In this short clip from one of my first interviews with cult recovery/family therapist Rachel Bernstein, she defines what we mean by the term “destructive cult” and what some of the characteristics of these groups are, so anyone can spot one. Enjoy!
Read More »A Therapist Describes a Destructive Cult
In this clip from my first interview with Rachel Bernstein, we discuss how Scientology re-formulates language so people who tell the truth are “attackers” and how ruthlessly Scientologists will go after former members of not just Scientology but other cults too, all in an effort to show the world how right they are for acting like complete goons. Enjoy!
Read More »How Scientology Attacks Recovering Ex-Members
In this short clip with cult recovery therapist Rachel Bernstein, we go over the obvious but often overlooked fact that cult manipulation techniques actually do work on people. We discuss Hitler and the Nazi Party and how the control techniques used by that group are the same kinds of techniques that are used now by cult leaders, such as appealing to emotion through antagonism, riling up hostilities against “others” and similar tactics.
Read More »People Respond to Cult Techniques
In this second part of my interview with cult recovery therapist Rachel Bernstein we talk about cult manipulation tactics using language, which can be quite subtle and clever and can fool people into agreeing with things they really don’t understand. Enjoy!
Read More »Language Trickery in Scientology and Other Cults
What makes a group a destructive cult? In this very first interview I did with therapist and cult recovery expert Rachel Bernstein, she breaks it down. Enjoy!
Read More »A Therapist Breaks Down a Destructive Cult
At this year’s annual International Cultic Studies Association conference, former Scientologists Christi Gordon, Aaron Smith-Levin and I spoke on a panel moderated by cult recovery… Read More »Scientology’s Aftermath – A Panel Discussion