Here’s the scene: One day you’re catching up with a friend, and he tells you, after some deliberation, that he’s recently joined a new group. It immediately sounds weird, even alarming. He’s hesitant to answer your questions but finally spills the beans.
This group has a confusing mishmash of philosophy and lifestyle guidance. It seems to have a lot of rules, including “voluntary” monetary donations. (Some of the early adopters, he says, fully merged their finances—isn’t that a red flag?) The group is small but growing, and he’s not sure how he first heard about it. He laughs nervously and clarifies that it’s “not a cult.”
The group, he goes on to explain, is led by a mysterious figure whom no one has seen for years. Group members insist he’s still alive—maybe in hiding? This part is especially strange. This figure will be in touch when you’ve joined, although admittedly he prefers to communicate through intermediaries (who just so happen to be on the group’s payroll).
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