note no profanity or typos. I feel this work is a masterpiece, giving the reader a rarely glimpsed view behind the closed doors of a mainstream cult, and into the mind of a skewed, manipulative sociopath. This book is suitable for education, religious interests, and those who love human triumph stories. Top of the reading list at 4 out of 4 stars!
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Neighbour At Number 18 (Reload) by Hawa Crickmore
