Episode Details

As I write, many former friends of mine are living and working at a monastery in Vermont that I believe is a high-control group, commonly known as a ‘cult’. I say this not as someone who was concerned to see these friends go there, but someone who welcomed and encouraged them to join, as an insider. This letter is an account of what changed my mind—written primarily for anyone considering going there, anyone who loves someone there, and anyone who went there and is still trying to make sense of their experience.

A lot of this is based on direct experience, and also from talking in-depth with dozens of former MAPLE residents and apprentices. About half the quotes in this letter are sourced from linked recordings or writings, and half are from my personal memory. Of the latter, I clearly remember the majority, and some (when indicated) are a close paraphrase.

The “Monastic Academy for the Preservation of Life on Earth” (MAPLE) has existed for over 15 years, and had many hundreds of people spend months or years there. It was founded by its Head Teacher Soryu Forall, who has spent over a decade training in monasteries across Asia [...]

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Outline:

(16:18) BEHAVIOR CONTROL

(22:05) Periods of deepened isolation

(25:15) Never doing enough

(26:45) Control of relationships

(27:32) Creating barriers to exit

(28:26) Financially Exploiting Family to Support MAPLE

(29:41) Commitment pressure

(30:39) Authoritarian governance

(31:35) INFORMATION CONTROL

(34:49) Sabotaging bonds with other teachers and traditions

(37:18) Insider, outsider

(40:01) Surveillance

(42:12) Defunct feedback systems

(45:07) Tightly controlled narratives about early departures and critics

(47:23) MAPLE Tales corpus

(50:00) THOUGHT CONTROL

(54:27) Manipulation of group dynamics

(55:29) Gaslighting

(56:10) Loaded language, thought stopping cliches, bounded choice

(58:57) The Manichaean landscape

(01:00:19) Us versus them, persecution narrative

(01:01:44) MAPLE as possessing the one true solution to world crisis

(01:03:18) EMOTION CONTROL

(01:04:33) Intermittent reinforcement and trauma bonds

(01:06:07) Guilt and shame

(01:11:32) Manufactured breakdowns in recruitment

(01:16:01) Cycles of withdrawal leading to deeper devotion

(01:16:37) Aggression

(01:18:29) Stoking insecurity

(01:18:52) Mocking and belittling

(01:19:49) "Hoovering" when trying to leave

(01:22:07) Loyalty, dedication to the mission, not complaining

(01:25:41) Instilling a sense of indebtedness

(01:26:38) An example that fits each of the four BITE quadrants

(01:28:17) Justifications for severe harm & defense of omnicide

(01:31:09) Where is MAPLE at now?

(01:32:43) Concluding the BITE analysis

(01:33:21) My complicity

(01:42:27) A koan I am still sitting with

(01:44:07) Why I'm speaking publicly

(01:48:03) Final words

(01:52:16) Post Script

(01:52:19) Testimony gathering

(01:53:00) Stay informed

(01:53:38) Recovery funds

(01:54:57) To Soryu and MAPLE

The original text contained 12 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
July 29th, 2026

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/Z7pjBbK9qujhGbxws/the-high-control-dynamics-at-maple-1

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