Think for Yourself: Trust No-one * Update

Larry Ray, paternal figure/ guru/ would-be psychoanalyst, in his regular conversations and mental assessments of the young students, learned that the mother of one of the girls had lost a baby daughter prior to the birth of this college student. Ray convinced the student that her mother had suffered the grief of losing her sister, and therefore could not love another baby, that child being the college student. His dominating personality convinced the girl this was true, and she became estranged from her mother, saying her mother had never loved her. The mother was shocked at her rebuff, and said she was truly thrilled to have given birth to her second baby daughter, and loved her with all her heart. But the daughter believed Larry Ray, and exiled herself from her own family.
   When I started to read this article, I formed the opinion that Ray held such powerful sway over this group of college students because they were fragile, over-sheltered, naive human beings. However, reading further into the story, it is evident that Ray exerted his influence on much more sophisticated people as well, including government officials and members of the military. Police detective Bernie Kerik, former employee and later political appointee of Rudy Giuliani,was impressed by Ray, who also was linked  with Mikhail Gorbachev and Robert De Niro.
    When Ray was undergoing a nasty divorce with his wife, he was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation. The report characterized him as impossible to evaluate, finding him able to manipulate and control any situation, no matter how experienced the examiner was. He could be disarming with his child-like charm and simplicity, a foil for his being a calculating, bitter and hostile man.
   He was convincing in his belief that he was the victim of a conspiracy, and even contacted Preet Bharara, and met with an agent at the EPA to investigate perceived poisonings.
    His power and influence may explain how he was able to exert mind-control over vulnerable young college students. His latest message to one of the girls who had finally eluded him was that he did not understand why she was hiding from him. He reminds her that she had promised never to hide from him. The Truth has always been important to you, has always helped you, and you had asked me never to abandon you, he emails her, and then he remind her "I have not." The student fears for her life.