All posts tagged: destructive cults

Children Are Harmed by Destructive Cults: Part Two

Freedom of religion does not give permission to traumatize and abuse kids! Last week, I blogged about some ways that children are harmed physically by destructive cults, including murder, suicide, medical neglect, trafficking, corporal punishment and sexual predation. Many children that are born or raised in a group are helpless and do not have the

Steven Hassan, September 6, 2018

Tired of Being “On The Fence” With Your Life?

Beginning to Doubt and Question There are moments when almost anybody can become disillusioned when in a totalistic, or rigid and intolerant, group (or controlling relationship). Losing one’s “faith” can happen for a wide variety of reasons. Maybe they become aware of some discrepancy or hypocrisy in the doctrine or in a leader’s behavior. Perhaps

Steven Hassan, August 23, 2018

Dr. Philip Zimbardo’s 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE): A Response to Critics

Dr. Zimbardo photographed for his Heroic Imagination Project. Credit: Ferne Millen Photography July 2, 2018: At this moment, there appears to be a media attack on the reputation of Dr. Philip Zimbardo, Professor Emeritus of Stanford University and former president of the American Psychological Association. Indeed, there seems to be a broader attack on the

Steven Hassan, July 3, 2018

A Response to Academics Who Say There Is No Undue Influence in Destructive Cults

June 28, 2018 This Influence Continuum graphic describes my model for evaluating influence–from the healthy to the unhealthy. My BITE model offers a list of concerning practices that represent unhealthy mind control: Behavior, Information, Thought and Emotional control designed to create dependent and obedient slaves to a person or ideology. One example of many is

Steven Hassan, June 28, 2018
high wind blowing hat off suited man on tiny island

Errant Belief #8: “She’s Better Off Where She Is”

Are They Better Off Being Left in the Group? Sometimes family, friends, and even mental health professionals may think that a person is better off in the cult. This way, the family, and friends may not feel obliged to do anything to help rescue the individual. Sometimes this is because the person has been a

Steven Hassan, May 10, 2018

Freedom of Mind is the True Basis of Religious Freedom

Freedom of mind is the true basis of religious freedom. The death of Sun Myung Moon (2012) presented a rare—and largely missed—opportunity to open a real public conversation about the way that high-demand groups, such as cults, exert their influence over people’s minds and behaviors. Moon was the epitome of a cult leader during the

Steven Hassan, September 5, 2013