An Everyday Cult Book Reading and Discussion

523 Southeast Morrison Street,Portland OR 97214

20 July, 2022

Description

Reading selected passages from her memoir, Gerette weaves a story that is compelling , while it also educates participants about the dangers of undue influence, coercive control and the process of indoctrination. These topics are perhaps surprisingly relevant to the critical conversations we should all be having today, but are increasingly uncivil, divisive, and at worst, violent confrontations. Such conflicts are often driven by unseen controlling influences that are fracturing so many families and communities today. Through a combination of speaking and readings, Gerette invites participants to gain perspective on cultic coercion in a way that inspires discernment and compassion: qualities necessary to build healthy relationships that are the backbone of every resilient community. Gerette courageously speaks sense into the complex and confusing narratives of today. The book reading is part of a series of events affiliated with igotout.org - an organization that supports survivors of cultic abuse to tell and share their personal stories (if and when it’s safe to do so) through the hashtag #igotout movement. Gerette is co-founder of igotout.org and currently lives in Vermont. This is her first trip to the Portland area. KIRKHUS REVIEW: The book’s searing honesty does a service for cult survivors, and will also be informative to those who don’t understand how thin the line can be between a benign organization and a dangerous one; the most telltale sign of the latter, Buglion points out, is that you can never graduate from it. … A hauntingly honest and revealing memoir. Gerette’s career in cult recovery rises out of her experience in a controlling self-help group she details in her memoir, "An Everyday Cult".