Is NXIVM a religion (or just a cult?)

[AuntKrazy]

So I just watched a 20/20 on demand last night from earlier in December.  They were investigating NXIVM and Keith Raniere and allegations of a secret society where the women in the organization were branded as slaves.  It seems like a lot of the ideas are pieced together from other cults and religious beliefs, and marketed as an "Executive Success Program".

In the group, they believe in that a woman has something called "JNESS"  I was surprised to find that Allison Mack and Catherine Oldenburg's daughter are a part of this.

Anybody else out there been down this rabbit hole?

[unsafetydancer]

Had never heard of it before but just googled it and it looks really creepy. A few of the articles I read talk about members being branded and there's even a rumour that a small child is being kept prisoner and raised to be the next leader. So much WTF it just makes my brain say NOPE!

[Palimpsest]

There have been local rumors about it for ages.  (I'm not local but family members are in Albany.)  I'd say scary cult.  More info:

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Secrets-of-NXIVM-2880885.php

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/17/nyregion/nxivm-women-branded-albany.html

[Rachel333]

Leah Remini is going to be covering this group on her show now that she's moving on from Scientology to covering other cult-like religions/groups as well.

[AuntKrazy]

@Rachel333 That is what got me curious enough to watch the 20/20 episode.

 

[Chocolatedefrauded]

The leader, Keith Raniere, (not sure on spelling) has a child who is being raised by nannies who each speak a different language to the child. 3 shifts a day, so 3 languages, plus English.

i live in the area & most people think they are a scary cult. Lots of brainwashing. They ruin the lives of people who speak out about them. Like planting evidence & reporting them for crimes.

all financed by the heiresses to the Seagrams fortune.

[Four is Enough]

Wow. Sure sounds cult like.

[kunoichi66]

This does sound like a cult, yes.

 

Even the branding fits, as a way of keeping people separate from the world

[THERetroGamerNY]

Uh, this is a new one. There is an official denial on their website where this joker denies it all... but I still don’t even understand what they all actually do. I mean... what does NXIVM mean anyways?!

And this guy used to sell Amway... now it’s like he’s mixed MLMs and Scientology together?!

When I Googled their name, their official site came up, but it’s obviously heavily redacted just recently. Google has indexes for the usual slew of pages like “About Us”, “Vision” and other typical company pages, but they are all 404’d now.

Also, this:

“Raniere has convinced some followers he doesn't drive because his intellectual energy sets off radar detectors.”

What... the... fuck?! lol

[Four is Enough]

On 2/13/2018 at 1:31 AM, THERetroGamerNY said:

“Raniere has convinced some followers he doesn't drive because his intellectual energy sets off radar detectors.”

What... the... fuck?! lol

I know, right? That sets off the "cult leader" alarm bells right there.

[Chocolatedefrauded]

Raniere has been arrested by the FBI for sex trafficking along with other charges. Investigation is not finished, more charges are possible.

Sources: NY Times & Albany Times Union. I’m having troubling doing links.

[Palimpsest]

On 3/26/2018 at 7:21 PM, Chocolatedefrauded said:

I’m having troubling doing links.

Here's a couple.  

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/nyregion/keith-raniere-arrested-nxivm.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43550908

https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Feds-raid-home-of-NXIVM-co-founder-Nancy-Salzman-12784322.php

[Chocolatedefrauded]

The master-slave thing and being forced to have sex with Raniere is disgusting! It was more horrible than I thought. They are scary people.

[laPapessaGiovanna]

Branded? People are BRANDED?!? Branded like cattle?

WTF?!? This is a level of fucked up I can't comprehend.

[Briefly]

The daughter of the actress Catherine Oxenburg is in this cult. What I've read says that she and her daughter went to a workshop this group gave and that Catherine thought there was something no right and didn't go any further but her daughter apparently fell hook, line and sinker into this cult. She's been trying to get her daughter out for a few years and there is some speculation that her daughter may be one of the branded sex slaves.  I've read a few stories. It sounds terrifying for the women.

[JMarie]

http://people.com/human-interest/kristin-kreuk-denies-sex-slave-nxivm-keith-raniere/

[TuringMachine]

Well I just learned about this because this showed up on my facebook feed: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/actress-allison-mack-arrested-for-alleged-ties-to-sex-cult-w519396

I was/am a big Smallville fan, so this is messing with my head a bit. Now I guess I'm going down this rabbit hole of WTF

[ladyamylynn]

Apparently Allison Mack married the actress who played Callie on Battlestar Galactica (who is also a cult member) for immigration fraud purposes.  This group is super interesting. 

[Terrie]

I know it's completely minor, but I just can't get over that it's apparently pronounced the same as Nexium, which is a drug for controlling stomach acid.

[HarryPotterFan]

On 4/20/2018 at 10:25 PM, ladyamylynn said:

Apparently Allison Mack married the actress who played Callie on Battlestar Galactica (who is also a cult member) for immigration fraud purposes.  This group is super interesting. 

Holy shiiiiit I was just coming here to post that Allison Mack (Chloe Sullivan on Smallville) has been arrested for sex trafficking for this group. She’s high up. Holy shit. I loved that show.

http://people.com/crime/catherine-oxenberg-speaks-allison-mack-sex-cult-nxivm-arrest/

Edit: @TuringMachine Whoops just saw your post about Allison Mack.

2 hours ago, Terrie said:

I know it's completely minor, but I just can't get over that it's apparently pronounced the same as Nexium, which is a drug for controlling stomach acid.

I was wondering if it was a weird pronunciation or if you say the letters. What the heck is it named after?

On 3/30/2018 at 10:55 AM, JMarie said:

http://people.com/human-interest/kristin-kreuk-denies-sex-slave-nxivm-keith-raniere/

What the shit is it with Smallville actresses and this cult??

Edited April 23, 2018 by HarryPotterFan

[TuringMachine]

3 hours ago, HarryPotterFan said:

What the shit is it with Smallville actresses and this cult??

Honestly as I was reading articles about it I just kept thinking that it all almost sounds like a Smallville plot. It's surreal.

[HarryPotterFan]

54 minutes ago, TuringMachine said:

Honestly as I was reading articles about it I just kept thinking that it all almost sounds like a Smallville plot. It's surreal.

It really does! And the cult name reminds me of that episode with that guy whose name was like Xzpthd...I don’t remember. Something with X’s and Z’s and possibly no vowels. He was able to control people’s minds or something? Which is the only explanation for this. 

ETA: This dude: http://smallville.wikia.com/wiki/Mikhail_Mxyzptlk

Edited April 24, 2018 by HarryPotterFan

[bea]

Apparently Allison Mack married the actress who played Callie on Battlestar Galactica (who is also a cult member) for immigration fraud purposes.  This group is super interesting. 

she married Nicki Clyne? I missed that.

This thing is just a giant snowball of crazy. I read the VF story on the heiresses who funded the cult.

[clueliss]

I encountered this article about India Oxenberg on Yahoo.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/india-oxenberg-shocking-details-know-224141537.html

And Allison Mack apparently tried to pull Emma Watson & Kelly Clarkson into this.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/allison-mack-pitched-emma-watson-kelly-clarkson-join-012924821.html

[AuntKrazy]

More NXIVM crazy - this is a Newsweek article about a the preferred NXIVM doctor accused of conducting illegal experiments on humans in a "fright study":

http://www.newsweek.com/nxivm-dr-brandon-porter-cults-912098