Article Written by Heather Hewitt
It was hard at times to watch NXIVM, the 8- part series on Crave about the cult that presented itself as a personal growth enterprise lead by the self-proclaimed and self-absorbed super nerdy Keith Raniere. (Very topical as the wealthy Canadian heiress devotee Clare Bronfman was just sentenced to 6+ years in prison for her blackmailing and reputation-killing roles while Keith stands trial the end of Oct.)
“The Vow” tells the story slowly but builds the case for the experience of the NXIVM followers- how they were astutely brought in and sold on a myriad of programs for achieving self- actualization and “joy”. Basically, if you were not feeling joy and experiencing success it was because of past issues and getting “stuck”. This is where the leader Keith would, for thousands of dollars, introduce the many programs and levels to get there. Many followers were vulnerable and unsure of themselves and this organization filled a void. The story becomes darker when a group of women is formed as special support for Keith- branding and sexual favours being part of the deal.
The value of “The Vow” is to see firsthand how an astute and charismatic person with the desire for power and control can manipulate his way into allegiances and unconscionable behavior… for the sake of feeling included in a community of like-minded people and working towards your own “joy”.