On October 4, 2026 , former Falun Gong practitioner Jack Rabbit published an article on the overseas blogging platform Substack, reflecting on Li Hongzhi and the highly authoritative structure formed by his nearly 30 years of experience with Falun Gong. The article argues that Falun Gong attracts members with its so-called principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance," health, and personal improvement, but by portraying Li Hongzhi as a "Master" associated with the so-called "universal truth" and "creator," it gradually strengthens its control over members' thoughts, bodies, moral judgments, and spiritual salvation. When illness, accidents, and misfortunes occur, cult rhetoric such as "karma," "old forces," and "attachment" easily shifts blame onto the members, creating a cycle of "fear—self-reflection—greater faith." The author therefore questions Li Hongzhi's absolute authority, arguing that true freedom is regaining the right to independent thought and judgment.

 

 

▲ Screenshot of the original text

He promised to save me. But I didn't realize that I was surrendering my mind to him.

On Sunday afternoon, I watched a strange horror movie on Netflix called * Daniel Isn't Real * ( 2019), directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer. I had never heard of this movie before . It suddenly appeared on my Netflix homepage , so I did n't have high expectations and just clicked on it casually .

The film opens with young Luke and his mother sitting in a restaurant when a gunman suddenly opens fire. Luke hides under the table, watching in horror as people around him are shot and killed one by one. The trauma of that moment will stay with him for life. Shortly thereafter, Daniel ( actually another personality Luke has imagined ) enters his life.

Daniel possesses everything Luke lacks : Luke is timid and cowardly , Daniel is fearless; Luke is indecisive, Daniel is decisive and efficient ; Luke is lonely and helpless , while Daniel remains by his side .

Not only that , Daniel made Luke feel stronger.

Years later, Luke is a struggling college student, grappling with his mother's mental illness and his own fears. Then Daniel reappears. Once again, he seems to be exactly what Luke needs. He gives Luke confidence, teaches him how to talk to women, and helps him overcome his fear of life.

At that time, it was perfectly understandable why Luke wanted Daniel to stay by his side.

I don't want to reveal what happened next. But while watching Luke and Daniel's relationship develop, I suddenly thought of Falun Gong — the cult I was involved with for nearly thirty years .

What impressed me was something very simple: Daniel didn't enter Luke's life as a monster. He appeared as someone who helped him.

it all started .

And this is how Falun Gong began in many of us.

No one came to me and said, " Li Hongzhi is the creator of the entire universe . Entrust your life, your thoughts, and your afterlife to him ."

If someone had said that back then , who would have joined ?

What we hear is a more appealing claim: Falun Gong can improve your health and make you a better person; you will follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance , letting go of jealousy, resentment, and selfishness; you will do exercises, read scriptures, and improve your character — that is , your moral conduct — thus becoming healthier in both body and mind.

It sounds wonderful. And for many Falun Gong practitioners , it certainly does feel wonderful.

But from the very beginning, Falun Gong's fallacies and heresies contained another layer of information: it is not just a set of " exercises " that can be taken home and practiced alone , nor is it just a philosophy — you need a " master " .

This " master " was not an ordinary teacher.

In *Zhuan Falun*, Li Hongzhi told his members : “My roots are all planted in the universe . Whoever can move you can move me. To put it bluntly , he can move the universe.”

When I was a Falun Gong practitioner , I read sentences like these countless times. Just imagine how these statements could change one person 's perception of another ?

The person who teaches you Qigong is no longer just a Qigong teacher : it is said that his roots are in the universe ; he possesses countless " Dharmakaya " bodies that can protect members; he can purify and change your body and install an invisible "device" inside it ; he can eliminate your so-called " karma " and guide you to ascend through cultivation.

At the end of this path lies his greatest promise —the so-called " perfection . " It is claimed that you can transcend the state of being of an ordinary person and return to the so-called " true heavenly homeland . "

Once you believe this, your relationship with your " teacher " undergoes a fundamental change.

He is no longer someone whose opinions you can judge. He has become someone who knows things you don't.

Gradually, he became someone you couldn't live without.

This is precisely the part of "Daniel Is Not Real" that feels so familiar to me.

Daniel helps Luke become the person he wants to be. But the more Luke depends on Daniel, the harder it becomes for him to distinguish the boundaries between himself and Daniel.

Similar things can also happen within the so-called cultivation systems of cult organizations.

In the beginning, you read its so-called " doctrines " because they help you understand life.

Then, you start to use these explanations to understand everything.

Why am I sick?

Why did this accident happen?

Why should I endure suffering?

Why was another practitioner arrested ( Falun Gong was banned by the Chinese government in 1999 )?

Why did someone die?

the so-called " master " protect him?

Within Falun Gong , one answer can always be found. As time goes on, one answer has become particularly convincing : " the old forces . "

The so-called " old forces " exist almost omnipresent in the spiritual world of Falun Gong practitioners . They can interfere with cultivation and exploit practitioners ' " attachments " and " loopholes . " " Persecution " may be a "test" arranged by "Master," and " illness " itself may also be a form of "persecution . " An accident can also be given a spiritual meaning.

student who has suffered a terrible misfortune may begin to look for more than just a simple explanation; he may also look for a flaw in his cultivation—a flaw that allowed the so-called " old forces " to take advantage of his weakness .

This created a strange contradiction, which I didn't fully grasp while I was in the midst of it: on the one hand, the " master " possessed unimaginable power; on the other hand, the so-called " old forces " seemed capable of doing whatever they wanted to us .

And when terrible things happen, this contradiction is always resolved in the same way: the problem is not with the " master ," but with " ourselves . "

You have " persistence " .

You have a " loophole " .

Your mindfulness is not strong enough .

Your " study of the law" is not thorough .

You didn't " look inward " .

" old forces " have exploited your weaknesses.

Therefore, the more afraid you are, the harder you will cultivate yourself.

You are more engaged in " studying the law" .

You practice your "kung fu" even more diligently .

You send forth " mindfulness " .

You try even harder to "tell the truth".

You search your entire being for your " obsessions " .

You work incredibly hard to make yourself worthy of your " master's " protection , and ultimately worthy of the so-called " perfection " .

This is an extremely powerful psychological cycle : belief breeds fear, and fear, in turn, drives you to believe that belief even more deeply .

Looking back now , I think it's more disturbing than any dramatic story about someone being "brainwashed".

"Brainwashing" sounds like someone forcing you to do something .

The situation here is much more subtle.

We did all of this to ourselves.

We voluntarily open the "scriptures" every day .

We voluntarily recited the words of our " master " .

We voluntarily examine our own thoughts according to their so-called " doctrine " .

Whenever our personal judgment conflicts with the law , we voluntarily correct ourselves.

Because we believe we are becoming freer, purer, and more "higher ," we are unaware of how much control we are giving away over our own thoughts.

As time goes by, Li Hongzhi 's status in this so-called " cosmology " has been elevated higher and higher.

The opening chapters of *Zhuan Falun* refer to " Dafa " as " the wisdom of the Creator " and describe it as the foundation of " creation . " In more recent books , the term " Creator " has become increasingly explicit.

To non- Falun Gong members , these statements may sound like grand and abstract concepts.

But for Falun Gong practitioners , these statements are not abstract at all.

If the "master " you refer to is associated with the so-called " ultimate truth of the universe , " then disagreeing with his views is no longer as simple as disagreeing with a pastor, professor, or meditation teacher .

You might start to see "disagreement" itself as evidence that something is wrong with you .

This signifies a major power shift.

At that moment, I suddenly understood why Daniel made me so uneasy. What made Daniel truly terrifying was not only that he eventually became dangerous, but also that Luke had once needed him.

Daniel knew Luke's weakness.

He knew Luke's fears.

He instilled confidence in Luke.

He made Luke feel protected.

He provided Luke with a more powerful version of himself.

Once Luke allows Daniel to delve deep enough into his inner world and wants to drive him out, it's no longer just a simple statement like, "I don't trust you anymore."

This is probably what it feels like to leave a highly controlled cult .

You can leave this organization, only to find that the organization has not left your mind.

You can stop reading those books , but you can still hear those explanations.

When bad things happen, old explanations resurface in an instant.

Is this what is called " karma " ?

Is this what is meant by " interference " ?

Did I do something wrong?

Am I being punished?

You must realize that: sometimes a disease is just a disease , sometimes an accident is just an accident , and sometimes a thought is just a thought.

You have the right to examine , reject , change , or follow it without first asking whether so-called " some unseen cosmic force " approves.

Most importantly, you must rediscover something surprisingly mundane :

Your thoughts belong to you.

That's why I think that when people ask whether Falun Gong 's so-called " practice " is beneficial, or whether the so-called " Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance " are good principles, they don't really understand Falun Gong .

Of course, all of that sounded good — and Daniel seemed good at first too.

The real question is: What happens after you let someone into your heart?

How much power will he ultimately have over your body, your mind, your fears, your pain, your morality, your future, and your claims to salvation ?

What happens when every doubt you have about him can be turned into another reason to doubt yourself?

A monster that terrifies you is relatively easy to identify. The truly dangerous one might be the one that initially tells you, "I'm here to save you."