In 1991, I found myself living in a remote Japanese commune with 200 other followers of the self-proclaimed messiah David Berg and his cult, the Children of God. Twenty years into my membership, having been brainwashed as a teenager by a pair of hippies, I was desperate for meaning and had abandoned my family to join this sect of doomsday fundamentalists. Every waking moment was dictated by the strict rules set by our leader, who preached that only he knew what the world truly needed.
As I grew older and more disillusioned with Berg's twisted teachings - including his claim that a child could be an acceptable partner for a grown adult member - my faith began to crumble. The supposed signs of the apocalypse had yet to materialize, and it became increasingly clear that Berg was grasping at straws.
But what really cracked the dam was REM's song 'Losing My Religion'. I was listening to its lyrics on a radio station in Japan, which I'd secretly tuned into while still part of the cult. The line 'That's me in the spotlight / Losing my religion' shook me to my core. It was as if the band had somehow understood exactly what was going through my mind - the feeling of being trapped and losing control.
I realized that I'd been living under the strict control of Berg for so long, it felt like I was 'choosing my confessions', never truly expressing myself freely. I began to see how this daily habit of censoring my thoughts and feelings had slowly drained away my sense of self.
The more I listened to 'Losing My Religion,' the more determined I became to escape the cult. It took me five months, but eventually I broke free from its grasp in 1991. The aftermath was difficult - I moved back in with my parents and trained to become a lawyer, but the memories of that dark period continue to haunt me.
In recent years, I've dedicated myself to fighting for those who were abused by Berg or his followers, using my experience as fuel to push for change. It's a hard road ahead, but it was REM's song 'Losing My Religion' that set me on this path - a powerful reminder that sometimes the only way forward is to lose control and find yourself again.
As I grew older and more disillusioned with Berg's twisted teachings - including his claim that a child could be an acceptable partner for a grown adult member - my faith began to crumble. The supposed signs of the apocalypse had yet to materialize, and it became increasingly clear that Berg was grasping at straws.
But what really cracked the dam was REM's song 'Losing My Religion'. I was listening to its lyrics on a radio station in Japan, which I'd secretly tuned into while still part of the cult. The line 'That's me in the spotlight / Losing my religion' shook me to my core. It was as if the band had somehow understood exactly what was going through my mind - the feeling of being trapped and losing control.
I realized that I'd been living under the strict control of Berg for so long, it felt like I was 'choosing my confessions', never truly expressing myself freely. I began to see how this daily habit of censoring my thoughts and feelings had slowly drained away my sense of self.
The more I listened to 'Losing My Religion,' the more determined I became to escape the cult. It took me five months, but eventually I broke free from its grasp in 1991. The aftermath was difficult - I moved back in with my parents and trained to become a lawyer, but the memories of that dark period continue to haunt me.
In recent years, I've dedicated myself to fighting for those who were abused by Berg or his followers, using my experience as fuel to push for change. It's a hard road ahead, but it was REM's song 'Losing My Religion' that set me on this path - a powerful reminder that sometimes the only way forward is to lose control and find yourself again.
but seriously, i think losing my religion was one of the most overrated songs ever... its like the whole world woke up at once and was all "oh no we're lost and confused" and then just decided to wear skinny ties and cardigans afterwards 
. and btw, david bergs cult wasnt that crazy, everyone makes some weird choices in life 
200 people living together like that? it sounds like a bad movie or something! and don't even get me started on the age gap thing 
berg's teachings are seriously messed up. but you know what really gets me? how the music can be so powerful in changing our lives 
i mean, 'losing my religion' is such an iconic song, but it's also a really personal and relatable anthem for anyone who's ever felt trapped or lost their sense of self. that line "that's me in the spotlight / losing my religion" is like, totally resonant, you know? 
i was in that cultish situation with my friends in high school we were so caught up in the drama and social status of it all, but looking back it's like we were sleepwalking through life 
our leaders would dictate what we could say and do, and if you didn't conform, you'd get ostracized. it was super isolating. 
it's like the song understood how suffocated i felt under all those expectations. for me, it was a wake-up call to break free from that toxic environment and find my own voice. now, as a student, i'm learning to speak up and express myself without fear of judgment 
just heard about this crazy cult story...can u believe ppl give up their family & freedom 4 some random dude's twisted teachings 
but thats the power of music, right? 'Losing My Religion' is such an iconic song, its amazing how it can connect w/ ppl on a deep level 
like, i get why this song saved this person's life 