Why Smart People Stay in Cults Opening This is completely unacceptable. I am angry. I am clear. I am done. It was 2022. Three years before I left. Someone who had harmed people was being let back in. And then—within days—someone swooped in and said, “I believe you. I’m going to fix this.” And just…
Tag: oto high control group
Why Do Smart People Do Terrible Things in Groups?
Why Do Smart People Do Terrible Things in Groups? (And Why Aristotle Saw It Coming) INTRO My interview about OTO dropped last week. Within less than 24 hours, two members showed up in the comments. One showed up to criticize the bureaucratic process I followed when advocating for survivors of sexual abuse in the organization….
Interview with the Cults to Consciousness Podcast about my experiences inside Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.)
Interview with the Cults to Consciousness Podcast about my experiences inside Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) Transcript Intro JAMES There’s this doorway in front of you, and it’s charged with these symbols, and you’re going to cross through this thing, and you don’t know what’s on the other side, but there’s other people there, and you’re…
Dealing with attacks when you speak out against O.T.O.
Dealing with attacks when you speak out against O.T.O. The Foundation of Spiritual Strength Your Inner Refuge When life presses in—when people attack you, betray you, twist your words—it’s natural to look outside yourself for safety. We look to institutions. To leaders. To groups that promise protection. But here’s the truth: If your refuge isn’t…
Agreement Is Cheap. Integrity Is Not.
This summer, I’ve put out a lot of content about Ordo Templi Orientis. I’ve described how it promotes unstable leaders, protects high-degree abusers, spies on its members, punishes criticism, and sculpts people into shapes fundamentally at odds with the Law of Thelema. The reactions have been intense: gratitude from those relieved to hear their experiences…
What Comes After Leaving O.T.O.
What Comes After Leaving O.T.O. From Exile to Emergence INTRO Leaving a high-control group is a rupture. A death. Sometimes walking through fire. But what comes next—when the mask is gone and the air is clear? Hi, my name is James. A few months ago, I left Ordo Templi Orientis, or OTO, after 11 years…
Conscience vs. Control: What Bradley’s Story Reveals About O.T.O.
Once you see these patterns, you can refuse to let them define you. You can step out of the war—and into the myth of becoming sovereign, visible, virtuous, and free.
How to know when it’s time to go
How to Know When It’s Time to Go Intro Sometimes the moment comes quietly. Sometimes it slams into you. But either way, there’s a moment—a threshold—when staying in a system designed to contort you becomes impossible. Hi, my name is James. I’ve left two systems like this. One I was born into. One I chose….
The Four Questions Every Spiritual Community Must Answer (Before It’s Too Late)
What makes a spiritual community worthy of your life? The answer isn’t in the group’s mission statement or bylaws. And believe it or not, it’s not found simply in doing ritual together or holding potlucks. It’s revealed by the patterns of behavior in the community—and whether those patterns lead to positive transformation over time or…
Twelve Pillars of a Spiritually Sovereign Community
Twelve Pillars of a Spiritually Sovereign Community How to Build Containers That Hold Real Power, Real People, and Real Change Intro There’s a question I’ve been thinking about for a long time now. I thought about it when I was a member of OTO. I thought about it more when I was master of an…