Cults

Websites

The Advanced Bonewits’ Cult Danger Evaluation Frame. Also available in Dutch, German, French, translation of the 2.6 version is available at: Grille Italian, Polish, and Portuguese.
http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html

Apologetics Index’ CultFAQ.org. Definitions of cult-related terminology, guidelines on selecting a counseler/cult expert, listing of recommended cult experts, organizations and ministries, counseling and research resources.
http://www.cultfaq.org/

Watchmen Fellowship list of cults: An independent Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult and the New Age.
http://www.watchman.org/index-of-cults-and-religions/

Books

Appel. Willa. (1983) Cults in America: Programmed for paradise. Holt, Rinehart & Winston: NY, NY
NOTE: Recruitment methods, indoctrination, brainwashing, and exit counseling from above-board modern American cults.

Bainbridge, William Sims. (1978) Satan’s Power: A deviant psychotherapy cult.  Univ. of CA Press, Berkeley, CA.
NOTE: On the Process (called “the Power” by Bainbridge.) The Process, an English group, was incorporated in the US in January 1968. This book contains chapters describing Charles Manson’s link to the Process.

Bainbridge, William Sims. (2002)  The Endtime Family: Children of God. State Univ of NY, Albany, NY.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Persecution – Survey – Beliefs – Practices – Alienation – Sexuality – Children – Conclusion – Notes
NOTE: From the [publisher: “(An) analysis of the controversial religious group, The Family, or The Children of God, uses interviews, observational techniques, and a comprehensive questionnaire completed by more than a thousand Family members. William Sims Bainbridge explores how Family members infuse spirituality with sexuality, channel messages that they believe emanate from beyond life, and await the final Endtime. He also examines attempts by anti-cultists and the state to “deprogram” members of the group, including children, by forcibly seizing them.”
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Barrett, David V.(2001) The new believers: A survey of sects, cults, and alternative religions. Cassell,NY, NY and London, England.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: L PART ONE: MAJOR ISSUES OF ALTERNATIVE RELGIONS – WHO, WHAT AND WHY: The purpose of this book – IS IT A CULT, OR A REAL RELIGION? The problem of definition – SECTS APPEAL: Conversion, recruitment, mind control or brainwashing? WOULD YOU LET YOUR DAUGHTER MARRY ONE? Problems for families of members – SO HARD TO SAY ‘GOODBYE’: Problems of leaving a movement – AFTER THE PROPHET DIES: How movements change – IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: Apocalyptic beliefs – CULTS THAT KILL: How, why, and can it happen again?  WATCHING THE WATCHERS: The variety of cult experts – HISTORICAL DIVERSITY: A brief summary of world religions – PART TWO: ALTERNATIVE RELIGIONS AND OTHER GROUPS – COMPLEXITY OF CHRISTIANITY – CHRISTIAN ORIGINS – Unitarians – The New Church and Swedenborgianism – Mormons – Exclusive Brethren – New Apostolic Church –  Seventh-day Adventists – Christadelphians – Christian Science – Jehovah’s Witnesses – Liberal Catholic Church and Wandering Bishops – Christian Community and Anthroposophy – Opus Dei – Unification Church – The Late Twentieth-century Evangelical Resurgence  – The Family – Jesus Army – Universal Church of the Kingdom of God – International Church of Christ – Ellel Ministries – Toronto Blessing and Vineyard – Alpha Course – OTHER ‘RELIGIONS OF THE BOOK’ ORIGINS – Baha’i Faith  Nation of Islam – Holy Tabernade Ministries – Messiah/H’al Mahshiyach – Rastafarian Movement – EASTERN MOVEMENTS IN THE WEST – Brahma Kumaris – School of Economic Science – Transcendental Meditation – ISKCON – Osho International – Sahaja Yoga – Adidam  – Impersonal Enlightenment Fellowship – Soka Gakkai  Friends of the Western Buddhist Order – New Kadampa Tradition – Eckankar – Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness – Elan Vital – ESOTERIC AND NEO-PAGAN MOVEMENTS – Satanic Ritual Abuse – Satanism – Theosophy – Benjamin Creme and Maitreya – Gurdjieff – Subud – Rosicrucians – Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn – Schools of Occult Science – Chaos Magic – The I AM Movement – Church Universal and Triumphant – The Emissaries – ‘Flying Saucer Cults’ – Aetherius Society  Raelian Movement – Shamanism – Wicca – Church of All Worlds – Druidry – Fellowship of Isis – The Northern Tradition – Pagan Federations – PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT MOVEMENTS – Landmark Education/Landmark Forum – Neuro-Linguistic Programming – Insight – The Emin – CASE STUDY – SHISM IN A SECT: The Worldwide Church of God and its Offshoots – USEFUL ADDRESSES – BIBLIOGRAPHY – ALPHABET1CAL LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS

Blood, Linda Osborne. (1994) The new Satanists. Warner, NY, NY.
NOTE: Contains information about the history of Satanism, details of documented ritual abuse cases, and information about current Satanic groups and organizations. Also documents the arrest and investigation of Lt. Col. Aquino for his alleged rape and occult ritual abuse of children who attended the Army day-care center in Presidio, CA. There are descriptions of similar investigations into alleged ritual abuse at other military day-care centers.

Bromley,  David and Melton, J. Gordon (2002) Cults, religion, and violence. Cambrdige Univ, Press, Cambridge, England and NY, NY.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Violence and Religion in Perspective – Dramatic Denouements – Challenging Misconceptions about the New Religions Violence Connection – Sources of Volatility in Religious Movements – Crises of Charismatic Legitimacy and Violent Behavior in New Religious Movements –  Public Agency Involvement in Government: Religious Movement Confrontations – Watching for Violence: A Comparative Analysis of the Roles of Five Types of Cult Watching Groups – Mass Suicide and the Branch Davidians – Occult Masters and the Temple of Doom: The Fiery End of the Solar Temple –  Dramatic Confrontations: Aum Shinrikyo against the World – Making Sense of the Heavens Gate Suicides – Lessons from the Past, Perspective for the Future
NOTE: From the publisher: “This explores the question of when and why violence by and against new religious cults erupts and whether and how such dramatic conflicts can be foreseen, managed and averted. The authors, leading international experts on religious movements and violent behavior, focus on the four major episodes of cult violence during the last decade: the tragic conflagration that engulfed the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas; the deadly sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo in Tokyo; the murder-suicides by the Solar Temple in Switzerland and Canada; and the collective suicide by the members of Heaven’s Gate. They explore the dynamics leading to these dramatic episodes in North America, Europe, and Asia, and offer insights into the general relationship between violence and religious cults in contemporary society. The authors conclude that these events usually involve some combination of internal and external dynamics through which a new religious movement and society become polarized.”
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Burchard, Elizabeth R. and Carlone, Judith L.  (2005) The cult next door: A true story of a suburban Manhattan New Age cult. Ace Academics, Closter, NJ.
NOTE: From the publisher: “During Thanksgiving vacation of her freshman year at Swarthmore College (1977), Elizabeth, at her mother’s insistence, attended a “stress-reduction” session with a biofeedback technician on staff at a Manhattan psychologist’s office. During that first visit, this man filled her ears with prophetic visions of a glorious future–the inheritance of those fortunate few who might choose to accompany him. His confidence and charisma entranced her, and she soon recruited two of her college roommates. When the psychologist fired his assistant two years later, Elizabeth and her mother followed. Over the next decade, this man, a malevolent genius and master of manipulating metaphysical concepts to benefit a self-serving agenda, organized a small, dedicated band of followers. “The Group” evolved into an incestuous family–a cult. Their brainwashed minds became fused with a distinctive, New Age doctrine. A coterie of spiritual “Navy Seals”, they scrambled in terror, training to survive the inevitable cataclysm–one man’s divine vision of Armageddon. Subsequent to a momentous event in August 1994, with the guru as high priest, “The Black Dog Religion” was born. Elizabeth sank into a pit of despair, darker than she ever could have imagined was possible. . . For anyone who has ever been trapped by a person who would not let them go, within this book lies a message of hope.”
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Cialdini, Robert B. (2006) Influence: The psychology of persuasion. HarperCollins, NY, NY.
NOTE: There are 292 Google reviews, and the vast majority are positive. From the publisher: “Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His thirty-five years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behavior has resulted in this highly acclaimed book. You’ll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader—and how to defend yourself against them.”
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Ellis, J. K. (2006) Mind control 101: How to influence the thoughts and actions of others without them knowing or caring. Mind Control Publishing, Lulu, Inc (Internet self-publisher)
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Models Of Mind Control – Only Idiots Are Influenced By Mind Control? Behavioral Conditioning – NLP Neuro Linguistic Programming – Hypnosis – Dumb Blond Mind Control – Gaslighting Old New – The Power Use Of Symbols – Cult Mind Control Tactics Strategies – Enchantment
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Els, Lien and Jonker, Kobus. (2000) Satanism in South Africa. Amabhuku Publications,  Capetown, South Africa.

Galenter, Marc. (1999) Cults: Faith, healing, and coercion. Oxford Univ. Press, NY, NY.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: The Charismatic Group – FORCES IN THE CHARISMATIC GROUP – Shared Beliefs – Altered Consciousness – A MODEL OF THE CHARISMATIC GROUP – The Cult as a Social System – CASE HISTORIES OF CHARISMATIC GROUPS – The Millenium Approaches – SPIRITUAL RECOVERY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE – Alternative Healing in the Medical Mainstream – The AA Example – The Charismatic Group: A Summary- Notes – Bibliography
NOTE: From the publisher: “From the mass weddings of Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church to the ritual suicides at Heaven’s Gate, charismatic cults and their devotees have become facts of American life. Using material gleaned from twenty-five years of direct encounters with cults and their detractors, as well as extensive research, Marc Galanter offers the most extensive psychological analysis of these organizations available. Cults explores not only how members feel and think at all stages of their involvement, but also how larger social and psychological forces reinforce individual commitment within the cults. For this revised and newly-illustrated second edition, Galanter has added three new chapters on cult development in the 1990s, spiritual recovery movements, and alternative medicine.”
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Hassan, Steven. (1989) Combatting cult mind control. Park Street Press: Rochester, VT.
NOTE:: An analysis of above-board cult induction, brainwashing, and exit counseling techniques.

Langone, Michael D. and Blood, Linda O. (1990) Satanism and occult-related violence: What you should know. American Family Foundation; Weston, MA.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Events stimulating public concern — Law enforcement findings — Growing public awareness — Reports from helping professionals — Historical background — Modern Satanism — Folk religions — Prevalence — Why do people get involved in Satanism? — Recruitment tactics — Effects and signs of Satanic involvement — Teenagers forming cults — How does Satanic involvement affect people? — What can families do? — Educate yourself — Communicate effectively — Be patient and set a hierarchy of goals — Exercise authority when appropriate — Know when to seek professional help — Suggestions for mental health professionals — Working with deeply involved Satanists — Ritualistic abuse — Adult survivors — Legal issues — Conclusions — References — Resource organizations.
NOTE: This report’s perspective is that of the mental health professional. It’s goal is to review the existing literature pertinent to Satanism and to offer suggestions to parents and helping professionals concerned about people, especially youth, involved in Satanism. It provides a balanced overview of the problems posed by the recent upsurge of Satanism and occult-related violence in the United States.

Langone, M. D. (l993) Recovery from cults: Help for victims of psychological and spiritual abuse. W. W. Norton, NY, NY
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Helping cult victims: Historical background — Section I: Mind control — A little carrot and a lot of stick: A case example — Reflections on brainwashing — Understanding mind control: Exotic and mundane mental manipulations — Section II: Leaving cults — A personal account: Eastern meditation group — A personal account: Bible-based group — Post-cult problems: An exit counselor’s perspective — Exit counseling: A practical overview — The importance of information in preparing for exit counseling: A case study — Section III: Facilitating recovery — Post-cult recovery: Assessment and rehabilitation — Guidelines for therapists — Guidelines for clergy — Guidelines for psychiatric hospitalization of ex-cultists — Guidelines for support groups — Guidelines for families — Guidelines for ex-members — Section IV: Special issues — Children and cults — Ritualistic abuse of children in day-care centers — Teen Satanism — Legal considerations: Regaining independence and initiative — Index.
NOTE: From the publisher:  “This book is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of the cult experience. It draws on the clinical expertise of treatment professionals and the personal experiences of those formerly involved in high-intensity mind-control groups. The book examines the history of the cult phenomenon, the nature of mind control, the psychological literature on post-cult distress, why people leave cults, exit counseling and deprogramming, and how to facilitate recovery. (It) makes a strong case for the extreme damage that cults can do to members physically, as well as psychologically and spiritually. There are specific guidelines for different types of counseling: psychotherapy, pastoral counseling, psychiatric hospit
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Lewis, James R., Ed. (2004) The Oxford handbook of new religious movements. Oxford Univ. Press,  Oxford, NY. 2004.
An Introduction to New Religions – Part I: Modernization and New Religions: Alternative Spiritualities, New Religions, and the Reenchantment of the West – The Sociocultural Significance of Modern New Religious Movements – Science and Religion in the New Religions  – New Religious Movements and the World Wide Web  – Part II – Social Conflict: Violence and New Religious Movements – Legal Dimensions of New Religions – Vicissitudes of Success and Failure – Anti-Cult Campaigns in Western Europe and French Religious Exceptionalism – Satanism and Ritual Abuse – Conversion and “Brainwashing” in New Religious Movements – Disaffiliating from New Religious Movements – Part III: Social and Psychological Dimensions – Psychology and the New Religious Movements – Millennialism – Function, Reality Construction, and Process – Women in New Religious Movements – Children in New Religious Movements – Part IV: Neo-Pagans, Ufos, and Other Heterodoxies – UFO Religions and “Ufological” Themes in New Religious Movements  – Esotericism in New Religious Movements – Seekers, Networks, and “New Age” – New Religions in East Asia – A Review of Current Academic Treatments of Neo-Paganism
NOTE: From the Publisher:  The study of New Religious Movements (NRMs) is one of the fastest-growing areas of religious studies. This Handbook covers the current state of the field and breaks new ground. Its contributors are drawn equally from sociology and religious studies and include both established scholars and “rising stars” in the field. The core chapters deal with such central issues as conversion, the brainwashing debate, millennialism, and modernization. Another section deals with NRM subfields such as neopaganism, satanism, and UFO religions. The final section considers NRMs in global perspective.
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Lifton, Robert Jay. (1989, c1961) Thought reform and the psychology of totalism: A study of “brainwashing” in China. University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill, NC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: The problem – What is brainwashing? Research in Hong Kong – Reeducation: Dr Vincent – Father Luca: the false confession – Psychological steps – Varieties of response: the obviously confused -Varieties of response: apparent converts – A Chinese odyssey – The older generation: Robert Chao – George Chen: the conversions of youth – Grace Wu: music and reform – Cultural perspectives: the fate of filial piety – Cultural perspectives: origins – Cultural perspectives: impact – Ideological totalism – Varieties of response: apparent resisters – Group reform: double-edged leadership – Follow up visits – Father Simon the converted Jesuit – Recovery and renewal: a summing up – The encounter – The revolutionary university Mr Hu – Approaches to reeducation – Open personal change – A confession document
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Manson, Charles, and Emmons, Nuel. (1986) Manson in his own words. Grove Press, NY, NY.
NOTE: Provides new information about Charles Manson and the Tate-LaBianca murders gathered from interviews and his correspondence.
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Melton, J. G. (1992) Encyclopedic handbook of cults in America. Garland: NY, NY and London, England.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: What Is a Cult? Church of Christ Scientist – The Church of Latter day Saints (Mormon) – Mormon Groups – The Identity Movement – Jehovahs Witnesses – The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ –  Satanism – A Christian Foundation – The Church of Scientology – Summit Lighthouse – Krishna – The Local Church -Transcendental Meditation and the World – Evangelical Christianity and the Cults -Spiritualism – Theosophy – Unity School of Christianity – The Universal Peace Mission Movement – The New Age Movement – The Anticult Movement – Violence and the Cults
NOTE: Covers the history, founders, beliefs, and literature of over five hundred non-conventional and alternative religious movements. Melton does not believe in hidden Satanic groups.
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Porter, Jack N. (1997) Jews and the cults: Bibliography and resource Guide. Spencer Press, Wells, ME.

Rochford, E. Burke. (2007) Hare Krishna transformed. NY Univ. Press, NY, NY.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introduction – Growing Up – Family, Culture, and Change – Child Abuse – Public Schooling and Identity – Women’s Voices – Male Backlash – Moving On – Hindus and Hinduization – World Accommodation – Appendix 1: Commitment, Involvement, and Leader Authority Measures – Appendix 2: Data Tables
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Singer, Margaret Thaler and Lalich, Janja. (1996) Cults in our midst: The hidden menace in our everyday lives. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco CA.
NOTE: From the publisher: “Over the past two decades, in the United States alone, an estimated twenty million people have joined cults. Today, three to five thousand cults are working to recruit new members. At any point in time, two-and-a-half to three million Americans are active cult members. Often a cult is disguised as a legitimate business or organization: a restaurant, self-help group, psychotherapy clinic, or leadership training program could be a front for a cult. Anyone–no matter what age or income level–could be susceptible to the covert and seductive nature of a cult. Cults in our midst offers vital information on how to help people escape cult entrapments and recover from the experience.”

Snow, Robert L. (2003) Deadly cults: the crimes of true believers.Praeger Pub., Westport, CT.
NOTE: From the publisher: “How does a Vampire Cult differ from a Satanic Cult? How do seemingly “normal” or “ordinary” citizens suddenly find themselves committed to a group whose leader promotes criminal activities and isolation from families and friends? What should you do if a loved one becomes indoctrinated by a potentially dangerous cult?”
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Zablocki, David and Robbins, Thomas, Eds. (2001) Misunderstanding cults: Searching for objectivity in a controversial field. Univ. Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: (partial) Finding a Middle Ground in a Polarized Scholarly Area – Part 1: How Ojective are the Scholars? – Balance and Fairness in the Study of Alternative Religions – Confessions of a Canadian Researcher – Pitfalls in the Sociological Study of Cults – Part II: How Constrained Are the Participants? – Towards a Demystified and Disinterested Scientific Theory of Brainwashing – Science or Pseudo Science – Competing Political Narratives – Steven Kent’s Revival of the Brainwashing Model – A Rejoinder to Lorne Dawsons – Part III: How ConcernedShold Society Be? – Child Rearing Issues in Totalist Groups – A Case Study of the Conflict Between a New Religious Movement and Its Critics – The Roots of Religious Violence in America –
NOTE: From the publisher: “Working towards a moderate “third path” in the heated debate over new religious movements or cults, this collection includes contributions from both scholars who have been characterized as “anticult” and those characterized as “cult-apologists.”
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3/2014