destructive cults Archives - Freedom of Mind Resource Center

A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology with Mike Rinder

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:49:15 +0000

I was excited when I learned that Mike Rinder wrote a new book, A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology. The book’s title was an ode to his billion-year commitment when he joined the Sea Organization (Sea Org) shortly after graduating high school in 1973. Rinder rose to become the top leader in the Office of Special Affairs (OSA), where, among other duties, he oversaw the “fair game” harassment of all perceived enemies, including the non-profit Cult Awareness Network. When he left Scientology in 2007, he decided to expose the criminal behavior of Scientology. I was very interested in asking him specific questions about his knowledge of Scientology.

When I exited the Moonies in 1976, Scientology was one of the first “other” cults I learned about. One of the first counter-cult activists I befriended was Paulette Cooper, a journalist who wrote The Scandal of Scientology; A Chilling Examination of the Nature, Beliefs, and Practices of the “New Religion” in 1971. It seemed she was the only one talking about Scientology in the media, and I was the only one talking about the Moonies. I quickly became a victim of what Scientology calls “fair game.”

Mike Rinder’s parents started taking him to their local Scientology center when he was five. By age fifteen, his family had traveled from Australia to England twice to visit L. Ron Hubbard’s home and participate in advanced Scientology courses and auditing. In 1981 Mike started working in the Office of Special Affairs- a department of Scientology devoted to dealing with external matters, including media and public relations, legal and government relations, and dealing with those who were labeled “enemies” of Scientology. There he became the third person in power.

Mike left Scientology in 2007 when he realized that he couldn’t change the pattern of violence and abuse that had become endemic under the “leadership” of David Miscavige. Mike started speaking out against Scientology in 2009 in the St. Petersburg Times. Since then, Mike has done numerous media interviews, was included in HBO’s Going Clear, and co-hosted three seasons of A & E’s Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. Here is a short clip of part of my appearance at the end of season one of that show. Currently, Mike is co-hosting the podcast Fair Game with Leah Remini.

A Rare Insider’s Look

Since leaving Scientology, Mike has become one of the biggest and loudest critics of Scientology. His defection from Scientology started after Hubbard’s death when David Miscavige took control of the cult. Mike couldn’t ignore the ruthless leadership under Miscavige and finally realized there was no way to fix Scientology from within. In his new book, Mike pulls back the curtain on many aspects of this notorious authoritarian cult, including criminal activity the church of Scientology has been involved with for decades.

The name of Mike’s podcast, Fair Game, is a term used in Scientology to describe how they treated their enemies. When Mike ran OSA, he operated under the mindset that their enemies were fair game; the ends justify the means. Protecting Hubbard and Scientology was the rule. Hubbard canceled the use of the term Fair Game as it created terrible public relations. Fair Game is still operating in attacking its former members and critics.

I know this firsthand. I have been threatened. I have been followed. I have been sued. Scientology filed two failed complaints against me regarding my counseling license. They have ordered members to steal and examine my trash. They told my neighbors that I was a criminal. They picketed my office in Nazi uniforms inviting people to “Join Steve Hassan’s crusade against religions.” They have gone after my whistleblower friends, like Jon Atack.

My friend Paulette Cooper has also been harassed, falsely accused of a terrorist bomb plot, and spied on by a Scientologist “best friend.” A grand jury indicted her. Then the largest FBI raid revealed internal documents, vindicating Paulette completely and sending eleven senior Scientology officials, including Hubbard’s wife, to prison.

Ending Scientology’s tax-exempt status

For more than 25 years, the IRS denied tax-exempt status to the church of Scientology. In 1967, the IRS determined that Scientology was a commercial entity operated solely for Hubbard’s benefit. In 1993, seven years after Hubbard’s death, and with the help of Mike Rinder, the IRS suspiciously granted the church religious tax-exempt status and settled their massive tax bill for just $12.5 million.

For over 30 years, cult agents manipulated government officials, the public, and members into thinking Scientology was something it wasn’t. One of the architects of making Scientology tax-exempt was Larry Brennan (later Denise Brennan). Denise oversaw the Scientology organization’s corporate work, structure, and tax status. Denise also worked in the Guardian’s Office Worldwide (the precursor to OSA), running legal issues outside the courts.

I have been saying for years it is time to end the Church of Scientology’s tax-exempt status. The entire principle of religious organizations having tax-exempt status is based on their providing public charity services. They do not do this. Many of the group’s practices violate articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by participating in the use of slave labor, inhumane punishments, and interfering with members’ families and privacy while limiting freedom of thought and expression.

Scientology has been getting away with untold millions of dollars in tax liabilities for years. Emerging stories of violence, abuse, and control occurring at Scientology facilities alone should be enough to strip them of their tax-exempt status. Scientology misuses its subsidized income to hire private detectives to follow and harass people; they place ads on google to bury information. They own countless URLs to ensure they control their enemies’ narratives online. Not only does this strain the economy, but it also helps finance an organization that systematically uses undue influence to imprison the minds of followers and destroy lives.

Though many have insisted on the action, the IRS and other government organizations seem to do little to address the issues with Scientology. Because America is a country that prizes freedom of belief, those in power are afraid to criticize any group claiming to be a religion. However, focusing on unethical and illegal behaviors makes it possible to differentiate between ethical and religious groups and those who use undue influence and control over followers.

In late April of 2022, three people who grew up in Scientology filed a lawsuit alleging that they were trafficked as children and forced to do hard labor for little or no pay. The lawsuit claims that the trio was forced to work as young as six years old in Scientology’s Sea Org and Cadet Org. The filings detail accounts of horrific mistreatment under the control of Scientology, including separation from their families as minors; confiscation of their identification documents; dangerous manual labor conditions; exploitation, indoctrination, and manipulation; and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

When Jon Atack wrote his book A Piece of Blue Sky: Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed in 1990, Scientology did everything within its power to stop the publication, making it only the second book to be banned in the U.S. The manuscript was published without alteration because it was factually accurate. Scientology is the quintessential destructive mind-control cult. It’s an authoritarian, pyramid-structured group that uses deception and mind control to make its followers dependent and obedient.

Cult Awareness Network

The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was an anti-cult activist group with grassroots groups throughout the U.S. It provided information on cults as well as support for concerned families and former members. It was founded in the nineteen seventies and was sued by Scientology into bankruptcy in 1996. These Scientologists continued for years to use the CAN telephone hotline without disclosing the change in leadership. Remember, information wasn’t readily available until the internet became widely used.

This was a massive setback for the effort to educate the public about destructive mind control. It destroyed years of work we had done. Efforts were made by former cult members to develop smaller groups to spread awareness. Once we see someone’s lightbulb lighting up and they start to see the light, they need help. Mike, along with some other former members, founded the Aftermath Foundation, whose mission is to help people escape Scientology. For the time being, serving former Scientology members keeps the foundation’s hands full. Hopefully, one day, they will be able to expand and help people leave other cults.

What’s next?

Although the battle with Scientology feels overwhelming, people like Mike Rinder leaving Scientology after 52 years are what gives me hope. Scientology, over the years, has lost many high-profile members. Rinder estimates the cult has only some twenty-five thousand members worldwide. Yet the cult has assets in excess of three billion dollars. Every day, more secrets of the group are being shared, and its practices are being scrutinized. Always remember, there is always a way to help a loved one leave a cult. There are so many people coming out of destructive cult groups as well as coercive personal relationships that if we can network, we can strategically reach out and preemptively educate people the world over.

Resource Links:

A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology

Something Can Be Done About It: Rinder’s blog

The Scientology Money Project

Operation Clambake: Undressing the Church of Scientology since 1996

The Underground Bunker

A short video I made with Paulette Cooper

The Miscavige Legal Statements: A Study in Perjury, Lies and Misdirection by Larry Brennan

My interview with Denise Brennan, who, as Larry Brennan, was ordered by Hubbard to make Scientology tax-exempt.

My blog in the Huffington Post called for an end to Scientology’s tax-exempt status.

The updated Jon Atack book, Let’s sell these people A Piece of Blue Sky: Hubbard, Dianetics and Scientology

The post A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology with Mike Rinder appeared first on Freedom of Mind Resource Center.

The Growing Rift Inside the New Apostolic Reformation with Frederick Clarkson and André Gagné

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:49:07 +0000

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a reorganized, large Pentecostal and Charismatic movement reframed by the religious right to move into politics. My guests on this episode of the Influence Continuum are warning people about the dangers associated with the rise of the NAR.

Frederick Clarkson has written and worked at the intersection of religion and politics for over four decades. He’s currently a Senior Research Analyst at Political Research Associates, a social justice research and strategy center in Somerville, Massachusetts. He’s also the author of a very important book that I recommend everyone read called Eternal Hostility – The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy, a subject that everyone’s talking about in the media these days.

André Gagné is a full professor in the Department of Theological Studies at the University Concordia in Montreal, Canada. He has written a book in French on the evangelical supporters of Trump that will soon be published in English. His work focuses on Neocharismatic-Pentecostalism and the Christian Right, and he has done extensive research into understanding the background and the beliefs and practices of the New Apostolic Reformation.

Revealing Article in Religion Dispatches

Recently, Fred and André published an article titled “New Apostolic Reformation Faces Profound Rift Due to Trump Prophecies and “Spiritual Manipulation of the Prophetic Gift” in Religion Dispatches. The article describes a growing schism between movement prophets and apostles who say that God wants Trump to be restored as president and those who say such claims are an abuse of the role of the prophet in the Church.

The media keeps saying white Christian evangelicals are Trump’s base, but it’s more complicated than that.

Let’s begin with the Manhattan Declaration. In the mid-1990s, conservative Catholic intellectuals and Christian Right and evangelical leaders held a series of theological dialogues. Eventually, they had a breakthrough. A neoconservative Catholic professor Robert P. George found a way to bring them together in 2009. He found three concepts on which all could agree. And these were:

Life
Marriage
Religious Liberty

And agree they did. It became their platform in the culture war.

Life means being anti-abortion
Marriage is the opposition to marriage equality for LGBTQ people
Religious Liberty means exemptions from civil rights laws regarding life and marriage

These three ideas, life, marriage, and religious liberty began to appear on the websites of politically active Christian Right groups and the Pro-Life Secretariat of the Catholic Bishops. And most tellingly, Mitt Romney, in his 2012 acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention for the Republican nomination, specifically listed those three terms. As a Mormon, he needed to signal that he belonged, so he used the three themes of the Manhattan Declaration to do so.

That’s how important the Manhattan Declaration was to everything from the center-right to the far right in American politics. The 500 initial signatories included Catholic prelates and a wide range of evangelical leaders, including some NAR apostles.

The Core of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) Movement

The core element of the NAR is apostolic governance. This is why the “prophetic standards” and the signatories mentioned in Fred and André’s article are important for the movement. It boils down to the question of authority: Who is recognized to speak on behalf of God? Since many so-called prophets had prophesied that Trump would be re-elected in 2020 and their predictions failed, they either had to refer to biblical examples where false prophets were killed due to their failed predictions, or blame Biden, the Democrats and the Satanic Illuminati for stealing the election. The “prophetic standards” are guidelines to rein in the prophets and their political prophecies. But will they work? Fred and André doubt that some prophets will comply.

The Question of Dominionism

Now, people in apostolic centers and networks don’t have issues with authoritarianism because they’re already drilled this way. The internal dominionism exercised through the leadership of apostles in their centers and networks is now being taken out into society.

The political marketing strategy to move dominionism into society is called the “Seven Mountains Mandate:”

Religion
Family
Education
Government and Law
Media, News, and Commentary
Arts and Entertainment
Business and Economics

The theory is that if they can control these seven spheres of culture, then they can gain “dominion” over society. The NAR thus seeks to delegitimize and eliminate the institutions of democracy and other Christian traditions as obstacles to dominion.

This is the threat that they pose to civilized society all over the world.

Is It Hopeless? What Can We Do?

Few are talking about the New Apostolic Reformation, let alone the rift, and the opportunity presented here. But there are groups that are making a difference. Supporting these organizations is a place to start.

Christians Against Christian Nationalism is a wonderful joint effort of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, mainline denominational leaders, and even some Catholics and other evangelicals.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State website says, “Separation of church and state guarantees religious freedom, a fundamental right. Americans United shields our shared laws from the influence of any one religion so we can be free to come together as equals and build a stronger democracy.”
The Interfaith Alliance works to “protect faith and freedom by respecting individual rights, protecting the boundaries between religion and government, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism and build common ground.”

Ultimately, the task is to figure out how we are all going to learn to live with one another in relative peace and harmony. We need to do this, even as we need to understand that there are people out there who think we are under the influence of demonic forces. That we are even infested with demons in some way. We need to focus on the fact we are only human beings. We may differ on religion and politics, but we’re still human beings. We’re not supernatural agents preparing for an end-times religious war.

If we value constitutional democracy, we know what to do. We have to continually inform people. Plus, we need to recognize and adapt to the Christian Right’s strategy of long-term voter mobilization. The rest of us constitute a far greater majority.

Resources:

- Christian Right Denialism is More Dangerous Than Ever: a Reporter’s Guide to the New Apostolic Reformation Part
- Christian Right Denialism is More Dangerous Then Ever: a Reporter’s Guide to the New Apostolic Reformation Part

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The Rise of Right-Wing, Anti-Democratic Ideology in India: A Conversation with Narendra Nayak

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:48:53 +0000

Almost four years ago, I spoke with my friend Narendra Nayak about the rise of right-wing religious and political extremism in India. I had contacted him after learning of the killing of Gauri Lankesh. Lankesh was an activist journalist who was openly critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and their extremist Hindutva ideology. There are many similarities between the rise of conservative, right-wing ideologies in India and the United States. I recently spoke with Nayak to discuss the current social and political situations in India and the United States.

Dr. Nayak is a retired biochemistry professor, founder of Aid Without Religion, and current president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA). He is a polyglot who speaks nine languages. He works tirelessly to expose the “godmen” and other frauds who use cheap magic tricks to exploit unsophisticated people for money, power, or sex. Nayak himself has been the subject of death threats and attempts. He has the protection of a bodyguard at all times.

Sleight-of-Hand and Magic Tricks as Tools of Undue Influence

Many self-appointed prophets, godmen, and other charlatans claim to possess supernatural powers and the ability to perform miracles. They prey without shame on people wherever they can. Rural India is a prime target for their scams. One of the most well-known of these scam artists was Ratnakaram Sathyanarayana Raju. In 1940, at 14, Sai Baba claimed he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, an Indian spiritual master who had died in October 1918. He called himself Sathya Sai Baba and claimed to be omnipotent and omniscient. He also claimed to perform miraculous healings and resurrections. Sai Baba would materialize small objects such as rings and watches, which his devotees saw as evidence of divinity but were just magic tricks.

The founder of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA) was my friend Basava Premanand, an Indian skeptic, rationalist, and debunker from Kerala. He organized tours around rural India to promote scientific thinking and expose alleged miracles and scams. Nayak continues this work following a similar procedure. Young men learn how to perform the magic tricks used by the scammers. Then they can demonstrate to the godman’s intended victims how the tricks are done and that they are not supernatural or evidence of divinity.

FIRA also issues general challenges to specific con artists, forcing them to attempt to prove in a public forum that they can do what they claim they can. One current challenge involves an astrologer in Mangalore.

The Duty to Support Science is Part of India’s Constitution

India is the world’s most populous democracy, and rationalism has had a long and proud history throughout Indian culture since the 6th century BCE. Article 51 of India’s Constitution says every citizen must develop a “scientific temper” and a spirit of inquiry and humanism. However, since 2014 when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, a steady shift toward right-wing, extremist ideology and enactment of restrictive laws has occurred. Based on the extremist Hindutva ideology, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has led this shift.

Modi was a Trump supporter and had invited him to visit Modi’s home state in India. Large crowds of Modi supporters were expected to welcome Trump. Because of the pandemic, these plans never materialized. But the similarities between the right-wing movements in India and the United States are striking.

In the United States, fundamentalist, right-wing Christian individuals, and organizations want to establish their form of Christianity as a “state religion,” claiming that the US is a Christian country. Their use of the word “Christian” in this context does not include the broad and varied forms of Christian theology and worship, but only White, heterosexual, male-dominated, and very narrow interpretations.

Hindutva is a political, right-wing ideology promoted by the BJP and a cultural body known as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Hindutva ideology manifests in much the same way. Hinduism is an ancient and pluralistic religion practiced in much of the Indian subcontinent.

In India, movements are rising to change school curricula to include supernatural, mythical, and patently untrue beliefs. False claims that airplanes and in-vitro fertilization ability existed thousands of years ago are made to prove superiority. Unscrupulous yoga practitioners claim the ability to levitate. Extremist attempts are underway to nationalize one language and deny the legitimacy of minority languages and cultures.

The Internet and Social Media: Help or Hinderance?

In many ways, the internet and social media can help to further science and democratic principles. However, they can also further magical thinking and demean science. Nayak points out that superstition and magic beliefs have existed since the beginning of human civilization. There is a saying about India that “21st-century technology is being superimposed on 16th-century mindsets.” In the 16th century, it would have taken months for rumors about “miracles” to move from one end of the country to the other. Now it takes 10 minutes.

The internet and social media are also a blessing and curse in the United States. Technology needs to be regulated, and social media platforms should be required to serve humanity rather than the other way around.

In conclusion, I asked Dr. Nayak what type of support he might need to further his essential work. He says there are two main problems this type of work faces. The first is the extremists who do not hold up the democratic principles guaranteeing human rights for everyone. But even more damaging is the silent majority – people who don’t speak up and work against authoritarian attempts to destroy democracy and freedom.

Both Dr. Nayak and I believe that most people want to live in peace with their neighbors, and we place our hope in the endurance of our democratic Constitutions. This belief and hope keep us going in our respective work to stop right-wing extremists in both our countries from destroying human rights and freedom.

Further Information

‘Ready to Challenge the Astrologer over the ‘Tambula Prashne’- Prof Narendra Nayak – Mangalorean.com

Science Is Dope – YouTube

Aid without Religion Trust registered (mangaloretoday.com)

Right-Wing Extremist Terrorists Target Humanists Who Teach Critical Thinking – Freedom of Mind Resource Center

Narendra Nayak (humanists.international)

India’s RSS Has Played A Powerful Role In The Rise Of Hindu Nationalism: NPR

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Leaving NXIVM, an Authoritarian Cult, Was Not the End: A Conversation with Sarah Edmondson and Nippy Ames

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:48:47 +0000

Two years ago, in May of 2020, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Edmondson for my blog. Sarah, and her husband Anthony (Nippy) Ames, met while both were high-ranking members of NXIVM, a cult founded by Keith Raniere. At the time of that interview, Raniere had been convicted of federal crimes that included sex trafficking and conspiracy. In October 2020, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison.

After they both left the cult, Sarah and Nippy began to share their experiences in numerous ways publicly. They appeared in the documentary series “The Vow,” which ran for nine episodes on HBO. Sarah wrote her memoir, Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life. As a result of the media coverage of the book and documentary, people who had been in NXIVM and other cults contacted them. Sarah and Nippy realized how valuable sharing their experience was and decided to record their conversations in the form of a podcast. In March 2021, they premiered “A Little Bit Culty,” and I was honored to be their first guest. They chose the name to indicate they would deal with situations that might not fit into a strict definition of an authoritarian cult but still involved undue influence over someone.

I recently reconnected with Sarah and Nippy to share updates and strategies for continuing the fight against cult recruitment and mind control.

Speaking Out by Ex-Members of an Authoritarian Cult is Crucial

Before getting into our discussion, I wanted to re-emphasize how important it is to have ex-members speaking out and sharing their experiences. When actors or other high-profile people speak out, it brings attention to a much bigger audience. People such as Sarah and Nippy, and ex-Scientologists Leah Remini and Mike Rinder help as role models, teaching and destigmatizing the cult experience. By speaking out, they show that regular, intelligent people can get caught up in cults; they also provide valuable evidence that leaving a cult is not the end of the world but can be the beginning of a happy, productive life.

Getting into NXIVM: Hooks and Red Flags

Sarah joined NXIVM in 2005. NXIVM claimed to be a professional development program and emphasized the concept of sisterhood and helping each other. Along with many others, Sarah was motivated to enter the cult because she thought she would be assisting others in succeeding in the world. She spent 12 years in NXIVM but ultimately realized it was a front for Keith Raniere to live out his “sociopathic, narcissistic, sex-addicted con artist” personality.

Both Sarah and Nippy acknowledge they saw numerous red flags, even in the very beginning of their association with NXIVM. Still, like most people deceived into authoritarian cults, they ignored their gut instincts and got programmed. They experienced the common cult tactics of love bombing and pressure to “sign on the dotted line” quickly. Names used for the upper echelon leaders, such as “Vanguard” and “Prefect,” are also red flags.

I would also add these red flags: Any request for details by a prospective member is answered by “I don’t want to give you details because that will spoil the experience for you.” Feelings of discomfort are pictured as a natural part of joining a new group and not evidence that anything is wrong with the group’s process. This tactic lessens a person’s reliance on their instincts. A particularly crucial red flag may not come up right away. But that’s a serious red flag if anyone attempts to do therapy or uses psychological “mumbo jumbo” to convince someone to sign up. Unless there is solid proof of their training and experience, one should leave immediately!

One of the most disturbing parts of NXIVM was a secret sorority of specially selected women. They were branded with Raniere’s initials as part of the initiation and constituted his harem. Sarah got entangled in this private group and, after leaving NXIVM, had the brand removed.

Leaving and Avoiding Cult Involvement

Both Nippy and Sarah found my BITE Model of Authoritarian Control very helpful in understanding the true nature of NXIVM. In their case, exiting the cult came pretty quickly. Because they both realized the need to leave simultaneously, the process went smoothly. They both understand the difficulties when only one person in a relationship wants to leave and how long it can take to exit under those circumstances. Leaving a cult is further complicated if children are involved or if a person has been raised in the cult and has little or no contact with the outside world.

Appropriate support is critical for some time after leaving a cult. Helping others, group support, and sharing stories help normalize the experience and lessen the shame many feel for having become involved in the first place.

Cult Recruitment in the Global Digital Age

Increasingly sophisticated knowledge of human susceptibility to influence has made cult recruitment easier and ever-present. One of the guests on A Little Bit Culty was drawn down the rabbit hole of the alt-right simply through watching YouTube videos.

Situational vulnerabilities (death of a loved one, job loss, illness, etc.) have always played a part in cult recruitment. Given the global issues everyone is now exposed to–climate change and increased authoritarian political movements, for example–the number of people susceptible to such recruitment has increased significantly.

Disinformation is rampant 24/7 on social media, causing thousands of people to accept false ideas such as a stolen election or that Putin is a man of God. Social media thrives on a binary social atmosphere where facts mean little, and disagreements occur in an “us versus them” framework.

A Little Bit Culty is a great success. The podcast is in its 4th season, and no longer needs to look for guests. People are coming to them wanting to tell their story. Sarah and Nippy have learned what I also know about life after being in a cult. Helping others tell their stories is a natural source of healing—both for us and those who seek us out for help.

Further Information:

Sarah Edmondson Website:
Sarah Edmondson
A Little Bit Culty on Instagram
A Little Bit Culty Official Website

NXIVM
NXIVM Trial – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
NXIVM trial: cult leader a ‘predator’ who preyed on women, prosecutor says | New York | The Guardian
NXIVM Cult: Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
NXIVM trial: Closing arguments begin in trial of alleged sex cult leader | CNN

Legal Profession
Law Professor Robin Boyle-Laisure Discusses Using Trafficking to Prosecute Cult Leaders Like Raniere of NXIVM – Freedom of Mind Resource Center
Combating Human Trafficking—A Conversation with Paul Chang – Freedom of Mind Resource Center

Documentary on the Negative Effects of Social Media
Emmy-Nominated ‘The Social Dilemma’ Takes On Facebook, Twitter – Deadline

Leaving A Religious Cult
Crisis of Conscience: The story of the struggle between loyalty to God and loyalty to one’s religion.: Franz, Raymond: 9780999499214: Books: Amazon.com

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Opening Our Minds: Avoiding Abusive Relationships and Authoritarian Groups

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:46:19 +0000

Opening Our Minds: avoiding abusive relationships and authoritarian groups by Jon Atack is available in paperback, Audible and Kindle on Amazon.

I am delighted to help bring attention to a new book which I think is a valuable contribution to our field. Disclosure: Jon is a good friend of mine, for decades, and is the leading authority on Scientology in the world. However, he has switched his focus for the past numbers of years to think more broadly about predators and how to preventively educate people. I highly recommend getting this book, reading it, reviewing it and sharing it widely.

I decided to publish this blog with the words by one of my mentors and colleagues, Alan Scheflin, whose Social Influence Model is featured in a previous blog and interview with him.

Human predators roam among us. Although there aren’t many of them, they have a tremendous influence. To them, the rest of us are prey. Predators manipulate their prey using well-tried tricks. Once you know these tricks, it is much easier to avoid them or to stop them in their tracks. Every bad relationship, every destructive group, every dangerous government has a human predator at its heart. Predators rely upon persuasion. In honest persuasion, we have access to all of the facts – and different opinions about those facts – and enough time and privacy to consider these facts and opinions. But then there is the type of persuasion used by predators, which is simply manipulation. To manipulate means to manage or influence skillfully, especially in an unfair manner. Facts are hidden or distorted, and we are rushed into decisions that take away our own authority and harm our interests.Predators cause upset, conflict, corruption and devastation. By seeing through their methods, we can take power away from human predators and have a much greater chance to overcome the problems they cause in our personal and group relationships. This book will show you how to deal with predators and how to make society safe from their tricks and traps.

Forward to Opening Our Minds written by Alan Scheflin, law professor emeritus

The most precious and personal part of every person is his or her own mind. No one else ever sees it, or knows exactly what it is thinking or feeling. It is our most sacred possession because it houses our innermost identity. It defines for us precisely who we are, and who we are not. We can hide the truth from others, but not from ourselves. Or so we think.

But our mind, like our body, needs nourishment. Other people feed our mind with thoughts, suggestions, comments and ideas. We choose which ones to accept and which ones to reject. And we feel confident that we are good at doing so. But are we?

To be good at protecting our minds we must be familiar with the tactics and strategies that may be used by others to outmaneuver our natural protections and defenses. You can see a punch coming, but not a carefully crafted lie or manipulation strategy, unless you are trained to look.

The greatest threat to the autonomy of our mind is from people who seek to influence it for their own best interests, but present themselves as our friends and helpers. Every one of us has great confidence in our ability to protect ourselves from other people acting in ways that would harm our own best interests. We have faith that we have a strong mind, have good “crap detectors” and are not easily influenced. I call this “The Myth of the Unmalleable Mind.” As kids are fond of saying “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” But they can.

For the last 60 years I have studied how people can be fooled, seduced, altered and injured by con artists with exquisite expertise in mental manipulation. I have journeyed through Soviet, Chinese, Korean and American government programs to mentally enslave citizens and enemies, and private cultic groups around the world that have millions of devout followers. I have studied the tactics of advertisers and marketing specialists, the techniques of police interrogators, the dark literature of the antisocial uses of hypnosis, and the exquisite artistry of rhetoric and persuasion.

During this journey I encountered Jon Atack and found a fellow traveler, and a friend. My journey has been as a research scholar; Jon’s journey began by being a victim. After he freed himself from the clutches of a cultic group, he chose to make saving others his life’s work. There are very few “warriors of the mind.” Jon is one of the best.

In this book, Jon has written a handbook for mental integrity. A botanist studies what insects and pests can harm plants and flowers. Jon has provided us with a handbook for protecting the mind from often invisible forces seeking surreptitiously to undermine freedom of thought.

One of the fastest growing areas of law is the expansion of protection for victims of mental assault. British and American law for over 500 years has recognized that it is a violation to act towards another person with undue influence. The cases, however, usually involved older people conned out of their life savings by dishonest caretakers. These cases involve financial harm. Within the last twenty years, however, courts and legislatures have recognized that undue influence can also include mental harm. New laws now widen the protections available for people injured by mind manipulators. The need for such laws demonstrates how serious the problem has become.

Lord Thomas Robert Dewar once observed that “minds are like parachutes; they only function when open.” This book is a manual for keeping your mind open. If you want to make your body stronger, go to a gym. If you want to make your mind stronger, pay close attention to what this book tells you. Not only will you learn how to spot and avoid threats to your mental integrity, you will also have the pleasure of reading a very fine book.

Interview: Dr. Steven Hassan & Jon Atack

Additional Resources

About Jon Atack

Jon Atack was born in the cathedral city of Lichfield, in the heart of England, in 1955. He left school at 17 to play drums in various rock bands. When he was 19, he joined the Scientology cult. Although he was never a live-in member, he took many courses and 25 of the available levels of the ‘Bridge’ – to Operating Thetan Section V. Jon left the cult in 1983, appalled by its aggressive behaviour towards members. He refused to ‘disconnect’ (or shun) a close friend and was shocked to find that eleven senior members of the cult – including the leader’s wife – had been sentenced to prison terms for kidnapping, breaking and entering, theft, burglary and false imprisonment, based on their own confessions.

Jon put aside his career as an artist (www.jonatack.com) to help those harmed by the cult’s hypnotic practices. In 12 years, he saw over 500 former members and helped many to recover the money that had been extracted from them by Scientology’s hard selling techniques. He was active on over 150 court cases and was consulted by many government organizations. Jon also gave several conference papers and his work was supported by more than 40 academics, including Professor Stephen Kent, head of sociology and history of religion at Alberta University, who said that Jon’s work was beyond the standard for a doctoral thesis.

Jon was subjected to constant harassment by Scientologists. His house was picketed by placard carrying cult members. Spurious reports were made to various authorities. Rumours were spread. He was falsely accused of child abuse, attempted murder, rape and heroin addiction. Jon was followed by private investigators, one of whom tricked him out of the manuscript to his book, A Piece of Blue Sky, so that the cult could sue prior to publication.

Jon’s book A Piece of Blue Sky, was published in 1990, after a court battle in New York. It became an Amazon top 100 best seller. However, because of a precedent over the letters of JD Salinger, 60 passages in the book had been paraphrased. This included some of the most important material from Jon’s vast collection. In 2013, the book was reissued with all 60 passages back in place. The new edition is called Let’s sell these people A Piece of Blue Sky, to distinguish it from the earlier edition, which remains in print, without the author’s consent.

Jon is the author of many papers about Scientology, most of which are available on the internet. He has blogged at Tony Ortega’s Underground Bunker since the Spring of 2013 – http://tonyortega.org/category/scientology-mythbusting/. His concern is for the recovery of former members, from the hypnotic enslavement of Scientology.

Jon continues to paint and play drums. He has written several novels, including Voodoo Child (slight return) and the upcoming Halcyon Daze. He has also made a character by character translation of Lao Tze’s Tao Te Ching, which will be published in 2015. He lives in a charming village near Nottingham, where, as Voltaire advised, he cultivates his garden. Jon had four children and one grandchild.

The post Opening Our Minds: Avoiding Abusive Relationships and Authoritarian Groups appeared first on Freedom of Mind Resource Center.

The BITE Model of Authoritarian Control: Undue Influence, Thought Reform, Brainwashing, Mind Control, Trafficking and the Law

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:45:01 +0000

Update: January 2021: Dissertation has been published. <https://www.proquest.com/docview/2476570146/>

In 1976, I was deprogrammed from the Moon cult. Since then, I have helped thousands of individuals leave and recover from the harmful influence of destructive cults. I have written four books, published a peer-reviewed article, conducted multiple scientific research studies, and spent decades learning and educating about mind control. The culmination of my life’s work happened yesterday with my doctoral dissertation final oral review, in which I earned my PhD. (The video is linked below.) I entered the doctorate program at Fielding Graduate University’s School of Leadership Studies – in the Organizational Development and Change (ODC) PhD program in 2017.

In March 2019, I published my first peer-reviewed journal article with the help of my research assistant, Mansi Shah. Thanks to so many people, we put up the study on Survey Monkey and wrote up the initial quantitative study with 1044 former cult members. Here is the information on this Elsevier journal article:

Hassan, S., Shah, M.J. The anatomy of undue influence used by terrorist cults and traffickers to induce helplessness and trauma, so creating false identities. Ethics, Medicine and Public Health (2019) 8, 97-107 Elsevier Masson SAS. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemep.2019.03.002

Its genesis began when I gave a talk entitled, The “Anatomy of undue influence used by terrorist cults and traffickers to induce helplessness and trauma, so creating false identities” at the prestigious 2017 Congress of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health in Prague. I blogged about it here.

This study provided quantitative research into issues of destructive cultism. The data was helpful in developing a potential instrument to measure aspects of undue influence. My aim when I entered the doctorate program was to do what I could to help provide tools to the justice systems worldwide. My doctoral dissertation involved a factor analysis on my BITE model. My Influence Continuum, while not part of the quantitative study, offers an easy-to-understand framework to discern ethical from unethical influence. A new construct came out of this research. I call it The BITE model of Authoritarian Control. I looked up the definition of authoritarian and submission to authority and suppression of one’s own free will describes this phenomenon.

When I started this journey, one of my top goals was (and still is) to find ways to expand the current narrow definition of undue influence which has been largely confined to wills and testamentary capacity. It is long overdue that legal systems around the world recognize that human beings are not rational agents and are very suggestible and vulnerable to deception and social influence pressures. My hope is to help be part of the effort to develop models that will help promote human rights and punish those who enslave others.

Today, November 18th, marks the 42nd anniversary of the Jonestown massacre where over 900 people were killed. Most of the people who died were members of the People’s Temple, led by cult leader Jim Jones. Two years ago, in my blog, Jonestown and the Mind Control Cult of Jim Jones: A Survivor’s Story. In it, I shared my interview with Vernon Gosney, who was shot three times on the tarmac near slain congressman Leo J. Ryan and NBC’s Ron Harris along with others. Vernon, as a survivor of the Jonestown massacre, went on to become a police officer who wishes to help others understand what happened when so many people fell under the authoritarian rule of malignant narcissist, Rev. Jim Jones. A BITE model analysis of the People’s Temple was put online by John Collins and myself.

When many think of this tragedy, brainwashing and mind control come to mind. People were recruited into the group largely out of the social justice and human rights activism of Jones’ church. New members were love-bombed and their desire to make the world a better place was exploited. Everyone there was programmed to be obedient and loyal. Yet, they believed they were in full control and exercising their own free will.

One question everyone needs to ask themselves is, would they ever kill themselves or their loved ones if someone, anyone in power, told them things that endangered their lives? Right now, Donald Trump’s administration is putting out messaging that many Americans believe and, it is causing many to get sick and die unnecessarily because of COVID-19.

Mind control is any totalistic system of influence that disrupts an individual’s authentic identity and replaces it with a false, new one. The decisions made by people with this new identity are not always their own, often lacking critical thought processes.

Sadly, this is still happening, decades later. And this is why there is a need for scientific research studies and peer-reviewed articles. The justice system needs to be updated to incorporate this research that explains the psychology of predatory exploitation and factors that can help to identify it when it occurs. And we need to educate the public to inoculate people from the virus of unethical influence. My dissertation will be published in the near future.

I thank everyone who supported me in my endeavor. Please take time to read the abstract from my Doctorate Dissertation and watch my Final Oral Review. And, remember, it is never too late to start a journey of knowledge and growth!

My Dissertation Abstract

The justice system needs to be updated to incorporate research that explains the psychology of predatory exploitation and factors that can help to identify it when it occurs. Too often, people argue that judgments about undue influence constitute a “slippery slope,” or that “People are responsible for their actions once they reach 18 years of age.” It is also said that “One cult is another person’s religion” whenever the topics of brainwashing, thought reform, mind control or undue influence are brought up in legal cases.

This dissertation offers quantitative evidence about the BITE model (Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotion) as a potential tool to help evaluate cases involving exploitative control or undue influence. BITE (Hassan, 1988, 2015) offers a clearly defined model based on observable behaviors that expert witnesses can use to evaluate the presence of mind control or thought reform across a variety of settings and groups.

The term undue influence has been used in British common law since at least the 1700s. (Winder, 1939, King, 1934, Sherman, 2008). However, its use has mostly been confined to the area of wills and testaments. The studies of systematic social influence have produced several models to describe exploitative influence over a person or group of people. A literature review was conducted on existing laws that address trafficking, coercive control, and undue influence. An analysis of major models of thought reform, mind control, or brainwashing was done using Robert Jay Lifton’s Eight Criteria (Lifton, 1961); Edgar Schein’s model which includes Kurt Lewin’s model for change (Schein, Schneier & Baker, 1961); Margaret Singer’s Six Conditions (Singer & Lalich, 1995); and the Influence Continuum and BITE Model (Hassan,1988).

Scheflin’s Social Influence Model (Scheflin, 2015) offers an overall framework for expert witnesses to comprehensively evaluate any potential undue influence situation.

Legal systems value quantitative research over qualitative research. A total of 1044 participants took part in this study designed to determine the efficacy of the BITE model in identifying undue influence. The items in the BITE model of mind control were found to have a reliability score of .98, and a Cronbach’s alpha of .93 demonstrated internal consistency and validity. A principal component analysis identified one highly significant factor that captures undue influence: Authoritarian Control. The BITE model offers a look at the dimensions that allow one to predict the presence of Authoritarian Control, particularly where undue influence is suspected in both civil as well as criminal contexts. Implications are discussed.

Keywords: Undue Influence, Thought Reform, Brainwashing, Mind Control, Coercive Control, BITE model, Influence Continuum, Trafficking, Terrorism, Extremism, Dissociative Disorder, Hypnosis, Parental Alienation, Predatory Alienation, Authoritarianism.

Video: Doctoral Dissertation Final Oral Review

The post The BITE Model of Authoritarian Control: Undue Influence, Thought Reform, Brainwashing, Mind Control, Trafficking and the Law appeared first on Freedom of Mind Resource Center.

People of Praise Covenant Community: BITE Model© of Authoritarian Control Evaluation

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:44:48 +0000

Since Judge Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to the Supreme Court to fill the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Republicans are seeking to fast-track her confirmation before the end of October. The Trump administration and its Senators are trying to frame some of the opposition to her nomination as religious intolerance. Our concern at Freedom of Mind is not about religious beliefs. It is about authoritarian and abusive practices. In fact, People of Praise has a long history of controversy along with other Covenant communities with similar DNA.

We are asking for a thorough Senate investigation into Judge Barrett because when she was interviewed in 2017, she failed to disclose, as was required, that she and her husband were born and raised and current members of the People of Praise.

What’s more, since her nomination, People of Praise has scrubbed their website of mentions and photos of the Barretts. This pattern of shadowy behavior suggests that they have something to hide. The group’s policies show, and ex-members corroborate, that the People of Praise Community is a high-demand, cult-like authoritarian group. Former members assert that this may influence her judicial abilities. In my view, the behavior they describe fit the BITE model of Authoritarian Control. See below for analysis.

There is more to this involvement than an individual membership in an organization. She is part of a family legacy of involvement with this group and it founders. It has been reported that her husband, grandfather, father, and many of her siblings are also members. This raises serious concerns about her ability to function independently on a variety of issues that may come before the SCOTUS. 

People of Praise believes in what they call male headship – which in practice means that male leaders and husbands dominate in all things. What happens if Barrett is told what she should do concerning a legal case? Members sign a lifetime covenant of obedience, so it is reasonable to assume that she has done so. (It might be worth the Committee requesting a copy of her signed covenant). If a case came before her in which the cult leadership, her father, husband and/or siblings had a view and sought to direct her judicial function, would she be capable of judging the case on the merits? The group believes in the practice of shunning members who do not conform to its dictates. We thus have to ask if she would be willing to risk shunning or banishment from POP by rendering/joining in a judicial decision that was contrary to the cult’s values, doctrines and direction?

I told the Associated Press  that the culture within the People of Praise creates fear so that people remain obedient and dependent. I said, “A person who is in one of these groups has to suppress their own thoughts, feelings, desires that doesn’t align with the dogma.” 

The group employs specific tactics of authoritarian control. I have spoken with former members, researchers, journalists, and attorneys about this organization. Using this information, I have evaluated the People of Praise in terms of the BITE Model of Authoritarian Control. (I am including a link to a video panel discussion with former members, below.) 

Members are asked to sign the Covenant, which is a lifetime commitment, without proper informed consent. (For a deeper discussion of informed consent, undue influence, and the People of Praise, please read my previous blog.) The group reportedly requires wives and children to be submissive to their husbands, promotes fear of losing God’s grace and hellfire, allows and encourages corporal punishment of children and wives, engages in exorcisms of “demons,” and, in some cases, encourages shunning former members, and much more.  Members are asked to make a lifetime vow, donate lots of money, and follow specific dogmatic rules under fear of consequences such as shunning. 

Although the group may be new to some, it has been studied and written about for decades. A Notre Dame professor, Dr. Adrian Reimers, wrote a 2017 book entitled: Not Reliable Guides: an analysis of some covenant community structures about his twelve-year experience which led him to leave the group with his family. In 1997, a Catholic Reporter article detailed the significant problems that exist with these organizations which are being run by people without theological training and certification. Others are sounding the alarm and speaking out like Catholic writer Frank L. Cocozzelli. 

And to help formulate appropriate questions to ascertain if the group engages in the kind of authoritarian and abusive practices of a cult, the Senate should consult with people that are experts on cults.

Below is a video discussion with several former members including someone who had been involved for 23 years, Kent Burtner who is a former Dominican priest and a practicing Catholic who has done cult counseling cases with me, journalist and researcher Russell Bellant, Catholic writer Frank L. Cocozzelli that discusses specifics, along with a BITE model analysis of the group, based upon feedback from former members. Decide for yourself, after reviewing, and, if you draw the same conclusion, contact your elected officials, the media and join us in a call for a thorough investigation!

Video Discussion about The People of Praise (10/10/20)

Control of Behavior, Information, Thoughts and Emotions

After much research, conversations with journalists, and interviews of former members, I feel there is enough evidence that the People of Praise Community uses specific methods and techniques that influence how a person thinks, feels, and acts to instill obedience over conscience. Below is an analysis of the group using the four-component BITE Model of Authoritarian Control. I developed this model over thirty years ago based on Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance Theory, and Lifton’s and Singer’s models developed from studying brainwashing in the 1950s. “BITE” stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control.

The BITE Model of Authoritarian Control is a vehicle for understanding the phenomenon of mind control. I use the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights as the basis for my analysis. Many people incorrectly think of mind control as an ambiguous, mystical process that cannot be defined in concrete terms. In reality, mind control refers to a specific set of methods and techniques. Destructive mind control can be determined when the overall effect of these four components promotes dependency and obedience to some leader or cause; it is not necessary for every single item on the list to be present. In fact, there only need to be a few major behaviors under each of the four components.

I have color-coded it the following way: [I welcome feedback. Does this analysis fit? Please let me know what you think! (contact us)]

Green means does not apply
Orange means it partially applies
Red means it absolutely applies

Behavior Control

Regulate an individual’s physical reality
Dictate where, how and with whom the member lives and associates or isolates
Dictate when, how, and with whom the member has sex
Control types of clothing and hairstyles
Regulate diet -food and drink, hunger and/or fasting
Manipulation and deprivation of sleep
Financial exploitation, manipulation, or dependence
Restrict leisure, entertainment, vacation time
Major time spent with group indoctrination and rituals and/or self-indoctrination, including the Internet
Permission required for major decisions
Thoughts, feelings, and activities (of self and others) reported to superiors
Rewards and punishments used to modify behaviors, both positive and negative
Discourage individualism, encourage group-think
Impose rigid rules and regulations
Encourage and engage in corporal punishment
Punish disobedience by beating, torture, burning, cutting, rape, or tattooing/branding
Threaten harm to family or friends
Force individual to rape or be raped
Instill dependency and obedience

Information Control

Deception
- Deliberately withhold information
- Distort information to make it more acceptable
- Systematically lie to the cult member
Minimize or discourage access to non-cult sources of information, including:
- Internet, tv, radio, books, articles, newspapers, magazines, other media
- Critical information
- Former members
- Keep members busy so they don’t have time to think and investigate
- Control through a cell phone with texting, calls, and internet tracking
Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs Insider doctrines
- Ensure that information is not easily accessible
- Control information at different levels and missions within the group
- Allow only leadership to decide who needs to know what and when
Encourage spying on other members
- Impose a buddy system to monitor and control member
- Report deviant thoughts, feelings, and actions to leadership
- Ensure that individual behavior is monitored by the group
Extensive use of cult-generated information and propaganda, including:
- Newsletters, magazines, journals, audiotapes, videotapes, YouTube, movies, and other media
- Misquoting statements or using them out of context from non-cult sources
Unethical use of confession
- Information about sins used to disrupt and/or dissolve identity boundaries
- Withholding forgiveness or absolution
- Manipulation of memory, possibly false memories

Thought Control

Require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth
- Adopting the group’s ‘map of reality’ as reality
- Instill black and white thinking
- Decide between good vs. evil
- Organize people into us vs. them (insiders vs. outsiders)
Change a person’s name and identity
Use of loaded language and cliches which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzzwords
Encourage only ‘good and proper’ thoughts
Hypnotic techniques are used to alter mental states, undermine critical thinking, and even to age regress the member
Memories are manipulated and false memories are created
Teaching thought-stopping techniques which shut down reality testing by stopping negative thoughts and allowing only positive thoughts, including:
- Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking
- Chanting
- Meditating
- Praying
- Speaking in tongues
- Singing or humming
Rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism
Forbid critical questions about leader, doctrine or policy allowed
Labeling alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil or not useful
Instill new ‘map of reality’

Emotional Control

Manipulate and narrow the range of feelings – some emotions and/or needs are deemed as evil, wrong, or selfish
Teach emotion-stopping techniques to block feelings of hopelessness, anger, or doubt
Make the person feel that problems are always their own fault, never the leader’s or the group’s fault
Promote feelings of guilt or unworthiness, such as:
- Identity guilt
- You are not living up to your potential
- Your family is deficient
- Your past is suspect
- Your affiliations are unwise
- Your thoughts, feelings, actions are irrelevant or selfish
- Social guilt
- Historical guilt
Instill fear, such as fear of:
- Thinking independently
- The outside world
- Enemies
- Losing one’s salvation
- Leaving or being shunned by the group
- Other’s disapproval
Extremes of emotional highs and lows – love bombing and praise one moment, and then declaring you are a horrible sinner
Ritualistic and sometimes public confession of sins
Phobia indoctrination: inculcating irrational fears about leaving the group or questioning the leader’s authority
- No happiness or fulfillment possible outside the group
- Terrible consequences if you leave: hell, demon possession, incurable diseases, accidents, suicide, insanity, 10,000 reincarnations, etc
- Shunning of those who leave; fear of being rejected by friends and family
- Never a legitimate reason to leave; those who leave are weak, undisciplined, unspiritual, worldly brainwashed by family or counselor, or seduced by money, sex, or rock-and-roll
Threats of harm to ex-member and family (threats of cutting off friends/family)

Update: Letter to the Senators on the Judiciary Committee Concerning the Confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett

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Law Professor Robin Boyle-Laisure Discusses Using Trafficking to Prosecute Cult Leaders Like Raniere of NXIVM

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:44:40 +0000

I recently watched the first four episodes of The Vow, a new HBO series about the cult of Keith Raniere. It tells the story through the experience of former leaders of the cult Mark Vicente and his wife Bonnie Piesse and Sarah Edmondson and her husband, Anthony Ames and then expands to Catherine and her daughter India Oxenberg and Allison Mack. I think the first few episodes give a window for the public to see how intelligent, educated well meaning people including actors, filmmakers, businesspeople and billionaires get deceptively recruited into a destructive cult. It is well known in the media as NXIVM but had other recruiting front groups like Executive Success programs or ESP. It was the secret DOS group which branded women by their genitals as a sign of their life commitment to be a slave to their master, ultimately Raniere. Keith Raniere, known to members as Vanguard, is a malignant narcissist and claimed to the world’s most intelligent person. Of course, it was only one of the many lies he told. What is true is that he had previously been busted for running a multi-level marketing group (MLM) called Consumer’s Buyline which was shut down by twenty Attorneys General as an illegal pyramid scheme. Part of the settlement was Raniere was told to never to operate a multi-level marketing group again. However, the cult he created essentially was just this, as it sold coaching and seminars instead of products. Former NXIVM member Sarah Edmondson talked to me about being recruited into and escaping Raniere’s cult and bringing charges that led to him being convicted of 7 felony counts in the criminal case of United States vs. Raniere, which was conducted in the federal court in the Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn courthouse). He is awaiting sentencing while in jail. I did a long post on mind control methods used by NXIVM including a BITE model analysis.

After the show aired, many have shown interest in this group, searching for answers and more information, especially online. And the topic of child safety and trafficking has been quite prevalent in the news and on social media because QAnon has coopted the term #SaveTheChildren. In light of this, I felt it was a good time to (virtually) sit down with Robin Boyle-Laisure to talk about NXIVM, trafficking and undue influence.

Robin Boyle-Laisure is a Professor of Legal Writing at St. John’s University School of Law. (A university that I literally grew up across the street from in Flushing, Queens, New York- 1 mile from President Donald Trump.) Her articles, essays, and book chapters appear in many legal and academic publications. Her article, Employing Trafficking Laws to Capture Elusive Leaders of Destructive Cults, was published by the Oregon Review of International Law. Prof. Boyle presents on topics concerning legal writing, human trafficking, and undue influence in high-demand groups.

Discussion

I met Robin at the 2019 International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) Conference in Manchester, England. The theme was, “Coercive Control and the Psychology of Influence Across Comparative Contexts – Implications for Policy, Practice and the Criminal Justice Process” and she and I both were presenters, on our areas of expertise. She has written on cults, undue influence and about how trafficking laws can be potentially used to prosecute cult leaders, something proved by the guilty verdicts (on all 7 counts) against NXIVM leader Keith Raniere.

She and I share the common goal of wanting justice for victims, as well as, helping others understand that unethical mental manipulation, mind control, and social influence are real problems that need to be addressed. Robin shares her initial experiences of how she got into cult awareness and education. She has an interest in how current laws can be used to help people escape from a cult and move on. At first, she wrote about anti-stalking laws and more recently, human trafficking statutes and how they can be used to prosecute cult leaders, such as was the case with Keith Raniere.

Robin shares her personal and professional observations about the trial of Keith Raniere. She even attended some of his trial. Listening to the testimony was fascinating. The prosecutors did an amazing job, especially given how much information and records they had to sort through. They put on a wonderful case, very polished and, ultimately, he was found guilty on seven counts involving trafficking and voluntary servitude. While the trial did not directly discuss mind control and brainwashing, these behaviors were flushed out via all of the testimony and cross-examinations. Keith Raniere is still serving a jail sentence.

Members of and recruiters for the group thought they were doing something meaningful. It is a trafficking group, not a religion. And it was dark and then got progressively darker and more sinister. At the start, the leader of NXIVM, Keith Raniere, had previously gotten into trouble for running a multi-level marketing group, scamming people. He exaggerated his bio and made up accolades.

Robin continues in the interview to talk about the legal definition of undue influence. This term is also now being used outside of the law when talking about manipulation and coercion techniques from cults and high-control groups and individuals. But the big difference is we must look at the perpetrators and what they have done wrong, rather than looking at the victim to see how weak their mind is.

A social influence model needs to be a framework that can incorporate whatever unique vulnerabilities were in the influencee, as well as, the predator or predatory organization and the techniques of influence including Lifton, Singer, and the BITE model-along with the consequences and motivation. It must be a systemic approach that looks at the whole.

Robin and I go on to discuss fundamental attribution error. Why do people join cults and succumb to this type of influence? Mind control or undue influence comes in many different contexts: religious cults, political cults, therapy cults, MLM cults, commercial cults (trafficking), large group awareness cults, and cults of personality.

Of utmost importance is to look at our frame of mind. We need to change how we view these issues and raise it up to an issue with fundamental human rights. People are being harmed and their basic liberties are being intruded upon by these predators. What can we do to make a difference, help others and hold them accountable? How can we get the legal system involved? We need to define a legal term or phrase for this type of influence along with a scientific, strategic model for evaluation.

We need to continue to inform the public, talk to lawyers, judges, and teachers and reach young people. Knowledge is power. We are taking a step in the right direction.

Please watch the video below and get involved with speaking out for human rights. Let us work together and continue to move forward in making the necessary legal changes to hold these ones accountable.

Video Interview

Additional Reading:

NXIVM & Hassan BITE Model and Undue Influence

Former NXIVM Member Sarah Edmondson Talks About Being Recruited Into and Escaping Keith Raniere’s Cult

Employing Trafficking Laws to Capture Elusive Leaders of Destructive Cults

Sex and Labor Trafficking Awareness, Survivor Empowerment, and Saving Children From Abuse: A Discussion With Rachel Thomas, M. Ed.

About Robin Boyle-Laisure

Professor of Legal Writing School of Law

J.D., Fordham University School of Law, 1989

B.A., Vassar College, 1980

Robin Boyle Laisure is Professor of Legal Writing and a full-time member of the faculty at the law school. She currently teaches first-year sections of Legal Writing I and II. She additionally teaches in the upper division – Drafting: Contracts; Drafting: Litigation Documents and Contracts; and Scholarly Research and Writing. Professor Boyle is a Vincentian Research Fellow.

Since the program’s inception in 2004, she has taught college students in the Ron Brown Prep Program, to help raise the number of diverse and disadvantaged students in law schools. She teaches Introduction to Contracts and Legal Writing in the Ron Brown program, which she also taught abroad at Beijing Jiaotong University, in Beijing, China, at their law and undergraduate schools.

She published Becoming a Legal Writer: A Workbook with Explanations to Develop Objective Legal Analysis and Writing Skills, with Christine Coughlin & Sandy Patrick (Carolina Academic Press 2019). Prof. Boyle currently serves as Member of the Editorial Board for Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing.

Her articles, essays, and book chapters appear in legal and academic publications. Her article, Employing Trafficking Laws to Capture Elusive Leaders of Destructive Cults, was published by the Oregon Review of International Law. Prof. Boyle presents on topics concerning legal writing, human trafficking, and undue influence in high-demand groups. She presented at annual conferences hosted by the International Cultic Studies Association – in 2019 in Manchester, UK; in 2018 in Philadelphia, PA; in 2017, in Bordeaux, France. In September 2019, she presented at a think tank for Harvard Medical School – Program in Psychiatry & the Law.

She serves as Faculty Advisor to Federal Bar Association, SJU Student Division. Prof. Boyle is the Recipient of the 2005 Faculty Outstanding Achievement award from the President of St. John’s University. She is the former Assistant Dean for Academic Support and has taught Contracts I in the Summer Institute for seven years.

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COVID-19 Pandemic is NOT Proof of the End Times as Proclaimed by Doomsday Cult Leaders

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:44:07 +0000

This year, 2020, has unfortunately been full of triggering events for many former members of Doomsday cults. There have been earthquakes in Croatia, Russia, and Texas to name just a few. Locusts have swarmed parts of East Africa damaging crops and livelihoods. The coronavirus pandemic is being described by some as a global pestilence. All of these major phenomena are being described by Bible-esque cults as doomsday predictions and fulfillment of Bible prophecy. This applies to so called fundamentalists in many religions too, according to Stephen Kent, sociologist and expert on cults. “These include Christianity, Islam, ultra-Orthodox Jews, Scientology, and fundamentalist Hinduism,” according to Kent.

Fear of “The Last Days” or Armageddon is deliberately being spread by those with agendas to control. And this messaging is difficult for ex-cult members. Thus, I felt it was timely and necessary to discuss how cult leaders are using fear to control and manipulate. Phobia-indoctrination is designed to make the member dependent upon the cult leader. Many Apocalyptic cults are using recent events in order to retain current and recruit new and former members.

It is important to keep in mind that Orthodox Christians know that for over two-thousand years, people have been predicting Armageddon, Jesus’ Coming, the Last Days, etc. But, they have told me that the timing is in God’s hands as “no one knows the day or hour”. The Moonies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, The World Mission Society Church of God, Shincheonji, and other so-called “Christian” cults have made previous predictions that did not come true. In fact, thousands of other cults have had leaders that either claim to be God or the Messiah or have direct knowledge from God about when the end of this system would come. And they use this to scare and control members. Robert Jay Lifton M.D. wrote the book, Destroying the World to Save It, which discusses the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo where Shoko Asahara, who claimed to be the Jesus and Buddha, influenced members twenty-five years ago to carry out a deadly attack in Tokyo to confirm his prophecies that Armageddon was going to come. He taught members to believe in conspiracies involving the CIA, FreeMasons, Jews and wanted, like Charles Manson, to hasten the end of the current world order. Of course, true and faithful cult members would be saved and all others would be damned.

Ex-cult members who do their homework about cult mind control realize that there are thousands of other cults claiming exclusive rights of salvation and start to reason away the fear indoctrination from their former cult. Realizing that if there are five to ten thousand destructive cults in the U.S. (the number is most likely higher in the world), and there is one that is actually God’s group, the odds of your group is 1 out of 10,000 and highly unlikely. Additionally, being propelled by fear and not love is not a good choice. But of course, people grounded in healthy religious faith are grounded in love, truth, and compassion and not fear. And in my opinion, there is NOT even one fear-mongering group that is God’s group.

Most cult groups are anti-science and pro-magical thinking. You should only rely on scientific websites for information about the coronavirus. One project in which I am affiliated is endcoronavirus.org which is led by complex systems science. It is vital to avoid disinformation and propaganda, so take control of the information you ingest. Think of it as you think of food. You want to ingest healthy reliable information that helps you stay safe and avoid fear-mongering.

We in Massachusetts have had an order by Governor Baker that schools should stay closed until May 4th and people should stay at home and only travel out only for essential needs and practice safety measures. I suggest not listening to Michael Pence or Donald Trump and listen to Dr. Fauci and medical and science experts who look at data and rely on scientific methods to determine courses of action.

I have done some interviews where I discuss Trump’s actions undoing the office for fighting pandemics, then calling the pandemic a hoax, minimizing the danger, then doing the 180-degree turnaround and saying he knew it was a pandemic. It appears his administration is going to cause countless unnecessary deaths, far more Americans than The Spanish Flu of 1918, 9/11, Jonestown and other tragedies. Some people are calling Trump the leader of a “Death cult.” History will tell. I believe everything I wrote in the Cult of Trump has been validated many times over and if over a million or more Americans die due to his incompetence, conspiracy mindset, and lack of accurate, trustworthy information and policies, he may indeed be referred to as the leader of a death cult.

Positive Steps to Take

If you are feeling worried because of the news, limit your exposure to the media and the Internet. Ask yourself, “What can I control?” Make sure you have a good routine with sleep, exercise every day, eat healthily, and lower your stress. Realize that emotions give us data, but we should never identify or be taken over by our emotions–especially if they are irrational and we know they were imposed from external sources.

It is important to support yourself during this time, especially if on lockdown at home. Stay connected socially on video calls and telephone. But limit calls with friends that are freaking out and limit the call to a few minutes and direct them to someone else.

Educate yourself about mind control tactics and other destructive cults. I have over 200 free videos on my YouTube channel and blogs on my website. Keep yourself grounded. Remember, global health pandemics, earthquakes, insect invasions, and droughts are not new and do not prove your former cult is correct. We need to be flexible and we need to be resilient. We need to take control of our minds and bodies and keep socially close (not physically close). Focus on the positive and stay connected with a support system. Lastly, do healing work to reclaim the part of your psyche that has been programmed by your former group. There are healing techniques to do just this.

We will get through this. Be patient with yourself and others during this trying time. We need to work together to help each other. We are in it together.

Vlog

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Watchtower Leadership Uses COVID-19 to Frighten and Recruit, Plus Interview With Former JW Member Cliff Henderson

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:44:05 +0000

With the recent pandemic, COVID-19, thousands, if not more, “doomsday” cults are using fear to ramp up their claims that the “end is near” and frighten members to stay in, recruit new and reactivate former members. The Watchtower has been saying Armageddon is imminent for over 100 years and falsely prophesied an actual date 4 times. Children are shown horrifying videos of all “non-believers” being destroyed and believers living forever on planet earth. (Yes, they are actually taught and continue to teach this.)

Jehovah’s Witness leadership recently released a video about COVID-19 on their website. Governing Body member, (one of several top elite leaders) Steven Lett, states, “We’re living in the final part of the last days, undoubtedly the final part of the final part of the last days, shortly before the LAST day of the last days.”

Former member turned activist, Mark O’Donnell (also known as John Redwood) posted a caution about how disturbing their recent video is.

The video released today is disturbing on so many levels, […].

Jehovah’s Witnesses are notorious for failure to comply with mandatory child abuse reporting laws, and they use every possible avenue to escape reporting. Yet when it comes to the Corona virus outbreak, Steven Lett tells the whole world that elders have been instructed to comply with their local authorities, WITHOUT the intervention of Watchtower headquarters!

Lett says:

“We’d like to say this: We TRUST you! And we’re confident that you’ll prayerfully evaluate the facts and local circumstances and follow the direction of the superior authorities.”

This video is a smoking gun of all that is wrong with this corrupt organization, which selectively chooses when they will obey the “Superior Authorities” and when they will not.

If they can trust local elders to comply with local laws for whether they can meet in groups or not, why can’t they trust those same elders to pick up the phone and contact the police whenever there is an allegation of child abuse?

Watchtower wants to monitor and closely control all sexual sins of congregants, even when it means covering up those crimes and withholding reports from law enforcement. And they go out of their way to ascertain every possible loophole to escape reporting by using clergy-penitent exceptions.

[…] this video makes me angry. Not just this small clip, but the entire Lett video, where there is not one shred of compassion or concern for any non-Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Everything is selfishly focused on the Witness organization and their followers and donors. They pray for themselves, but Jehovah is not stopping the deaths of those Witnesses in Italy or anywhere else, and the only way this virus will end will be through the incredible efforts of scientists, nurses, doctors, researchers, pharmaceutical makers, and the governments who are doing everything they can to save lives- including Jehovah’s Witness lives.

Instead of using their billions to contribute to society, Watchtower is instead using the Coronavirus epidemic to exploit even more people, by preaching that pestilence was prophesied in the Bible.

This is another shameless effort to self-promote a religion which is entirely self-centered, but operates under the cloak of a charity […].

Read the entire post and see the video clip HERE.

Watch the full video HERE.

If you are a former member and have a little “ping” going off that you need to go back, speak clearly and firmly to yourself that this is cult mind manipulation. Talk with other ex-JWs and follow posts from activists like Mark O’Donnell, Lloyd Evans, and Cliff Henderson. Make sure you connect with former members who understand cult mind control and who have done their “homework.” The fortunate thing is there are so many former members and leaders who are willing to help you.

Speaking of Cliff, last month while I was in California, I met with and interviewed him. (The video is shared at the end of this blog.) Cliff was raised as a JW and since leaving in 2016 has become a very vocal activist, bringing awareness to many of the harmful practices supported by Watchtower, including the practice of shunning. Additionally, he has recently recorded an album and his first two singles tell the story of what it is like for someone to leave this group. Please watch his excellent music videos which are below in this blog.

He was a very active Jehovah’s Witness his whole life. Cliff was baptized at the age of 9 and later served as a regular pioneer, ministerial servant, and Bethelite (headquarters), as well as in two foreign language congregations before coming to the startling conclusion that this religion was actually not “the truth” in 2016. As a result of his departure from the religion, he is currently being shunned by his family and the many friends he made within the Jehovah’s Witness religion.

When someone leaves the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they are silenced by this organization. Once the announcement “So-and-so is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses” is made, no one from among the 8 million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide is allowed to speak to this individual, even to ask them what happened. His Youtube channel allows individuals to share their honest experiences so as not to feel silenced. It also shares valuable information about the group to which rank-and-file JWs and the community, in general, are not privy.

Discussion

During our conversation, Cliff tells his story of being born into this religion and the pressures that were put on him to conform as a 3rd-generation Witness. He talks about how he woke up and left this group, along with what it has been like being shunned by family and friends.

Part of his healing was reading my book, Combating Cult Mind Control, which helped him see that Jehovah’s Witnesses are, in fact, a destructive cult. The BITE model parallels are strikingly obvious. And Cliff goes on to explain why he became an activist. He interviews former members and by doing so exposes the harmful practices of this so-called religion. (You can follow him on Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram.)

While being shunned by family and former friends is painful, he is happy in life. And one authentic way of expressing himself is through his music. In fact, I cried when I first heard his song “Cost of Doin’ Business” and felt compelled to share it on my social media. I think it is very important to express yourself after leaving a high-control group and music is a great way to do this. (You can follow his music on Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram.)

Since our interview, he has released another great song called, “On My Way” which I recommend everyone watch, too.

Also, Cliff Henderson was on season 3 of Leah Remini’s show that featured Jehovah’s Witnesses: Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath – The Jehovah’s Witnesses. (I was on season one.)

I really enjoyed our conversation. We discuss my thoughts on his song/music video and some of the lesser-known practices of the Jehovah’s Witness.

We can learn a lot from Cliff. For those that leave a destructive group, it is important to take time to learn about mind control and how it works. Once you understand how you were affected, you can truly begin to heal and thrive and live an authentic life.

While not everyone that leaves can speak out as an activist, we can all show support to those that do by following on social media, sharing articles, and watching videos produced by activists.

Video Interview

Mira con subtítulos en español aquí.

Watch “Cost of Doin’ Business”

Additional Reading:

Jehovah’s Witnesses, Child Abuse and the Child Victims Act: A Discussion with Mark O’Donnell

The BITE Model and Jehovah’s Witnesses

Shunning and the BITE Model of Mind Control in the Jehovah’s Witnesses

Ex-Jehovah’s Witness Mark O’Donnell on Latest Developments & How to Help and Heal

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Lev Parnas, Michael Cohen, Omarosa Manigault Newman, George Conway, Anthony Scaramucci, Rick Wilson and Others: Trump is a Cult Leader

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:43:58 +0000

Lev Parnas, during his interview with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC, described himself as waking up from a cult and Donald Trump like a “cult leader.” Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney for twelve years, expressed similar thoughts and feelings. Omarosa Manigault Newman, in her book Unhinged, described leaving the cult of Trumpworld. George Conway, Republican attorney and advisor to The Lincoln Project, has repeatedly described Trump as a mentally unfit narcissist and said his wife, Kellyanne Conway, was in a cult. Rick Wilson referred to the GOP as having been turned into a cult, lorded over by Trump. Wilson messaged me that he had read my book and said it was fantastic. Wilson has a new book out: Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump–And Democrats from Themselves. Anthony Scaramucci was one of the first brave Republicans to speak out about the Cult of Trump. He likened Trump to being like “Jim Jones,” that he thought the GOP needing deprogramming, and called my book “brilliant” and “required reading.” Of course, Brian Stelter of CNN’s Reliable Sources did a 35 minute podcast interview with me and then did a 4 minute segment on The Cult of Trump. This prompted a Tucker Carlson segment that then got spread like wildfire among right media sources like Breitbart, Rush Limbaugh and others.

On January 9th, 2020, Slate’s podcast by Virginia Heffernan called Trumpcast, interviewed me for this episode: Why People Fall for Trump’s Political Cult: A cult expert weighs in on Trumpism. Then the following day @VirginiaHeffernan wrote a great Opinion column in the Los Angeles Times, Call Trumpism what it is: a cult. Virginia Heffernan then appeared on Brooke Baldwin’s CNN show explained about the substance of her column. Check out the transcript.

But in case you are new to this web site and my work, and wonder, “What is meant by the term cult?” I have insight into this. You see, I myself was in a cult, in the 1970s–the Moonies.

As a mental health professional who was actually deprogrammed from a cult, I have spent more than forty years focused on the issue of brainwashing, mind control, and destructive cults. And, as such, I would like to weigh in and provide what I feel is essential information at this historical moment in time.

First of all, it is untrue that people in authoritarian cults are unintelligent, uneducated, weak, lost, or other negative adjectives. For the most part, this is a form of victim-blaming that makes the name-caller feel superior (like it could never happen to them). The truth is that we are all human and constantly subjected to influences. We are situationally vulnerable. And, we can all be deceived–especially by authority figures whom we traditionally trust, like the President of the United States. Or the Attorney General or Senators or Congresspeople. Or the media.

We are in a crisis of trust, and people are reporting feeling numb, confused and overwhelmed. This disorientation is what it feels like during mind control processes and why it is vital to anchor ourselves in facts and the rule of law. We need to trust in the integrity of leaders and institutions, such as the Constitution and our government. When leaders lie and betray their conscience and their constituents, all suffer. Donald Trump was impeached by the House, and the Senate, controlled by the Republicans obedient to Trump, appears to wish to rush through and find Trump not guilty. This is a historical moment.

I reject the claim that we live in a post-truth world or that there is anything like an “alternative fact.” There are lies, disinformation, and propaganda, but facts are testable and stand up to scrutiny! We live in the Age of Influence, and our knowledge of how to manipulate people and their behavior, information, thoughts, and emotions are the four overlapping components of the BITE model of Mind Control (that I have developed).

What is a Political Cult?

What is the difference between being in the Mafia, a gang, or a destructive political cult? In my opinion, the control of the BITE Model components is essentially the same except in terms of extremes, which can be seen on the Influence Continuum (a chart that demonstrates ethical influence versus unethical influence). The Mafia and gangs recruit people into them, but, mainly, people know what they are getting involved in.

Political cults can seem to be different than religious cults, in that the leader is typically not claiming to be the messiah outright, though many still view the leader as a kind of savior. The goal is state power and with it, great wealth and influence over masses of people and resources. Tremendous political and financial influence is required. Extensive use of social media as well as broadcast media to promote deception. What we currently are experiencing has never been seen in American history. Indoctrination is done incrementally and the closer you are drawn to the top of the pyramid, the more authoritarian control is exerted. With destructive cults, there is typically a leader who demands total obedience or loyalty: Mafia bosses, gang leaders, and even Donald Trump. (Trump even wrote a chapter in a book about how he delights in revenge on anyone he perceives to act in any way he does not like.)

With all mind-control cults, one is not allowed to express negative thoughts or feelings without expecting punishment or ostracism. Cult members always need to think in black-and-white, us-versus-them, good-versus-evil terms. Phobias programmed into cult member’s minds cause irrational fears that if they do not follow, terrible things will not only happen to them but to their family, community, country, or the world. Cult members engage in thought-stopping when shown anything that might cause them to doubt. Loaded language terms like “Fake News” or “Enemies of the People” describe any information that contradicts the cult leader, ideology, or practices.

The good news is that, in time, people can and do come to realize they were in a mind-control cult. I woke up in 1976 from the Moon cult, but I needed the help of my family, friends, and ex-Moonies who cared to intervene. People will come to understand, as I did, that the cult leader does not care about them at all, nor believes in integrity, honesty, or being trustworthy, that the cult leader will “throw them under the bus” rather than take any responsibility. People are usually ashamed and embarrassed, but if they make an effort to learn about social psychology and cults, they will survive and thrive. They will begin to reconnect with their old values and beliefs, particularly if they have family and friends who care about them.

My aim in writing The Cult of Trump was to provide a framework for helping people understand what is occurring right now in the United States of America. There are in fact many wealthy powerful cults operating with tax exemption status that is not deserved, like Scientology. There are, I believe, millions of Americans who are former members of these cult groups. There is reason to hope regarding our country’s democracy but, first, we must correctly diagnose the situation. The Cult of Trump and its leader must be held accountable for not being true to his oath of office.

Vlog

Additional Resources

Learn About and Purchase The Cult of Trump book
View and Download images from The Cult of Trump, including the Destructive Cult Structure, Influence Continuum and the Power of Influence Structure
Infographic: HOW TO FREE YOUR LOVED ONES FROM THE CULT OF TRUMP
Watch: What is a Cult? Whiteboard Animation Explaining the BITE Model
The Cult of Trump Media Page

The post Lev Parnas, Michael Cohen, Omarosa Manigault Newman, George Conway, Anthony Scaramucci, Rick Wilson and Others: Trump is a Cult Leader appeared first on Freedom of Mind Resource Center.

The Cult of Trump: Some Frequently Asked Questions

Steven Hassan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:42:55 +0000

On Friday, November 22nd, 2019, I did an interview with Brian Stelter of CNN’s Sunday Reliable Sources show. This was put online as an audio Reliable Sources podcast. That Sunday, November 24th, The Cult of Trump was the focus of the last segment (approximately 4 minutes) of this highly regarded CNN cable tv show. It began with mentioning Anthony Scaramucci, Dan Rather, as well as, Republican John Weaver who each talked about the GOP becoming the cult of Trump. I was grateful to have my new book shown and to have an opportunity to discuss this important topic. Naturally, it was solely up to Brian and his producers as to what to select from the more than 30 minute audio interview. Take a listen if you have 30 minutes and, if not, take a look at the segment above. It is important to emphasize that the answer to the question about scientific proof that was shown on the TV was not how I would answer that question directly. I would talk about Dr. Anthony Pratkanis’ book, The Science of Social Influence, Neuroscientist Taylor’s book Brainwashing, Robert Jay Lifton, Margaret Singer, Edgar Schein, Louis Jolyn West to name just a few giants. I would cite my own peer review scientific journal article with a quantitative study involving my BITE model. Combating Cult Mind Control, Releasing the Bonds, Freedom of Mind are my three previous books. But please, if you are interested, take a listen to the whole interview I did with Brian Stelter, either on apple link above) or on Stitcher.

CNN Appearance 1-19-2021: Dr. Steven Hassan on The Cult of Trump with Alisyn Camerota

Naturally, supporters of Trump trash all critical media networks, representatives and their shows. Their thought-stopping terms like “fake news” and “enemies of the people” are used to describe all media sources whenever they speak critically of them. Fox’s Tucker Carlson did a segment with Scott Adams, who I interviewed and quoted in my book, and did his best to try to smear Brian for covering the subject of the Cult of Trump. Ad Hominem attacks, where people are smeared rather than discussing the facts, is one of the main techniques for propagandists. Despite my 40-plus years of full-time work in the field of cult mind control, I was reduced to being called only an “ex-moonie” and a “so-called expert”.

From there, the right-wing media outlets went ballistic and, of course, did one of the standard techniques of Donald Trump: they projected and their trope was that it was the critics who are all in a liberal cult and that we were the ones that needed deprogramming. The long list of right-wing media that covered this was truly amazing. In other words, they confirm the substance of my thesis–that that mind control techniques are being used! Remember, destructive cults rely on deception, confusion, loaded language, disinformation, ad hominem attacks to keep their cults going and their true believers, believing. For anyone watching or reading about me and my segment who disputes the substance of my thesis, they will want to listen to my actual interview and start digging deeper.

This was not surprising and unfortunately, the media has not gone any further than name-calling to flesh out the actual attributes (BITE model along the Influence Continuum) that actually help people understand. My book, The Cult of Trump, and the voluminous research contained within it, was unfortunately reduced to the word “cult” and the pro-Trump folks attacked everyone who is critical by calling them a cult. This technique of “projection” is another psychological technique that I describe in my book about mind control.

Watch Segment: Reaction and analysis from ‘Loserthink’ author Scott Adams on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight.’

I discussed with my publicist at Simon and Schuster that I was willing to appear as a guest on Tucker Carlson’s show if he or other FOX commentators would have me on. I was warned that they might be “brutal” but I feel very strongly that the more viewers who get a chance to see me and hear about the subject of authoritarian mind control cults, the more we have a chance to establish communication as human beings. Forgive me if I sound idealistic, but I do wish to do everything in my power to help America understand the nuts and bolts of influence.

There have been a number of people communicating that they are upset with me and a number of thematic issues have emerged, which I thought would be good to address in this blog. Here are some of the most asked questions.

Does Steve Really Think That 63 Million People Who Voted for Trump Are Cult Members?

NO. I do not. Nor do I believe that everyone who voted for Trump would vote for him again, despite what the polls suggest. However, I stand by my assertion that Donald Trump has a cult of personality that is clear and distinct in terms of anyone who blindly follows his directions. Total loyalty (or you will be bullied and expelled) is what every destructive cult leader demands from his followers. Flowing downward from Trump himself, there are varying levels of influence which ultimately flows down to the public- in the U.S. and the world community. It does currently appear, with the impeachment recommendation proceeding, that Mitch McConnell and GOP politicians are falling in line and willing to back a narrative that does not have substance. They appear to be afraid to express any doubts publicly about Trump. They are not speaking out in support of the constitution’s mandate for checks and balances of power. Where are the Republicans of conscience? Fear seems to be the main force driving their obedience. If you still are a strong supporter of Trump, do you believe you might ever change your mind about him and start questioning whether he has upheld his oath to uphold the Constitution? Is there any evidence you would accept that he is not honorable and not trustworthy? His own actions speak for themselves, It is up to each citizen, to be honest with him or herself and evaluate their own psychological involvement. In order to do this, please understand the Influence Continuum model below.

I describe ethical, positive influences and leadership and organizations on one end and unethical influence, leaders, groups on the destructive end. All people and all organizations are somewhere within this continuum. I do not use the word cult solely to describe destructive cults, although, in my book, I do describe the Cult of Trump as unhealthy, for sure. Are there left-wing cults? Yes, in fact I wrote a blog about left-wing cults. Am I in the liberal cult? It might look that way in terms of my analysis is so damning of Trump and the GOP. But I do listen to Trump supporters and conservative media. I certainly do not accept any political leader as divine or a stable genius, or above the rule of law or the Constitution. I have read the Mueller report and formed my own conclusions about the facts of the improper behavior of Trump and his team- many of which have been criminally indicted or convicted.

Regarding the question of who is a true believer and in the Trump cult, it is those people who blindly believe whatever he says or does and is not able or willing to even consider he might be untrustworthy and has acted criminally. As I write in my book, I believe there are millions of Americans who are currently involved with cultish groups who demonize critics, even fellow religious leaders who speak negatively about Trump. Please see both the graphic of a basic authoritarian cult and the Cult of Trump. Indeed most people are on the fringe, not at the White House or the GOP. Many Trump believers rely solely on conservative media for information. They believe everything critical is fake news and have therefore not yet done their homework to evaluate the facts for themselves. One central question is whether true believers acknowledge that Vladimir Putin is a former KGB colonel who is a dictator who wishes to undermine America’s power and advance his own interests worldwide? If a person denies that Putin is an anti-democratic dictator who has interfered with American politics, then I think they are operating under a provable lie. This indeed is cultish when there is thought control and information control.

So What if Trump Lies? Everyone in Politics Lies

In order to function, we need a society that values facts and holds people accountable if they misspeak. When it comes to Trump, he tells blatant lies and repeats them over and over again as part of his programming. Fact-checking is a very important function of the media. Holding people accountable is essential for society to function. We need the rule of law. According to Pulitzer prize-winning Politifact, Trump has lied over 13,000 times since becoming President. if anyone in politics lies, they should be exposed and they need to be accountable.

If you are an American, and love America, then your allegiance should be to the Constitution and not to any single person, including the President.

**What Were Steve’s Motives for Writing The Cult of Trump?**

Please understand that I was deceptively recruited into the Moon cult, and spent over two years as a fanatical believer. Please understand that my family rescued me by hiring ex-Moonies to deprogram me in 1976. My entire life work can be understood from this experience. I was horrified when I woke up and learned about Chinese communist brainwashing and not only wanted to understand what happened to me but wished to use that knowledge to help others to reclaim their lives and autonomy. Look at my three previous books: Combating Cult Mind Control, Releasing the Bonds and Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs.

Some people have incorrectly thought that the main reason I wrote this book was to make money. While I can assure you that every author would like their book to become a bestseller, I researched and wrote this book as a matter of conscience. My primary motive for writing The Cult of Trump was to help raise awareness and share my life work of over 40 years. Based on personal and professional experience, I recognized the signs that many followers of Trump were behaving as though they were mind-controlled. And I could not sit back and do nothing. I do not operate with a partisan agenda. I am a human rights advocate. I wrote this book and do hope that everyone will read it. Please go to your local library and have them order a copy for you to read if you prefer not to buy a copy.

What is a Cult?

A destructive cult is an authoritarian pyramid-structured group with someone at the top who exerts power, claims to have superior knowledge and expertise and uses deception and control of behavior, information, thoughts, and emotions to make people loyal, dependent, and obedient followers. This BITE model is most useful when using it in conjunction with the Influence Continuum.

Cults can exist within the entire continuum and be healthy and ethical or at the other extreme be destructive. Within each cult group, especially on the destructive end, there can be wide variation within the pyramid itself of control and certainly, most people in cults are what I consider to be fringe members- believers, perhaps financial contributors, but hardly spending all their days doing the work of the organization.

How Do I Know If I Am Under Mind Control?

“Reality Test: Chapter 9” in The Cult of Trump outlines my recommended strategy: take time out from all information and influence reinforcing the current perspective. This is extremely hard in this digital age where most people have smartphones and we are getting notifications and messages all day long. But stopping all information gives your brain time to reset. Next, learn about mind control. Study Lifton’s 8 criteria that he developed when studying Chinese communist brainwashing. Study the BITE model. Next, as Information Control includes programming people to deny anything information which is critical of the leader, the doctrine or policy, deliberately seek out the most credible, credentialed experienced people you can find and really examine why they decided to leave the group? Why they are so critical?

In researching my new book, I read David Cay Johnston’s two books and interviewed him. He is incredibly knowledgeable about Trump, having researched and written about him for over 30 years. Trump’s ghostwriter, Tony Schwartz, actually wrote The Art of The Deal and is very knowledgeable. Listen to Omarosa Manigault Newman who was with Trump for over 15 years and served in the White House, Trump’s personal attorney for 12 years, now convicted felon Michael Cohen, Trump transition team member, and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.

Next, I encourage you to go back in your mind before you got involved, and honestly reflect on all that you have learned and experienced. Ideally, if you have done this process honestly, you will have a new perspective on Donald Trump and what has happened in the past years. Has he drained the swamp or just created a bigger swamp? Has he helped America or has he helped Putin and other dictators like North Korea’s Kim, or the Saudi Mohammed bin Salman to name just two authoritarian leaders. Do you really think 11,000 of the world’s top climate scientists are wrong? Look at the recent weather patterns worldwide if you have any doubts.

I am particularly amused when Trump’s true believers tell me I am brainwashed by the liberal media. Or that I am in the cult of George Soros. It shows their ignorance of what brainwashing and cult mind control actually is. Do your homework!

What Are Steve’s Sources?

Some have accused me of just making up the content in my book. Nonsense. I did a lot of research and interviewed a lot of people. This is my fourth book. This book was vetted by multiple attorneys and there are 472 citations documenting my research.

In addition, here is a list of previous blogs that include interviews I conducted as part of my research for this book:

The Solipsistic Reality of President Trump: A Discussion with Dr. Robert Jay Lifton

Donald Trump, Cults and Narcissism: A Discussion with Sociologist Dr. Stephen Kent

Trump, Cults, and Deprogramming: A Discussion with Expert Dr. Steve Eichel

Hubbard, Trump, and Narcissism: A Discussion with Jon Atack

Yale Forensic Psychiatrist Bandy Lee Discusses the Dangerous Case of Donald Trump

Political Cults, Leadership, Idealism, and Totalism: A Discussion with Dennis Tourish Ph.D.

Dominionism, Evangelicalism and Government: A Discussion with Dr. Warren Throckmorton

Christian Nationalism, Dominionism, the New Apostolic Reformation: A Discussion with Dr. Andre Gagné

Terror, Love & Brainwashing: A Discussion with Alexandra Stein About Extremist Political Cults

Leaving a White Nationalist Cult of Hate: Helping and Serving Others with Love

Exvangelicals Find a Voice and Speak Out Against Authoritarianism

Islamophobia and Psychiatry: Recognition, Prevention, and Treatment

How Do You Help Someone Leave the Cult of Trump?

Appealing to the person’s true self, their authentic self that wants to be a good person, that believes in America and democracy and truth. Sometimes, a few well-chosen critical questions can jumpstart critical thinking. Ask questions such as:

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