"A delightfully written narrative tapestry." - Dr. Larry Shinn Click here to read excerpts at Amazon.com.

What's in this Section: Betrayal of the Spirit book reviews Read this if you are thinking about leaving a group Hare Krishnas - general information Coercive Organizations - general information Contact Nori Muster

Book Reviews: Publisher's Weekly paperback Betrayal of the Spirit. More reviews Publisher's Weekly - hardcover edition, Yoga Journal, Feminist Bookstore News, New York Post, Choice Magazine, Boston Herald, Nexus of Colorado, Gentle Strength Times, Coastlines (UCSB Alumni), Theology Digest, Nova Religio, Rapport (two reviews). Amazon.com reader reviews. More reviews India West, AsiaTimesOnline.com, Rediff.com, Joe Szimhart, misc. Author's synopsis of the book This essay was written at the request of the editor of the ISKCON Communications Journal (but never published). Myth and Themes of Ex-Membership Abstract: A researcher and ex-member of ISKCON, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, offers an inside view of what it's like to be an ex-cult member. She identifies post-traumatic stress and identity crisis as the two most common themes of ex-membership. At the root of post-traumatic stress are the themes justice, stigma, and perspective; at the root of identity crisis are the themes home, personal belief system, and storytelling. She offers literary examples that serve as myths to illustrate the ex-member experience. The stories are drawn from American literature, the Vedas, and popular culture. (Editor's Note: A longer version of this essay is posted here: ICSA Online Journal) Nori's speeches (described in Betrayal of the Spirit) - to the North American Governing Body Commission (GBC), 1988; to the Towaco conference: Women in Krishna Consciousness, 1988; and a banned ISKCON World Review editorial about women's place in ISKCON, following the Towaco conference, 1988. Betrayal wins an award from Amazon.com. Bill Muster Nori Muster's father helped her decide to leave ISKCON. Find out more about Bill Muster Hare Krishna Link Pages Find links for the official Organization (ISKCON), official publications, Internet networking, look up Hare Krishna addresses, trouble in paradise, the nitty gritty on cults, the second generation (gurukula), links for the gay and lesbian devotee community, devotee sites (ISKCON-lite) Women in Krishna Consciousness Four essays on what it's like for women in ISKCON. Life as a Woman on Watseka Avenue, by Nori J. Muster, published in the book, "Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant" (Columbia University Press) Children of ISKCON vs. ISKCON - Find out more about child abuse in ISKCON and the abuse lawsuit, including the timeline, Story Matters, and media coverage. Gurukula Veterans Journal Find photos and information about the gurukula and gurukula reunions. ISKCON as an Addictive Organization An essay by Nori Muster based on the book, "The Addictive Organization," by Anne Wilson Schaeff and Diane Fassel, for Western Oregon State College, 1991. "Some Things I Learned During My Seventeen Years in the Hare Krishna Movement," by Steven J. Gelberg, presented at the 2007 conference of the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA), in Brussels, Belgium "On Leaving ISKCON," by Steven J. Gelberg . In this 1992 essay, a former BBT staff writer (Subhananda Dasa) tells what it was like to leave ISKCON. Read en Espanol - click here. Leaving ISKCON - Paul Martin, another exmember, reflects on leaving. The Betrayal Files - Download PDF files about ISKCON in the news that tell the real history of the Hare Krishna Movement. Find Me at the Gates, by Nori Muster, c. 1991. Science Fiction, approx. fifty pages. Protagonist Ann Messenger was once an official for a guru group in Los Angeles. She returns to Los Angeles in 2012 to work for her family's business and must confront her past. The Last Days, by Nori Muster, c. 1988. Autobiographical short, short story, approximately 5 pages. Written during the Christmas of 1988, the author tells what it was like for her during the final days of living at the Krishna temple in Los Angeles. Positive Steps to Becoming Less Vulnerable to Influence and Authority by Sharon Presley, Free Inquiry, Vol. 15, No. 1, Winter 1994. Can Terrorists be 'Reprogrammed'? Read this news article by Patrick Goodenough of CNSNews.com. Ten Points to Develop Healthy Personal Boundaries - and a short explanation of what it means to be honest. The Cult Information Link Page at this site Do you need a guru? Feedback from Joseph Campbell and others. Marcia Rudin's 14 Common Characteristics of a Cult It Hurts, by Jan Groenveld, Cult Awareness & Information Centre. There is life after the cult. An Essay on Brainwashing, by Andries Krugers Dagneaux, a former follower of Sathya Sai Baba. Do Cults Produce Mental Disorders? by Mark Dunlop Letter to a Woman who Lost Her Friend to a Cult, by Nori Muster, March 2002. Interview with Nori about the Nature of Coercive Organizations, May 2002. A Cult Survivor's Handbook: How to Live in the Material World Again, by Nori Muster, c. 2000 (The entire manuscript is now posted.) Recovery Books Find books on abuse recovery History of Positive Thinking How to be happy in this sometimes miserable world.