A week in Berkeley, California (1974)
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Een week in Berkeley, Californië (1974)

In 1971 emigreerde ik naar Canada na het behalen van mijn doctoraal in scheikunde. Ik solliciteerde naar een baan aan de Universiteit van Calgary, wat betekende dat ik een doctor's graad moest behalen en als onderwijsassistent in de scheikundelabs moest werken. Alles verliep redelijk goed en na het eerste jaar van het programma had ik de vereiste vakken afgerond.

Onderzoek doen en de resultaten documenteren in een proefschrift maakte deel uit van het programma. Ik had twee begeleiders: Dr. Tris C, gespecialiseerd in organometaalchemie, en Dr. K. Ann K, een expert in kristallografische technieken. Ik was enthousiast over het werk en het onderzoek binnen mijn gekozen onderwerp: de synthese van organotinverbindingen en het ontrafelen van hun structuur met behulp van geavanceerde diagnostische technieken. Ik werd co-auteur van verschillende artikelen, waarvan sommige ook een onderdeel werden van mijn proefschrift.

Mijn begeleiders hadden allebei een kleine groep. Dr. C. had twee promovendi, Ezzat I. uit Egypte en ik uit Nederland. Studenten in hun bacheloropleiding deden in de zomer labprojecten. Dr. Kerr had twee postdocs, Dr. J. Patrick A. uit het Verenigd Koninkrijk en Dr. Penelope C. uit de VS. Zij begeleidde ook Brian M., die een kei was met computers, een relatief nieuw instrument in de jaren zeventig. En ik vulde de groep aan, voornamelijk met het ophelderen van structuren met behulp van röntgendiffractometrie. Dit was een essentieel instrument in de studie van organotinfosfaatverbindingen, het onderwerp van mijn proefschrift.

Het maken van een röntgenkaart van een verbinding is een intellectueel spannend proces. Je begint met het maken van foto's van een klein kristal op een dunne glazen pin, wat een idee geeft van waar de zware tinatomen zich bevinden. Dit stelt je in staat om een ​​eerste schatting te maken van de structuur en de ruimtegroep te bepalen, een wiskundige structuur die zich door de hele verbinding herhaalt dankzij symmetrieregels. Door de samenstelling van de verbinding te kennen, kun je andere lichtere atomen plaatsen, fosfor, zuurstof en uiteindelijk het lichtste element, waterstof. Naarmate je de details invult, begint de structuur zich te openbaren en uiteindelijk heb je een nauwkeurige ruimtelijke weergave van de verbinding.

Een indicatie dat de structuur is opgelost, is de berekening van een wiskundige uitdrukking, de R-factor (rest- of betrouwbaarheidsfactor). De R-factor is een cruciale maatstaf in röntgenkristallografie. Het kwantificeert de overeenkomst tussen de waargenomen diffractiegegevens en de voorspelde structuur van het model, waarbij lagere waarden een betere modelnauwkeurigheid aangeven. Een R-factor van nul duidt op een perfecte structuur, maar een waarde <0,2 wordt doorgaans als een goed resultaat beschouwd.

Het was rond maart 1974 dat Dr. K., de ontvanger van aanzienlijke subsidies, haar hele onderzoeksgroep meenam naar een conferentie in Berkeley, Californië. De conferentie, die van 24 tot en met 28 maart plaatsvond, werd bijgewoond door enkele honderden wetenschappers met een interesse in verschillende aspecten van de ontwikkeling en toepassing van kristallografische technieken. Dr. A. en Dr. C. zouden papers presenteren op de conferentie. Brian en ik waren er om meer te weten te komen over ontwikkelingen in de röntgenkristallografie. Dr. K. leidde een conferentiesessie. Zij was ook medeauteur van de papers van Dr. A. en Dr. C. Ik herinner me nog wat discussies tussen Dr. A. en Dr. K. over de paper van eerstgenoemde. Hij was niet blij met het presenteren van werk dat nog in een vroeg stadium was. Dr. C. presenteerde werk dat af was en waar zij tevreden mee was.

Desalniettemin verliep de conferentie zoals verwacht. De onderdompeling in de wetenschappelijke sfeer was ongetwijfeld nuttig, en ik dacht er soms nog wel eens aan terug toen ik later in mijn carrière aan conferenties deelnam.

Na de conferentie zouden we naar huis vliegen, een korte reis van minder dan drie uur. We zouden elkaar de week erna weer ontmoeten op ons werk in Calgary. In tegenstelling tot de andere leden van onze groep had ik besloten nog een paar dagen in Berkeley door te brengen en zondagavond terug te vliegen. Ik had wat contacten in de stad van een wereldwijde spirituele organisatie waar ik lid van was. Hoewel ik niemand kende binnen de Berkeley-afdeling van de organisatie, wist ik dat leden tijdens hun reis vaak bij andere leden logeerden.

I contacted the local group chairperson and was given the names and phone numbers of several members. One of these was David S., and he was happy to have me stay at his place for a couple of days. He was very familiar with the local scene, and through him, I got to experience a little bit of Berkeley after hours.

On Friday night, we first attended a session of the local chapter of our spiritual organization. I met other members and socialized for an hour afterwards. Then David invited me to look into some other activities in the city. We first ended up at a get-together of a group of about ten, primarily women who delighted in singing, dancing, and reading poetry. It was a typical experience of the seventies. The women were wearing flowing white dresses and swayed to the rhythms of oriental music. There was the aroma of burning incense to create the proper atmosphere. It was certainly interesting to blend in with a hippie-like scene, even if only for a couple of hours.

While this would have been sufficient diversion for the night on its own, there was more to come. David took me to what he told me had become a tradition in Berkeley, which had started twelve years ago. So that must have been in the early sixties. Every Friday night, a group of about twenty people would get together for a couple of hours, starting at midnight, to sing and play folksongs. Several participants had brought guitars, and there were a couple of small drums. People would take turns, singing from what seemed to be an extensive collection of tunes. None of these were familiar to me. I would have expected songs by Bob Dylan or Joan Baez, but these songs were different. They were about political protests, the Vietnam War, the rights of oppressed minorities, topics familiar in left-wing circles.

There was plenty of food and drinks, potluck-style. The central dish was a meat and vegetable stew, served from a large pot at around 2 am. While I didn't know anyone in the gathering, I felt very much at home, and the folk music and general discussion brought back memories of the protest movement in Europe, which culminated in students occupying the universities in the Netherlands and elsewhere around 1968. While the political fervor had dwindled, the war in Vietnam was winding down, this retro event showed that the political consciousness was still alive. Berkeley had been the headquarters of the Black Panther movement, and the left-wing student movement was strong there.

However, the gathering had a sense of nostalgia for a movement that had run its course, yet its adherents were unwilling to let go of it. David appeared to be very familiar with the city's political and cultural heartbeat, and if I had stayed longer, I would have had the opportunity to experience more of it. He was an interesting guy, not limited in his interests by the spiritual movement we belonged to, but more generally in touch with the broad cultural and political movements of the sixties.

We went back to David's place and I had a short night's sleep. On Saturday, I was on my own. I made my way back to the university and wandered around the campus. While it was the weekend, the place was abuzz with activity. Various political action groups had stalls where they displayed books and pamphlets about their causes. I ended up talking with a young man who I understood was a member of a spiritual movement that had originated in Korea. He told me that the group had a commune in Berkeley with nearly a hundred members. He invited me to visit the premises and have dinner with the group members. "I would be engulfed by a feeling of love and friendship that permeated the commune," he told me. Since I had no plans for the rest of the day, I agreed to come along, ready for another experience.

The commune was located in a stately old home with large rooms. It was getting close to dinner time. Members of the community gathered around large tables, facing each other. The food was simple: cooked rice and vegetables, a small amount of meat, and, to finish, a tapioca dessert—ceramic cups with lemonade for drinks. No alcohol. A prayer was said before the meal. Most of those around the table were in their late teens or early twenties—women with long, flowing hair and simple dresses. The men had short hair and were clean-shaven. The atmosphere was friendly, almost too friendly.
Those gathered had a dreamy look in their eyes. They asked me where I was from and why I had come to Berkeley. I revealed little, saying that I had come from Canada to experience California, and what I had seen had been an eye-opener.

After the meal, the commune members helped with the cleanup. A little later, we gathered in another large room. We were seated on folding chairs facing a stage. Some of the group's leaders spoke. They expressed thanks to the Lord for the good meal that they had just eaten and reflected on the mission of the commune, which was to spread peace, harmony, and goodwill. The people gathered were asked to share their recent experiences. The accounts were gushing with good feelings and love.

People were also invited to contribute by reading a poem, singing a song, or playing the guitar. I joined another male in singing a 1960s folksong, strumming a guitar that was handed to me. We got a warm applause and felt appreciated. The entertainment lasted about an hour. Thereafter, the commune members dispersed for the night, presumably to continue socializing, reading, or other activities.

I had been observing the scene. Some people acted as leaders. They were vocal about life at the commune and encouraged members to perform during the entertainment. I noticed a few foreigners of Asian extraction who were giving directions to the leaders. I talked with some of the men of the commune. They told me what had brought them to the commune. They had experience with marihuana and other drugs. Several had been active in political action groups. However, they had realized that something was missing in their lives, and then they discovered the commune, which attracted them with the vibes emanating from its members. I learned that they had given up their worldly possessions, contributed money to the commune, and worked for the realization of its goals. Some of them worked in jobs, and they gave what they earned to the commune treasury.

One of the male members took me apart and talked to me about the commune and its projects. I told him that I liked what I had experienced, and he recommended that I should extend my stay and go on a tour to a sister commune outside of Berkeley on Sunday. I told him that I would like to do that, but that I had a return flight to Canada on Sunday. He became insistent and told me to postpone my return and stay for the weekend. I replied that I had to go back to my wife and one-year-old child at home and that I was expected to be back at work on Monday. He kept pressing me, and I started to feel uncomfortable. After a while, I got fed up. I thanked him for the meal and the opportunity to experience the commune and left for David's place.

I told him about my visit to the commune. He smiled. "I think you got involved with the followers of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. He has founded a religious organization, the members of which are commonly known as the 'Moonies'."

I read about the movement later and learned that Moon founded the Unification Church, also known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The church started in South Korea in 1954, and it began to attract attention in the U.S. Churches of the movement were established in the San Francisco Bay area, including Berkeley. The reverend Moon became known for his penchant for marrying members en masse. Giant simultaneous weddings, which included hundreds of happy couples, were evidence of the church's God- and family-centered mission.

The Unification Church came under fire for its high-pressure recruiting tactics, which I experienced during my visit to the local commune. Testimonies of ex-Moonies demonstrate that the church is, in fact, a cult. The book' Heavenly Deception' by Chris Elkins describes the author's experiences with the church, his entrance into the cult, his disillusionment, and his eventual departure from the cult. The book was dramatized in the eponymous movie in 1993.

The documentary 'Blessed Child' (2019) is a documentary directed by Cara Jones that offers an intimate look at her life as a former Moonie. For another detailed account of the 'Moonies' and their recruiting practices in the seventies, described by Barbara Underwood, go to https://tragedyofthesixmarys.com/underwood/ On Sunday, I thanked David for his hospitality and the places he took me, and flew back home with stories to tell my wife and friends in Calgary.

MvR – September 6, 2025. ✍️
unit 1
A week in Berkeley, California (1974).
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 1 week ago
unit 2
I emigrated to Canada in 1971 after completing my master's degree in chemistry.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 1 week ago
unit 5
unit 9
My supervisors both had small groups.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 1 week ago
unit 10
unit 11
Undergraduate students would do lab projects in the summer.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 1 week ago
unit 15
Creating an X-ray map of a compound is an intellectually exciting process.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 16 hours ago
unit 21
The R-factor is a crucial measure in X-ray crystallography.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 16 hours ago
unit 26
Dr. Ashmore and Dr. Codding were to present papers at the conference.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 16 hours ago
unit 27
Brian and I were there to learn about developments in X-ray crystallography.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 16 hours ago
unit 28
Dr. K. was chairing a conference session.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 16 hours ago
unit 30
He wasn't happy to present work that was still in its early stages.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 16 hours ago
unit 31
Penelope presented work that was finished and with which she was pleased.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 16 hours ago
unit 32
Nevertheless, the conference proceeded as one might expect.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 16 hours ago
unit 35
And we would meet again at our jobs in Calgary next week.
1 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity 16 hours ago
unit 43
I met other members and socialized for an hour afterwards.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 44
Then David invited me to look into some other activities in the city.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 46
It was a typical experience of the seventies.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 48
There was the aroma of burning incense to create the proper atmosphere.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 52
So that must have been in the early sixties.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 56
None of these were familiar to me.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 59
There was plenty of food and drinks, potluck-style.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 67
We went back to David's place and I had a short night's sleep.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 68
On Saturday, I was on my own.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 69
I made my way back to the university and wandered around the campus.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 70
While it was the weekend, the place was abuzz with activity.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 74
unit 77
The commune was located in a stately old home with large rooms.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 78
It was getting close to dinner time.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 79
unit 81
No alcohol.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 82
A prayer was said before the meal.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 84
The men had short hair and were clean-shaven.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 85
The atmosphere was friendly, almost too friendly.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 86
Those gathered had a dreamy look in their eyes.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 87
They asked me where I was from and why I had come to Berkeley.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 89
After the meal, the commune members helped with the cleanup.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 90
A little later, we gathered in another large room.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 91
We were seated on folding chairs facing a stage.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 92
Some of the group's leaders spoke.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 94
The people gathered were asked to share their recent experiences.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 95
The accounts were gushing with good feelings and love.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 98
We got a warm applause and felt appreciated.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 99
The entertainment lasted about an hour.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 101
I had been observing the scene.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 102
Some people acted as leaders.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 105
I talked with some of the men of the commune.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 106
They told me what had brought them to the commune.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 107
They had experience with marihuana and other drugs.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 108
Several had been active in political action groups.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 117
He kept pressing me, and I started to feel uncomfortable.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 118
After a while, I got fed up.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 120
I told him about my visit to the commune.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 121
He smiled.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 122
unit 127
unit 130
unit 132
The book was dramatized in the eponymous movie in 1993.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 135
MvR – September 6, 2025.
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None
unit 136
✍️
0 Translations, 0 Upvotes, Last Activity None

A week in Berkeley, California (1974).

I emigrated to Canada in 1971 after completing my master's degree in chemistry. I applied for a job at the University of Calgary, which involved pursuing a Ph.D. and serving as a teaching assistant in the chemistry labs. All went rather well, and I had completed the required coursework after the first year in the program.

Doing research and documenting the results in a Ph.D. thesis was part of the program. I had two supervisors: Dr. Tris C., who specialized in organometallic chemistry, and Dr. K. Ann K., an expert in crystallographic techniques. I was excited about the work and the research in my chosen topic, the preparation of organotin compounds, and elucidating their structure using state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques. I ended up co-authoring several papers, some of which also became part of my Ph.D. thesis.

My supervisors both had small groups. Dr. C. had two graduate students, Ezzat I. from Egypt, and me from the Netherlands. Undergraduate students would do lab projects in the summer. Dr. K. had two postdocs, Dr. J. Patrick A. from the U.K., and Dr. Penelope C. from the U.S. She also supervised Brian M., who was a whiz with the computer, still a relatively new tool in the seventies. And I complemented the group, mainly doing structure elucidation using X-ray diffractometry. This was an essential tool in the study of organotin phosphate compounds, my thesis topic.

Creating an X-ray map of a compound is an intellectually exciting process. You start by taking photographs of a tiny crystal on a thin glass pin, which gives some idea of where the heavy tin atoms are located. This enables you to make an initial guess at the structure and determine the space group, a mathematical structure that repeats itself throughout the compound because of symmetry rules. Knowing the composition of the compound allows you to place other lighter atoms, phosphorus, oxygen, and finally, the lightest element, hydrogen. As you fill in the details, the structure starts to reveal itself, and eventually, you have an accurate spatial representation of the compound.

An indication that the structure has been solved is the computation of a mathematical expression, the R-factor (residual or reliability factor). The R-factor is a crucial measure in X-ray crystallography. It quantifies the agreement between the observed diffraction data and the model's predicted structure, with lower values indicating better model accuracy. An R-factor of zero indicates a perfect structure, but a value <0.2 is usually considered a good result.

It was around March 1974 that Dr. K., the recipient of significant grant monies, took her entire research group to a conference in Berkeley, California. The conference, which was held from March 24 to March 28, was attended by several hundred scientists with an interest in various aspects of the development and application of crystallographic techniques. Dr. Ashmore and Dr. Codding were to present papers at the conference. Brian and I were there to learn about developments in X-ray crystallography. Dr. K. was chairing a conference session. She had also co-authored the papers by Dr. A. and Dr. C. I recall some arguments between Dr. P. and Dr. K. about the former's paper. He wasn't happy to present work that was still in its early stages. Penelope presented work that was finished and with which she was pleased.

Nevertheless, the conference proceeded as one might expect. No doubt, the immersion in the scientific ambiance was beneficial, and I sometimes reminisced about this experience when I participated in conferences later in my career.

After the conference, we were scheduled to fly home, a short trip of less than three hours. And we would meet again at our jobs in Calgary next week. Unlike the other members of our group, I had decided to spend a couple more days in Berkeley and fly back on Sunday night. I had some contacts in the city from a worldwide spiritual organization to which I belonged. Although I didn't know anyone in the Berkeley chapter of the organization, I was aware that members frequently stayed with other members when traveling.

I contacted the local group chairperson and was given the names and phone numbers of several members. One of these was David S., and he was happy to have me stay at his place for a couple of days. He was very familiar with the local scene, and through him, I got to experience a little bit of Berkeley after hours.

On Friday night, we first attended a session of the local chapter of our spiritual organization. I met other members and socialized for an hour afterwards. Then David invited me to look into some other activities in the city. We first ended up at a get-together of a group of about ten, primarily women who delighted in singing, dancing, and reading poetry. It was a typical experience of the seventies. The women were wearing flowing white dresses and swayed to the rhythms of oriental music. There was the aroma of burning incense to create the proper atmosphere. It was certainly interesting to blend in with a hippie-like scene, even if only for a couple of hours.

While this would have been sufficient diversion for the night on its own, there was more to come. David took me to what he told me had become a tradition in Berkeley, which had started twelve years ago. So that must have been in the early sixties. Every Friday night, a group of about twenty people would get together for a couple of hours, starting at midnight, to sing and play folksongs. Several participants had brought guitars, and there were a couple of small drums. People would take turns, singing from what seemed to be an extensive collection of tunes. None of these were familiar to me. I would have expected songs by Bob Dylan or Joan Baez, but these songs were different. They were about political protests, the Vietnam War, the rights of oppressed minorities, topics familiar in left-wing circles.

There was plenty of food and drinks, potluck-style. The central dish was a meat and vegetable stew, served from a large pot at around 2 am. While I didn't know anyone in the gathering, I felt very much at home, and the folk music and general discussion brought back memories of the protest movement in Europe, which culminated in students occupying the universities in the Netherlands and elsewhere around 1968. While the political fervor had dwindled, the war in Vietnam was winding down, this retro event showed that the political consciousness was still alive. Berkeley had been the headquarters of the Black Panther movement, and the left-wing student movement was strong there.

However, the gathering had a sense of nostalgia for a movement that had run its course, yet its adherents were unwilling to let go of it. David appeared to be very familiar with the city's political and cultural heartbeat, and if I had stayed longer, I would have had the opportunity to experience more of it. He was an interesting guy, not limited in his interests by the spiritual movement we belonged to, but more generally in touch with the broad cultural and political movements of the sixties.

We went back to David's place and I had a short night's sleep. On Saturday, I was on my own. I made my way back to the university and wandered around the campus. While it was the weekend, the place was abuzz with activity. Various political action groups had stalls where they displayed books and pamphlets about their causes. I ended up talking with a young man who I understood was a member of a spiritual movement that had originated in Korea. He told me that the group had a commune in Berkeley with nearly a hundred members. He invited me to visit the premises and have dinner with the group members. "I would be engulfed by a feeling of love and friendship that permeated the commune," he told me. Since I had no plans for the rest of the day, I agreed to come along, ready for another experience.

The commune was located in a stately old home with large rooms. It was getting close to dinner time. Members of the community gathered around large tables, facing each other. The food was simple: cooked rice and vegetables, a small amount of meat, and, to finish, a tapioca dessert—ceramic cups with lemonade for drinks. No alcohol. A prayer was said before the meal. Most of those around the table were in their late teens or early twenties—women with long, flowing hair and simple dresses. The men had short hair and were clean-shaven. The atmosphere was friendly, almost too friendly.
Those gathered had a dreamy look in their eyes. They asked me where I was from and why I had come to Berkeley. I revealed little, saying that I had come from Canada to experience California, and what I had seen had been an eye-opener.

After the meal, the commune members helped with the cleanup. A little later, we gathered in another large room. We were seated on folding chairs facing a stage. Some of the group's leaders spoke. They expressed thanks to the Lord for the good meal that they had just eaten and reflected on the mission of the commune, which was to spread peace, harmony, and goodwill. The people gathered were asked to share their recent experiences. The accounts were gushing with good feelings and love.

People were also invited to contribute by reading a poem, singing a song, or playing the guitar. I joined another male in singing a 1960s folksong, strumming a guitar that was handed to me. We got a warm applause and felt appreciated. The entertainment lasted about an hour. Thereafter, the commune members dispersed for the night, presumably to continue socializing, reading, or other activities.

I had been observing the scene. Some people acted as leaders. They were vocal about life at the commune and encouraged members to perform during the entertainment. I noticed a few foreigners of Asian extraction who were giving directions to the leaders. I talked with some of the men of the commune. They told me what had brought them to the commune. They had experience with marihuana and other drugs. Several had been active in political action groups. However, they had realized that something was missing in their lives, and then they discovered the commune, which attracted them with the vibes emanating from its members. I learned that they had given up their worldly possessions, contributed money to the commune, and worked for the realization of its goals. Some of them worked in jobs, and they gave what they earned to the commune treasury.

One of the male members took me apart and talked to me about the commune and its projects. I told him that I liked what I had experienced, and he recommended that I should extend my stay and go on a tour to a sister commune outside of Berkeley on Sunday. I told him that I would like to do that, but that I had a return flight to Canada on Sunday. He became insistent and told me to postpone my return and stay for the weekend. I replied that I had to go back to my wife and one-year-old child at home and that I was expected to be back at work on Monday. He kept pressing me, and I started to feel uncomfortable. After a while, I got fed up. I thanked him for the meal and the opportunity to experience the commune and left for David's place.

I told him about my visit to the commune. He smiled. "I think you got involved with the followers of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. He has founded a religious organization, the members of which are commonly known as the 'Moonies'."

I read about the movement later and learned that Moon founded the Unification Church, also known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The church started in South Korea in 1954, and it began to attract attention in the U.S. Churches of the movement were established in the San Francisco Bay area, including Berkeley. The reverend Moon became known for his penchant for marrying members en masse. Giant simultaneous weddings, which included hundreds of happy couples, were evidence of the church's God- and family-centered mission.

The Unification Church came under fire for its high-pressure recruiting tactics, which I experienced during my visit to the local commune. Testimonies of ex-Moonies demonstrate that the church is, in fact, a cult. The book' Heavenly Deception' by Chris Elkins describes the author's experiences with the church, his entrance into the cult, his disillusionment, and his eventual departure from the cult. The book was dramatized in the eponymous movie in 1993.

The documentary 'Blessed Child' (2019) is a documentary directed by Cara Jones that offers an intimate look at her life as a former Moonie. For another detailed account of the 'Moonies' and their recruiting practices in the seventies, described by Barbara Underwood, go to https://tragedyofthesixmarys.com/underwood/
On Sunday, I thanked David for his hospitality and the places he took me, and flew back home with stories to tell my wife and friends in Calgary.

MvR – September 6, 2025. ✍️