June 14, 2018 Dr. John Dehlin & Mormon Stories Podcast STEVEN HASSAN – WHAT THE MORMON CHURCH CAN LEARN FROM CULTS TO DO/BE BETTER Mormon Stories Podcast 938-939 About a month ago, we received an […]
The BITE Model & Mormonism: An Exploration with Ex-Mormon John Dehlin Read More
Have a Positive Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Not a Negative One In my opinion, giving up hope is a dysfunctional coping mechanism to deal with the pain. Unfortunately, it suggests incorrectly that there is nothing constructive that
Errant Belief #10: “We Have Lost Hope” Read More
Mental Health Awareness Month May is Mental Health Awareness Month! I wanted to write this blog on how some high control groups program their members away from mental health help. This is true, especially in
High Control Groups Program Members to Fear Mental Health Help Read More
The Freedom of Mind approach to recovery and healing from destructive cults is customizable and designed to meet the needs of most any person who has been influenced by a cult. People who were born
The Freedom of Mind Approach to Recovery and Healing from Destructive Cults Read More
We have been living in the Information Age, the Knowledge Age, with access virtually 24/7 to anything and everything. Many in today’s world go to Wikipedia to learn about cars, animals, medicines and even cults. And that is okay. For the most part, Wikipedia is fairly reliable. With over 20,000 new entries added every month, it no surprise that YouTube, Facebook, and Google rely on its content.
Researchers Beware: Wikipedia Entries About High Control Groups Are Not Very Trustworthy Read More
The Trauma of Being Cut Off: Disfellowshipped While Still Indoctrinated Unless it has happened to you, it is impossible to describe the pain, confusion and suffering a person endures when they are excommunicated from an
Shunning and the BITE Model of Mind Control in the Jehovah’s Witnesses Read More
Introduction In my decades of work with helping those born into high control groups, the effects are usually quite devastating. Despite the conditions in which young people are raised, I have also seen remarkable courage
How Jehovah’s Witness Teachings Can Damage Brain Development in Children Read More
Hulu has created a television series based on Margaret Atwood’s book, The Handmaid’s Tale, and it is highly recommended viewing*. Last year, Hulu produced The Path and I was interviewed by Vanity Fair for my perspective. This time, I am blogging about The Handmaid’s Tale as I believe this is a very upsetting but well made dramatic series that is worthwhile watching. It is especially disquieting for me as it is set in New England. A political cult takes over the U.S. after a staged terrorist attack and martial law is declared. When the book and the 1990 movie came out, there was some speculation Atwood had used a New Jersey cult as well as an alleged witch as a creative basis for her story. The series has been creatively adapted to a feared Trumpistan authoritarian dystopia.
Undue Influence, The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu, and Current Events Read More
This past week, a very important legal custody case was decided which involves Infowars’ Alex Jones and his ex-wife Kelly. Kelly Jones was able to successfully show that her children had been turned against her
Parental Alienation Harms Children by Using Undue Influence Read More
This week, there had been a lot in the news about Russia’s possible ban of the Jehovah’s Witnesses— labeling them an extremist group. While I have personally worked with and become friends with many who
Is It Good Policy to Ban Religious Cults? Read More
A few people have asked me recently what a typical cult member looks like. While every group and individual is unique, there are common patterns for how cult members think, feel, speak, and behave. Check
Stereotypical Profile of Cult Members Read More
Freedom of Mind, as an organization and as a meme is grounded in a commitment to basic human rights as expressed by the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Please take a moment to look at these profound statements.
It’s not surprising that many cults hold doctrines and practices which are intolerant and even violent towards the LGBTQ community. Just combine absolutist, black-and-white, rigid thinking with tight control over members’ sexuality. A young person asserting their own individual desires (which may be unconventional, complex, or constantly evolving) presents a threat to a cult leader who seeks to mold their followers into obedient, dependent clones of themselves.
Freedom of Mind for LGBTQ Youth Read More
