China's public security authorities have cracked down on illegal "spiritual practices" and relevant illegal activities, with 77 key cases detected and 269 individuals criminally dealt with in accordance with the law since 2018, according media reports.

Authorities have been focusing on illegal training activities related to "spiritualism" and organized special forces to deal with a number of organizations who are engaged in illegal training activities under the cover of "spiritual healing," "stimulating potential," "alien civilization," and "energy to change life." 

Authorities have investigated and dealt with a number of illegal training institutions offering "spiritual cultivation" services across China, with individuals involved in these cases sentenced to between five to 17 years of imprisonment for illegal business operations, the use of superstitious beliefs to undermine the implementation of the law, the crime of fraud, the crime of rape and other crimes.

Officials explained that this type of illegal training activity misused concepts related to psychology, success and modern technology to promote the so-called spiritual cultivation. It implements mind control through closed training, using methods including cutting off contact with the outside world, hypnosis, brainwashing, psychological suggestion and self-denial.

Such illegal organizations also expand their teams by means of joining, distribution, advancement and even pyramid schemes, in many cases amassing huge sums of money. Some illegal training activities also subjected trainees to unlawful detention, rape, molestation and other physical assaults, and engaged in collective obscene activities in the name of physical and mental liberation.

Public security authorities have called for the public to recognize the nature and harm of illegal training activities, and to consciously resist such activities of "spiritualism."