The Expansions Cult

[Jacaranda]

Dear all,
 
As so many others both here on this forum, as well on a number of other websites, I had realized that Expansions Publishing Co. is in fact the cover of a cult, too late. Thousands of dollars are gone. At least, I maintain my mental and physical health, my relationships, my wealth, and my employment. Things could be worse and I have learned a lesson for life. Nonetheless, and to help others in making their right choice, I am posting this analysis so that others may avoid some of the mistakes made by others and myself.
 
Also for sake of clarity, I should like to define the term “discernment”, which, according to wiktionary.org, is defined as follows:
 
discernment (plural discernments)
1.    The ability to distinguish, judgment.
2.    Discrimination.
3.    To distinguish between things.
4.    To perceive different things that exists.
5.    The condition of understanding.
6.    Aesthetic discrimination; taste, appreciation.
7.    Perceptiveness.
8.    The ability to make wise judgments, sagacity.
9.    Discretion in judging objectively.
 
At the same time I should like to make it clear to all of you reading my analysis, that whether or not Hyperspace techniques work or not is not what is questioned here. What is discussed is the running of a cult, with intentional destruction of objective discernment of information by its followers, for mainly commercial motivations. It is also assumed that a large part of the information that Janet, and Stewart Swerdlow in particular, circulate is without any solid foundation.
 
In the end, everyone is the sole author of his or her life.
 
On Wikipedia.com we learn that studies performed by those who believe that some religious groups do practice mind control have identified a number of key steps in coercive persuasion (Galanter 1989, Mithers 1994, Ofshe & Watters 1994, Singer, Temerlin, and Langone 1990, Zimbardo and Leipper 1991), which can be translated precisely in the way that Stewart and Janet Swerdlow operate their cult:-
1.    People are put in physical or emotionally distressing situations.
2.    Problems are reduced to one simple explanation, which is repeatedly emphasized.
3.    People receive unconditional love, acceptance, and attention from a charismatic leader or group.
4.    People get a new identity based on group cohesion
5.    People are subject to entrapment (isolation from friends, relatives, and the mainstream culture), and their access to information is severely controlled.
 
It is the above model (Luis Cordon, 2005) that will be used to illustrate how and why Expansions is a cult, which uses mind-control for commercial exploitation of their customers.
 
This forced opinion forming is especially a problem in as much as it represents a potential for harm. In the opinion of Benjamin Zablocki, a professor of Sociology at Rutgers University, groups that have been characterized as cults are at high risk of becoming abusive to members. He states that this is in part due to members' adulation of charismatic leaders contributing to the leaders becoming corrupted by power. Zablocki defines a cult as an ideological organization held together by charismatic relationships and the demands total commitment. This can be seen through the affiliate program, the OMG, and of course through those who believe they are selected by Kuiper’s Belt Aliens to defend planet earth.
 
There is evidence, not only from member accounts of this website, but also from other websites and sources, that Expansions has been known for a while to have defrauded people by considerable sums of money. There have been accusations of sexual abuse, which according to sociologists, psychologists, and criminal investigators is the most common accusation made against groups referred to as cults (reference is made to some allegations by former members of the Expansions Cult, who have posted here). Reender Kranenborg, an expert on religious movements, further argues that some groups are risky when they advise their members not to use regular medical care, which puts the non-discerning followers at risk of health issues and even death.
 
Let us look in detail at the mechanisms that make Expansions Publishing a cult, with Stewart and Janet Swerdlow as its gurus. It is written in view of a new follower, for easier understanding.
 
 
1. People are put in physical or emotionally distressing situations
 
In most cases you have been curious for a long time. You have had the impressions that something about life, about the way the media, your teachers, your parents portrayed reality, does not fit in with your own observations. Or you may be seeking for ways of how to improve your current life. Perhaps you are curious about some of the many conspiracy theories that have gained in popularity over recent years.
 
In other cases you may have stumbled on Stewart Swerdlow’s radio shows, books, and of course their website, expansions.com. All three sources are filled with two basic messages. First, the world is evil and there is a conspiracy by everything and everyone. Trust no one! Your problems are manufactured. Even natural disasters are artificial. The evil forces are at war with the good forces, and you are lucky to have found Stewart and Janet, who can help you in these difficult times! The second message is that you can bring about change, to end all of your problems, bring you perfect health, loads of cash for absolutely no efforts, and even help finding you perfect love, all through the power of your mind and by using hyperspace techniques. You won’t have to physically work at your destiny ever again! Everything you ever wanted is at your fingertips! The human mind holds the key to everything that is!
 
Yet, oh shame, the world is mind programmed into certain behavior patterns. Yes, this does confirm what you had always suspected and some research on the Internet asserts this thought: humanity is enslaved through mind control. Even worse, some people are specifically mind programmed. They are perfect slaves to specific purposes, part of this evil machine that is enslaving all of humanity.
 
Perhaps you become militant and want to rescue this beloved planet (who’d blame you?). Join the forces. Oh, but which forces? David Icke always told you which conspiracies exist, and that all you need to do is to awaken your mind. How do you do that? At the same time Stewart and Janet talk about deprogramming. Deprogramming what? Perhaps this is what awakening is? They talk about the power of the mind. Aha!
 
Let’s look at what is going on here. This mixture of terror stories about a world conspiracy, which is mind enslaving humanity and trying to build a one-world government, certainly is a very inconvenient reality. It questions everything that you are, own, or ever believed in, and furthermore, it threatens it. This is where you start to feel distressed. It even scares you. The possibility however that you can find a solution to everything, simply by using your mind, is an attractive idea. It further questions your own status quo further, as you now accept the possibility that you needn’t work in that dead-end job, or discuss your relationship problems with your lover, or do what it takes to achieving your goals through hard work. Now here’s a dilemma.
 
The Expansions Cult is very subtle in canvassing new members, yet it is very effective. Its point of attack, are the doubts, uncertainties, and questions about life, that people have, no matter whether they are seeking to find the truth, or whether they have real problems and cannot find help elsewhere. It is a fact that everybody has problems of some sort. This is life. It is obvious that what Stewart and Janet Swerdlow portray in their seminars, books, and radio show is designed to confuse you, to scare you, to question yourself, but also to intrigue you, and awaken your curiosity. You start feeling unsure about what to think. You need guidance. You get a private consultation. Your power of discernment is really at a low by now.
 
 
2. Problems are reduced to one simple explanation, which is repeatedly emphasized
 
You finally get your consultation, for which you waited for several weeks, even months. You’re told that “Stewart and Janet are very busy”, which lets you conclude, naturally, that they must be very high in demand and ergo very good! The association fallacy here is as evident as it was intended.
 
The key patterns, which return frequently in most consultations is that you are mind controlled. Terms such as “Dragonfly”, “Male Sexual Slave”, “Vigilante”, etc., are thrown at you. Terms you probably will have never have heard before, and which you will have a hard time finding clear-cut information about on the Internet or in alternative literature. Yet the evidence that mind control per se exists is overwhelming. Already here your discernment is getting its second beating. The problem of course is, that the one and only source you know and can ask about what these types of programming are, is either Stewart or Janet Swerdlow. The Internet provides only so many answers here. You also feel emotional, that someone finally puts all your doubts and questions into one formula that simple to understand. You feel emotional; after all, what was done to you was really unfair. You are the victim of an evil conspiracy.
 
The second message after being told about being specifically mind controlled is that this was done because you are truly special. You are unique and part of an elite bloodline. In a way, you should feel lucky to be so special. Well, after your victimization, you now get your ego boosted. Yes, of course you are special, we all are. No, but you are truly very superbly amazingly special and the Illuminati keep a very sharp eye on you. You are one of them. Yet you never knew. How would you have? Lucky that you were finally ready to have this consultation done! After all, “if you were not mind controlled, you would not have found your way” to Stewart. You’re going to hear that formula a few times from now on.
 
It is of course true that mind programming exists and is omnipresent, and some of us are indeed specifically mind-programmed. The facts of mind-programming existing are overwhelming and evidence can now easily obtained by anyone of the public. The above account then should in no case represent mockery of true victims of mind control, but illustrate by which the Expansion Cult is slowly degrading your power of discernment, and making you a new follower.
 
 
3. People receive unconditional love, acceptance, and attention from a charismatic leader or group
 
You are sailing the same boat as Stewart Swerdlow. He too was bitterly abused during a secret government project called the Montauk Project. He has all possible forms of specific mind control. He understands you and what you are going through. He has walked that path you are walking on now, before. If anyone can understand it is Stewart.
 
Janet too can help you, although differently. They complement each other. Yes did you know? They are perfect soul mates! They have found another and now, based on true humanism and compassion they are here to help you. And they both understand what you are going through. Everything has lately become, after all, all very confusing.
 
Both publish books. Both talk on the radio and hold seminars. You have waited for so long to talk to them for the first time. They are therefore amazing! And yet, out of pure humility, they have come down to help you! Jesus Christ you’re so damn lucky! Although come to think of it, Christ helped humankind for free. Well, in any case it is worth paying for a little attention, isn’t it? They too have to eat, right? No matter, you feel happy that someone finally told you who you are and why you are here. Someone finally gave you accurate information about how to resolve your problems and to improve your life.
 
Perhaps if you sat back and pondered the whole thing again objectively and quietly, you would realize that until now, there has been no foundation for anything that you were told, heard, or read, coming from Expansions. On the other hand, using only the power of the mind to get everything you’ve ever wanted is perfect. Why question a good thing, after all? Yes, you are truly special!
 
 
4. People get a new identity based on group cohesion
 
During the initial consultations, you will have received several exercises to do, which would help you right away. So you get busy on them (or some), or pretend to do so. At the least you try them out. And, yes, there is success! Well at least you certainly think so; after all, there are no means to compare notes, or to ascertain that you have done everything correctly. Oh but of course it works! How could they not work? They come from a popular authority, and therefore are the truth. Did I see a blue T-bar? Or did I imagine it? So hard to tell, after all…
 
Did you hear about the Emperor’s New Clothes?
 
You dig further, have more consultations done (they really come in handy, so that someone tells you, on your behalf, what you are actually seeing during all these deprogramming sessions). After you have returned for a few months to have consultations done, bought DVD’s, books, been to seminars, men’s groups, bought personalized archetype cards, archetype templates, etc., you have become a truly valuable member of the Expansions community. Time perhaps to turn it up a nudge! And to keep the cash on flowing – out of your pockets, that is.
 
At some point you become eligible for the OMG. Sure it is not cheap, but only the very best actually get in. You should feel lucky that you are being considered. What is money in this world? When you can have a personalized Wealth archetype to attract loads of it with absolutely zero efforts!! It is tempting. You will receive information which is discussed nowhere else! You will know how the world functions in a way only the true inner circle can and deserves to understand.
 
Perhaps you’re even a Kuiper’s Belt agent. Yes, secret knowledge has it that there is a large amassment of space ships in the Kuiper’s Belt preparing to send the Illuminati packing. As an agent you’re part of it! You will form a new planet earth! You are the selected one! One of only a few! At the same level of evolution that Stewart and Janet! Wow! Well, after all, the affiliate program, or the OMG, or why not participation in a seminar trip now makes sense. Yes, you have to do everything as a patriot to this planet to defend it from the evil Illuminati! And getting a chance to work closely (and hopefully by now, for free) with your selected gurus, feels like all your prayers have been answered. Finally a chance to save this world!
 
And of course, Kuiper’s Belt Aliens are here to save and free humanity from the Illuminati. They are your Saviors, with higher technology. Do we know this for sure? The only source to discuss the Kuiper’s Belt Aliens is the Expansions Cult, with Stewart Swerdlow as their main contact here on earth.
 
Of course no parallel to other existing UFO religions is intended: Aetherius Society, Ashtar Galactic Command, The Seekers (aka Brotherhood of the Seven Rays), Chen Tao, Cosmic Circle of Fellowship, Fiat Lux, Ground Crew Project, Guardian Activation International, heaven’s Gate, “I AM” Activity, Industrial Church of the New World Comforter, Mark-Age, Ministry of Universal Wisdom, Nation of Islam, Nuwaubianism, Order of the Solar Temple, Outer Dimensional Forces, Planetary Activation Organisation, Raëlism, Sanctuary of Thought, Scientology, Star Light Fellowship, Unarius, Universe People, or the Urantia movement. It is difficult to ignore the obvious, however.
 
Finally, who is to say what the real intentions of the Kuiper’s Belt Aliens are? The French Revolution removed the king in favor of Napoleon. A dictator who replaced another dictator, while the crowds cheered. Like jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
 
In as much as your discernment is concerned you have now reached rock bottom – mind control, Expansions Cult style.
 
 
5. People are subject to entrapment (isolation from friends, relatives, and the mainstream culture), and their access to information is severely controlled
 
You are told, already during your initial consultations, that you will change your lover, who is not right for you, that you will change your job or geographical location, as neither fit your frequency. There are variations to this formula, but this is not obvious to you, since you do not know any of the other followers of this cult. As a consequence, you now start to distance yourself from your relationships (independently of whether or not these are healthy relationships), you start to degrade your output at work (since you will change your job, why bother?), you may even decide to no longer consult medical advice for that knot you felt in your left breast, or that infection which is turning black now, but which you are treating with castor oil. The power of the mind is all encompassing and your immediate surroundings don’t understand.
 
The newsletters you receive from expansions.com give you a clear picture of all that is wrong, all the terrorist attacks, the true reasons for new wars, etc. Of course by now conventional media, is like witchcraft to you. The fact is that the only authoritative source used is coming directly from your cult leaders. And followers have absolutely no possibility to exchange their views with other followers. Oh sure, there are questions posted on the website, and it seems that those who post are all of one mind. Could the fact that none of them know each other, but that all of them address Stewart and/or Janet Swerdlow directly, have an impact here? Feels an awful lot like a religious cult now, doesn’t it? Of course, that expansions.com is a privately owned website, where inconvenient posts are simply not published, is not really a concern to anyone.
 
If you were though to look at the news analysis made by Stewart or Janet, you would notice a common theme, which scholars of grammar, have called association fallacies, which is defined as an inductive informal fallacy of the type hasty generalization or red herring which asserts that qualities of one thing are inherently qualities of another, merely by an irrelevant association. An example of how this works is the following syllogistic example: “All dogs have four legs; my cat has four legs. Therefore, my cat is a dog.”
 
Yes, and there was even a plan to build an Expansions Camp in Korea - VIP Expansion Club members only! Hold on, a camp? What for? Didn’t the mind fix everything? Why and to what purpose would you need a camp for? Perhaps then, the idea of a camp is making you realize that you are a member of a cult, a UFO religion; that your thoughts, opinions are no longer free; that you have abandoned your own rational thought to please a guru far away.
 
Perhaps a tiny dim light somewhere deep down inside you, a small left over of what was once a rock, which you used to call “common sense” or “discernment” is still alight. Perhaps then you try to seek evidence and confirmation through your friends, family, colleagues, etc. Trouble is that none of them understands you anymore or agrees with your worldviews. In some cases you may have lost your job, your lover, your money, and in the worse case, your mental and/or physical health.
 
If you are now really lucky, you will be able to leave this cult without any damage, other than the negative experiences, and most likely some to form of monetary loss.

 
Conclusion
 
If you study the Expansion Cult’s marketing techniques, which were in part outlined here above, you will find the most basic propaganda techniques used by governments today, which in turn should make you question very seriously, whom the cult is trying to service.
 
There is however no clear evidence for any successful deprogramming being achieved by the cult, not least, as there are no alternative sources as to how a mind should be successfully deprogrammed. Yet at the same time, there is very clear evidence for this cult trying to mind control its followers.
 
Mind-control is about directing your thoughts towards the interests of others, be they sex, money, or power. A non-programmed mind is able to fully discern reality, and thus to open up the mind to its fullest potential. All readers are thus advised to criticize this above analysis, based on their own findings, opinions, and analysis, and without any personal defamation. Everybody should criticize, correct, complement any of the views or information presented here, as truly free minds, and free from an emotional or rational tendency towards one or another version of what ought to be true. The word “true” itself indicates that someone has given judgment for it to be so, and truth therefore implies bias.
 
The only thing that matters is what is.
 

[yukesam]

Just want to comment that this member Jacaranda has extensive personal experience with expansions. :)

[Mercy Now]

Excellent work Jacaranda.

[PurplePebble]

Yeah, I think insights like this will be helpful in raising awareness of their subtle tactics and techniques, which can be easily overlooked ( as a lot of us here already know)

If there had been a forum like this, with the information presented here when I first heard of expansions ( which was through an email listing related to healing therapies in around 2000) I might have thought twice about going down that particular rabbit hole.

Thanks for the great insights.

[Jacaranda]

Hi everybody,

Hope this can help people in the future...

Look forward to your comments!

Jacaranda

[William]

i APPLAUD THIS...

[Golden Winged SnakeOiLion]

Fantastic! That will help a lot of people.

[Richard]

If there had been a forum like this, with the information presented here when I first heard of expansions ( which was through an email listing related to healing therapies in around 2000) I might have thought twice about going down that particular rabbit hole.

I wish there was a forum like this too before I got involved with expansions. It would have stopped me from making the biggest mistake of my life. Before expansions my first marriage was the biggest mistake I made. Getting involved with expansions easily topped that.

[Jacaranda]

Thanks everybody for your compliments!

Please though correct, criticize, or complement me in what I had written. First of all, I would like to be as accurate as possible, but second, when someone new to all of this sees this post, they will also want to see that other people confirm what was said.

One of the main concerns regarding this cult is that it's members can't exchange ideas openly and even in higher circle groups such as the OMG, stay largely anonymous. What they say on the expansions.com website is edited, so that mainly favorable posts remain. All information goes through Stewart and/or Janet. Nothing is exchanged amongst the cult followers. This leaves a false impression, with the cult followers, that everybody agrees with what Stewart and Janet Swerdlow say. Therefore, the more people come out and confirm that they too have been defrauded, deceived, or even worse, by the Expansions Cult have another opportunity here to doing so.

New potential followers, who recently learned about the Expansions Cult, and who may also be reading through this forum, will then be able to read that my account is not an isolated example, but that many people before me (and after me), are, were, or will be in a similar position than myself.

Thus I invite all of you to criticize, comment, complement, or simply openly discuss what I had initially written.

Also would like to let all of you know, that had I discovered this forum, in its present form, a few years earlier, I would probably have avoided falling for this UFO religion, and have saved a lot of money, and countless sleepiness nights tormenting myself between whether or not the crap that Stewart and Janet publish continuously is true or not.

[yukesam]

5. People are subject to entrapment (isolation from friends, relatives, and the mainstream culture), and their access to information is severely controlled
 
 
Yes, and there was even a plan to build an Expansions Camp in Korea - VIP Expansion Club members only! Hold on, a camp? What for? Didn’t the mind fix everything? Why and to what purpose would you need a camp for? Perhaps then, the idea of a camp is making you realize that you are a member of a cult, a UFO religion; that your thoughts, opinions are no longer free; that you have abandoned your own rational thought to please a guru far away.
 

Oh I almost forgot but even the scumbag need to be treated fairly some times. Ha h ah ha ~

Maybe little misunderstanding here. In Korea, we have English learning program called English camp where students gathered in one place learing English with English speaking natives specially in Summer or Winter vacation. Stewart maybe introduced the Expansions English Camp Korea as Expansions Camp to you and it is totally understandable your point. And Yes I agree that I was very close to hosting those CAMPS right? LOL~ Scary now if you think about it.

But the camp is an idea from my head not Stewart. He actually want to call it Expansions Ranch. And as I recollect those days I can tell you that he got this idea of calling it a Expansions Ranch from his visit to JZ Knight and you know it is a cult.

But I have no doubt he was thinking about the cult camp. And I was stupid and clueless enough to sponsor it.