“My Sister Showed Up To Thanksgiving With Her ‘Spiritual Advisor,’ And It Blew Up The Whole Night”

There’s nothing wrong with being spiritual, but it takes real bravery to admit that you’ve been conned and dragged into a cult. Even if you’re educated and intelligent, when you’re in a vulnerable situation, master manipulators can take advantage of you.

A person went viral online after sharing how their sister ruined their family’s Thanksgiving after she brought a surprise guest—her barefoot ‘spiritual guide’ River Wolf. Scroll down for the full story about how the couple derailed the dinner with wild accusations and how things blew up after the family called for a surprise intervention.

Meanwhile, Bored Panda has reached out to the author for comment, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from them.

Vulnerable individuals can be more easily manipulated into joining cults, and they might not even realize that they’ve been tricked

Young barefoot spiritual advisor wearing a sequin shawl and bracelets, standing by a table during a Thanksgiving gathering.

Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (not the actual photo)

One person opened up online about how their sister sparked lots of drama at their family Thanksgiving dinner by inviting her ‘spiritual guide,’ who had the aura of a con man

Sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor creates comical chaos at Thanksgiving, leading to a dramatic family fallout and being kicked out.

Text about sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor helping release ancestral trauma after sessions and causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving.

Text about family Thanksgiving gathering, mentioning sister and a barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and getting kicked out.

Barefoot spiritual advisor causes comical chaos at Thanksgiving, leading to sibling conflict and emotional scenes.

Person wearing a patterned poncho and wide-brimmed hat resembling a barefoot spiritual advisor at an outdoor setting.

Image credits: Julio Mayorga / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Text post humor about sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving with dad's confused reaction.

Text on a plain background describing family preparing for Thanksgiving dinner, highlighting sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos.

Barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving dinner, waving incense and upsetting the family.

Text excerpt showing a barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and tension at a Thanksgiving gathering.

Group at chaotic Thanksgiving dinner, sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing commotion and distress around the table

Image credits: Airam Dato-on / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Text about barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos at Thanksgiving, leading to family uproar and someone left in tears.

Text excerpt showing chaotic Thanksgiving scene involving sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing family drama.

Chaos erupts at Thanksgiving as sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causes commotion, leaving the family in tears and confusion.

Family struggling to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner as sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causes comical chaos and tension at the table.

Middle-aged woman with long blonde hair and black outfit looking stressed, related to barefoot spiritual advisor chaos at Thanksgiving.

Image credits: Darina Belonogova / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Text excerpt showing a sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and getting kicked out at Thanksgiving.

Text on image about barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos and being kicked out, leaving sister in tears at Thanksgiving.

Text post describing family tension after sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causes chaos at Thanksgiving.

They then shared a brief update

Text update about sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing family chaos and intervention plans at Thanksgiving gathering.

Image credits: PuzzleheadedItem1914

Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Vulnerable individuals are easier to manipulate into joining cults; however, anyone can become a victim

The reality is that when you’re in a vulnerable, suggestive, and highly emotional state, you’re easy prey for scammers, con artists, and would-be cult leaders.

It’s something that can happen to anyone, no matter how smart, successful, or self-aware they might be. When you’re vulnerable, it’s easy to get seduced by someone who promises to have all the answers to your problems.

And though it can be embarrassing to admit that you’ve fallen for a con, it takes real guts to accept what has happened and disengage from the bad situation. With any luck, your loved ones will (still) be there to support you as you reacclimate to your old life.

According to Gillie Jenkinson, a psychotherapist who was in a religious cult for a whopping seven years in her twenties, it’s not always easy to identify a cult. She explained to the BBC that cults can operate from ordinary-looking houses. What’s more, there isn’t a single type of person who joins a cult. And cultists don’t always dress a certain way.

As per the charity ‘Family Survival Trust,’ cults are systems of fixed beliefs, controlled by charismatic and authoritarian leaders. Cults typically use brainwashing to isolate, control, and exploit their followers.

Furthermore, cults do not necessarily have to be religious, and they can revolve around, well, anything. As linguist Amanda Montell, the author of ‘Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism,’ states, you can form “a cult around anything, as long as you can inject it with fear and an ‘us-versus-them’ mentality.”

She stresses that many cults now recruit followers online, so these groups are easier to find.

Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Cult leaders tend to promise answers to all of life’s questions and solve all of your problems

Some major red flags to look out for include the following:

• So-called ‘love bombing,’ a manipulation tactic where someone uses affection to gain power and control
• Promising the answers to all of your complex problems and the meaning of existence
• Using mantras, buzzwords, and nicknames to create an us-versus-them split
• Encouraging not to question anything
• Creating difficulties to leave the group, including threats of retaliation

According to the BBC, you should listen to your gut feeling. If you think that something is wrong, it probably is. Psychotherapist Jenkinson suggests listening to critical voices and doing research about the group on the internet. “It might save you years of pain.”

In the meantime, family and friends should keep lines of communication open with the person who may have found themselves in a cult. They should ask them “genuine, critical thinking questions.”

Image credits: Israel Torres / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Many people who are in cults don’t realize that they are, in fact, in cults

Meanwhile, Verywell Mind notes that there are lots of different reasons why someone might join a cult. For instance, most people don’t realize that they’re actually joining a cult. Others might have unresolved insecurities, so they are driven toward groups that promise them acceptance. Still others might be manipulated into joining with the promise of rewards.

Once you’re inside the cult, you might be isolated from regular people outside of the group. “After being separated from the outside world, leaving the group becomes difficult. They often grow dependent on being in the group and develop suspicions of anyone outside the group.”

Leaving a cult can be incredibly stressful. Former cult members can feel confused and experience a sense of chaos upon leaving.

“It can be scary if you think a friend or family member may be involved with a cult. Reach out for professional help to get some guidance on what you can do or how you can cope with your emotions. It’s going to take time, understanding, and a lot of patience to help extricate your loved one if they are in a dangerous situation.”

We’d like to hear your perspectives, too, dear Pandas. What would you have done if you were in the post author’s shoes and one of your relatives invited a con artist or cult leader to your family dinner?

Do you know anyone who has been stuck in a cult before? What would you do if one day you realized that you’d been conned by someone pretending to be spiritual? Let us know in the comments down below.

Folks online were shocked by what happened. Here’s their take on the Thanksgiving drama

Screenshot of a Reddit conversation about Thanksgiving dress code and a barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos.

Screenshot of a comment about a barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving and getting kicked out.

Commenter expressing amazement and wishing to witness sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving.

Comment text on a white background discussing exploitation, related to sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos at Thanksgiving.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment saying I would so watch this movie about sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing Thanksgiving chaos.

Screenshot of a social media comment reacting to a story about a barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos at Thanksgiving.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos at Thanksgiving dinner.

Commenter JRAWestCoast sharing excitement over chaotic barefoot spiritual advisor at Thanksgiving causing family drama.

Reddit comment about truth being stranger than fiction, related to sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos at Thanksgiving.

Comment text about a sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving dinner.

Reddit comment describing comical chaos caused by sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor at Thanksgiving dinner.

Screenshot of a comment discussing a barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving and being kicked out.

Reddit comment on a post about a sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving dinner.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment saying I have so many questions, relating to sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor chaos at Thanksgiving.

Screenshot of an online comment about a sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving dinner.

Reddit comment discussing disbelief over fictional stories including a barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos at Thanksgiving.

Later, the author shared an important update about how their family staged an intervention for their sister

Young barefoot spiritual advisor sitting on floor cushions surrounded by candles and tarot cards in a calm room setting.

Image credits: Anastasia Shuraeva / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Text about sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and drama at Thanksgiving family gathering.

Text excerpt describing a family chat about an intervention involving sister's barefoot spiritual advisor causing Thanksgiving chaos.

Family gathered at Thanksgiving, reacting to sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and getting kicked out.

Sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causes comical chaos at Thanksgiving, leading to emotional distress and being kicked out.

Living room set with pillows in a circle, burning incense, and flute music playing, setting a barefoot spiritual advisor scene.

Spilled therapeutic tea by sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causes comical chaos at Thanksgiving family gathering.

Family gathering with barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and emotional turmoil at Thanksgiving celebration.

Couple arguing indoors, reacting with shock and frustration after sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causes comical chaos.

Image credits:  Freepik (not the actual photo)

Text excerpt from a Thanksgiving family chaos involving sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing drama and tension.

Text excerpt discussing sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos and emotional fallout during Thanksgiving event.

Family reacts to sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and emotional drama at Thanksgiving gathering.

Alt text: Sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causes comical chaos and family tension during Thanksgiving gathering.

Text of a brother-in-law confronting barefoot spiritual advisor sister about buried car keys causing Thanksgiving chaos.

Woman in a red off-shoulder top covering her face, depicting emotional reaction to barefoot spiritual advisor chaos at Thanksgiving.

Image credits: Ivan / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Text conversation showing sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos by insisting on ascended name at Thanksgiving.

Sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causes chaos at Thanksgiving, tries to escape, blocked by brother-in-law, ends in dramatic fall.

Text excerpt discussing a humorous incident involving a sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos at Thanksgiving.

Barefoot spiritual advisor causes comical chaos at Thanksgiving, leading to sister being kicked out and left in tears.

Woman upset and crying outside after barefoot spiritual advisor causes comical chaos at Thanksgiving family gathering.

Family drama unfolds as sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causes comical chaos and gets kicked out at Thanksgiving gathering.

Text message screenshot describing a sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving and leaving in tears.

Here is the email exchange between the author and their sister after the intervention

Text message exchange showing family arguing about barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos at Thanksgiving intervention.

Text message exchange showing family conflict involving a barefoot spiritual advisor causing Thanksgiving chaos.

Text conversation with humorous debate about barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving gathering.

Text message expressing betrayal and anger towards sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing family chaos at Thanksgiving.

Text message about refusing a barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and family conflict at Thanksgiving.

Text message exchange showing a heated argument linked to sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving.

Image credits: PuzzleheadedItem1914

Here’s how some readers reacted to the follow-up post

Screenshot of a Reddit conversation about a barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving dinner.

Text excerpt describing sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving and tension with brother-in-law.

Reddit comment discussing a sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and conflict at Thanksgiving gathering.

Comment about chaotic Thanksgiving story involving sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and getting kicked out.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment reacting to sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving.

Comment expressing laughter at a sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos at Thanksgiving.

Comment on Reddit post praising barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos at Thanksgiving, calling it comedy gold.

Comment section discussing sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing comical chaos and emotional distress at Thanksgiving.

Screenshot of a humorous comment describing laughter and tears related to sister’s barefoot spiritual advisor causing chaos at Thanksgiving.

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