I often find it hard to believe that this year marks my 45th anniversary of freedom from the insidious cult indoctrination of the Moonies. For the 40th anniversary of my deprogramming, I wrote a blog to thank the people directly responsible for the intervention that liberated me. As I reflect, there have been many people
My friend and colleague, John Collins, has done significant work documenting the history of William Branham’s Message movement. A few years ago, Collins and I authored an article on Mind Control and Jonestown as Jim Jones had been influenced by Branham. Collins taught me about Branham and his influence with other authoritarian cult leaders. Cults
I am delighted to talk today with Desiree Kane, who I first met doing a TEDxMid Atlantic program titled Dismantling QAnon. Desiree is a Miwok journalist and activist. We have had several occasions to share our professional expertise and personal commitment to freeing people from undue influence and authoritarian control. In particular, Desiree has helped
Two recent events have brought increased attention to individuals and groups that adhere to what is known as “sovereign citizen” ideology. A group called “Rise of the Moors” made headlines along with a person arrested for the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Sovereign Citizen Ideology Used as a Defense Pauline Bower participated in
The story of Aaron Kyereh-Mireku, a former member of a left-wing Trotskyist cult (IMT), is very important for two reasons. His experience is more proof that anyone can be seduced into a cult, no matter how intelligent, educated or influence-resistant they may be. Further, his story demonstrates that there are cults with left-wing, communist ideology,
What is the big history behind the attempted takeover of the United States government by pro-Trump supporters on January 6th? Why are so many Republican lawmakers unwilling to engage in an investigation—despite the fact that most of them were forced to hide under desks and run in fear for their lives through the halls of
Every business has its own corporate culture. Yet many companies have been accused of being run like an authoritarian cult by former employees and observers. Many factors are involved in creating this culture, including the values and personalities of the founder(s), the goals of the organization, styles of leadership and reward systems. When these factors
Since the attempted insurrection on January 6, more than 460 people have been arrested on various charges resulting from their participation in the assault on the Capitol. A significant number of them have stated they were there at the urging of the former president in order to reverse the “stolen” election. Some of those arrested
Is there a really a conflict between faith in science and faith in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and other world religions? I do not believe there should ever be a black/white, either/or mindset when it comes to listening to responsible medical experts and religious leaders. In the United States, there has been some negative media focus
The Unification Church (“Moonies”) now goes by the name The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The authoritarian cult was founded in the early 1950s by Sun Myung Moon. My family hired ex-members to deprogram me from it, following a severe van crash in 1976. Moon’s wife, Hak Ja Han, has been in charge
Two programs have infiltrated schools which did not have policies in place to ensure legitimate and safe practices only are given to young students. These two programs are now facing public exposure and important scrutiny. Without sufficient understanding of these programs and the organizations that are contracted to promote them in the schools, there is
Since the insurrection attempt on January 6, almost 500 people have been formally charged for their actions that day. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice (DOJ) continue to comb through video footage, social media posts, phone location data, and tips from the public. More individuals are likely to be charged in