Psychology of cults book

Some have said people seek religion to cope with a fear of death, others call it the basis for morality, and various other theories abound but in a new book, a psychologist who has studied human. Looking for books on cults, dont mind if they are about 1 group or many. What is considered the most authoritative book on the. The book was required reading in the cornell university sociology course, communes, cults, and charisma, as well as the university of pennsylvania course, religious violence and cults. Hassan finds echoesunknowing or consciousof techniques used by known cults and dictators to enforce the presidents singleminded, narrative. This event, also known as the waco siege is a reminder of how a dangerous leader can gather followers and convert them into an extreme ideology surugue, 2017. You identify a trifecta of terror, love, and brainwashing as key to cult behavior. A psychiatric perspective on religious cults, seem to have lost. Mar 23, 2017 david koresh was the leader of the destructive branch davidians cult.

Cults satisfy the human desire for absolute answers. Initially, cults persuade prospective members to join the cult by inviting a person to dinner, then weekend retreats, and then use stronger methods of persuasion. Todays world is a tough one, with more abstract issues than there are issues that are black and white. The psychology of prophetic charisma new approaches to understanding joseph smith and the development of charismatic leadership. The psychology of cultism foundation for economic education. Many people join cults because they believe theyre being offered solid, absolute answers for questions such as good vs. Underground by haruki murakami in 1995, five members of a religious cult unleashed poison gas on the tokyo subway system. Sun myung moon s unification church and hare krishna, a movement derived from hinduism, have stirred wide controversy.

A social and psychological study of a modern group that predicted the destruction of the world is a classic work of social psychology by leon festinger, henry riecken, and stanley schachter published in 1956, which studied a small ufo religion in chicago called the seekers that believed in an imminent apocalypse and its coping mechanisms after the event did not occur. This book, coauthored by a professor of a major evangelical seminary, wistfully looks forward to the day. On charisma, leadership, and the social psychology of influence and control. Mind control, or brainwashing as its commonly referred to by the media, is often viewed by. How cults manipulate a persons thinking and behavior many people who have been subjected to psychological manipulation and control selectively deny aspects of their experience. Nov 14, 2019 this book from neurologist oliver sacks is a great read for both psychology students and a general interest audience. Some become angry and resistant at the mention of mind control, thought reform, or brainwashing, thinking these things could not possibly have been done to them. Based on my study of cultic structures and dynamics, i have developed a new framework and theory for use in examining and analyzing these groups. Very often the doctrine of cults creates impossibilities and the members are urged to try and obtain these.

On 19 april 1993, he and seventynine of his followers, including kids, died after a fiftyoneday siege with the fbi near the town of waco, texas. In this unique and timely volume robert jay lifton, the national book awardwinning psychiatrist, historian, and public intellectual proposes a radical idea. Clark jr, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the harvard university medical school. A psychiatric perspective on religious cults, seem to have lost interest in the subject. Dec 23, 2019 a new book describes the cult of partisanship. Uncovering the patterns of cult behavior in american society, deikman asserted that behavior similar to that which takes place in extreme cults takes place in all of us, and suggested that the longing for parents persists into adulthood and results in cult behavior that pervades. The author explores clinical stories of patients who suffer from neurological disorders, offering an engaging and thoughtful look at neurological problems. The term was originally employed by scholars of religion to signify a system of activities centering on an object of worship, but the concept has been gradually changed by sociologists to identify a particular residual type of religious group that fell.

The psychology of the cult experience the new york times. Fortunately, with expert care, these effects of cult psychology can usually be undone. Scheflin, professor of law at santa clara university, told the audience. He has helped thousands of individuals and families become free of undue influence. Feed your obsession with cults through these fiction and nonfiction reads, the perfect additions to your podcasts and documentaries. This book from neurologist oliver sacks is a great read for both psychology students and a general interest audience. Learn the practical uses and defenses of manipulation, emotional influence, persuasion, deception, mind control, covert nlp, brainwashing, and other secret techniques. This process becomes pathological only if the surrogate leader is mad, as with jim jones, or when the path followed leads into a blind maze, as with scientific technology. There is a newer version of this article gary shepherd. Lessons from jonestown american psychological association. Cults and brainwashing are more common than you might think. The best defense is educating children about the dangers of. On cults, cultism, and the mindset of political and religious zealotry.

Point by point, hassan shows how trump and his followers meet each of the criteria that define a cult and how trumps childhood and rise to the presidency shaped his imperious, narcissistic style and why his followers, both in the voting public and the congress, cannot make a rational evaluation of his words and actions. Steven hassan studies mind control and cults, and is the founder of freedom of mind. In his book about cults, steven hassan organizes these strategies in the bite model, which stands for behavior, information, thought, and emotional control hassan, 2015. Psychologists are also needed to develop effective treatments for cult victims to help them break free from a cults influence before its too late, so that, in cases like jonestown, history does not repeat itself. Adrian furnham describes in psychology today, humans crave clarity. David koresh was the leader of the destructive branch davidians cult. And the contents of that pot would not be complete unless it also included the religions of those masses that now make up the populace of america. The psychology of the cult experience the new york. Learn even more about cults and the psychology behind them by reading the associated lesson called the psychology of cults.

The term cult has become, since the latter part of the twentieth century, one of the most controversial concepts in the social sciences. Faith, healing and coercion are cited in the article on cults, in the encyclopedia of psychology. Perhaps the most vivid example of this control is the absolute restriction of sexual activity which led eight members, including applewhite, to seek castration in order to. Back from the edge borderline personality disorder call us. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading psychology as religion. Heavens gate, the psychology of cults posted by the students verdict on november 12, 2017 in some respects, the destructive effects of cult conversions amount to a new disease in an era of psychological manipulation john g. She had been studying cults since the late 1980s and has coauthored cults in our midst and crazy therapies with margaret singer, take back your life with. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Mar 08, 2015 back from the edge borderline personality disorder call us. Cult books range from factbased works of investigative journalism to novels, which couch the psychological.

List of books and articles about cults online research. This question immediately made me think of the book the kingdom of the cults by walter ralston martin. Thought reform and the psychology of totalism by robert jay lifton new york. The members, of course, dont see these as impossibilities. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The kingdom of the cults it has been said of the united states that it is the great melting pot for the people of the world. This is similar to the the footinthedoor technique. Singer, professor of psychology at the university of california at berkeley, said, the techniques of many cults fall under the general rubric of brainwashing. Cults were prevalent after the fall of rome, during the french revolution, and in england during the industrial revolution. Through this lesson, you will explore some of the characteristics of cult behavior and gain insight into the psychology that motivates a. In the introduction to his 1990 book, the wrong way home.

Janja lalich, special issue of cultic studies journal 14. Apr 10, 2018 8 books you need to read if youre interested in cults novels, firsthand histories, spiritual texts, and more. Eventually, though, youll run out of cult documentaries. Hassan finds echoesunknowing or consciousof techniques used by known cults and dictators to enforce the. The psychology of cultism is but one indication of an intrinsic desire in each of us to offer veneration to the creator. The book brigade talks to cult survivor and expert alexandra stein.

Exploring the most extreme manifestations of human zealotry, lifton. We love shows and books about cults, strict religious movements, and other fundamentalist groups, whether theyre wellresearched exposes or fictional narratives. A social and psychological study of a modern group that predicted the destruction of the world is a classic work of social psychology by leon festinger, henry riecken, and stanley schachter published in 1956, which studied a small ufo religion in chicago called the seekers that believed in an imminent apocalypse and its. While some psychology books are targeted at an audience with an. Galanters characteristics of charismatic groups from cults. Extreme influence such as mind control and cults has remained dormant in the field of psychology, alan w. Cults arose in japan after world war ii, and in eastern europe after the breakup of the communist regime. A journey from hatred to hope by megan phelpsroper, girl on a wire.

Unfortunately, psychiatrists as a whole, after a flurry of interest in cults in the 1970s and 1980s and culminating in 1992 with the group for the advancement gap book, leaders and followers. This book is a fascinating tour through the ways people are recruited and retained by cults, the characteristics of cult leadership and the dimensions of undue influence. Cults are a fascinating but often misunderstood subject. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. Those who study cults, on the other hand, maintain that psychologists need to study how cults abuse social psychology research. A new understanding of the psychology of the cult experience is emerging from the work of researchers and clinicians who have studied current and former cult members. The cult of selfworship kindle edition by vitz, paul c download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. International cultic studies association icsa 63,357 views. I present here an abbreviated version of the boundedchoice perspective. Mind control, or brainwashing as its commonly referred to by the media, is often viewed by many psychologists as science fiction. A person lacking knowledge of how cults target and recruit people and the mechanisms they use to entrap people may not be able to identify a coercion attempt when targeted. Here in america, cults flourished during the rule of the 1960s counterculture.