Absolutist dogma, indoctrination, charismatic & hypnotic leaders, unchallengeable authorities,  insidious mind control,  un/conscious gaslighting, stripping away identity and individuality, the undermining of self-trust and critical thinking capacities,  thought-suppression, undue influence, power imbalance, mind-games,   mental de-programming and re-programming, us vs. them, "one problem one solution", silencing dissent...etc. Neo-Advaita doesn't totally fit the typical cult model, but it shares so many of the key components of damaging cults that must be understood to fully comprehend how dangerous it is, the trap people are truly caught up in, and to help ourselves/ move away and recover.

“Sometimes we are the collateral damage in someone else’s war against themselves.” - Lauren Eden
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