If you or someone you love is walking away from indoctrination, then I wish you strength during this transition. This episode looks at why victims join harmful communities, and ways to support leaving.
If you are seeking expert advice:
- Freedom of Mind resource Center (Steven Hassan): https://freedomofmind.com/blog/ There are Multiple Freedom of Mind resources: https://freedomofmind.com/how-to-help-people-involved-in-qanon-a-reddit-ama-qanoncasualties/another specific article quoted: https://freedomofmind.com/train-mental-health-professionals/ and book: https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Mind-Helping-Controlling-Beliefs-ebook/dp/B008HAIWIW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
- Divorcing Religion (Janice Selbie): https://www.divorcing-religion.com/ Workshops: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/bookings-checkout/divorcing-religion-workshop?referral=book_button_widget
- This site lists online mental health resources: https://www.healthline.com/health/our-top-10-online-therapy-picks
Social media references regarding leaving cults / anti-MLMs / de-conversion stories. All of these are fantastic resources and I highly recommend any / all of them.
- Women Beyond Faith podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/women-beyond-faith/id1441232338?mt=2
- Graceful Atheist podcast: https://gracefulatheist.com/category/podcast/deconversion-anonymous/
- Harmonic Atheist YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/HarmonicAtheist
- Anti-MLM Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JosieNaikoi/featured (there are SEVERAL of these; I am recommending this one as it is run by a former top MLM salesperson, so there is additional insider knowledge on this channel).
- Megan Phelps Roper TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVV2Zk88beY
- Here is a link to the conference referenced: MLM: A Consumer Protection Challenge: https://www.mlmconference.com/ Steven Hassan was one of the speakers at the conference.
Additional resources cited:
- https://www.insider.com/why-people-join-cults-according-to-therapist-who-treats-survivors-2020-9
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178116319941
- https://www.biographyonline.net/spiritual/articles/difference-religion-cult.html
- https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/how-people-become-radicalized/ (this is the Scott Atran article, which I reference and quote repeatedly)
- This is a great article about the difference between religion and a cult: https://www.wheelercentre.com/notes/what-s-the-difference-between-a-religion-and-a-cult
Image credit: https://unsplash.com/@andersjilden
