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Aspects of Recovery

Jan

2013

Recovery from cults is a multifaceted process; initially it is the separation from the group, group practices, and meetings that bound us to the group. Therapy helps address the emotional aspects of group involvement – feelings of betrayal, abuse and vulnerability to recruitment. It helps to develop and understanding of how the group’s doctrine ...

“Cults” and Globalization: Reflections and Questions

Jan

2013

Mike Kropveld Revised from a presentation at the International Symposium on Cultic Studies (Bangkok, Thailand), organized by Graduate School of Philosophy and Religion, Assumption University, Thailand and the Institute of Religious Studies, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, China, December 15–16, 2011. In my presentation today, I will give an overview of definitions for cult. Then I will ...

Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups – Revised

Jan

2013

Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. & Janja Lalich, Ph.D. Concerted efforts at influence and control lie at the core of cultic groups, programs, and relationships. Many members, former members, and supporters of cults are not fully aware of the extent to which members may have been manipulated, exploited, even abused. The following list of social-structural, social-psychological, and ...

On Using the Term "Cult"

Oct

2012

Herbert L. Rosedale, Esq.Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. Even though we have each studied cults and educated people about this subject for more than 20 years, neither of us has ever felt completely comfortable with the term “cult.” No other term, however, serves more effectively the linked educational and research aims of ICSA (International Cultic Studies ...

The Definitional Ambiguity of “Cult” and ICSA’s Mission

Oct

2012

Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. (This essay is a follow-up to “On Using the Term Cult.”) A central component of ICSA’s mission is to study psychological manipulation and abuse, especially as it manifests in cultic and other groups. Different people, however, attach different and usually imprecise meanings to the term “cult” (On Using the Term Cult). Those ...

CultNews101.com

White supremacy can be addictive, and leaving it behind can be like kicking a drug habit. November 15, 2018
LSEOctober 10, 2017The 2016 election and the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this year have focused the attention of many on to the resurgence of far-right extremism and radicalization. In new research based on interviews with former white supremacists, Pete Simi, Kathleen Blee, Matthew DeMichele and Steven Windisch find that many of those involved in […]
Is There A Cure For Hate? November 15, 2018
Taly Kogon and her son Leo, 10, listen to speakers during an interfaith vigil against anti-Semitism and hate at the Holocaust Memorial late last month in Miami Beach, Fla.ERIC WESTERVELTNPRNovember 6, 2018For months prior to the recent shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, suspect Robert Bowers spewed venomous bigotry, hatred and conspiracies online, especially against […]
Jehovah's Witnesses Recount Stories of Abuse, Estrangement in Leah Remini-Hosted Special November 14, 2018
Katie KilkennyHollywood ReporterNovember 13, 3018In a special preceding 'Scientology and the Aftermath's' third season, Remini gathered ex-members to discuss their experiences with the church on issues including blood transfusions, justice and women's rights.Leah Remini kicked off the third season of her A&E series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath on Tuesday night with a deep-dive, […]
Jonestown survivors lost only life they knew, built new ones November 14, 2018
TIM REITERMANAPNovember 14, 2018OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jonestown was the highlight of Mike Touchette’s life — for a time.The 21-year-old Indiana native felt pride pioneering in the distant jungle of Guyana, South America. As a self-taught bulldozer operator, he worked alongside other Peoples Temple members in the humid heat, his blade carving roads and sites […]
Support ICSA with Every Purchase on AmazonSmile November 14, 2018
Did you know that you can support ICSA’s (International Cultic Studies Association) mission of helping psychologically and/or spiritually abused persons and their families, when you make purchases on Amazon?The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to ICSA from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. It's so easy! AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for […]
Bizarre Korean cult leader jets into Harare November 13, 2018
Mandla NdlovuBulawayo24November 13, 2018Hak Ja Moon, the Leader of a Korean cult, The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, is landing at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on the 21st of November to advance her bizarre beliefs that have drawn worldwide condemnation over the years.Hak is coming under the guise of healing the […]
He was a KKK member, then a neo-Nazi: How one white supremacist renounced hate November 13, 2018
Filmmaker Deeyah Khan interviewed Ken Parker for her documentary, "White Right: Meeting the Enemy." (Photo: Fuuse Films)Monica RhorUSA TODAYNovember 1, 2018 For years, Ken Parker lived in a world of bigotry and hate. He wore the green robes of a grand dragon in the Ku Klux Klan. He stood at lecterns and shouted racist catchphrases. He […]
Terrorists, cultists - or champions of Iranian democracy? The wild wild story of the MEK November 11, 2018
They fought for the Iranian revolution – and then for Saddam Hussein. The US and UK once condemned them. But now their opposition to Tehran has made them favourites of Trump White House hardliners. Arron MeratThe GuardianNovember 9, 2018Mostafa and Robabe Mohammadi came to Albania to rescue their daughter. But in Tirana, the capital, the middle-aged […]
The State of Hate November 11, 2018
Researchers at the Southern Poverty Law Center have set themselves up as the ultimate judges of hate in America. But are they judging fairly? David MontgomeryThe Washington Post MagazineNovember 8, 2018See that speck there?" retired Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin says, directing my gaze to the ceiling of the Family Research Council's lobby in […]
A Twisted Road to Murder November 11, 2018
Dianne Wood Waterloo RecordJanuary 17, 2008In 1992, young Michael Sirois caught the imagination of artist Randy Penner. 14 years later, Siroiswould murder Penner and Verna BastKITCHENER: When the front door of Verna Bast's home swung open for the last time, warm light spilled out into the darkness of the night.And then the darkness came in.Michael Sirois, […]
Glimpse of Chinese Culture That Some Find Hard to Watch November 11, 2018
Eric Konigsberg New York TimesFebruary 6, 2008Each of the first few numbers was more elaborate than the last, teeming with acrobatic dancers, awash in jewel-toned silks, swelling to the anthemic strains of the orchestra. It was the opening night of Chinese New Year Splendor, a music and dance production that began at Radio City Music Hall […]
Surviving Jonestown November 10, 2018
In 1978, I went to Guyana on a fact-finding mission. By the time I returned, more than 900 people died. I was almost one of them.JACKIE SPEIER Politico November 10, 2018AVAILABLE ON AMAZONI was 28, lying on a dusty airplane runway in the Guyanese jungle, and dying.It was just a matter of time. Five bullets […]
Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control: Lessons From Across Areas of Practice November 10, 2018
Online RegistrationPurpose of the ConferenceJoin this practice focused one-day conference that will share and examine a range of current work addressing domestic abuse and coercive control across diverse contexts. We will explore ways to collaborate and develop practice further in the future in this vital field of work.Where: Loews Philadelphia Hotel1200 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107When:Monday, […]
Dawn of Dianetics: L. Ron Hubbard, John W. Campbell, and the Origins of Scientology November 10, 2018
Read an excerpt adapted from Alec Nevala-Lee’s book, Astounding.Alec Nevala-LeeLongreadsOctober 2018Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science I.For most of his life, John W. Campbell, Jr., the editor of the magazine Astounding Science Fiction, had trouble remembering his childhood. He had filled his stories with […]
LEV TAHOR HORROR: Tales of Beatings and Torture Emerge From Excommunicated Cult Members November 10, 2018
Yeshiva World NewsNovember 4, 2018 The horror stories involving the Lev Tahor cult, currently located in Guatemala, continue following the death of its leader Shlomo Helbrans in Mexico in 2017. Since then, the leadership has moved into the hands of his brother Nachman Helbrans, along with Mayer Rosner, Yankel and Yoel Weingarten, who are even […]
The Witches of Baltimore November 10, 2018
Young black women are leaving Christianity and embracing African witchcraft in digital covens.SIGAL SAMUELThe AtlanticNovember 5, 2018 “We may not be Christian here, but we still pray,” said a woman dressed entirely in white as she addressed a large audience of African American women. Standing behind a lectern, speaking in the cadences of a preacher, […]
NEW FOOTAGE & PHOTOS: Heavily-Armed Guatemalan Police Raided Lev Tahor Compound; Child Rescue NOT Successful November 10, 2018
Yeshiva World NewsNovember 8, 2018 YWN has obtained footage of large group of heavily armed police officers at the compound of the Lev Tahor Cult in Guatemala.As many in 100 officers are reported to have taken part in the raid, reportedly on Monday evening, in an attempt to rescue children of a woman who was […]
Working with Patients from High Control Groups, Part 1 November 10, 2018
What Therapists Should KnowEkaterina Musok, LCSWPsych CentralNovember 8, 2018Mental health practitioners need to be aware of the harmful psychological issues current and ex-cult members continue to show even after they leave such an organization. Individuals who have become part of these restrictive religious groups generally suffer from rigid thinking patterns, feelings of guilt, shame, and […]
The Gaslighting Effect: A Revealing Look at Psychological Manipulation and Narcissistic Abuse November 10, 2018
Reva Steenbergen @gaslightingefctA narcissistic abuse survivor herself, Reva Steenbergen takes her own experiences combined with countless mental health professionals, relationship counselors, and even narcissists themselves to offer a unique perspective on narcisstic abuse and the gaslighting effect.She provides insight into the entire victim experience while at the same time taking an intense, revealing look straight inside […]