Approaches to helping people exit cultic groups, The biggest mistake families make is trying to argue with a loved one, says Pat Ryan, another former cult-member who has been working in the field for decades, and now calls himself an "interventionist.". Specializes in recovery from cults, trauma, and abuse. One click led to another, and he wound up deep into dark conspiracies and hate speech dressed up as dogma. var addy12e374cf467cf94c035e499fed3d9ec1 = 'consulta' + '@'; Pat Ryan, another former cult member-turned-deprogrammer or exit counselor, says when a family hires him to meet with a loved one, his first step is to do a kind of intervention on the family. According to the Ipsos poll, more than 40% of Americans believed some of the most virulent and far-fetched disinformation either the baseless claim that the election was rigged, that a Satan-worshiping child sex ring is trying to control our politics and media, or that Antifa activists were responsible for the Capitol riots. document.getElementById('cloakf8cac7ff1581dc987ce8d90a07bec040').innerHTML = ''; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; SMITH: And then Benscoter carefully starts making the case that anyone can be duped, offering up herself as Exhibit A and explaining how she, as a Moonie, thought she was following the Messiah. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var addyfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b = 'steve' + '@'; And it just SMITH: And Queen listens quietly as Benscoter continues explaining how the indoctrination tactics worked on her. document.getElementById('cloak7b57602c4cc4d305ebe32094a0517282').innerHTML = ''; This talk was presented at an official TED conference. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. GILLEY: Looking back at it now, it's terrifying. Like (40K) Share. Tell them, Share with me what you think is a really reputable article. After the forced removal, deprogramming mostly . Benscoter talks about the many reputable non-profits fighting human trafficking, and suggests Queen might like to get involved. Michael Travesser is the leader of the cult called Strong City. Specializes in litigation against cults. Use the vacation to have fun, not to press your views onto the person. But the deal is we both listen respectfully to each other.. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; document.getElementById('cloakfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b').innerHTML = ''; I don't put anything past people.". It started when he questioned the Black Lives Matter movement online and got assailed. document.getElementById('cloak9ab5a63abd787008bc43f649316071fa').innerHTML = ''; "It goes deep.". "In . addy9305946a8da6033cf0ae51a493ea258b = addy9305946a8da6033cf0ae51a493ea258b + 'leonafurnari' + '.' + 'com'; The similarities between cults and being in love with a narcissist fall into three basic categories: the people involved. SMITH: The Ipsos poll shows a close correlation between those who believe in conspiracies and those who get most of their news from conservative news sources, social media or apps like Parler and Telegram that have become disinformation superspreaders. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; The approach has evolved since the days when some deprogrammers came under fire for crossing legal and ethical lines by holding cult members against their will. 11. Itll take time for people to change their views, Hassan said, but by engaging with them and continuing to be respectful, it can help them pull away from conspiracies. var addy58e313c97f95266c6ebc9cf6532a97bb = 'cathysharrislcsw' + '@'; "Deprogramming is a fancy word for a variety of kidnapping," the ACLU warned in 1977, while a 1982 survey of over 400 former cult members found that of the almost three-quarters who had been . SMITH: For all the psy-ops used to suck people into a cultic group, experts say it takes just as much savvy and precision to help them out. She shares an insider's perspective on the mind of a cult member, and proposes a new way to think about today's most troubling conflicts and extremist movements. Eventually, thanks to a patient friend who stuck by him and indulged his questions, Gilley says he came to understand how he had "allowed himself" to go from a left-leaning supporter of former President Barack Obama to a guy who had fallen all the way down a far-right rabbit hole. BENSCOTER: I started believing that all information from regular news sources is just wrong, and they became, like, the enemy. 4. Comments on NXIVM, a sex-trafficking cult, on CBC 3/28/2018. BENSCOTER: Yeah. She expresses sympathy for how Queen's business has been hurt during the pandemic. In Georgia, Andra Gillespie of Emory University says the voting bill would disproportionately hurt lower-income voters, people of color and Democrats. Phone: (845)-499-0957, Daniel Shaw, CSW Mental health professional that treats cult abuse victims. 2: Go on Facebook or the web and search for groups of ex members from the group you were in. Phone: (469) 316-7290, John D. Goldhammer, Ph.D. Seattle Recovery from destructive groups and religious cults Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. document.getElementById('cloakf4219bca9ede32acb3a79607cd4c413f').innerHTML = ''; MSNBC recently hosted a guest who claimed that people who watch FOX News are in a cult and need to be deprogrammed. Overcoming the charisma of cult leaders, such as Jim Jones, is not an easy task. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; addyf8cac7ff1581dc987ce8d90a07bec040 = addyf8cac7ff1581dc987ce8d90a07bec040 + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; Refresh the page, check Medium. addy08a3115d0b8c7e253703ff3626436340 = addy08a3115d0b8c7e253703ff3626436340 + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; This bankrupted the co-defending Cult. Indeed, the idea is never to "snap the person out of it, or do an 'a-ha' moment where it's a light bulb," says Steven Hassan, "but rather to do incremental 'A-ha's'" so the person may slowly realize what doesn't add up. var addy_textfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b = 'steve' + '@' + 'dreichel' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloakfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b').innerHTML += ''+addy_textfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b+'<\/a>'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var addy_text9ab5a63abd787008bc43f649316071fa = 'sarawaters' + '@' + 'protonmail' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak9ab5a63abd787008bc43f649316071fa').innerHTML += ''+addy_text9ab5a63abd787008bc43f649316071fa+'<\/a>'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Joe Biden, who denounced Trump for refusing to criticize QAnon during a press conference last week. Ross is the preeminent cult deprogrammer in the United States and the head of the Cult Education Institute, a nonprofit library with archived information about cults. (714) 435-CULT(2858) Monday - Friday / 9am - 5pm var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; A cult keeps people in by its magnetizing and entrancing environment, so if the person gets away from this environment, they'll have space to think and reflect. Today, experts say the engagement. In many places, those conspiracy theories are actually leading to some big policy changes. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The question is whether the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol can begin to steer some of the Trump faithful toward the kind of cult deprogramming they so . The poll found that those buying into fallacies are far more likely to get most of their news from social media, friends and family, or conservative news outlets. Thats toxic and going to drive the person deeper [into the conspiracy] by persecuting them.. Hassan most recently authored The Cult of Trump, an analysis of the president's hold over his most ardent supporters, and began deprogramming people after he left the notorious Moonie cult in 1976. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. BENSCOTER: I think it's really important to try to help people inoculate, to try to create herd immunity to psychological manipulation and to hit that tipping point in society where more people understand how these tactics work. 1: It can help to know that you are not the first person to leave a controlling group and you won't be the last. addy1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d = addy1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; var addy_text1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d = 'mwinell' + '@' + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d').innerHTML += ''+addy_text1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d+'<\/a>'; Dan featured on the Break It Down Podcast. A Cult of One by Richard Grannon takes the reader through an intimate, honest and personal journey of Narcissism, trauma and self discovery. Also a former cult member and anti-cult activist. Read transcript. Ginger Brown was 22 years old when she accused her parents of kidnapping her. And so then, we have a path to go on.". document.getElementById('cloak7986d920f3745ab243b59af6f71579f5').innerHTML = ''; Bea Armstrong, MFT Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. And while few cult specialists today claim to do the sort of deprogramming that gained popularity in the 1970s, some anti-cult practitionersand licensed psychiatristsdo still embrace the . "You want to be right so bad. The only viable strategy is prevention, she says, which is why she's helping to develop a public awareness campaign to help keep people from falling down the rabbit hole in the first place. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. var addyd837acf5bd986a89f36638fee3f1630d = 'andreamoore4' + '@'; the effects on the victim or aftermath once leaving the cult or relationship. BENSCOTER: You know, that sounds outrageous, but, you know, I wasn't stupid. Nuh-uh.". var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; It's a plandemic (ph), and it's a damndemic (ph). SMITH: By the end, they agree to keep talking - just what Benscoter was hoping for. Whats wrong, Hassan says, is telling the believer that theyre brainwashed, or stupid or weak. Annie Reneau. "And we need to get to the bottom of that. It was the first of many times during their conversation that Benscoter would back off and pivot, in search of even the tiniest patch of common ground. var addy_text9305946a8da6033cf0ae51a493ea258b = 'info' + '@' + 'leonafurnari' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak9305946a8da6033cf0ae51a493ea258b').innerHTML += ''+addy_text9305946a8da6033cf0ae51a493ea258b+'<\/a>'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; You need JavaScript enabled to view it. addy7b57602c4cc4d305ebe32094a0517282 = addy7b57602c4cc4d305ebe32094a0517282 + 'aspiremhnv' + '.' + 'com'; UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: A controversial election bill clears another hurdle at the state capitol. TOVIA SMITH, BYLINE: Michelle Queen, a 46-year-old from Texas, is one of a quarter of Americans, according to a recent Ipsos poll, who believe the baseless claim that Trump won the election and President Biden did not. But it's a tedious and time-intensive process, and one that Benscoter concedes, cannot keep up with disinformation spreading virally online. addy7986d920f3745ab243b59af6f71579f5 = addy7986d920f3745ab243b59af6f71579f5 + 'verizon' + '.' + 'net'; QUEEN: That's right - and sturdy bridges, not nothing that's going to fall apart. What's changing now is how fast and how far it can spread. var addy_text7b57602c4cc4d305ebe32094a0517282 = 'deirdrewilson' + '@' + 'aspiremhnv' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak7b57602c4cc4d305ebe32094a0517282').innerHTML += ''+addy_text7b57602c4cc4d305ebe32094a0517282+'<\/a>'; Phone:912.795.6662Web site: www.drjacquelinejohnson.com, Steve Guziec, MS, LPC Sycamore Helps cult victims and affected families. And those who try to use them will be less successful using them because they're easily spotted now. ", Steven Hassan, author of The Cult of Trump, recently helped launch a hashtag campaign, #IGotOut, hoping to help destigmatize those who have fallen prey to disinformation or cultic groups. Of course, it's all much easier said than done. var addy7b57602c4cc4d305ebe32094a0517282 = 'deirdrewilson' + '@'; Instead, she suggests neutral sources, like academic research that Queen can read herself. Specializes in recovery from authoritarian religious organizations. "Hi, Michelle," Benscoter begins tentatively. var addy_text36636b8776af4b03ad7a9a07dfcdf3b6 = 'Rosanne' + '@' + 'CultRecover' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak36636b8776af4b03ad7a9a07dfcdf3b6').innerHTML += ''+addy_text36636b8776af4b03ad7a9a07dfcdf3b6+'<\/a>'; var addy_textd837acf5bd986a89f36638fee3f1630d = 'andreamoore4' + '@' + 'verizon' + '.' + 'net';document.getElementById('cloakd837acf5bd986a89f36638fee3f1630d').innerHTML += ''+addy_textd837acf5bd986a89f36638fee3f1630d+'<\/a>'; Colleen Russell, LMFT, CGP 1036 Sir Francis Drake Blvd Kentfield, CA 94904 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. SHAPIRO: Disinformation is not new. Cult expert Steve Hassan told CNN on Tuesday that "all of America needs deprogramming" due to the negative influence of President Trump, especially rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol. document.getElementById('cloak5fb41fcd031f23f99e1fe74c1f0c8e03').innerHTML = ''; SMITH: Of course, it's much easier said than done. One third. It's also about things like voting. var addyf8cac7ff1581dc987ce8d90a07bec040 = 'sguziec' + '@'; The End of the World Cult. var addy_text3b255930a16b40f719162d87866cd410 = 'hochmanmd' + '@' + 'eurekamail' + '.' + 'net';document.getElementById('cloak3b255930a16b40f719162d87866cd410').innerHTML += ''+addy_text3b255930a16b40f719162d87866cd410+'<\/a>'; 383 (1983)Google Scholar; Note, Tort Liability for Cult Deprogramming, 43 Ohio St. L.J. Web site: Wellspring Retreat.org, Colleen Russell, LMFT, CGP 70 SW Century Drive, Suite 100-363 Bend, Oregon 97702 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; She's upfront that her aim is to get Queen to consider the possibility that she's caught in a web of disinformation, while at the same time, she insists she's not trying to change her by turning her into a Democrat, for example. For. P.O. 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