February ← 2018 ← cult recovery 101

Dr. Robert J. Lifton on Destructive Cults

Feb

2018

March 2, 2000 – One of the leading experts in mind control, Dr. Lifton addressed the issue of doomsday cults such as Aum Shinrikyo.

The Manipulation of Spiritual Experience: Unethical Hypnosis in Destructive Cults

Feb

2018

Linda Dubrow, Ph.D. & Steve K. Dubrow Eichel, Ph.D. Abstract The process of cult and mass therapy indoctrination may involve repeated inductions of trance-like states of consciousness similar to hypnosis. Environmental (milieu) control, social manipulation, isolation and the use of prescribed consciousness-altering techniques (e.g. repetitive and/or continuous chanting, meditating, or praying) are some of ...

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Citing new evidence, judge angrily denies bail for leader of La Luz del Mundo church July 17, 2019
Los Angeles TimesLEILA MILLER STAFF WRITER JULY 16, 2019 The leader of La Luz del Mundo church remained impassive in a Los Angeles courtroom as a witness for prosecutors described a video that he alleged showed Naason Joaquin Garcia participating in a sexual threesome involving a minor.State law enforcement officer and forensic examiner Steven Stover testified during […]
Planned 12 Tribes deli stirs concern in South Bend July 17, 2019
· Chinook Observer· By ALLIE BAIR For the Observer· Jul 15, 2019SOUTH BEND — New businesses in South Bend are usually met with great enthusiasm, but a recently erected sign announcing a new “Yellow Deli” has caused controversy among some in North Pacific County.A photo of the deli’s swirling yellow logo was posted on Facebook […]
Ottawa man says Dragon-boat festival CEO ordered him to remove Falun Gong shirt, citing Chinese sponsorship July 17, 2019
Gerry Smith's allegations are the latest indication of Beijing’s low-profile campaign to influence Canadian society amid a tense diplomatic stand-offNational PostTom BlackwellJuly 16, 2019A Falun Gong practitioner says the CEO of Ottawa’s dragon-boat festival ordered him to take off a T-shirt advertising the Chinese spiritual group, citing in part China’s sponsorship of the popular event.John […]
Cult leader Oktar faces 24 charges July 14, 2019
DAILY SABAHJuly 13, 2019Adnan Oktar, a prominent TV personality accused of running a criminal cult, faces 24 criminal charges, prosecutors revealed on Friday. An indictment against Oktar and 225 other suspects were concluded and will be presented to an Istanbul court which will set a trial date for Oktar and others.Oktar was arrested last summer, […]
New Book 'Traumatized By Religious Abuse' Exposes the Trauma and Spiritual Crisis Survivors of Religious Abuse Experience June 27, 2019
Connie A. Baker, MA, LPC announces the release of her highly acclaimed new book ‘Traumatized by Religious Abuse: Courage, Hope and Freedom for Survivors - Discover the Cultures and Systems of Religious Abuse and Reclaim Your Personal Power‘, Luminare Press.“The #metoo and #churchtoo movements are creating conversations in popular culture as we become more aware […]
TM June 27, 2019
TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION RELATEDAge of Enlightenment Trust (1)Age of Enlightenment Trust Channel Islands (1)Age of Enlightenment Trust Co Ltd (1)Age of Enlightenment Trust Jersey (3)Ajay Prakash Shrivastava (2)Ajay Prakash Srivastava (4)Akhandananda Saraswati (1)Brahmachari Girish Chandra Varma (29)David Lynch (7)David Lynch Foundation (10)Deepak Chopra (11)Girish Chandra Varma (6)Girish Chandra Verma (6)Global Center for World Peace (1)Global Country for World Peace (2)Global Diamonds (P) Ltd (1)Golden Glades (1)Golden Glades Ltd. (1)Maharishi Ayur-Veda (8)Maharishi Ayurved Trust (1)Maharishi Ayurveda Association […]
What's to become of NXIVM? June 24, 2019
After Keith Raniere's conviction, shuttered organization faces uncertain futureRobert GavinAlbany Times UnionJune 22, 2019NEW YORK — As NXIVM leader Keith Raniere faces life in prison for sex trafficking, forced labor and racketeering, the Capital Region-based organization he commanded for two decades remains shuttered.A federal jury's quick conviction of Raniere, 58, on all criminal counts and […]
The Polygamist Who Allegedly Scammed the U.S. Out of a Half-Billion Dollars June 24, 2019
Jesse Hyde and David VoreacosBloombergJune 24, 2019On the afternoon of Aug. 23, 2018, federal agents fanned out across the Salt Lake City airport. They were looking for Jacob Kingston. He was 42, with short, dark hair and a salt-and-pepper beard. According to the IRS, Kingston had defrauded the U.S. government of more than a half-billion […]
Leader of La Luz del Mundo megachurch pleads not guilty to sex abuse counts June 24, 2019
LEILA MILLERLos Angeles TimesJune 21, 2019 Naason Joaquin Garcia, the leader of La Luz del Mundo megachurch, pleaded not guilty Friday to multiple counts of sex abuse at an arraignment and bail review hearing.The other detained co-defendants in the case, Alondra Ocampo, 36, and Susana Medina Oaxaca, 24, also entered not guilty pleas in Superior […]
WIVES OF JAILED POLYGAMOUS CULT LEADER WILL RUN FOR KNESSET June 23, 2019
JERUSALEM POST STAFFJUNE 23, 2019Ambash, a known polygamist, has 6 wives and 15 children, who despite reports of sadistic abuse, rape and violence, have never denounced him and in 2018 demanded a conjugal visit.The wives of Daniel Ambash announced on Sunday they will create a new political party that will run for Knesset under the […]
Yoga’s share in the multi-billion dollar fitness industry June 22, 2019
CHRISTY GRENEMERGINGMARKETS JUNE 21, 2019Yoga’s share in the fitness industry is huge – Yoga classes, Yoga apparel and accessories, and Yoga retreats, altogether make Yoga an $80 billion industry.What was practiced by holy men in India to experience untethered spiritual awakening has traveled across the world, far and wide and has become a ubiquitous phenomenon. Yoga’s […]
Fortune teller known as Psychic Jasmine accused of defrauding client of $200K June 22, 2019
Chris Fox CP24.com June 20, 2019A fortunate teller who used the pseudonym “Psychic Jasmine” is facing charges after she allegedly defrauded a client of approximately $200,000, Halton police say.Police allege that the suspect advertised her services online and sometimes operated out of a storefront on Lakeshore Road in Oakville.They say that the suspect defrauded one […]
Nxivm Scam Is Dead, but 'Brainwashing' Pseudoscience Lives On June 22, 2019
James T. RichardsonRewire.NewsJun 21, 2019,This history clearly shows why most courts in the United States are reticent to accept brainwashing theories today. The science underlying such claims is faulty, and courts have realized that accepting such claims undercuts the very basis of the legal system, which is that individuals are responsible for their own actions.It […]
Kingston doesn't want talk of polygamy or 'The Order' brought up at his trial June 22, 2019
BEN WINSLOWFÒX 13 NewsJUNE 21, 2019, BY SALT LAKE CITY — Attorneys for Washakie Renewable Energy CEO Jacob Kingston are asking a federal judge to block government lawyers from bringing up talk of his church or polygamy at his upcoming trial.In a motion recently filed in court and obtained by FOX 13, Kingston’s attorneys seek to […]
Self-Proclaimed 'Sinful Messiah' Sexually Abused Dozens While Leading Polygamist Doomsday Cult June 21, 2019
People Magazine Investigates: Cults: The Sinful Messiah airs on Investigation Discovery on Monday, June 24, at 8 p.m. ET.Chris HarrisPeople June 21, 2019For three decades, a man who was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn led an apocalyptic polygamist cult in Connecticut with hundreds of followers who helped him build an ill-fated multimillion-dollar real estate […]
Blue Bulletin Campaign June 21, 2019
Homeland Security: Blue Campaign is a national public awareness campaign, to recognize the indicators of human raffickingBlue Campaign is a national public awareness campaign, designed to educate the public, law enforcement and other industry partners to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases. Blue Campaign works closely with DHS Components to create […]
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi June 21, 2019
The guru who introduced Transcendental Meditation to the west died on 5 February aged 91. He's remembered by the renowned spiritual writer, a close friend for more than 20 yearsDeepak ChopraThe GuardianDec 13, 2008Maharishi Mahesh YogiThe guru who introduced Transcendental Meditation to the west died on 5 February aged 91. He's remembered by the renowned […]
Nxivm sex cult leader found guilty June 19, 2019
Veronica Rocha, Meg Wagner, Mike Hayes and Elise HammondCNNJune 19, 2019What we're covering hereJUST IN: Keith Raniere, the founder of the "Nxivm" self-help company that prosecutors said secretly housed a sex cult, was found guilty on all charges.The charges: Raniere had pleaded not guilty to seven counts, including racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, forced […]
'This Is Just His Lifestyle': Keith Raniere's Lawyer Defends NXIVM Head as Trial Closes June 18, 2019
During closing arguments, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo painted the NXIVM leader accused of trafficking and branding women as little more than a polyamorous eccentricEJ DICKSONRolling StoneJune 18, 2019Since his arrest last year in Mexico on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, tabloids have referred to Keith Raniere, the head of the self-help organization NXIVM, as the […]