Excerpted from Cults in Our Midst, Margaret Thaler Singer, p. 64-69. 1. Keep the person unaware of what is going on and how she or he is being changed a step at a time. Potential new members are led, step by step, through a behavioral-change program without being aware of…
Criteria for Thought Reform
Excerpted from Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism by Robert Jay Lifton, Chapter 22: Ideological Totalism 1. Milieu Control. This involves the control of information and communication both within the environment and, ultimately, within the individual, resulting in a significant degree of isolation from society at large. 2. Mystical…
Born or Raised in Closed, High-Demand Groups: Developmental Considerations
An increasing number of individuals are entering mainstream society who were born and/or raised in cults or closed, high-demand groups. In my work as a mental health professional specializing in trauma and recovery from spiritual abuse, I regularly encounter these individuals.