Slaves must take cold showers in order to “build capacity for love through the tolerance of pain,” fast for “12 hours from the last time you have anything other than water w. lemon or black tea w. lemon + honey (sparkling water is ok)”, and perform a “daily act to honour” their master.
Perhaps what’s more horrifying is the regulatory blackmail.
[Frank Parlato] claims that to join, women are brainwashed into handing over blackmail-worthy material such as pornographic pictures or financial information.
Once they are a member – or “slave” – they are allegedly encouraged to recruit new women into their “slave pods”, stop dating, and be on call 24 hours a day to their “master”.
The slaves are forced to provide one new piece of collateral— simply called “C”— on the first of the month. The blackmail can be anything from nudes to videotaped confessions of crimes to financial documents and are published in the event of a slave’s escape.
Although Mack is second or third in command, she is tasked with finding sex partners for Raniere as well as running 40 miles a week and not eating enough to think straight. Parlato’s testimony is horrifying to read:
“Allison is both a victim and a perpetrator. She is a victim because she has been brainwashed by Raniere and she is his ‘slave.’ So she has to run 40 miles a week and keep a strict 500 to 800 calorie a day diet. But she has also recruited many women to this cult. Before he had good looking women surrounding him somewhat but what she did is use her glamour and celebrity to take it up a notch.”
He blames Mack for using her youth and fame for recruiting purposes.
“She attracted a younger breed of women to the cult. At first I thought she was second in command of DOS but now I think she may be third in command. But ultimately it all boils down to Raniere – he is the master of all the women. One of things that is a terrible concept to Allison is that she is ordered to find Raniere bed partners and she is conflicted because she really wants to be with him.
“I’ve had women who have escaped the cult tell me that they are told to sleep with Raniere and Allison gets really jealous about it – and they tell her ‘Look I’m doing what I’m told – I don’t even want to have sex with him I’m forced to’.”
Oh, also, once a woman becomes a slave she is encouraged to recruit new women into what they call “slave pods.” SLAVE. PODS.
Rad. If you feel like getting super grossed out and disturbed, here’s a video of Raniere spewing some nonsensical garbage out of his garbage mouth as Mack creepily cheeses from ear to ear. It also includes her asking him, “What do you see as the greatest limitation between men and women in their quest to relate in a loving and compassionate way.”
OH I DON’T KNOW MAYBE SLAVE PODS AND STARVATION. Fuck you Keith Raniere.