Former member on life inside "The Community" | Forensic Files

I wasn't allowed to read or write or do anything particularly creative. Tyler felt that that was my escape from other
people. He felt like I had repressed deep-seated animosity towards everyone else in the group and that it needed to
be drawn out and purged away by being in the presence of other people without any
kind of mediating thing like a journal or books. there was a sense in the group that I wasn't really
um engaged in the way that I needed to be that I didn't really want to be there and that caused problems. It separated
me from everyone in the outside world. I didn't have any friends who weren't in the group. I had cut off connection with
them, not always intentionally. I felt depressed and alone all the time. I didn't really feel like I could trust
a lot of people in the group. Over time, I realized that they didn't all have my
best interests at heart or each other's best interests at heart. I thought, I need to leave because this is dangerous
and getting worse. At that point, I'd been through so much. It wasn't an arduous process. I
just let go. It was time to move on.

Boze Herrington reflects on his time as a member of "The Community," a radical Christian prayer group founded by Tyler Deaton. He talked to "48 Hours" about what his life was like within the group and why he ultimately left.

Brief Summary

A guest recounts their struggle with isolation and the decision to leave a toxic group.

Key points

The Struggle for Connection. Feeling isolated from the outside world, the speaker grapples with loneliness and distrust.

Episode highlights

The Struggle for ConnectionFeeling isolated from the outside world, the speaker grapples with loneliness and distrust.“I didn't have any friends who weren't in the group.”0:45Feb 22, 2015

Episode quotes

I felt depressed and alone all the time.

0:49WatchFeb 22, 2015

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