Church of Scientology Exit Zone: Cult Experts

Showing posts with label Cult Experts | Scholars. Show all posts

The Legendary Robert Jay Lifton Interviewed by Steve Hassan

Dr. Robert J. Lifton is renowned in the field of cultic studies every since his groundbreaking work that evolved into the leading Theory of thought reform, which was first published in 1956 with his book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism.

On July, 13 2011 Lifton was interviewed in the following video by Steven A. Hassan, author and cult recovery expert from the Freedom of Mind Center.

Adapted from the video description by Steve Hassan's channel on vimeo:

I sat down and had a most wonderful conversation with Robert Jay Lifton, M.D. on the occasion the publication of his memoir entitled, Witness to an Extreme Century.

Lifton talks about Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism and his work in Hong Kong in the 1950s exploring brainwashing in communist China. We then talk about his book, Death in Life, which describes the psychological effects of the nuclear bombs on the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as his life work campaigning against nuclear bombs and ultimately nuclear energy.

Followed by a discussion of his work with Nazi Doctors, the concept of "doubling" and the mot amazing levels of atrocity done in the name of "virtue." Then to his book, Destroying the World to Save it, about apocalyptic cults. The book focuses on Aum Shinrikyo, the cult of Shoko Asahara who ordered the manufacture and ultimate sarin gassing of thousands on the subways of Tokyo. We talk in depth about this cult and throughout this fascinating talk, the themes of how powerful situational influences can make essentially, intelligent, good people commit extreme and immoral acts.

For those who may be unfamiliar with Lifton's works, his earliest research and related theories along with the great works Margaret Singer on Brainwashing and Mind Control have become the defacto standards in cultic studies aimed toward the harm inflicted on members of destructive cults.

From Dr. Lifton's profile with The Harvard International Negotiation Program:

Robert Jay Lifton is a lecturer on Psychiatry from Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance, and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Psychology, The City University of New York. He was formerly Director of the Center on Violence and Human Survival at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He held the Foundations’ Fund Research Professorship of Psychiatry at Yale University for more than two decades. The recipient of many awards and honorary degrees, Dr. Lifton has sought always to combine scholarship and social activism.

The overall themes of his work have been holocaust and transformation. He has developed a general psychological perspective around the paradigm of death and the continuity of life, with emphasis on symbolization and the “formative process,” and on the malleability of the contemporary self. He has studied many of the most destructive events of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and has played an important role in the development of the field of psychohistory.

His many publications include: Death in Life: Survivors of Hiroshima (winner of a National Book Award), Hiroshima in America: Fifty Years of Denial (with Greg Mitchell); Six Lives/Six Deaths: Portraits from Modern Japan (with Shuichi Kato and Michael Reich); The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide (awarded a Los Angeles Times book prize), Home from the War: Learning from Vietnam Veterans (finalist for a National Book Award, and reissued with a new introduction on the war in Iraq), Destroying the World to Save It (about the fanatical Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo), and The Protean Self: Human Resilience in an Age of Fragmentation.

From September 11, 2001, he has been studying Islamic apocalyptic violence and American responses to 9/11, including their own apocalyptic tendencies. His book Superpower Syndrome: America's Apocalyptic Confrontation with the World was published by Nation Book in 2003. Most recently, Crimes of War: Iraq (Nation Books 2006), coedited with Irene Gendzier and Richard Falk and included a number of Dr. Lifton's essays, exploring the complex legal, historical, political and psychological dimensions of America's military response to 9/11.

As readily evidence in the small excerpt above, the range of Lifton's expertise since his earliest work based on his infamous Study of Brainwashing in China runs broad and deep.

But there is still an incredible wealth of knowledge that can be gained from Lifton's perpetually reprinted book, and it ranks high on this blog's recommended list of reading for those looking to shake off the undue influences of cults.

Additional references on Lifton and his related works in the fields of cultic studies and psychology of totalism for further study can be found on the following links.

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Margaret Singer: Cults in Our Midst

Cults in Our Midst: The Continuing Fight Against Their Hidden Menace is the second edition of a nonfiction psychology book on cults, by Margaret Singer with a foreword by Robert Jay Lifton. This text was first published in hardcover format during 1996, with a slightly different subtitle with coauthor Janja Lalich, Ph.D.

The second edition of this book, without Lalich as co-author, was published in paperback form in 2003 shortly before Dr. Singer's death. This revised version of the text was used as the primary source for this review, and includes a new introduction and postscript section that brings the book up to date. A lively yet comprehensive oral review of the first edition was also done in September 2008 by Mr.Fyde's channel on YouTube, and is featured in playlist format at the bottom of this post.

About the Author

Dr. Margaret Thaler Singer has been called "the preeminent cult expert of the 20th century" by those who follow in her footsteps. She was a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. A leading expert on thought reform and cult techniques of persuasion, she forged a path where few had gone in her time.

According to her ICSA author profile, she was known as a soft-spoken but hard-edged Berkeley psychologist and expert on brainwashing who studied and helped authorities and victims to better understand the destructive nature of many dangerous cults. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Well-versed with the likes of Peoples Temple, Branch Davidian, Symbionese Liberation Army, Unification Church and Psychotherapy Cults, Mrs. Singer testified in hundreds of cases in court -- but she also assisted anyone who called her listed home phone number asking for help. [Oakland Tribune]

Cults in Our Midst is considered one of Dr Singer's seminal works. For those who are new to the subject of cultic studies, this book and Lifton's Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism should be consider the classic starting points for further study in regards to academic due diligence for self-healing or self-education purposes.

A formal review of the first edition by Rev. Walter Debold was published in a 1995 volume of Cultic Studies Journal astutely described the book as follows.

Cults in Our Midst is not a book about weird people who join crazy groups. It’s about how all of us, at various times, can fall into vulnerable states during which another person can wield more influence over us. Alluding to Big Brother of Orwell’s 1984, Singer says: "Instead of one Big Brother, we see herds of Big Brothers in the world today." And she notes that they promise intellectual, spiritual, political, and self-actualizing utopias. "Eventually these groups subject their followers to mind-numbing treatments that block critical and evaluative thinking and subjugate independent choice in a context of a strictly enforced hierarchy." [ICSA Archive]

Roadmap of the Fundamental Principles of Thought Reform

In Chapter 3, Dr. Singer provides a comprehensive yet down-to-earth explanation of the history and mechanics behind the process of Brainwashing, Psychological Coercion, and Thought Reform.

The book explains that at the time of initial publication of this book (1996) there were many previously used buzzwords by various experts to describe the process of psychological coercion that include: thought struggle, brainwashing, thought reform, coercive persuasion, mind control, coordinated programs of coercive influence and behavior control, and exploitative persuasion. [pg53 in the 2003 edition]

The author also states that this gem of a chapter fits into the bigger field of cultic studies of the time by focusing on those aspects that are best conveyed by the first and last terms in the list – thought struggle (Mao Tse-tung 1929) and exploitive persuasion (Singer and Addis 1992). Furthermore, the approach she takes in undressing this somewhat unsavory subject from these particular aspects, provides possibly the best basic introduction printed to date on how a member of a cult can be unduly and unknowingly influenced.

Many former members of various groups have praised this book for being an all-inclusive wake-up call they desperately needed to “snap out of it.” In this blogger’s humble opinion, the magic mojo of Singer’s pen is fully unleashed in Chapter 3 because of the excellent way she covers the essential need-to-know aspects of thought reform and cultic coercion.

After covering the basic background and history of persuasion and control techniques, Chapter 3 goes on to explain that the tactics of a thought-reform program are organized to serve these specific functions: [pg 62 in the 2003 edition]

Destabilize the person’s sense of self
Get the person to drastically reinterpret his or her life’s history, radically alter their worldview, and accept a new version of reality and causality
Develop in the person a dependence on the organization, and thereby turn the person into a deployable agent of the organization

Dr. Singer continues on to explain the evolutionary product of her decades of field studies research: Singer’s 6 Conditions of Thought Reform. Additionally, she provides an insightful comparison of the other two basic schools of thought on the subject that were contemporary works during her practice in the field of cult recovery: Lifton’s 8 Criteria of Thought Reform and Schein’s 3 Stages of Conversion.

A summary of these methodologies for identifying coercive tactics used by cults, and how the steps in each models correlate to each other, is also provided in the following table. [pg62-4 in the 2003 edition]

Table 3.3 Criteria for Thought Reform

Conditions (Singer)	Themes (Lifton)	Stages (Schein)
1. Keep the person unaware of what is going on and the changes taking place.		1. Unfreezing.
2. Control the person's time and, if possible, physical environment. 3. Create a sense of powerless, covert fear, and dependency, 4. Suppress much of the person's old behavior and attitudes.	1. Milieu Control. 2. Loading the language. 3. Demand for purity. 4. Confession.	1. Unfreezing.
5. Instill new behavior and attitudes.	5. Mystical manipulation. 6. Doctrine over person.	2. Changing.
6. Put forth a closed system of logic; allow no real input or criticism.	7. Sacred science. 8. Dispensing of existence.	3. Refreezing.

Excerpt from Cults in Our Midst 2003 edition, pg63

At the time of initial publication, these 3 schools of thought on recognizing the classic signs of cultic mind control were the widely accepted standard amongst scholars, and they still are today. However, there has also been a new school of thought on the matter of conversion through thought reform by Steve Hassan, known as the B.I.T.E Model of Mind Control, which is seemingly growing in popularity amongst his peers.

In the months ahead, we plan to explore all four (Singer, Lifton, Schein and Hassan) of these methodologies for identifying commonly used thought reform tactics used by cults. Thus the recent series of posts on this matter, including this book review, are an attempt to lay the basic groundwork for future reference. (See also Confronting Thought Reform & Coercive Persuasion and Glossary of Wog Words #2)

Definitive Work on the Various Types of Coercive Persuasion

In Chapters 6 and 7, Dr. Singer provides an informative description of exploitative persuasion tactics that cults like the Church of Scientology employ, and the effect each has on unsuspecting parishioners.

She takes a very common sense approach in addressing this material in laymen terms, and categorizes these tactics as physiological vs. psychological persuasion techniques. An outline of the general topics covered is summarized in the following table.

Physiological Persuasion Techniques
(Chapter 6)

Psychological Persuasion Techniques
(Chapter 7)

Mass Marketing of Experiential Exercises
Techniques Producing Predictable Physiological Responses

- Hyperventilation
- Repetitive Motion
- Change in Diet, Sleep & Stress
- Body Manipulations
- Relaxation-Induced Anxiety

Meditation May Not Always Be Good for You

Trance and Hypnosis

- Naturalistic Trance Induction
- Guided Imagery
- Indirect Directives

Trickery
Revision of Personal History
Peer Pressure and Modeling
Emotional Manipulation
Psychotherapy Cults

Summary of major points from Cults in Our Midst 2003 edition, pg125-81

Additional Material

There is so much valuable material in Singer's Cults In Our Midst, this quick synopsis of the major highlights barely does it justice. Suffice it to say, if former cult members or their loved ones only read one book on the subject of subversive influences a destructive group asserts over its followers, this book is definitely the one you need to get.

Don't have time to read it? Well then, check out the following series of videos that take the time to provide a more comprehensive review of the first edition of the text.

MrFyde on Cults in Our Midst

Further Reading in the Exit Zone Dox

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Confronting Thought Reform & Coercive Persuasion

The last entry on this blog offered a humble introduction as well a list of common terminology for one of the hardest topics that former members of destructive groups have to face when they reflect back on the trauma inflicted on them by an abusive church:

Thought-Stopping cultic influences in the form of: mind control, thought reform and coercive persuasion. Big scary words that basically mean the same thing but are often blown so far out of proportion that they become another form of dangerous disinformation.

Soothing the Soul with Laughter

The subject of thought reform and similar cultic influences is often affectionately referred to by fully recovered ex-cultists that are typically several years down the road to healing through educational therapy as: "WTF Did They Do To ME!?!?!!!"

When you can honestly face the answers to that question - and laugh more than you facepalm - you can rest assured that worst of the harm done to your psyche is well on its way be to be sufficiently healed.

Unfortunately, it takes time to get that point of being thankful enough to have survived that you can wholeheartedly laugh at the whole affair no matter how tragic it may have been. The recommended approach by many modern cult recovery experts for reaching that point in your life is by learning everything you can in relation to subversive influences a destructive cult exerts over its unfortunate members.

"We can only feel sorry for ourselves when our misfortunes are still supportable. Once this limit is crossed, the only way to bear the unbearable is to laugh at it."

- Marjane Satrapi

As dually warned in the last post, this subject matter is not for the faint of heart. We strongly recommend that those who have only recently left the Church of Scientology take the time to sort out their doubts, and then become informed on the basic issues and controversies first, while saving this material for later.

Then ideally, once you can pass the basic litmus test of using laughter as a sign of readiness — tackle the subject matter outlined in these recent posts on thought reform and coercive persuasion once you find yourself a little further down the road of cult recovery through education.

Healing the Mind with Knowledge

Once your ready to proceed digesting this unsavory plate of need2know material that comes bundled under a variety of words for basically meaning the same thing in conversational usage (brainwashing, coercive persuasion, mind control, thought reform, and cultic influences).

The first step of this learning curve journey is to get comfortable with the basic clinical explanation of mind control in the academic context from the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA):

What is Mind Control?

Mind control (also known as "brainwashing," "coercive persuasion," and "thought reform") refers to a process in which a group or individual systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator(s).

Such methods include the following:

extensive control of information in order to limit alternatives from which members may make "choices"

deception

group pressure

intense indoctrination into a belief system that denigrates independent critical thinking and considers the world outside the group to be threatening, evil, or gravely in error an insistence that members’ distress-much of which may consist of anxiety and guilt subtly induced by the group-can be relieved only by conforming to the group

physical and/or psychological debilitation through inadequate diet or fatigue the induction of dissociative (trance-like) states via the misuse of meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, and other exercises in which attention is narrowed, suggestibility heightened, and independent critical thinking weakened

alternation of harshness/threats and leniency/love in order to effect compliance with the leadership’s wishes isolation from social supports pressured public confessions

by Michael D. Langone, Ph.D.

Glossary of Wog Words #2

Chapter 2: Cultic Mind Control, Thought Reform & Coercive Persuasion Definitions

The following glossary of terms is the second installment of a series of posts humbly offered as an aid to Scientologists who may be struggling to leap over the language barriers between the various different camps who find fault with the Church of Scientology.

This post will also be used as supplemental material for supporting upcoming entries on this micro blog that explore the subject matter further, and as such the blogger felt the topic deserved a introductory preamble beforehand.

Proceed with caution

Just like the word "cult" can be a tough nut to crack for members of a destructive group that are heading down the path of becoming informed, the words "mind control" and "brainwashing" and the forms of abuse in which they manifest can be a frighten hurdle to own up to.

The reason being is horror stories of POW ordeals and MKULTRA fiascos has attached a certain stigma to the words "mind control" and "brainwashing" that infers something being done under physical restraint and with much force.

However, in terms of established academic standards of cultic studies and research into abusive groups "mind control" and "brainwashing" is seen a synonymous with "coercive persuasion" and "thought reform," which infers a more subliminal form of abuse being done subconsciously and over time. Therefore, when approaching this type of subject matter from an educational perspective former victims of destructive cults are encourage to see "mind control" and think "coercion" as an intermediate step of digesting the material without the shock and awe impact the more flamboyant buzzwords can induce.

This approach allows for a better dissection of the definitions for this area of formal study where a distinction can be made between the general definition of "mind control" and the more targeted definition of "cultic mind control". Therefore, as shown in the glossary document at the bottom of this post, cultic mind control is the more contextually accurate term for understanding the forms of psychological abuse the Church of Scientology is inflicting on its members.

For further insights into the specifics of this distinction, check out the information from Spiritwatch Ministries featured on the backlink of this post that eloquently answers the question: What Is Cultic Mind Control?

Come prepared

Another important aspect to keep in mind when trying conquer the acceptance factor of what was done to you while under the influence of coercive persuasion is that it basically boils down to one thing: devious and subversive forms of abuse.

It is not necessarily torture, nor is it in your face force to do something you adamantly refuse to be apart of. Rather, coercive persuasion (and its many synonyms) is simply mental conditioning secretly done over time to inflict abuse on members without them even realizing its happening.

Thus, a basic understanding of abusive relationships and the ways in which abuse surfaces in escalating fashion to violent behavior when a deeply personal relationship feeds it, can almost be considered a prerequisite area of the learning curve in regards to building a better understanding of the abuses inflicted on members by destructive cults.

The Power & Control Wheel is a particularly helpful tool in understanding the overall pattern of abusive and violent behaviors, which are used by an abuser to establish and maintain power and control over his/her victim. One of the most blatant or obvious ways is through physical or sexual violence. However, there are many other ways one can exert power (such as emotional, financial, verbal abuse). These are the tactics that can be harder to see can be used independently or in combination with the physical violence.

The power and control wheel diagram shown below is a condensed version of this widely respected model, excerpted from the Friends of Abused Families website and originally developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project. Although the emphasis is towards identifying domestic abuse, there are many other variations of this wheels for other applications and it still holds a great deal of relevance for a general understanding of abusive relationships. For more information, see the full document mirrored in Exit Zone Dox collection of resources.

Power and Control Wheel

Once a former cult member can begin to see the correlations between the characteristics of abusive relationships in the above diagram, and the characteristics of a cult covered in a previous post, the unsavory realization of how abuse was subliminally inflicted on them by the Church of Scientology should be a bit easier to swallow.

Brace for impact

Once the prerequisite need for a basic understanding of abusive relationships and forms of abuse is surpassed, the next step on the road to cult recovery via educational means is to become knowledgeable on the subject of cultic mind control, coercive persuasion, brainwashing, thought reform...

Lions and tigers and bears OH MY!

Yeah we know - scary stuff to confront at the onset, but there is decades of research and scholarship on these subjects that have been proven to aid the healing process with minimal study. Hopefully, the following addition to the Exit Zone's Wog Word Glossary will help make the journey down this road of discovery an easy series of steps to a greater awareness of the coerced influences a destructive group exerts on its members.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts that will attempt to map out a guideline of recommended reading and additional resources for aiding folks on the self-education road to cult recovery.

"The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off."
- Gloria Steinem

For more definitions commonly used on this blog, check out the related Glossary label readily available on the sidebar. Also, see the Exit Zone Glossary Classifications post for further explanation on how these definitions are categorized.

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Philip Zimbardo Explains the Lucifer Effect

Jeff Hawkins recently featured a fantastic pair of articles on the Leaving Scientology blog that are a must-read for anyone considering leaving the Church of Scientology, or attempting to recover from the duress inflicted on them during their involvement with this pervasive cult.

These enlightening essays explore one of several key concepts included in Dr. Philip Zimbardo's well-established theory based on extensive scholarly research regarding how good people are easily conditioned to do evil deeds. Zimbardo's studies contend that situational factors in certain institutional settings can become a diseased breeding ground for evil acts, and the ultimate cure for this type of evil is acts of heroism.

Bad Apples or Bad Barrels?

The Dirty Dozen

Dr.Z and Robin Williams, TED Conference (2008)

The underlying theory behind The Lucifer Effect book initially evolved from Zimbardo's infamous Stanford Prison Experiment that former cult members, from many different destructive groups, often find reassuring for proving that anybody can be rapidly indoctrinated into a dangerous cult mentality no matter how smart or naive they might be.

As always, Jeff's articles listed at the top of this post not only hit a nail on the head, they also raised a great deal of positive discussion on the systematic factors inherent in the Church of Scientology that makes it such destructive cult. Thus, we thought we would add the following video to help amplify that recently raised awareness of Zimbardo's seminal works on The Lucifer Effect for further reflection.

This clip is a quick but thorough introduction that Professor Zimbardo gave to a distinguished TED|Talks audience in 2008 that applies The Lucifer Effect theory to the travesties that happened at the Abu Ghraib prison encapment in war-torn Iraq. The above photo with comedian Robin Williams was taken at the same TED event, with the appropriate credit (and thanks!) going out to http://www.LuciferEffect.org.

"The shift [needed] is towards a public health model that recognizes situational and systemic vectors of disease. Bullying is a disease. Predjudice is a disease. Violence is a disease."

- Phil Zimbardo [18:18]

As Dr. Zimbardo explains in the lecture above, the main principle of the Lucifer Effect theory is to explain how institutional situations can affect human behavior. He touches upon the bad apples concept that Jeff highlighted, as well as briefly defining the other key concepts developed during his decades of research.

Another concept from this theory that is also worthy of highlighting is mentioned in the run-up to Zimbardo's concluding remarks around the 20 minute mark in the above clip, where he briefly recaps his supporting points that certain situations can have the power to do three things:

The very same situation that can inspire Hostile Imagination in those who become perpetrators of evil, can also inspire the
Heroic Imagination in others of us, or
Render most people passive and guilty of the evil of inaction.

These factors are extremely relevant for former cult members who beat themselves up over not doing anything to stop the abuses they witnessed. Admitting that abusive practices run rampant within the Scientology organization is the first big step of fighting off the cult's influence over one's mind. While recognizing that previous inaction towards stopping institutional abuses has been proven a common response in an abusive group environment, is a giant realization for recovering cult members to make towards seeing that they are not alone in their experiences.

Dr. Z's points regarding the normal situational responses to the influence of an abusive institution are also expanded upon further in the Resisting Influence guide that is featured on The Lucifer Effect website.

For a much more comprehensive lecture from Philip Zimbardo on the Lucifer Effect (where he has the time to thoroughly explore all of the aspects of his theory and hypothesis) along with other related interviews and discussions, check out the following playlist available on YouTube compliments of the PLMSTube channel.

Philip Zimbardo on the Lucifer Effect

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Professor Stephen Kent on Scientology and other cults in America

The following lecture on Scientology is an oldie but a goodie from the XenuTV video archives.

This segment is from the Leo J. Ryan Education Foundation CULTinfo conference series in 2000, featuring Professor Stephen Kent from the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Stephen A. Kent, Ph.D is a Sociology Department Professor who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the sociology of religion and the sociology of sectarian groups.He has published extensively on his research into various cults including Scientology, the Children of God, other alternative religions and Ritual Satanic Abuse.

His more poignant studies in regards to becoming informed about the ramifications of the Church of Scientology being a cult include the following published works.

International Social Control by the Church of Scientology (1992)

The Creation of 'Religious' Scientology (1999)

Brainwashing in Scientology's Rehabilitation Project Force (1997)

Other cult education articles featured by ICSA

Professor Kent is also one of the few cultic studies researches that looks extensively at the testimony of ex-members and is vocal in his criticism of the groups that his finding indicate to be dangerous.

Thus, he has weathered many a storm with major blow back from the cults he exposes. Additionally, he's also been a frequent target of the legions of paid-for cult apologists who earn a living criticizing the real scholars while trying to publicly brand a cult's enemies as the so-called "critic" so as to buffer the damage their academic works inflict.

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Steve Hassan & Tory Christman: Getting In & Getting Out of a Cult

The notable cult expert and author Steve Hassan, who is also the founder of the Freedom of Mind Center, recently gave a talk in Los Angeles in conjunction with an event hosted by the Sinai Temple.

Afterwards, he had the opportunity to tape the following 60 minute discussion with Ex-Scientologist Tory Christman on November 20th, 2010.

From the video description on the Freedomofmind Vimeo Channel:

I got the chance to sit down with my friend Tory Christman, a former 30 year Scientologist (OT7 and did it twice!), who was directed to do some of the very first "dirty tricks" on the internet, and who left the group and has been one of the most courageous, outspoken critics. Tory has a simply amazing experience to tell. She went all the way "up the bridge" to discover it was not what she ever wanted to be involved in. She knew John Travolta and other celebrities in the group.

For additional reference on Steve's comments at 12:50 mark see:
Derren Brown - New Age Belief Systems-Voodoo Dolls, Reiki For additional reference on Tory's remarks at 18:05 mark see:ROAD TO FEBRUARY 10, 2008 - FINAL VERSION For additional reference on Steve's comments at 24:29 mark see: Geraldo: Scientology vs. Prozac (Jentzsch vs. Hassan)
For a good general reference on this discussion see:Is the Church of Scientology a Cult?
Looking for more information on leaving a cult? Then be sure to check out the Exit Zone Resources index and related Reading Lists.

Need someone to talk to? Tory is a fabulous resource to reach out too, and she helps many former members far and wide. Just stop by ToryMagoo.org to find her personal contact information.

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Karen Pressley Presents Not In My Back Yard to GSA

The Georgia Sociological Association (GSA) held its 2010 Annual Meeting on October 29, in Decatur, Georgia that featured Ms. Karen Pressley, Scientology expert and former 16-year member.

The GSA was formed in 1964 and is an organization of academic and applied professional sociologists and students who strive to improve research, teaching, and discussion among persons in the State of Georgia engaged in the scientific study of society and culture.

The conference theme for this year's annual GSA meeting was Healthy, Just, and Sustainable Communities. Ms. Pressley was amongst the guest speakers and gave the following presentation entitled Not In My Back Yard: Cults, Communities, and Concerns.

GSA Pressley Presentation Part 1
GSA Pressley Presentation Part 2
GSA Pressley Presentation Part 3

Karen also participated in a panel discussion on the subject of "Rehabilitation or Religious Reeducation? The Intersections of Therapeutic Communities, Synanon, and Narconon" thats available on the following links.

GSA Panel Discussion Part 1
GSA Panel Discussion Part 2
GSA Panel Discussion Part 3
GSA Panel Discussion Part 4

According to the SP Times in 2006; Pressley left Scientology in 1998 and refused to come back for sec checks. She has publicly denounced "substandard" child care at church facilities around the world and criticized the church for the "condition of poverty" that staffers lived in. She endured disconnection from her husband along with the usual dead agent attacks in the aftermath, yet managed to find her own salavation along the path of Christian ministries.

Ms. Pressley also went on to successfully pursue a higher education that she now puts to good use when speaking out critically against the abusive practices the Church of Scientology inflicts upon its parishioners.

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Is the Church of Scientology a Cult?

hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil

The word "cult" can be a tough nut to swallow for current members of the Church of Scientology who are struggling with their doubts about the organization.

Just for the record - the context in which the word "cult" is frequently used on this blog is to denote a destructive group that does more harm than good, which has been proven beyond a doubt to apply to the Church of Scientology.

The defining characteristics of determining if a group is a cult was first established in 1961 by Robert Jay Lifton's seminal work on mind control, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of Brainwashing in China.

Currently, the widely accepted standard amongst cult education experts is the following checklist by Janja Lalich, Ph.D. & Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. A publicly available version of this checklist is also available (outside of Scribd) on the backlink for this post's title compliments of the Cult Information and Family Support network in Australia.

Cults 101: Checklist of Cult Characteristics

This list of defining characteristics of what makes their so-called "Church" a cult by modern standards may possible help to gently adjust a current member's perspective. And hopefully - enable someone to see beyond the indoctrination PR in order to critically evaluate for themselves whether or not the Church of Scientology is the type of group they want to be an active participant in.

If this list resonants with your own experiences in the Church of Scientology, you might also want to checkout the related text it's excerpted from, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships, by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias circa 2006.

For further reading on this blog, recommended reading continues under:

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Steven A. Hassan Lectures at NYSEC

The notable cult expert and author Steve Hassan, who is also the founder of the Freedom of Mind Center, gave a short talk at NY Ethical Culture Society on October 17th, 2010.

The lecture was approximately 40 minutes long and titled the same as Steve's previously released book "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves." The discussion touched on Scientology and went into Steve's own personal story of how he was rescued from the Moonies in 1976.

Additional commentary on this recorded lecture has been covered by Jeff Hawkins on the Leaving Scientology blog, and Mark Bunker over at Xenu TV. Other discussions & lectures Steve has done regarding cults in the past that are available on the web include the following.

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