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CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/20/2026

2026-07-20T09:06:34.521-04:00

Updates

Legislative & Legal

India Today: UP Police rescues 300 trainees, arrests 19 in fake network marketing job scam
The Varanasi Fake MLM Job Scam
The headline refers to a major crackdown by the Uttar Pradesh Police and the cybercrime unit in Varanasi, which successfully dismantled a predatory multi-level marketing (MLM) and employment-fraud syndicate.

• The Arrests and Rescue: Authorities raided a fraudulent training facility, rescuing approximately 300 young adults who were being held and manipulated. Police arrested 19 individuals, including the alleged kingpin of the interstate operation, Deepak Kumar Shah.
• The Setup: The group operated under a fake entity called "Mahadev Enterprises," falsely presenting itself as a franchise of a legitimate wellness brand. They specifically targeted unemployed individuals across Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, offering fake corporate or agricultural jobs with a promised monthly salary of ₹25,000.
• The Extortion Model: Candidates were brought to a professionally staged "corporate office" in Varanasi for interviews. Once hooked, they were forced to pay between ₹30,000 and ₹35,000 as a mandatory registration fee. In return, they received a cheap kit of basic goods (clothes, soap, oil) worth no more than ₹2,000.
• The Pyramid Structure: After paying the fee, recruits were sequestered in a training center where they underwent psychological manipulation. The organizers pressured them to trap at least three friends or family members into the network, threatening to withhold their salaries and deny any refunds if they failed to recruit new victims.
• The Financial Scale: Investigators have uncovered nearly ₹4 crore in bank transactions credited to the gang over the past year. During the raid, authorities seized laptops, dozens of mobile phones containing scripts and audio recordings of the fraud, vehicles, and fake corporate documents.

Resources

TED-Ed: How to spot a pyramid scheme - Stacie Bosley
The video breaks down the math behind the endless chain recruiting model, illustrating how the financial structure forces the bottom layer of recruits to lose money.

Mental Floss: The Overview of 7 Alleged Modern Pyramid Schemes
This video details the mechanics of investment fraud versus retail-oriented recruitment traps, in which new sellers bear all the financial inventory risk.

NEW 2-MONTH SUPPORT GROUP SERIES - Cults. Coercive Control. Recovery.
Beginning this July and continuing through August (Cult Awareness Month), we’ll be embarking on a special five-part educational support group series exploring cults, high-control groups, and the unique experiences of Black survivors of religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and cultic abuse.

For many Black survivors, leaving a high-control religious or spiritual environment is about more than walking away from a group. It can mean untangling years of fear, shame, manipulation, conditional belonging, identity confusion, and the loss of community.

This series was intentionally created to explore those experiences through a culturally responsive, trauma-informed lens.

Over five gatherings, we’ll explore:

Let’s Talk About Cults: What Makes a Group a Cult?

Recognizing Cultic Dynamics in Black Religious and Spiritual Communities

From Jonestown to Carbon Nation: Exploring Cult Dynamics Across Popular Cults

Breaking Free: Navigating Recovery After Cultic Abuse

Beyond the Cult: Finding Your Way Forward

Together, we’ll examine how cults and high-control groups operate, discuss the unique ways these dynamics can emerge within Black religious and spiritual spaces, learn from historical and modern examples, and explore what healing and recovery can look like after cultic abuse.

Whether you’re questioning past experiences, making sense of your own story, or continuing your healing journey, this series is designed to provide education, validation, meaningful conversation, and community.

Understanding what happened is powerful.
Finding language for your experience can be liberating. And healing is possible.

If you’re a Black survivor looking for a compassionate space to learn, reflect, and connect with others who understand, we invite you to join us for this important series.

Cults, high-control groups, and coercive control for the week of July 20, 2026.

2026-07-20T09:02:17.472-04:00

News and developments regarding cults, high-control groups, and coercive control for the week of July 20, 2026.

There are no major legislative movements on Canada's Bill C-16 this week; it remains under Senate review. However, we have several legal and procedural updates stemming from the groups we covered last week.

### Updates on Ongoing Investigations and Legal Actions

* **Kingdom of Canada Fallout:** Following up on last week's story about the town of Richmound, Saskatchewan, evicting the "Kingdom of Canada" group, a trial date has now been set for Ricky Manz. Manz is the local property owner who allowed the self-proclaimed "Queen of Canada," Romana Didulo, and her followers to occupy an old school building for two years. He will stand trial beginning January 5 in Swift Current, facing charges stemming from a police raid on the compound last year.

* **Apollo Quiboloy's Digital Reach:** Despite the active Philippine Senate probe and Quiboloy's status on the FBI's wanted list for human trafficking and abuse, his "Kingdom of Jesus Christ" network remains highly active online. The group hosted multiple broadcasts and livestreams as recently as July 19th, underscoring the ongoing challenge authorities face in shutting down the digital recruitment and fundraising arms of high-control groups even when their leaders are under indictment.

### Upcoming Events

* **Victoria Inquiry Public Hearings:** The Parliament of Victoria’s inquiry into the impacts of cults and organized fringe groups is preparing for its next major public hearing on Thursday, July 23. The proceedings will be broadcast live. In preparation, the committee has published a new batch of redacted public submissions and formal responses from government departments regarding the ongoing demand for cult-exit support services.

India in a Mind’s Eye: Travels and Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim

2026-07-19T14:19:26.741-04:00

Publication Announcement

India in a Mind’s Eye
Travels and Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim

By Steven J. Gelberg

India in a Mind’s Eye: Travels and Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim is a work which should be of particular interest to cult-watchers and other observers of the contemporary religious scene. The author, Steven J. Gelberg, is a former member of ISKCON (the Hare Krishna Movement) and author of several important works on the Krishnas, including the widely-influential essay “On Leaving ISKCON.”*
On one level a colorful and eventful journey through India, both modern and traditional, the book also serves as an honest, thoughtful and eloquent critique of a religious movement in crisis - beset by scandal, power struggles and growing disillusionment. Written not long before Gelberg left the organization, it presents the deeply personal musings and insights of one still following a spiritual path, yet questioning his continued commitment to an organization in decline. Neither “anti-cult” polemic nor cult apologetic, India in a Mind’s Eye provides a unique, nuanced view into the complex, many-layered process of religious disaffiliation. Originally self-published in 2012 in a limited edition, India in a Mind’s Eye is now available in a fully revised edition from Monkfish Publications.
* https://surrealist.org/cults/gelberg1.html

“An extremely interesting book ... His observations in this memoir are tinged with the ‘mind’s eye’ of a skeptic, albeit one laced with dry wit and humor. ... As a travelogue detailing that vast fascinating country, Gelberg’s vivid descriptions reminded me of Paul Theroux’s classic first travel book, The Great Railway Bazaar. Anyone interested in India or Eastern thought or cults, or just fascinating travel writing, will enjoy this wonderfully written and insightful book.”
—Marcia Rudin, International Journal of Cultic Studies
[Vol. 4, 2013]

_____________________

Praise for India in a Mind’s Eye:

“During the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, tens of thousands of young Americans, inspired by utopian dreams, found themselves attracted to Hindu spirituality in one form or another. But over time, and perhaps especially after visiting India, the homeland of those utopian dreams, many developed a nuanced and less gullible understanding of the movements they had joined. Gelberg has provided an excellent book based on his travel journal, recording the landscapes of India, as well as his own 'mindscapes' as he came to terms with his growing disillusionment with the Hare Krishna movement and its leaders. This is a deep dive into skepticism as a necessary aspect of the spiritual path."
— Dr. Dana Sawyer, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and World Religions, Maine College of Art & Design. Author, The Transcendental Meditation Movement.

“Not unlike a snake charmer, Steven Gelberg entices you into his mind’s eye as he journeys around secular and holy sites of India. Part travelogue, part thought-provoking spiritual exploration, and illustrated with sensitive portraits of fellow seekers on the path, this is a voyage that offers the reader a glimpse into understanding how and why a ‘Hin-Jew’ could become both enamoured of an 'alien' belief and disillusioned by the organisation/people ostensibly embracing its way of life. At times comical, at other times moving, but always engaging - if you have something urgent to do, don't open this book.
— Dr. Eileen Barker OBE FBA FAcSS, Professor Emerita, London School of Economics and Political Science.

“Gelberg has the perspective and temperament of a scholar who appreciates his in-group but is increasingly impatient with that group’s divisions and dictates. He is especially drawn to women devotees who display typically mystical qualities in their demeanor, conversation, and lifestyles. Gelberg doesn’t state this outright, but perhaps he was drawn to these women because they pointed to a purer and cleaner way of devotion that the international movement had seemingly lost sight of during the internecine conflicts among competing gurus.”
— Dr. W. Michael Ashcraft, Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions [Vol. 18, No. 3 (February 2015)]. Author, A Historical Introduction to the Study of New Religious Movements.

“It is Gelberg’s ability to speak clearly about his ambivalence that gives this book its historical importance, since the 1986 trip took place during the critical period of numerous leadership failures and conflicts when many other devotees were going through similar uncertainties about their involvement in ISKCON. Gelberg is now able to view that period from a more mature perspective and give an eloquent voice to the mixed emotions so common at the time – an important contribution to the historical record, and a needed supplement to the numerous writings about the period by former or current devotees that tend to be either accusative or defensive.
. . . Purely as a travelogue, it stands alongside the best ever written. It is much more than that, however, and is – as Gelberg recognizes in his title – a journey of the spirit that helps us understand the ups and downs of ISKCON’s first fifty years. It does not claim to provide a comprehensive history of those years, but it is a valuable contribution to the history that is yet to be written. Anyone who wants to understand India or ISKCON should read it.
— Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins, Journal of Vaishnava Studies [23.2 (Spring 2015)]. Author, The Hindu Religious Tradition.

_______________________
* Available from Amazon and other booksellers.

Lisa Halverson: She Spent 15 Years in Scientology—Here's Why She Left Everything Behind

2026-07-19T12:56:28.893-04:00

Lisa Halverson was involved in Scientology as both a public member and a staff member. Deeply committed to the organization, she never expected that her parents' determination to help her would ultimately change the course of her life. Concerned that Scientology was taking over Lisa's life, her parents arranged for her to meet with experienced exit counselors - Hana & Jerry Whitfield, who presented information that Scientology did not want her to see.

A Review of American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda

2026-07-19T10:35:27.351-04:00

A Review of American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda

Ru Marshall’s *American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda* (OR Books, 2026) is far more than a literary biography; it is a vital examination of the structural mechanics of undue influence. For decades, Castaneda was celebrated as a revolutionary voice in anthropology, peddling *The Teachings of Don Juan* as genuine Indigenous wisdom. But behind the facade of this twentieth-century hoax lies a chilling case study in how charismatic narcissists build and sustain high-demand movements.

Marshall meticulously unravels Castaneda's transition from a fraudulent academic to the architect of a secretive New Age sect. The book traces his deployment of classic coercive control tactics—isolating his followers, severing their ties to their pasts, and blurring the lines between fabricated mysticism and psychological reality. Most devastatingly, *American Trickster* does not shy away from the tragic terminus of this totalistic environment. When Castaneda died in 1998, five of his closest female followers vanished, widely believed to have taken their own lives to join him in a "next dimension".

What elevates this 670-page work is its sociological rigor. Marshall dissects the intersection of the 1970s cultural zeitgeist and Castaneda’s deeply manipulative interpersonal behavior, framing it as an allegory for modern spiritual abuse and the erasure of actual Indigenous practices. Crucially, the biography illuminates the vertical and horizontal contributions to the cult experience, exploring both the leader's top-down deception and the environmental vulnerabilities of those seeking enlightenment.

For those researching the historical precedents of high-demand groups or developing recovery frameworks, *American Trickster* is essential reading. It transforms Castaneda from a mere literary charlatan into a quintessential study of how pseudo-spirituality is weaponized to dismantle autonomy, making it an indispensable addition to the literature on psychological captivity and mediation.

An Aspiring Rapper Claimed He Was a Prophet on Social Media. Then People Started Going Missing

2026-07-15T10:05:29.117-04:00

People

Juky 14, 2026

An Aspiring Rapper Claimed He Was a Prophet on Social Media. Then People Started Going Missing

Rashad Jamal’s University of Cosmic Intelligence racked up thousands of followers, some of whom eventually disappeared.

Rashad Jamal, an aspiring rapper and self-proclaimed prophet, amassed tens of thousands of followers online through his "University of Cosmic Intelligence." Preaching a blend of New Age spirituality, anti-government ideologies, and extreme conspiracy theories, Jamal convinced his followers that they were divine beings. However, his online cult soon took a dark turn when several devout followers suddenly vanished.

Families of the missing individuals reported drastic behavioral changes in their loved ones after they consumed Jamal's teachings, leading them to sever all ties and disappear. The group's dangerous influence escalated further when some followers were implicated in bizarre and violent crimes, including a fatal robbery in an Alabama national forest and a deadly sword attack.

While desperate families continue searching for the missing, Jamal was recently convicted and sentenced to prison in Georgia on unrelated child molestation charges, leaving behind a trail of devastated families seeking answers.

https://people.com/rashad-jamal-university-cosmic-intelligence-missing-people-12005016

The Zizians, Inside a Trans Death Cult

2026-07-14T08:50:52.724-04:00

A shocking work of political true crime from the only journalist fearless enough to expose the hidden networks of radical leftist violence in America.

The Zizians, Inside a Trans Death Cult

As a New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s foremost investigative reporters on Antifa and left-wing extremism, Andy Ngo has spent years tracking the rise of violent ideologies that much of the mainstream media has been unwilling to confront. Now, he turns his focus to an even more elusive, mysterious, and dangerous threat: the secretive cult of the Zizians, a transgender leftist “rationalist” group linked to eight violent deaths, including the killings of a U.S. Border Patrol agent and a key murder trial witness.

With exclusive access to firsthand witnesses and family members, and drawing on court records and deep-dive reporting, Ngo unravels the chilling story of how a fringe online movement metastasized into a real-world, international violent death cult. Through meticulous research and on-the-ground reporting, he exposes the cult’s ideology, recruitment tactics, and its ties to broader radical leftist movements. As authorities scramble to track down fugitive members, Ngo reconstructs the cult’s deadly trail from alleged assassinations to execution-style killings, and examines how its leader, computer science “genius” Jack LaSota, known as “Ziz,” became an enigmatic, Charles Manson-esque figure who came to exert a fatal grip over his followers.

This book is not just an exposé—it is a warning. As gender extremism and militant ideologies continue to radicalize and spread, the risk of similar movements and groups emerging grows. With law enforcement hamstrung by political pressure and mainstream media reluctant to investigate, Ngo stands apart in sounding the alarm. His fearless reporting has already reshaped the national conversation on Antifa. Now, he delivers the definitive account of one of the most shocking and under-reported crime stories of the decade.

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/andy-ngo/the-zizians/9780316599030/

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/14/2026

2026-07-14T08:41:59.281-04:00

Updates

Domestic & True Crime

Yogaville Lawsuit Analysis with Legal Expert Marci Hamilton: What the Joint Statement Really Means
In this episode of Surviving Satchidananda, host Briana Patton examines the recently settled lawsuit filed by Shanti Norris and Susan Cohen against Yogaville and Integral Yoga. The plaintiffs alleged they were subjected to coercive control and sexual abuse by the late Swami Satchidananda while they were teenage devotees.

Patton interviews legal expert Professor Marci Hamilton, who contextualizes the lawsuit within the broader history of clergy abuse. Hamilton explains how charismatic religious leaders use coercive control to manipulate victims, noting that powerful institutions frequently protect predators and attempt to hide behind the First Amendment to avoid legal accountability. She draws parallels between this case and other high-profile abuse scandals, emphasizing the urgent need to eliminate statutes of limitations for child sex abuse.

The episode concludes by analyzing the lawsuit's recent confidential settlement and joint public statement. While Patton respects the survivors' choice to settle after four grueling years of litigation and counter-lawsuits, she harshly criticizes Yogaville's leadership. She condemns the statement’s minimizing language—which reframes grooming and abuse as "inappropriate sexual activities"—and calls out the organization's claim of ignorance as false, given decades of open secrets. Patton concludes that, despite the flawed settlement, the public record has been permanently changed.
(Source: Yogaville Lawsuit Analysis with Legal Expert Marci Hamilton)

Research & Academic

British Journal of Social Psychology: “You lose the person; they're still there, but you don't recognize them”: A qualitative study examining the consequences of conspiracy beliefs for romantic partners

This study examined how conspiracy beliefs influence romantic relationships. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 partners (or ex-partners) of conspiracy believers, asking questions about their experiences in their relationships. A thematic analysis generated several key themes. Specifically, participants described how their partner's beliefs led to relational strain in the form of conflict and communication breakdown, which was tied to the psychosocial death of the partner and the relationship. There were several negative effects on participants, as their partner's beliefs not only affected their relationship dynamic but also took a psychological and physical toll on the participants themselves. Sense-making became important as participants tried to understand their partner's beliefs. Ultimately, most relationships deteriorated, and many ended, though some remained intact due to financial or emotional barriers. During this process, participants reported seeking support and began navigating endings in the event of relationship dissolution. These findings extend current knowledge on the consequences of conspiracy theories for interpersonal relationships, suggesting that they pose significant barriers to successful romantic attachments.

Ongoing Focus

Women's Day: Is Hugh Jackman’s School of Practical Philosophy a religion or a secret cult?
Skeptics have cast doubt on the controversial group.

This article from Woman's Day explores the controversy surrounding the School of Practical Philosophy, a worldwide organization highly endorsed by actor Hugh Jackman. Originally founded in 1938 in London as the Henry George School of Economics by politician Andrew MacLaren and his son Leon, the group eventually transitioned to offering non-academic adult courses that drew on Eastern, Western, and Hindu philosophical traditions, including Sanskrit and meditation.

Jackman, who found traditional religion too "restrictive," credits his study at the Melbourne branch at age 24 with providing life-changing insights into the "essential truth" of the world. He describes the group's teachings as non-confrontational and focused on oneness.

However, the organization has faced decades of severe criticism and cult allegations. Detractors, including former members and actress Emily Watson, claim the group relies on psychological control and fear. In 1984, the book Secret Cult detailed allegations of abuse, and a 2005 investigation into two of the group's London schools found that students were subjected to "criminal levels" of violence between 1975 and 1992, resulting in nearly $2 million in compensation payouts. Despite these damaging reports, Jackman remains a steadfast defender, asserting that if faith leads to doing good for others, it is worthwhile.

The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan, Joseph Kelly, or Ashlen Hilliard endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.

Please forward articles you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

Stop Mandated Shunning was honored with the Herbert L. Rosedale Humanitarian Award

2026-07-14T08:36:14.322-04:00

July 4, 2026 in San Diego: A Milestone for Stop Mandated Shunning at the ICSA Annual Conference, by Monica Velin Rodriquez

The 2026 Annual Conference of the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) was held in San Diego, CA.

"During the conference, Stop Mandated Shunning was honored with the Herbert L. Rosedale Humanitarian Award, presented in recognition of leadership in protecting individual freedom, supporting those harmed by high-control groups, and raising public awareness of the ethical and legal dimensions of coercive practices.

SMS team member, Patrick Haeck, accepted the award and dedicated it to all the people who have suffered from organized ostracism and hope to be reunited with their loved ones.

This award tells thousands of individuals around the world who have experienced mandated shunning that their suffering is no longer invisible! Their experiences are being acknowledged by respected researchers, clinicians, legal professionals, and human rights advocates.

We are especially grateful to ICSA for its longstanding commitment to rigorous research, respectful dialogue, and compassionate support for those affected by coercive control.

By recognizing mandated shunning through one of its highest humanitarian awards, ICSA has also affirmed that this issue deserves continued scholarly, legal, and public attention.

"Freedom of religion" must never be used as an excuse to harm others!!"

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DG3hcdr8M/

Call for Research Participants - Ex-Membership in New and Minority Religions

2026-07-13T21:43:41.562-04:00

Call for Research Participants - Ex-Membership in New and Minority Religions

Are you a former member of a new/minority religion or cult? lf so, please consider completing our 10-minute survey

About the Project:

Researchers at the University of Leeds are seeking to understand what individuals experience when they leave minority religious groups. By choosing to participate in this survey, you will help contribute to the information and insights generated in this research project.

How to Participate:

To complete the survey and access the Participant Information please visit the survey page

(https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/leeds/ex-membership-in-new-and-minority-religions

) or scan the QR code

Project Team: Dr Aled Thomas

(a.j.I.thomas@leeds.ac.uk) Dr Edward Graham-Hyde

(ej.graham-hyde@leeds.ac.uk

unIVERSITY OF LEEDS

dr_aledthomas Together with @edward.grahamhyde, are conducting a survey aimed at former members of new and minority religions.

Mike Kropveld Receives the Lifetime Achievement Award

2026-07-13T15:23:17.635-04:00

Mike Kropveld Receives the Lifetime Achievement Award

On July 4th, during the closing ceremony of the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) annual conference in San Diego (United States), Mike Kropveld, founder and executive director of Info-Cult, received the Lifetime Achievement Award, an award of excellence presented by the ICSA in recognition of his entire career.

This award is presented in recognition of sustained, long-term contributions to the field

of cultic studies and to ICSA’s mission. It honors individuals whose careers reflect enduring commitment, scholarly or professional excellence, and meaningful impact on research, education, practice, or public understanding of coercive control and high-control groups.

Thank you, ICSA, for recognizing Mike Kropveld and Info-Cult's mission and its work over the past 45 years!

—

Mike Kropveld reçoit le Lifetime Achievement Award

Le 4 juillet dernier, lors de la cérémonie de clôture du congrès annuel de l’International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) à San Diego (États-Unis), Mike Kropveld, fondateur et directeur général d’Info-Secte, a reçu le Lifetime Achievement Award, un prix d’excellence décerné par l’ICSA en reconnaissance de l’ensemble de sa carrière.

Ce prix vise à souligner des contributions soutenues et durables dans le champ d’études à propos des phénomènes sectaires, ainsi qu’à la mission de l’ICSA. Il honore les personnes dont le parcours témoigne d’un engagement indéfectible, d’une excellence académique ou professionnelle, et d’un impact significatif au niveau de la recherche, de l’éducation, de la pratique professionnelle ou de la vulgarisation du contrôle coercitif et des groupes à haut niveau de contrôle.

Merci à l'ICSA, d'avoir reconnu le travail de Mike Kropveld ainsi que la mission d'Info-Secte au cours des 45 dernières années !

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/13/2026

2026-07-13T14:00:44.523-04:00

Updates

Domestic & True Crime

Independent: Polygamous sect leader convicted of child abuse after girls found in unventilated trailer

"A polygamous sect leader, already serving a lengthy federal prison sentence for orchestrating child sex acts, has been convicted on state child abuse charges after three girls were found confined in an unventilated trailer he was hauling through Arizona.

Authorities were alerted in August 2022 by someone who spotted small fingers reaching through gaps in the trailer doors. Police subsequently stopped Samuel Bateman's vehicle in Flagstaff, discovering three girls, aged 11 to 14, inside. The enclosed trailer was equipped with a makeshift toilet, a sofa, and camping chairs.

This latest conviction adds to Bateman's existing 50-year federal sentence. In that case, he was found guilty of coercing girls as young as nine into sex acts with himself and other young adults, and for plotting to kidnap girls from protective custody.

His federal crimes are the subject of the Netflix series Trust Me: The False Prophet."

Research & Academic

Self-Help Recovery from Coercive Control

Many survivors of coercive control struggle to access support in the aftermath of their experiences. An absence of professionals with appropriate training, financial limitations, isolation, and lack of trust are just a few reasons many survivors find themselves alone in their recovery journey.

This study aims to better understand self-help recovery processes.

Interview Participants needed:

Survivors of any type of coercive control whose recovery process has included some element of self-help; they may have also had professional support, but not necessarily. Candidates will have been out of the controlled environment for 12 months or more.

Researcher: Anami Shucart, A.T.Shucart@edu.salford.ac.uk

Supervisor: Rod Dubrow-Marshall, R.Dubrow-Marshall@salford.ac.uk

For more information, please visit: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/self-help-recovery-from-coercive-control-an-interview-based-exp

Science

Brooklyn Balance: What No One Told Me About the Medicine I Was Taking

In this blog post, Josh Jupiter recounts a distressing experience with an underground "plant medicine" group, highlighting the critical importance of informed consent.

The author describes being invited to a group led by a facilitator who projected professionalism and safety while maintaining an air of exclusivity and mystery. Participants were encouraged to "Trust, Let Go, Be Open" (TLO)—a mantra the author later realized discouraged critical thinking and masked a lack of transparency. Despite an initial screening process that appeared thorough, participants were never informed about the actual substances they were being given, which were vaguely labeled as "heart openers" or "plant medicine."

Through his own research and piecing together information over time, Jupiter discovered that the substances included MDA, MDMA, Syrian Rue, and barbiturates. He emphasizes the danger of this lack of disclosure, noting that Syrian Rue—an MAO inhibitor—can create life-threatening pharmacological interactions when combined with other substances like MDMA, particularly for individuals with specific health conditions or those taking other medications.

The piece serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of high-demand or unregulated groups that prioritize secrecy over safety. Jupiter concludes that without clear, honest communication about what is being consumed, true informed consent is impossible, leaving participants vulnerable to significant physical and psychological harm. This experience was a foundational moment in his shift toward his current professional work in advocacy and education.

International News

ICSA: Mike Kropveld Receives the Lifetime Achievement Award

On July 4th, during the closing ceremony of the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) annual conference in San Diego (United States), Mike Kropveld, founder and executive director of Info-Cult, received the Lifetime Achievement Award, an award of excellence presented by the ICSA in recognition of his entire career.

This award is presented in recognition of sustained, long-term contributions to the field of cultic studies and to ICSA’s mission. It honors individuals whose careers reflect enduring commitment, scholarly or professional excellence, and meaningful impact on research, education, practice, or public understanding of coercive control and high-control groups.

Thanks to ICSA for recognizing Info-Cult’s mission for the past 45 years!

AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.

The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan, Joseph Kelly, or Ashlen Hilliard endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.

Nansook Hong interviewed by Herbert Rosedale

2026-07-13T13:47:07.178-04:00

Nansook Hong interviewed by Herbert Rosedale

Former wife of Hyo Jin Moon, the eldest son of Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han

1999 American Family Foundation National Conference, Minneapolis, MN.

Hanna Whitfield, AFF – Conference moderator:

Our speakers this afternoon will be Mr Herbert Rosedale, president of the American Family Foundation. He is a senior partner in the law firm of Parker Chapin Flattau and Klimpl in New York City. He has written several articles on Cults and the Law. He has also contributed a chapter to the book ‘Recovery from Cults’ and is the co-editor of the Boston movement ‘Critical perspectives on the International Churches of Christ’. Mr Rosedale will be talking with Nansook Hong, who was born in South Korea to prominent members of the Unification Church. She was hand-picked at age 15 by the Reverend Moon to marry his son, Hyo Jin, the heir to Moon’s spiritual and economic empire. After 14 years of marriage, Nansook and her five children escaped the Moon compound in New York. Divorced from her now former husband, Hyo Jin, Nansook and her children live in Massachusetts. She is the author of the book ‘In the Shadow of the Moons – My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s Family.'

Please welcome Herbert Rosedale and Nansook Hong.

Herbert Rosedale,

ESQ – AFF President: What I would say is never say never. And if any of you sitting in this room had believed a year ago that you would sit and listen to Nansook, and that Nansook would be on the same stage with me, it just reinforces never say never. And it shows that there is hope, there is change, and much of it is initiated by things you really don’t expect. Because I think that the process by which we came to meet at all was as fully unexpected by you as it was by me.

Had that view of a person who is incredibly horrible. That is how you were viewed. But when I needed your help, it was Madelene, my best friend, who helped me to meet you. And I found out how wonderful, loving, and caring a person you were. And I am grateful for all the help you have given me, and at the same time for a lot of people out there. People like us who need help, and when we came to you, you were there.

HR: Nansook, people would always wonder how it felt to be chosen and to be put in such a position at such an early time in your life.

NS: Well, since I was born into the church, I was taught to believe that Reverend Moon was the messiah, and I was supposed to wait for Reverend Moon to choose my spouse. And that was basically absolute. It was something that we had to do. So when I was chosen to be Reverend Moon’s daughter-in-law, I really didn’t have any choice. It was either going against God, or say, ‘yes’ and that’s what I did. I was a good girl. I said yes to my parents; yes to Reverend Moon. Looking back, trying to understand what I really felt at that point is pretty difficult because it was such a shock for me to get married at that point and especially to Reverend Moon’s son. And I think I kind of blocked a lot of things out, and I kind of withdrew from the actual situation that I was in. It’s kind of pretty cloudy; that’s how I put it. I try to remember exactly how I felt, what my emotions were, and I don’t really remember that much.

HR: During that period of time, was the life that you were living as the wife of the eldest son of the Reverend Moon a different one from the life you had before or a different one from that which you had expected?

NS: Yes, I grew up with my parents; they were the early members, so they had to endure a lot of hardships, of course, psychologically and at the same time physically. We were poor; we didn’t have a lot; we didn’t have anything much. And then there’s a difference in lifestyle between members and the [Moon] family. I always viewed the family as these idealistic people who were chosen by God, who had this true love. There was, I guess, a kind of awakening once I was in the Moon family, trying to live in their whole atmosphere. First, it was a whole materialistic difference. The Moons have everything; they have cars, they have servants, basically, they have a lavish lifestyle. They have beautiful compounds. They have everything their hearts desire, and the members really don’t have much. That was one aspect. Another aspect was that I looked up to these people as people who were the model family, who were basically perfect. It was pretty easy to have that idealism. We didn’t really have that much of a close relationship with the Moon family. There were the portraits, the beautiful portraits with smiles which they had, that we looked up to. Living with them, having to get to know them as people, it was pretty sad. I never felt Reverend Moon and his wife as loving people, as we all believed they were. Their children were basically spoiled little rich kids. So the whole idealism was basically shattered.

HR: It must have been difficult as the idealism got shattered, because you were born into, and consistently a part of this movement, with the ideals and with the figure of the Reverend Moon at the head. How did you deal with the doubt and the conflict?

NH: Well, I did firmly believe I was chosen by God to be there, and I began to doubt whether Reverend Moon really was the messiah because the realistic person that I had seen up close was in no way what he was presenting himself to be. He was a very egotistic, very selfish, a very egocentric person. He’s not loving at all, in any sense. But I was there; I was born into the system; I had children, and so my theory was that maybe Reverend Moon was failing his children, his children were failing, but I could still make a difference in that place. I felt that my position was somewhat unique, and I was there to raise my children to be decent so that they could use the foundations that the church had to do some good, some good for God, some good for humanity.

But later on I realized that I couldn’t change my ex-husband’s behavior, and whatever I could do, whatever my part, I suppose I felt helpless. I didn’t see any hope in there. A lot of people, there are a lot of good members out there with a pure heart. They are there for the idealism, for God, and I think that’s what the church uses. But the whole upper hierarchy – they are just so corrupt. I don’t know whether, when they started, they had compassion for God or people. But being there 20, 30, 40 years, and when they preach the absolute power, and I think absolute power corrupts. And that’s what happened to this church. And the upper-class elders have a better lifestyle, and they abuse, they manipulate the system, and they manipulate the members, what they call the bottom, the workers; that’s how they portray [the members]. And they are there, what, 10, 20 years, working selling flowers thinking it’s for God, and in fact the Moons buy their Mercedes, their Rolls Royce, and their 20 million dollar jets. That’s what they do. And it’s heartbreaking.

I thought I could make a difference but I realized, that’s just not possible, its just one against this whole empire and I also felt that the whole environment that my children were growing up was not a place for anybody to grow up. And no matter what I tried to do as a mum, when I saw my children becoming like their aunts and uncles, being spoilt brats and telling members what to do and yelling at them, I realized I really had to get them out of there. I couldn’t really do anything for them. So the whole realization I had, my awakening, and seeing Moon as a flawed person. The whole Moon family is not idealistic but just an absolutely dysfunctional family. Of course, they portray themselves as the ideal family who are the family of God’s representatives who embody true love, and that is absolutely absurd. And also, I was a battered woman. I see a lot of similarities between battered women and also cult members. I felt that I could change this person, and with my love would guide me, if I could do my responsibility, and with God’s help, anything was possible. But then I realized that’s not the case. You have your heart, you have your motivation, but the whole environment- when the environment is so corrupt- there’s nothing you can do. And that’s what I realized. And also, I was afraid for my life. I knew one day my ex, he would be, and when he snapped then I would be dead. And I didn’t wait for that day. Basically, I took my children and myself out of there, and that’s what I did.

HR: Nansook, what role was played in support of you by your family?

NH: Well, luckily, my parents left before I did. My brother and his wife left, so that was a big help. And I didn’t really have to wait; well, I didn’t have to worry about my loved ones and how they were going to be punished by Moon, so that was a good situation for me. But I didn’t have any friends. Being there [in East Garden], one thing I learned very early is that I couldn’t trust anybody. I was 15 when I got married, two months after being there in East Garden I realized that I had to protect myself and I couldn’t trust anybody. Every single word that I uttered, I had to think about what that was going to do to me later on. Everybody there is all for power, and they will kiss up to the Moons to get money and power, and that’s what they are there for. So I didn’t really have any friends, and the only thing I had was my faith in God. I think I created God for myself so I could be comforted and I could be loved, and luckily, about six months before I left, I met Madelene, my best friend, Madelene Pretorius, who was working for my ex at that point. I came to the point in my life that I really had to talk to somebody; I felt completely alone for about 14 years. And at that point, the first person that I trusted, luckily, was a good person because they could have been another kind of person who could have manipulated me and abused the situation I was in. But luckily, she has been a great source of love and comfort. She’s been helping with packing the baggage, lying to my ex about where I was when I had to go to the lawyers. She’s the one who told me to go see you, and that worked out wonderfully. [laughter]

So my family was there and we do have some… all families have difficulties as well, and we are not perfect. My parents have been in the church for so long, and they do have a certain mentality about the religion. I think it’s a bit difficult for them to let go of [it]. My parents and I have a little different view. I see the Unification Church as the organization that’s just there to enrich Moon’s bank account, basically, and their lifestyle, to feed Moon’s kids. My parents thought that there is some truth in there, in which I disagree. So that’s where we are, and I love them, and they love me, and that’s what we have as family. And that’s a lot more than what Moon can say about true love and true family. I think all of us are a lot better than the Moon family, who are back there preaching to the whole world about love. I think we know more about love, and I think we have more love in our hearts than they ever will.

HR: People have said that you were very courageous when you left—you don’t regard yourself as an image of a courageous person, yet you took some really serious risks in leaving. As you said in your book, before you actually left, you really didn’t know how it was going to turn out, and you were very concerned.

NH: I was scared to death. I was a scaredy-cat, so I don’t know anything about courage. I knew I had to leave for a lot of reasons, and I had no resources. I was 29 years old with five children. I had no skills, I had nothing, but I knew I had to leave. But I was telling Madelene that either I was completely stupid or, as Madelene put it, I was brave. But I somehow had a sense that it would work out OK. And I think that’s the courage that Madelene gave me. I didn’t know who, in reality, was against me. Because I was going against a whole empire, I knew they were gonna come after the kids. I knew they were going to squeeze me financially to come back. But at the same time, I had my best friends, I had you, I had my wonderful friends and lawyers. Sometimes we all hate lawyers; that’s what we all believe… [laughter and applause] It was a long legal battle. It took three years, but it worked out eventually. There were times I didn’t know how I was going to survive. I thought the custody was going to be taken away because I couldn’t buy notebooks for my kids; the school started, and I couldn’t buy notebooks for them. But it did work out.

HR: Nansook, before you left, did you talk to your kids about leaving?

NH: Yes

HR: What did you tell them?

NH: I told them that I was leaving and they understood. I asked them… I gave them a choice whether they could come with me or they could stay with their dad. It was their choice. If they [had] said, ‘Mom I’ll stay with dad,’ then there was nothing I could do. But I knew in my heart that they were coming with me. We were very close. The only thing I had was my kids, and they didn’t really trust anybody else except mum. So we had a really tight relationship and I think that helped a lot in terms of having the plan and the youngest one that I had, she was four, it was about 2-3 months before we actually left and we packed and things were disappearing but they all kept the secret. They were very happy.

HR: What do you mean things were disappearing?

NH: Oh because I was packing. I had to take the picture albums, their clothes, well most of our belongings, of course we couldn’t take the furniture. I rented a storage room nearby and I started packing as I took the stuff out of there little by little. The kids helped, they packed their stuff. People did ask ‘What are you doing’ and I said, ‘Oh I’m organizing’. [laughter] So if your wives are organizing you should pay attention! [laughter] So we all helped. It was our plan to leave and I was very happy when my daughter said, ‘Mum, we want to go with you’. And I did explain the differences of the lifestyle that we will have. I said, ‘you guys have everything that you want here, and a big house, a swimming pool, everything. The place I’m going will probably be a small house, probably you will not have anything you want, but you’ll have mum.’ And they said, ‘I don’t care about this big house, I just want to live in a small house with you, mum’. So that’s how we carried out our plan.

HR: If someone asked you what is the strongest positive feeling you have as a result of having left, what would it be?

NH: Ah, that’s a difficult question.

HR: I think it is an easy question.

NH: The first thing that I felt, was I felt completely free as I left. I put my five children into my caravan. I drove out and basically I never looked back. I drove to Massachusetts, it took about four hours. I cried the whole trip. But when we arrived, it was the whole feeling that I had planned this for about eight months and I knew if my ex found out that day I was leaving, that was it, either I would be dead or be a prisoner in that compound for the rest of my life. And at the same time there was a lot of soul-searching. I wasn’t sure whether my decision was the right decision, and [I had] a lot of emotions. You know it was 29 years of my life, that’s the only thing I knew was the church. I was starting a new life which I didn’t know how I was going to handle. But I felt, the most enjoyable feeling that I had was that, even though I didn’t know how I was going to pay the next month’s bill, I had a choice. I had choice. In my life I was able to do what I wanted to do, but at the same time I knew there was responsibility with that choice. But I have to say it was the freedom, the feeling of being free. I think that’s the most precious things that I found when I left.

HR: There are a lot of people who are born within a group and brought up within a group and they really don’t get to know things outside and people outside [the group], and yet you were lucky enough to have a little light filter in outside that helped you make your decisions. What would you say to people, who are born in a group, about the possibility of leaving and what it does for your life afterwards?

NH: Well, I think anything is better than being in that group. I know we all have… I think for anybody to live a life is difficult, it’s not all happy. We have our difficult moments and we struggle from time to time, financially and emotionally. Well, I was born, and I started from that place and I completely trusted my parents. They believed with all their heart that they were doing the right thing. Well, I went to school and that was a big help. I started to develop the critical thinking as well. But at the same time, even though you do have education, and you associate with people outside, still you have this belief which is powerful because it’s a religion. How can you ever go against God? That’s what they have against you, if they use God – and you can’t even dispute when they talk about God. How can anyone say this is what God is saying, and then no reason and no logic can go against that. And that’s what they have, these cults. [Sigh]

HR: And how about the hypocrisy—or the difference between the words and what you saw– [how did it] affect you?

NH: I theorized, I developed my own way to cope with that hypocrisy. Yes, I saw some of the discrepancies. I saw the Moons going to gamble in Las Vegas and Atlantic City and their lifestyle versus the members lifestyle. They are the ones that you have to sacrifice, and they are the ones who have this true love when I didn’t see any. Um, I think because a lot of times once we get into a situation we want to make sure that is this step we made the correct one. So we, you, go around those pictures saying well, maybe. Especially the examples that Moon gives, he is going to gambling because he has to rescue and save these people, the gamblers, so he has to be there [laughter] and actually associate with these people. So then you do accept that and think, OK, well maybe that’s what it is. And also I think you do completely cut off your critical thinking; at that point. You just accept. And this is God’s representative, so your words, your voice, your inner voice really can’t do anything about it. You just basically accept what it is and the fact that. And you like to see the nicer side, not the darker side. You want to believe. Especially when, I suppose, the members who do not get to have direct access to the [Moon] family [themselves]. So, you do want to believe that they are working for God and [that] they pray all the time and they rarely sleep. In terms of my being there [with the Moon family], even though I saw the hypocrisy, I felt that I had to do my part even though other people were failing. God gave me the mission and I had to do it, and that was my theory.

HR: You actually, for a while, worked in one of the Unification Church-controlled businesses.

NH: Yes

HR: Did you have an opportunity to see there how people were treated?

NH: Well, I didn’t have to go outside the compound to see how people were treated. But, yes, I did see how the members were treated, especially by the Moon family. The Moon children, since they were young, they were taught they were the special ones, and the members, the staff who worked there were supposed to be—they were the chosen ones out of all the members—to serve these people. So any contact with the Moon family is basically considered as privileged and honored. So, yes, you get yelled at and you get spat at and that’s that. If you have any contact with these heavenly people, you’re grateful. And that’s how they translate [their experience]. And I am also guilty. I had my babysitters and I am a flawed person as well, and I do feel in my own way I try to be a good person, but I’m sure I was horrible to them from time to time, and I regret that. I hope they can forgive me if I can see them some time later. I tried to teach my children that the staff are there for God, [and] not just for the Moon family. But when their aunts and uncles say, ‘These stairs are only for the True Family and staff—and to go there, members have to use those’. And that’s what is ingrained in them. They are perpetuating this behavior that they are special people and they are better than anybody else and so they have to be treated in a certain way.

HR: You said that the members have this reverential attitude towards meeting and doing things with the Moon family. I noticed today that people who were former members of the Unification Church, when they come and they meet you, they have a similar reaction—in terms of, maybe it’s just a little trepidation. Maybe it’s just something that makes them feel funny. Have you seen that?

NH: Yes, I have. I have mixed emotions, I’m happy that they are happy to see me. At the same time, I guess it’s that if I am still treated in a certain way, then I feel guilty for them to have that kind of response when they see me and hopefully they can…

HR: Nansook you said to me once, ‘If I could leave, anybody could leave’. What did you mean by that?

NH: Well, looking at my situation I think I was in a pretty difficult, I was stuck. I was born there. All my family were there. I had five children. I had nothing else except the church. That was my whole life. And also the fact that my whole life revolved around what I thought God wanted me to do. I just didn’t… I don’t think I was in a good situation to leave that place. But, given that I saw the light, I think I came to my realization. And if I could find a best friend then I think anybody could. Even though at this point they have their belief system set in their mind. But, especially if I can talk to the relatives, to the mums and families, and just keep trying, you know, then somehow, somewhere… because what they believe in, is not true. I think they believe in their own idealism in their heart and think that’s more beautiful than anything that Moon can give them. And if you keep trying hard you’ll break them. If it’s not today, maybe tomorrow, if it’s not tomorrow maybe five years or ten years. They do need that love and your support and just don’t give up, and they’ll come around. With your love they’ll come to your heart.

HR: How do you feel about coming here?

NH: Well, it’s just wonderful. I know I’ve been wanting to attend an AFF meeting for a while. This is the first time that I’m here. I met a lot of great people and I really do appreciate when you come up to me and say ‘Oh, I read your book and it was really helpful’. I know a lot of people did write to me, and I’m trying to write everybody back, but that’s not always possible. I am grateful that my experience could be somewhat helpful to other people and that gives meaning to my life. I felt that 29 years of my life was a total waste and I thought that was a mistake, but if I could just turn that around and help somebody else who are in a similar situation, who are in doubt and use my information to change their lives, then I think that’s a blessing for me.

HR: I’d like to leave a little time to answer questions, and since we have so many people here it would help us if people submitted question in writing. We will take them as they are handed up to us. I didn’t tell Nansook that we would be having questions from the audience. You can see the kind of person she is, and we can continue this discussion almost indefinitely.

NH: Then my kids will miss me.

HR: That’s right. Nansook said, if we did that her kids would miss her. Do you want to read the question.

NH: Two points. One. Thank you for enabling us and the world to learn about the truth as seen from someone who has been inside the empire. Your liberation gives us all hope.

NH: Thank you.

NH: Two. There are thousands of workers who refer to the Moons as True Parents. Our daughter among them. They now say that they are working for the good of humanity, for the Pure Love Alliance. What is your message to them?

NH: Well, I think it is anybody’s choice to believe what they want to believe. But it is my experience being in there for 29 years, I have been living with the Moon family for 14 years, and what I saw and experienced is, is not what they preach. They don’t practice what they preach. They have their lives. They take drugs. They drink. They have their sexual liaisons and they talk about actual love and be true to your spouse and eternal love—and so if I can tell them, and I know a lot of people will decide not to listen, saying, ‘Oh, there is this rumor and this situation’. I heard that I, from some of the members, that I was not spiritually strong enough to go through what I went through. But then, if that is the case then why don’t the Moons [be] more truthful about their own lives and their flaws. But then at the same time, they cannot say they are flawed people. They are supposed to be these divine, absolute, human beings. So, I can only offer my experience – [they are] not what they say they are. They have a lot of hatred inside, rather than love. And I hope some of the members can see through that.

HR: Nansook, if we answered all the questions, I think you could write another book. A number of the questions are similar, and they ask, very simply, what are you doing now?

NH: Here, I am here talking to everybody. Well, I have five children and so basically that is my main role. I am a taxi mum and a soccer mum. I have 4, 9, 11, 12 and 16 [year-olds]. And my daughter has just got her permit, so she is driving and I am sitting next to her and I’m petrified. [laughter] I do a lot of mum stuff and I’m taking some classes. I am taking psychology classes and at the same time I am working in a battered woman’s shelter. And I am hoping I could go to law school. [applause]

HR: A number of questions have asked, how have the top officials, including the Rev. Moon and his wife, reacted to your leaving?

NH: My leaving. I think it was a shock for them. I don’t think anybody suspected that I would leave. Initially I think they wanted me to come back. And they tried all different tactics and it didn’t work. One tactic was they were not going to give the child support if I didn’t give up my confidentiality. I wanted to write a book, I wanted to just tell the people about what I experienced. So that we had our battle. I think, at this point, they have given up. My ex married again, another arranged marriage. It is not just my situation that they are struggling [with]. Most of their children are either divorced, getting divorced or left [the church]. There is a power struggle between the sons and daughters to inherit the money. I think in their heart they are going through difficult times, but I am sure they do not want to show that to the world.

HR: I’d like to repeat one of the things that Nansook said because it has not been accurately reported. And that is that in the course of negotiation of the settlement, she was on the one hand offered a financial reward if she would give up the right to write that book. On the other hand she was told that if she insisted on preserving that right, she would have to fight for child support. At that moment in time, as she has described it, she did not have the assurance of any resources to give her a continued standard of living. And yet I know, because I assisted counsel, that Nansook’s statement was ‘I will not discuss any settlement that will muzzle me.’ [applause] Fortunately, I think you have seen today that, even from her own perspective, she made the right decision.

Herbert Rosedale reads the cards with questions.]

HR: Reject… Reject… Reject…

NH: Meanwhile he is reading [laughter]

HR: Very good. And you told me you were shy. [laughter]

NH: No, I am only shy. I couldn’t even speak. I couldn’t speak a word of English when I came [to the US] and I still don’t.

HR: What concerns do you have about your safety at this point?

NH: At this point, well being ex-cult and also being a battered woman, especially being a battered woman. I think being one, we all have to look over our shoulder, and basically that is what we have until we die. We don’t know what is gonna happen. Initially I was petrified that my ex would just show up in front of my door with his shotgun. I was very cautious. I think time heals things for either side—for me and for them too. I am sure they are still full of their hatred for me, but I think they kind of moved on with their lives. So at this point I am pretty content with my life, but at the same time I don’t know what will happen to me tomorrow if somebody decides to do something. But I decided that fear was not going to control my life.

HR: This one says, I am a Unificationist and I am very grateful for my parents and True Parents because they have shown me what true love is. My mother Korean, my father, American, live very happily and two brothers. When one is blessed one is happier than I have ever seen him. Money really shouldn’t matter because I’d rather have a happy family than Mercedes. Also, I talk to a lot of college kids about sex, and most kids are so depressed for not saving themselves for marriage. I am a virgin, thanks to the Unification Church.

NH: Well good for her. It’s her or him? It’s her, right?

HR: I would assume so. I am not sure.

NH: I understand. There are a lot of good people. My parents were married there [in the church], and they have been married for forty years. They have their differences, but they love each other. And I don’t think it was because of Reverend Moon. They are both good people and it is working out. And if they are matched by Moon and if they are compatible, and they are both good people and they are working for some single goal, I think it does work out. They learn to love each other, that is good for them. But at the same time, there are cases like mine that just do not work out. I do not want to give credit to Moon for their loving family, their loving relationship. I think they are genuinely good people and that is why it is working out, not because they found this true love in the Moon family.

Herbert Rosedale: I want to thank you very much, Nansook. I just think it has been a remarkable period of time, and one that a lot of us will not forget for a long time. Thank you.

Nansook Hong: Thank you very much.

Transcrript edited for clarity.

A Taste of Utopia? Cultivating a Culture of Sustainability in Fairfield, Iowa

2026-07-13T12:50:37.100-04:00

A Taste of Utopia? Cultivating a Culture of Sustainability in Fairfield, Iowa
Atmore, Lane; Rootstalk: A Prairie Journal of Culture, Science and the Arts, Vol. II, No. 2. Grinnell College 201 6

This is another piece by Lane Atmore, based on the same ethnographic fieldwork she conducted during her two months in Fairfield in the summer of 2016. While published in Grinnell's Rootstalk under the slightly shorter title "A Taste of Utopia: A Brief Introduction to Fairfield, IA," her research focused on the intersection of TM's spirituality and the town's culture of environmental sustainability.

This article is particularly relevant to your work, as it bridges the gap between the town's utopian, eco-friendly public image and the high-demand, coercive dynamics operating beneath the surface.

Here are the primary themes from Atmore's ethnographic account:

The Illusion of the Secular

TM officially markets itself to the outside world as a simple, secular meditation technique—often stripping away spiritual language to gain entry into public schools, veterans' programs, and corporate environments. However, Atmore observes that within Fairfield, TM is institutionalized in a way that is "strongly reminiscent of religion." In this community, the purportedly scientific concept of "consciousness" is effectively synonymous with "spirituality," and adhering to the Maharishi's Vedic worldview is the social baseline.

Sustainability as Dogma

The town's famous culture of sustainability—its organic agriculture, off-the-grid homes, and solar initiatives—is not rooted purely in modern environmentalism. Instead, it is an extension of Maharishi's teachings on "natural law." The community's eco-friendly practices, including the strict adherence to Vastu (Vedic architecture oriented to cardinal directions for energetic alignment), are driven by a dogmatic requirement to align with the Guru's specific interpretation of universal balance.

The "Closed System"

Atmore highlights a core tension: a potentially beneficial meditation practice is wrapped in an ideology that dictates every facet of life. Because Maharishi was viewed as fully "enlightened," his word became unquestionable absolute truth. Atmore describes the Fairfield TM community as a "closed system"—a conservative paradigm where taking the founder's word as literal truth stifles progressive thought and creates a profound lack of critical thinking.

Social Coercion and the "Cult" Label

Crucially, Atmore notes that the word "cult" is commonly used by many residents in Fairfield—both non-meditators and meditators. She directly attributes this to the movement's restrictiveness and its active punishment of those who fail to comply with movement standards. For example, she notes that simply choosing to meditate at home rather than inside the Golden Domes can result in lasting social repercussions and ostracization from the community network.

Qi emission

2026-07-10T13:12:54.348-04:00

The dramatic physical reactions observed in Qi emission demonstrations—where students convulse, weep, or are thrown across the room without physical contact—are textbook examples of non-verbal compliance and the ideomotor effect. These responses are rarely conscious faking; rather, they are complex physiological responses amplified by the psychological pressures of a high-demand environment.

Here is a breakdown of the psychological and physiological mechanisms at play.

## The Psychological Drivers

In esoteric martial arts and Qigong lineages, the master-student dynamic often mirrors the structure of high-demand groups. The intense pressure to validate the master's authority heavily influences the student's psychological state.

* **The Ideomotor Effect:** This is a psychological phenomenon where intense expectation translates into unconscious physical movement. Because the student is deeply conditioned to believe the master is projecting a physical force, their nervous system reflexively yields or convulses to manifest that belief. The student experiences the movement as happening *to* them, completely outside their conscious control.

* **Demand Characteristics and Somatic Compliance:** In a strict hierarchy, a master’s authority relies on the efficacy of their Qi. A student who fails to react might be implicitly labeled as having "stagnant energy," being "spiritually blocked," or simply lacking the requisite skill to perceive the master's power. Convulsing becomes a form of somatic compliance—a physical demonstration of loyalty, belief, and submission to the group's narrative.

* **Emotional Contagion and Social Proof:** When senior, highly respected students dramatically writhe or collapse in response to the master's Qi, it establishes a powerful behavioral template. This social proof normalizes the reaction for junior members. In closed group settings, this can trigger a form of mass psychogenic response, where the expectation of a physical reaction becomes socially infectious.

## The Physiological Triggers

The mind's expectations are often supported by the actual physical conditions the students are placed in prior to and during the demonstration.

* **Hyperventilation and Altered Blood Chemistry:** Many of these demonstrations occur during or immediately after the student has engaged in prolonged, intense breathing exercises. Over-breathing alters the carbon dioxide levels in the blood (respiratory alkalosis). This naturally causes physical symptoms like tingling in the extremities, lightheadedness, and involuntary muscle cramps or spasms, which are easily misinterpreted as "energy."

* **Hypnotic Suggestibility and Trance:** The repetitive movements, rhythmic breathing, and intense, singular focus required in Qigong often induce a mild dissociative or trance state. In this highly suggestible condition, the critical, analytical part of the brain is bypassed, making the student much more susceptible to the master's verbal or non-verbal cues.

* **The Startle Reflex:** Masters frequently utilize sudden, aggressive movements, sharp breaths, or loud shouts (such as a *kiai* in martial arts). When a student is already hyper-focused and physically tense, this sudden stimuli triggers the autonomic nervous system's startle response. The resulting sudden flinch, jump, or collapse is a basic human reflex that is immediately post-rationalized by both the student and the audience as the impact of external Qi.

Here is a selection of foundational texts and research spanning psychology, physiology, and group dynamics that explain the mechanisms behind these dramatic demonstrations.

## The Ideomotor Effect and Suggestibility

* **"How People Are Fooled by Ideomotor Action" by Ray Hyman (1999):** Published in *Skeptical Inquirer*, this is a definitive modern breakdown by psychologist Ray Hyman on how strong expectations translate into unconscious, involuntary physical movements (such as those seen in dowsing, Ouija boards, and Qi demonstrations).

* ***The Principles of Psychology* by William James (1890):** James originally formalized the concept of "ideomotor action," positing that every mental representation of a movement naturally awakens to some degree the actual movement, which is the foundational principle behind somatic compliance in these demonstrations.

* ***Tricks of the Mind* by Derren Brown (2006):** While written by a psychological illusionist, this book provides an excellent, accessible breakdown of how hypnosis, suggestion, and the ideomotor effect are used practically to create the illusion of invisible forces, including specific dissections of martial arts "no-touch" knockouts.

## Group Dynamics and Social Compliance

* ***Cults in Our Midst* by Margaret Thaler Singer (1995):** Clinical psychologist Margaret Singer details how high-demand environments utilize physiological manipulation—including hyperventilation and prolonged guided visualization—to induce trance states, bypass critical thinking, and enforce compliance within the group hierarchy.

* ***Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism* by Robert Jay Lifton (1961):** Lifton's concept of "Milieu Control" explains how closed groups manipulate an individual's communication and environment. In esoteric martial arts, this control creates an environment in which failing to physically respond to the leader's "energy" carries heavy social penalties, thereby driving unconscious somatic compliance.

* ***Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion* by Robert B. Cialdini (1984):** Cialdini’s principles of *Social Proof* and *Authority* outline exactly why junior students begin convulsing only after watching senior members do the same. The nervous system mirrors the established behavioral template of the authority figure's inner circle.

## Physiology and Respiratory Alkalosis

* ***Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology* (John E. Hall):** The standard medical text outlining the mechanics of hyperventilation. It details how rapid, deep breathing (common in Qigong preparation) blows off excess CO2, leading to respiratory alkalosis. This alters blood pH, lowering blood calcium levels, which directly triggers muscle spasms, tingling (paresthesia), and tetany (involuntary contractions)—symptoms often misinterpreted as "Qi."

* **"Mass Psychogenic Illness: A Social Psychological Analysis" by Robert E. Bartholomew and Simon Wessely (2002):** Published in *Psychological Medicine*, this paper explores how intense physical symptoms (like hyperventilation and collapsing) can rapidly spread through a tightly knit group facing high psychological pressure or expectations.

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/10/2026

2026-07-10T08:57:00.000-04:00

Culture & Media

New Docuseries

Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal (2026)
This brand-new three-part docuseries premiered in June 2026 on Paramount+ (also broadcast as Devotion: The Gloriavale Story on New Zealand television).

The Focus: It examines the daily life inside the sect—where men maintain total authority and women are expected to live in absolute submission—while investigating decades of alleged sexual abuse, coercive control, and leadership cover-ups.

The Approach: Directed by Nicole Rittenmeyer, it uses archival footage and presents dueling interviews with ex-members who call it an abusive prison, alongside current members who fiercely defend their faith.

Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal is a three-part Paramount+ original docuseries released on June 2, 2026. Directed by Nicole Rittenmeyer, the series provides an unprecedented, ground-level look inside the Gloriavale Christian Community in New Zealand, contrasting decades of archival footage with dueling present-day interviews from both current members and survivors.

The series serves as a visceral case study in coercive control. It meticulously documents how vertical authoritarianism—established by the sect's founder, Neville Cooper—relied heavily on horizontal community enforcement to sustain itself. The documentary highlights how members were conditioned to view the outside world as inherently evil, creating a closed milieu where peer surveillance and rigid patriarchal rules normalized decades of alleged sexual abuse and systemic cover-ups.

The visual markers of this totalizing environment are so stark that The Handmaid’s Tale costume designer, Ane Crabtree, has cited Gloriavale's uniform blue dresses and bonnets as a direct inspiration for the acclaimed television series.

Episode Breakdown
The docuseries unfolds in three distinct chapters, charting the rise, exposure, and fracturing of the community:
1. In Search of Truth: Traces the origins of the group under Neville Cooper, exploring how a movement initially founded on religious devotion hardened into a high-demand system built on absolute obedience, sacrifice, and total control of information.
2. Sins of the Father: Captures the pivotal moment the closed world is torn open. This episode details the mounting allegations of sexual assault, the subsequent police raids on the compound, and Cooper's stunning public fall from power.
3. The Choices We Make: Examines the succession and leadership crisis following the founder's death. It focuses on the ongoing struggle over the community's future as external legal scrutiny and internal fractures threaten its survival.

Sources for the details provided about Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal:
• Paramount Press Express: The official media and press release platform for Paramount Global, which provided the June 2, 2026, premiere date, official episode summaries, and production details.
• Paramount+: The official streaming service hosting the docuseries, which confirms the three-part structure and its release as a Paramount+ original.
• Apple TV & Prime Video Directories: Streaming databases that catalog the series, listing Nicole Rittenmeyer as the director, Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong as executive producers, and confirming the episode titles ("In Search of Truth," "Sins of the Father," and "The Choices We Make").

Updates

Research & Academic

Ecstatic Integration: The US military just ended a 16-year, $500mn experiment in 'resilience training'
"Last year, the US military quietly ended one of the biggest-ever experiments in psychological training. Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) was a resilience training program that launched in 2009, cost somewhere between $500 million and $1 billion, was designed by Professor Martin Seligman of Penn University (the inventor of Positive Psychology) and aimed to train every soldier in the Army, and their families, in Positive Psychology and CBT-style coping techniques, in order to improve resilience, and reduce PTSD and suicides.

Did it fail? By one important measure, yes. Veteran suicides kept on rising in the years after the program was rolled out. But by other measures, the truth is, we don’t have a clear answer. One of the biggest-ever psychological training programs in history launched without a pilot and was never independently and rigorously evaluated.

The rise and fall of CSF illustrates the power of the hype cycle in psychological theories. Psychology is an incredibly faddish discipline, arguably more so than other social sciences, because it overlaps with self-help and life-coaching, and because the media and celebrities love to amplify the incredible new way to fix yourself. Fashions rise then disappear - anyone remember the self-esteem movement? Or ‘hysteria’? Or ‘lovesickness’?

The end of CSF is further evidence that well-meaning attempts at mandatory training in wisdom / emotional intelligence / mindfulness / resilience, or other psychospiritual goals consistently fail, based on extensive evidence over the last 25 years. Does that mean Positive Psychology was a pointless waste of time, effort, and money? No. Some findings from the field appear to replicate, and it could intersect with psychedelic science
in interesting ways. It’s the grander ambitions of the movement - resilience classes in every school, resilience training for every US soldier, well-being targets for entire nations - that didn’t stand up."

Ongoing Focus

Safehouse: A place for information, resources, and support regarding harm caused to students and employees of Sattva Yoga Academy.

The SafeHouse website serves as a survivor-led platform for former students, teachers, and associates of Rishikesh’s Sattva Yoga Academy. It provides resources, support, and a collective space to share information regarding severe allegations of sexual and emotional abuse by the founder, Anand Mehrotra.

The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan, Joseph Kelly, or Ashlen Hilliard endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.

Please forward articles you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

CultNEWS101 Articles: 7/9/2026

2026-07-09T09:02:00.000-04:00

Culture & Media

New Video

"The Maharishi: Great Seer or GREAT SCAMMER?! The Truth About His Cult and Transcendental Meditation"

This video by Let The Fresh Erin explores the controversial legacy of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM). The creator, who has personal ties to followers of the group, examines the tension between the calming benefits reported by practitioners and the exploitative, cult-like structure she argues underpins the organization.

The video highlights several critical areas of concern:

The "Hook": TM is marketed as a simple, science-backed path to bliss and world peace. The creator notes that while meditation itself can be beneficial, the TM organization restricts this common practice behind a significant paywall, requiring students to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to receive a "personalized" mantra and four days of indoctrination sessions.

Insidious Control: The organization, particularly through the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, is described as employing tactics of behavior and thought control. Students—often young people seeking sustainable education—are reportedly funneled into rigid lifestyles that dictate their diets, daily routines, clothing, and even social interactions, often under the guise of "Vedic science."

Contradictions and Danger: The video details allegations that Maharishi was neither the celibate sage he claimed to be nor a true spiritual master, but rather a former bookkeeper who rebranded existing practices for profit. Furthermore, it discusses the tragic real-world consequences of his teachings, such as "yogic flying" claims that led some followers to physically injure themselves attempting to defy gravity.

Ultimately, the video concludes that while elements of the lifestyle (such as meditation and healthy living) may offer personal benefits, the underlying for-profit business model and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals make the organization fundamentally predatory.

Updates

Research & Academic

Contemporary research on high-demand groups and coercive control has shifted away from the traditional, often sensationalist "cult" framework toward a more granular analysis of how social, digital, and economic structures facilitate dependency and control.

Key Themes in Recent Scholarship (2025–2026)

Systemic Coercion in Post-Conflict Environments: Recent studies have demonstrated how coercive control is not limited to isolated groups but can be embedded into local governance. For example, research on Northern Ireland highlights how informal power networks can persist post-demobilization, using social capital and community-based surveillance to enforce compliance and suppress dissent long after formal peace agreements are signed (Knox, 2026).

Professional and Clinical Perspectives: A survey of psychologists conducted between late 2024 and early 2025 identified a significant gap in formal training regarding group-based psychological abuse. Practitioners noted that while many patients present with trauma and dependency features consistent with involvement in abusive groups, there is a lack of validated, evidence-based assessment tools to categorize these experiences clinically (Tinelli, 2026).

Digital Facilitation of Control: Scholarship is increasingly focused on how digital environments—including social media and AI—are used to facilitate gender-based and group-based harm. Studies show that emotional manipulation, persistent harassment, and threats of "digital violence" are now normalized tools used to undermine individual autonomy and consent (Martínez-Díaz, 2026).

Deconstructing "Cult" Stigma: Contemporary sociologists warn against the "cult" label, noting that it often prioritizes sensationalism over scholarly analysis and can lead to "guilt by association." Newer frameworks focus on the specific structural and operational architectures—ideology, network coordination, and power asymmetries—that allow groups to influence or exploit their members (Vardé, 2026; Sangwa, 2025).

References
Knox, C. (2026). Post-Conflict Coercive Governance: Paramilitary Influence in Northern Ireland. Terrorism and Political Violence. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2026.2675903
Martínez-Díaz, A. (2026). Technology-Facilitated Online Sexual Violence, Consent Negotiation, and Coping Among Adult Women: A Qualitative Study. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13073261/
Sangwa, S. (2025). Secret and Quasi-Secret Societies: History, Influence, and Theological Perspective. Open Journal of Stigmatized Knowledge & Suppressed Discourses, 1(2). https://journals.openchristian.education/index.php/oj-sksd/article/view/66Tinelli, L. (2026). Are psychologists aware of group psychological abuse? A survey on awareness of the phenomenon among Italian psychologists. Frontiers in Psychology. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1749074/full
Vardé, M. (2026). Beyond the Leader: Guilt by Association and Stigma in New Religious Movements. The Journal of CESNUR. https://cesnur.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/tjoc_10_3_3_varde.pdf

The News Literacy Project: At science meeting, NLP’s Brunskill shows how skepticism and news literacy go together
What’s the difference between skepticism and cynicism? Why does it matter?

"...The whole goal of news literacy is to generate healthy skepticism. You can ask questions, think critically, and use verification skills to make informed decisions about what information to trust.

Teens need to know how credible information is produced. If they don’t have those skills, then a conspiracy theory may be just as compelling to them as a peer-reviewed paper. That’s where we get into the territory of cynicism.

If you believe all information is created equally, or believe that all information is equally untrustworthy, then you can be vulnerable to false, misleading, or even harmful claims."

How Skepticism and News Literacy Work Together

In a recent feature from The News Literacy Project, Pamela Brunskill—the organization’s senior director of education design—explains why teaching students the difference between skepticism and cynicism is a cornerstone of modern news literacy.

Speaking ahead of her presentation at CSICon, the nation’s premier conference on scientific skepticism, Brunskill highlights several key takeaways for educators and parents:

Skepticism vs. Cynicism: News literacy aims to foster healthy skepticism, where students learn to use verification skills to make informed decisions. In contrast, cynicism—the belief that all information is equally untrustworthy—can actually leave young people more vulnerable to misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Essential Verification Skills: While teens are "digital natives," they still require explicit instruction in verification techniques, such as:

Lateral Reading: Opening new tabs to investigate the credibility of a source.

Critical Ignoring: Learning to recognize signs of non-credible information to avoid getting overwhelmed by the need to fact-check everything.

Navigating AI: To spot AI-generated content, Brunskill advises checking the credibility of the sharing account and looking for verification from standards-based news organizations. If a sensational claim is not being reported by legitimate outlets, it is a sign to proceed with caution.

Ongoing Focus

SMH: Pentecostal predator had ‘lifetime free of punishment’ for Sydney child abuse
Richard Jones, an 88-year-old man, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexually abusing a child in the 1980s while volunteering at the Christian Growth Center (now Horizon Church) in Sydney. The victim, who was 10 or 11 at the time, was a family friend of Jones and a regular participant in church activities. Jones used his position to access the girl, often waking her during sleepovers to abuse her while subjecting her to emotional manipulation.

The abuse was discovered in 1990 when the victim told her mother. During a meeting with the church pastor, John Wilkinson, Jones admitted to the acts. However, the church failed to report the abuse to the police, instead choosing to cover it up, allowing Jones to remain involved in the congregation for years.

The victim only reported the abuse to authorities in 2024 after reaching out to the church's leadership. Jones eventually pleaded guilty to three of the ten charges. In sentencing, Judge David Scully acknowledged the severe, lifelong impact of the trauma on the survivor, including lasting mental health issues and difficulties with intimacy. While Judge Scully considered Jones's advanced age, ill health, and lack of prior criminal record, he rejected a request for a community-based sentence. He noted that such leniency was inappropriate given that Jones had effectively enjoyed a "lifetime free of criminal punishment" while the victim suffered the consequences of his actions for decades.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

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CultNEWS101 Articles: 7/8/2026

2026-07-08T10:29:13.655-04:00

Culture & Media

New Docuseries
Ministry Of Evil: The Twisted Cult Of Tony Alamo

Chilling docuseries based on the life of televangelist Tony Alamo.

This four-part docuseries is a deep dive into Susan and Tony Alamo’s Christian Foundation. Founded in 1969 to bring those ‘dirty hippies’ into the fold, their message back then was: ‘repent or perish’.

Susan, who had faked cancer for years, died of breast cancer in 1982, aged 56, and although Tony and her followers fully expected her to rise from the dead, Tony had to work hard without Susan’s charisma to keep the ministry and its multiple businesses afloat.
Susan’s estranged daughter Christhiaon is one of the more prominent contributors, describing Tony as ‘extra baggage’ and reminding us that it was Susan who ‘started this mess’. Without her, the ministry was to descend into criminal chaos, when it was already pretty corrupt.

New Publications

9 Takeaways From the Book 'Taken No More'

Key points

Cult leaders and human traffickers use similar techniques to entrap new recruits.

Adults can help young people learn to protect themselves from recruitment into cults and trafficking.

"Taken No More" by Robin Boyle-Laisure provides suggestions for adults to help youth stay safe.

In Taken No More, law professor and cult expert Robin Boyle-Laisure, J.D., discusses commonalities between cults and human trafficking. In the mix, she also considers intimate partner violence and child sexual abuse. Coercive control unites these diverse situations.

The book is subtitled, “Protect Your Children Against Traffickers and Cults.” A good chunk of it is directed toward parents and educators. However, it also seems relevant to professionals in mental health, child protection, and the law, as well as to casual readers with an interest in these topics.

Updates

UnHerd: The Sikh sect linked to Henry Nowak's killer Nihangs revel in swords and sovereignty
Writing in Unherd, reporter Amardeep Bassey explains the story of the Nihangs order within the Sikh tradition, to which the murderer Vickrum Digwa belonged. Digwa was sentenced to life for stabbing to death teenager Henry Nowak, in Southampton, with a knife known as a pesh-kabz, a straight-bladed dagger especially associated with the Nihangs. In the UK, the movement has a few hundred adherents.

The article says that the Nihangs were mentioned in the judge’s sentencing remarks, and the report is an account of the order, its beliefs, history, and the extent of its influence.

U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington: Texas couple indicted for psychic fraud scheme, allegedly stealing millions from vulnerable people
A Texas couple, Bridgette Doreen Evans (alias Jolene Travis) and her partner, Washington, were involved in a sophisticated "psychic fraud" scheme. Prosecutors allege the pair targeted emotionally vulnerable individuals, such as those grieving a loss or experiencing romantic struggles, by claiming they could "cleanse" victims of curses or romantic misfortune.

Between April 2021 and July 2024, the couple reportedly defrauded at least three victims of approximately $2.5 million. Evans, using multiple aliases, convinced victims to liquidate their financial holdings—often sending money in the form of cash or gold coins—under the guise that she would "cleanse" the funds and return them. Uwanawich allegedly facilitated the fraud by managing bank accounts, selling gold, and vouching for Evans to gain trust.

The indictment reveals that Evans previously used similar tactics in Florida and Texas, at one point even operating from prison. The couple now faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, with each count carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The FBI is continuing its investigation into the scheme.

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com

Intervention101.com helps families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexities of a loved one's involvement in a cult.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families in making the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

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Leading Scholars Slam Jailing of Orgasm Guru Using Junk Science

2026-07-08T10:23:55.000-04:00

Twenty religious freedom scholars warn that the OneTaste forced labor case sets a dangerous precedent.

Tom Latchem

Daily Beast

July 7, 2026

Twenty of the world’s leading religious freedom experts have condemned the U.S. government for using a debunked “brainwashing” theory to imprison an “orgasm meditation” guru, PunchUp reports. Nicole Daedone, 58, founded OneTaste, the San Francisco company that ran a sexuality-focused wellness program for its paying students. Its alleged victims testified that they consented to the practices, and no physical force was alleged. Yet a Brooklyn jury convicted Daedone and former sales chief Rachel Cherwitz, 45, of forced labor conspiracy in June 2025. In March, Judge Diane Gujarati, a Donald Trump appointee, sentenced Daedone to nine years and Cherwitz to six-and-a-half years. The bipartisan scholars—among them Harvard Law’s Alan Dershowitz and the London School of Economics’ Eileen Barker—signed a memorandum through the Turin-based Center for Studies on New Religions calling the case “a significant threat to religious liberty and democratic norms.” The memo supports an analysis by Massimo Introvigne, the Italian sociologist who founded the Turin-based Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), and is widely regarded as the world’s foremost authority on new religious movements. “Some may not understand why new religious movement scholars regard the OneTaste case as an extremely dangerous precedent,” Introvigne told PunchUp, our sister investigations Substack. “It is not about the content of the OneTaste courses and practices. It is about an American court that reintroduced the pseudo-scientific theory of brainwashing from the back door of trafficking laws, thus putting all religions that rely on volunteer labor in potential danger.” Daedone’s appeal is now before the Second Circuit. The Daily Beast has contacted the Department of Justice and the FBI for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/doj-slammed-for-jailing-onetaste-orgasm-guru-using-junk-science/

Self-Help Recovery from Coercive Control

2026-07-08T09:57:17.676-04:00

Self-Help Recovery from Coercive Control

Many survivors of coercive control struggle to access support in the aftermath of their experiences. An absence of professionals with appropriate training, financial limitations, isolation, and lack of trust are just a few reasons many survivors find themselves alone in their recovery journey.

This study aims to better understand self-help recovery processes.

Interview Participants needed:

Survivors of any type of coercive control whose recovery process has included some element of self-help; they may have also had professional support, but not necessarily. Candidates will have been out of the controlled environment for 12 months or more.

Researcher: Anami Shucart, A.T.Shucart@edu.salford.ac.uk

Supervisor: Rod Dubrow-Marshall, R.Dubrow-Marshall@salford.ac.uk

For more information, please visit: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/self-help-recovery-from-coercive-control-an-interview-based-exp

HBO Max premieres its documentary series THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI this fall

2026-07-07T23:27:02.847-04:00

HBO Max premieres its documentary series THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI this fall

HBO Max today announced the fall premiere of its new original documentary series THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI, produced by THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO for HBO Max in Spain, created and directed by Mònica Terribas.

Following the media and social impact of the documentary series THE HEROIC MINUTE, I TOO LEFT OPUS DEI, which was awarded the 2025 Ondas prize - which addressed the labor, spiritual and psychological abuse to which, according to the testimonies of thirteen women, they are subjected within the institution - many men who had left Opus Dei also needed to explain the role they had played within the Work.

According to their own accounts, they were recruited from childhood and destined to become numeraries or priests of Opus Dei. The series analyzes their descriptions of psychological control, recruitment practices, and oppression, as well as their accounts of the alleged underlying dynamics of power, money, influence, and control.

THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI features the testimonies of 14 men of all ages from eleven different countries, who recount their personal experiences within the reality of Opus Dei: Spain, Italy, France, Poland, Germany, England, and across the Atlantic in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, the United States, and Argentina. Many of them held positions of responsibility as directors, secretaries, and members of Local Councils within their centers, as well as officers of Regional Commissions. Others were called to support the institution from the highest levels of their professional careers to expand Opus Dei. Some, as numeraries, associates, or priests, were sent as teenagers to countries from which they never returned.

Their shared experiences shed light on the functioning of the Work, its economic dynamics and influence , through the Regional Commissions, the Local Councils, the educational, university and research centers, as well as the dynamics of spiritual direction and precepting on adolescents and young university students.

“The men within Opus Dei command, maneuver, administer, mortify themselves, sacrifice themselves, and, like the women, they also break down. It is heartening to hear them speak on behalf of the many who do not yet dare to stand before the camera and who have been part of the research for this series,” declared Mònica Terribas Sala, screenwriter and director of THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI.

To contextualize the protagonists' testimonies, the documentary features the voices of experts, such as Santiago Bueno Salinas, professor of canon law, also judicial vicar and president of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Barcelona; María Esther Fernández Mostaza, professor of sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and author of the book Els fills de l'Opus; Dr. Vega González, clinical psychologist and managing director of Care and Research in Social Addictions (AIS); Gareth Gore, investigative journalist and author of Opus; and Rebecca Griffin, director of The Deep Dive Project.

The series features reenactments that reconstruct the protagonists' stories, played by actors Joel Bosqued and Guillem Balart and directed by Pere Sala.

THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI is an HBO Max original documentary series in Spain produced by THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO. Mònica Terribas, Bernat Elías, and Amparo Castellano are the executive producers for THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO. Bibiana González is the Director of Non-Fiction Content for HBO Max. María Rubio and Zaida Serrano-Piedecasas serve as executive producers for Warner Bros. Discovery.

https://press-spain.max.com/post/hbo-max-estrena-en-otono-su-serie-documental-el-buen-espiritu-de

Research participation opportunity: on spiritual life after religious/spiritual abuse

2026-07-07T23:05:27.000-04:00

Rayann Gordon is researching spiritual abuse and is conducting a study on how people reconstruct their spirituality after leaving an abusive situation. She is talking to people who were hurt in a variety of spiritual settings: Buddhist, Christian, New Age, etc.

Here is the info:

Looking for participants for

“Reconstructing the Sacred: A Mixed Methods Study of Recovery After Spiritual Abuse,” a research project exploring what recovery looks like after spiritual abuse, including the role of grief, ritual, finding new meaning, how your spirituality has changed, and what helped along the way.

You may be eligible if you:

Are aged 18 or over and fluent in English

Have experienced religious or spiritual abuse in the past

Have been out of the abusive situation for at least three years

Currently have a meaningful spiritual life

Feel that participation would not be distressing for you

What's involved:

Two brief online questionnaires and a 60–90 minute Zoom interview about your recovery journey and spiritual life now.

Participation is entirely voluntary and confidential.

To find out more or to take part, start here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/reconstructingthesacred061026

Or contact Rayann Gordon (Researcher): r.gordon5@edu.salford.ac.uk

This study has been approved by the University of Salford Ethics Committee. Academic supervisor: Dr Linda Dubrow-Marshall.

The Make-Believe

2026-07-07T22:55:57.261-04:00

The Make-Believe

A Memoir of Magic and Madness

By Hannah Murray

Book Description

From Skins and Game of Thrones star Hannah Murray, a “genuinely jaw-dropping” (Vogue) memoir about fame, mental illness, and the struggle to leave a shadowy wellness organization whose belief in magic shattered her reality.

“A frank and often darkly funny exploration of the convergence of hedonism with the self-help industry.”—The Guardian

I lost my mind. I lost myself. I got them back. But they are different . . .

From her breakout role as a teen actor on the cult TV show Skins to critically acclaimed movies to the smash hit Game of Thrones, Hannah Murray built a career in Hollywood, cracking open her own psychological foundations and pushing her body to its limits. But one day, the line between make-believe and reality disappeared, and she found herself confined to a psych ward, dangerously in love with the leader of a shadowy wellness organization, and believing in magic. How she got there—and how she managed to rebuild her life—is the heart of this gripping, powerful memoir that asks: How far would you go to find enlightenment?

For Hannah, it was deceptively easy to fall down the rabbit hole. As she struggled with her mental health, she sought help in the form of wellness and self-care. After an eye-opening session with an energy healer, Hannah was introduced to an organization that she was told would bring her further spiritual rewards. Enthralled by its charismatic leader and his teachings of a world filled with magic and meaning, Hannah found herself sucked into a rigorous practice involving high control and financial outlay. And as her sense of reality began to slip, eventually resulting in her hospitalization and diagnosis with bipolar disorder, she realized she had fully ceded control of her life to this mysterious organization. And, she thought, as she reckoned with the Hollywood career that conditioned her to give her body and soul over to others, maybe she’d been doing that her whole life.

Both a cautionary tale and a cry for radical empathy, Hannah’s story of learning to trust herself will resonate with anyone who has struggled to find agency. The Make-Believe is a probing exploration of womanhood and mental health, and a search for the healing that comes from reclaiming our own narratives.

https://www.amazon.com/Make-Believe-Memoir-Magic-Madness/dp/0593979826

American perceptions and personal experiences regarding coercive or cult-like groups

2026-07-07T22:36:44.000-04:00

YouGov poll conducted in October 2025:

2,232 U.S. adult citizens.

The poll was conducted between October 2nd and October 6th, 2025, with a margin of error of ±2.7%.

32% of Americans report knowing someone who has joined a coercive or cult-like group.

18% knowing an acquaintance,
12% a friend,
12% a family member, and
3% who report having personally joined one.

45% of the public believes that coercive or cult-like groups are more common today than they were in the past.
32%: The average person is susceptible to recruitment.
53% of Americans view individuals who join coercive groups as victims of manipulation, whereas
28% hold the individuals responsible for their own choices.

https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/53891-two-thirds-of-americans-think-the-average-person-is-susceptible-to-cult-recruitment

Yogaville Lawsuit Analysis with Legal Expert Marci Hamilton: What the Joint Statement Really Means

2026-07-07T19:38:06.861-04:00

Yogaville Lawsuit Analysis with Legal Expert Marci Hamilton: What the Joint Statement Really Means

In this episode of Surviving Satchidananda, host Briana Patton examines the recently settled lawsuit filed by Shanti Norris and Susan Cohen against Yogaville and Integral Yoga. The plaintiffs alleged they were subjected to coercive control and sexual abuse by the late Swami Satchidananda while they were teenage devotees.

Patton interviews legal expert Professor Marci Hamilton, who contextualizes the lawsuit within the broader history of clergy abuse. Hamilton explains how charismatic religious leaders use coercive control to manipulate victims, noting that powerful institutions frequently protect predators and attempt to hide behind the First Amendment to avoid legal accountability. She draws parallels between this case and other high-profile abuse scandals, emphasizing the urgent need to eliminate statutes of limitations for child sex abuse.

The episode concludes by analyzing the lawsuit's recent confidential settlement and joint public statement. While Patton respects the survivors' choice to settle after four grueling years of litigation and counter-lawsuits, she harshly criticizes Yogaville's leadership. She condemns the statement’s minimizing language—which reframes grooming and abuse as "inappropriate sexual activities"—and calls out the organization's claim of ignorance as false, given decades of open secrets. Patton concludes that, despite the flawed settlement, the public record has been permanently changed.

(Source: Yogaville Lawsuit Analysis with Legal Expert Marci Hamilton)

https://youtu.be/re58x9boFMI?si=mTCzN9MbCpOybdNL