Definitely not a "cult" book. Not esoteric. And definitely not enslaving. Mr. Silva was a pretty practical guy, and you need not fear that practicing his method will make you obnoxious.:) You can take from it what you want, and leave what you don't. But anything you take, you will find wonderful. It takes practice to completely relax?Sounds strange, but it's true. And fail-safe; it's impossible to have negative thoughts or wish to do harm and still stay in a relaxed state. There are so many benefits, and no drawbacks. Practicing Silva's method saved my life when I was anorexic. I would definitely recommend this for everyone, especially teens and young adults. Read the book, parents, so that you will have no fears letting your older kids read it.