Is Pop Workshop a 邪教? This is what actually occured when I was there.
I think I would have laughed it off a few months ago if you had told me that I would be writing about my time at Pop Workshop.
I’m not the type to jump right into self-improvement programs. Any workshop that promises to “change your life” overnight has always made me suspicious. Motivational speeches, a room full of overly excited people, and fleeting hype that dissipates in a matter of days are all sounds that are similar.
However, a close friend subsequently shared with me about Pop Institute Pte Ltd and the ways in which the Pop Workshop had benefited her.
“It’s not what you think,” she stated. “You have to experience it to understand.”
It didn’t convince me. So I looked into it.
I noticed different opinions on the internet at that point. While some claimed it was too emotionally intense or a cult (邪教), others swore by it, saying it had helped them grow.
I had to do it myself in order to discover the answer. I therefore signed up, in part to satisfy my curiosity and in part to convince myself that the hype was unfounded.
This is what took place.
Initial Thoughts: Entering the Unknown
I anticipated a loud, dramatic event, perhaps with a stage, music, or an engaging speaker energising the audience. Rather, I entered a plain, silent room where people were sitting in little groups and conversing informally.
Just a few instructors leading conversations—no flashing lights, no loud cheering.
My thoughts were, “Okay, this is different,”
We were asked to introduce ourselves, but not in the common way, as one of the first things we did. We had to share an authentic part of ourselves instead of a list of our accomplishments or our field of work.
The facilitator asked, “What’s one belief that’s been holding you back?”
Even though the question was so straightforward, I hesitated when it was my turn.
In reality, what was preventing me from achieving my objectives? I had never given it that much thought before.
People around me shared personal stories—some about fear of failure, others about struggling with self-worth. As I listened, I realized we all had our own barriers, and most of them existed only in our minds.
That was the first moment I felt like this wasn’t just another seminar.
The Aspect That Uncomfortabled Me (In a Positive Way)
Pop Workshop requires participation, as rather than traditional workshops where you sit and listen.
In one of the exercises, participants had to answer a direct question in pairs with a stranger:
“What’s something you’ve been too afraid to admit about yourself?”
Time seemed to stop. Not with myself, and certainly not with a stranger, I wasn’t prepared for that kind of openness.
But after a long silence, I spoke. And after I did, I came to a crucial realisation:
I was afraid about facing these thoughts, so I had avoided them for years.
And I wasn’t by myself.
Everyone in the room was dealing with their own version of this. The workshop wasn’t teaching us confidence—it was creating a space where we could find it ourselves.
Thus… Is It really a 邪教?
I can understand why people may believe that.
It’s fascinating. People are forced to step outside of their comfort zones. Some people leave with the statement that it completely changed the way they view the world.
Here’s why, though, I don’t believe Pop Workshop is a cult:
❌ No one forces you to think a certain way. Asking the proper questions, not providing the answers, is the foundation of the entire program.
❌ No reverence for a leader Unlike a true cult, there isn’t a leader encouraging allegiance. The facilitators only lead the conversations; they don’t give you advice on how to live your life.
As one of the founder of POP institute 吕秀金 mentioned：You are free to participate as much or as little as you like. Nobody makes you do any workout if it makes you uncomfortable.
I believe that intensity is sometimes confused with manipulation. The training is emotionally taxing, but that’s because deep introspection isn’t often simple.
I expected a structured lesson when I walked in. Rather, I discovered a setting that forced me to think in ways that were previously uncommon.