var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Many are adamant, like Michelle Queen, that no one could change their mind. document.getElementById('cloak5fb41fcd031f23f99e1fe74c1f0c8e03').innerHTML = ''; SMITH: But a few minutes in, Queen starts to push back. addy36636b8776af4b03ad7a9a07dfcdf3b6 = addy36636b8776af4b03ad7a9a07dfcdf3b6 + 'CultRecover' + '.' + 'com'; "And sturdy bridges! This email address is being protected from spambots. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; And Benscoter warns Queen about believing everything from a trusted friend; they may have the best intentions, but anyone can be deceived, she says. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Modeling QAnon as a cult suggests that "deprogramming" techniquesa kind of "un-brainwashing"could be helpful, but when deprogramming was used in its 1970s heyday, it usually began with. "I'm not in a cult. QAnon, for example, is known for dropping "bread crumbs," or little clues that followers piece together to draw their own conclusions. var addy_text3001007811159a16eabbf160ee2e3f2d = 'robertaeisenberg' + '@' + 'comcast' + '.' + 'net';document.getElementById('cloak3001007811159a16eabbf160ee2e3f2d').innerHTML += ''+addy_text3001007811159a16eabbf160ee2e3f2d+'<\/a>'; He also recommends enlisting the believers family member or friends to reconnect with them and spend more time with them, which gives the believer fewer opportunities to engage with the conspiracy theory. addy9ab5a63abd787008bc43f649316071fa = addy9ab5a63abd787008bc43f649316071fa + 'protonmail' + '.' + 'com'; var addy_text1d5d405a44b140051bf1a553979856bb = 'malinoski' + '@' + 'faxtone' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak1d5d405a44b140051bf1a553979856bb').innerHTML += ''+addy_text1d5d405a44b140051bf1a553979856bb+'<\/a>'; Offers a bi-monthly free publication as well as other resources. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; SMITH: Diane Benscoter has been helping people untangle from extremist ideologies since the '80s after she was extricated from the Unification Church, commonly known as the Moonies. var addy_text58e313c97f95266c6ebc9cf6532a97bb = 'cathysharrislcsw' + '@' + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak58e313c97f95266c6ebc9cf6532a97bb').innerHTML += ''+addy_text58e313c97f95266c6ebc9cf6532a97bb+'<\/a>'; "Often strong men muscle the subject into a car and take him to a place where he is cut off from everyone but his captors,". What deprogramming amounted to, of course, was a form of forced behavior modification. That's what got 32-year-old Jay Gilley, a pizza delivery guy from Alabama who spent three years caught up in QAnon. var addy_textde94da22e197db1d535fa5dc06c0facf = 'john' + '@' + 'goldhammer' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloakde94da22e197db1d535fa5dc06c0facf').innerHTML += ''+addy_textde94da22e197db1d535fa5dc06c0facf+'<\/a>'; "I think now is the time to start building bridges, you know. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Cult cults deprogrammng brain washing scientology moonies ted talks kidnapping sleep nutrition exercise beyonce jackfruit tacos abuse abusive relationships aa alcoholics anonymous addiction recovery jewish doctors var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Benscoter says the only viable strategy is prevention, and she's helping develop a public awareness campaign to keep people from falling down the rabbit hole in the first place. And the disinformation is not only about the pandemic. If you are a former member of a cult or high-demand group, we invite you to submit your work to be considered for the Phoenix Project Virtual Montreal 2021. SMITH: Before long, they find more they can agree on - that January's violence at the U.S. Capitol was wrong, and so is hurting children, even though they disagree on what's actually happening. Deprogramming is a controversial tactic that attempts to help someone who has "strongly held convictions . For the last 40 years, he's . I don't put anything past people.". Indeed, anyone can be psychologically manipulated, Benscoter says. Itll take time for people to change their views, Hassan said, but by engaging with them and continuing to be respectful, it can help them pull away from conspiracies. She expresses sympathy for how Queen's business has been hurt during the pandemic. addy58e313c97f95266c6ebc9cf6532a97bb = addy58e313c97f95266c6ebc9cf6532a97bb + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: This is a scamdemic (ph). The ICSA website also has much valuable information there. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. 1 Summit, NJ 07901 Phone: (917) 753-7007 Kevin Taylor Attorney at Law . The notion of "deradicalizing" and "deprogramming" Trump supporters has been fiercely promoted by those on the left in recent days following the November presidential elections and the storming of the U.S. Capitol last month. Practice making your own decisions, and work on rediscovering your personality. Ginger Brown was 22 years old when she accused her parents of kidnapping her. that Congress introduced a resolution to condemn it Tuesday. A security team guards the person for several days, 24 hours a day, while the deprogrammer, former cult members, and family members present information. var addyfefae804527880e22aa3cd22f2d08a08 = 'crussellmft' + '@'; She has developed an approach to counselling former members - "Time Away for Post-Cult Counselling." Gillie was a member of an abusive Bible-based cult in the . var addy_textd837acf5bd986a89f36638fee3f1630d = 'andreamoore4' + '@' + 'verizon' + '.' + 'net';document.getElementById('cloakd837acf5bd986a89f36638fee3f1630d').innerHTML += ''+addy_textd837acf5bd986a89f36638fee3f1630d+'<\/a>'; Colleen Russell, LMFT, CGP 1036 Sir Francis Drake Blvd Kentfield, CA 94904 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. CIFS is an Australian support and information network. Indeed, the idea is never to "snap the person out of it, or do an 'a-ha' moment where it's a light bulb," says Steven Hassan, "but rather to do incremental 'A-ha's'" so the person may slowly realize what doesn't add up. The jury awarded the plaintiff nearly US$5 million in total damages. It's why he recently helped launch a hashtag campaign, #IGotOut. The general public is overwhelmed amid the coronavirus pandemic, Hassan told Forbes, adding that when people are off-balance, theyre more susceptible to cult recruiters and outside influence. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; "You feel like you are fighting the battle for goodness, and all of a sudden you are the hero. SMITH: Queen is also among the 20% who believe that those who broke into the Capitol in January were actually undercover members of the left-wing antifa, even though most of those arrested have been affiliated with right-wing groups. Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. SHAPIRO: Joan Donovan is a researcher at Harvard Kennedy's Shorenstein Center, and she says the truth is often kind of boring and doesn't play well on social media. BENSCOTER: I think it's really important to try to help people inoculate, to try to create herd immunity to psychological manipulation and to hit that tipping point in society where more people understand how these tactics work. The poll found that those buying into fallacies are far more likely to get most of their news from social media, friends and family, or conservative news outlets. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. document.getElementById('cloak8034107a87f3497c1eaf99e1fec2acf0').innerHTML = ''; QUEEN: That's who they said they arrested. The numbers for PCR testing SHAPIRO: Shasta County is rural, mostly white and very Republican. General psychotherapy, specializing in cult recovery and education for those affected by cults; facilitating a Group for Former Cult or High-Demand Group Members (since 2003), facilitating online and in-person workshops for former members. But an Ipsos poll taken after the attack on January 6 found that only 27% of Republicans believe that Joe Biden legitimately won the presidential election. Has experience with cultic relationships and is familiar with the coercive persuasion techniques used by destructive groups.Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Margaret Singer, PhD psychologist advocates for "showing them how their own decision-making power had been taken away from them." But as she put it, the Bible teaches that "discernment is a gift," and since she's confident that she's got it, she agreed to sit down with Benscoter, just to hear her out. A problem shared is a problem halved. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Published by ICSA: "Harms associated with cultic groups have been addressed through various forms of self-help, conservatorship, habeas corpus proceedings, consumer protection . var addy7a81c507740ba1e5a4b8252e1b215489 = 'drjackie' + '@'; "They didn't tell you all the others. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Use the vacation to have fun, not to press your views onto the person. Get talking and learn how they coped and overcame their challenges. But it's much more difficult. Phone: 317.536.5482, Deirdre Hart Wilson, CSW Las Vegas/Henderson A survivor of a destructive group who specializes in recovery from cults, trauma, and abuse.Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; P.O. SHAPIRO: Now it's sometimes closer to six hours. Specializing in working with ex and exiting members of religious, secular or treatment groups using a trauma-informed perspectivePhone: (619) 807-9159, John Hochman, MD Los Angeles Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. They have incorrect wiring operating in their brain for conscience and empathy and reality testing and respect for others, as. document.getElementById('cloak7986d920f3745ab243b59af6f71579f5').innerHTML = ''; addy91074be5ee59a2d78187577491ccc5ac = addy91074be5ee59a2d78187577491ccc5ac + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; Michael Travesser is the leader of the cult called Strong City. For that reason in some cases cult leader's pictures were burned or there were highly confrontational interactions between deprogrammers and cultist. SMITH: It's a tedious and time-intensive process, too, that can't keep up with disinformation spreading virally online. Infranaut/YouTube. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; SMITH: Eventually, thanks to a patient friend, Gilley came to understand how he, a left-leaning Obama supporter, allowed himself, as he puts it, to fall down a far-right rabbit hole. At least 40 states are considering similar bills. var addy08a3115d0b8c7e253703ff3626436340 = 'dwehlelcsw' + '@'; And so then, we have a path to go on.". Instead, she offers up herself as Exhibit A, explaining how she when she was a Moonie thought she was following the Messiah. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: It's a fraud. I'm not in a cult. var addyfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b = 'steve' + '@'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; "It may seem like you're being tricky or crafty, but really what you're doing is respecting the fact that this is not going to be an easy process for [people] to get out with their dignity.". "I know it's been really tough," Benscoter offers. SHAPIRO: Republicans in Georgia are pushing a new law that would make it harder to vote in a bunch of ways - less early voting, a shorter absentee voting window, a new ID requirement. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. QUEEN: When you are evil, you're evil. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Hassan says that no matter what conspiracy theory a friend or loved one believes in, the same approach can help them. 465 (1982)Google Scholar; Note, Religious Cult Members and Deprogramming Attempts, 15 Akron L. Rev. 4. Steer the. document.getElementById('cloakfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b').innerHTML = ''; And many of these beliefs are fueled by false conspiracy theories that people found online. The term deprogramming has been used since the 1970s to refer to a range of behaviors, all of which are aimed at convincing members of so-called new religious movements (NRMs) to leave such groups and return to more mainstream social and religious lifestyles. You feel like you are fighting the battle for goodness, and all of a sudden, you feel like you are the hero. Then, Benscoter wades in, carefully making the case that anyone can be duped, making sure never to take aim at Queen. document.getElementById('cloak1d5d405a44b140051bf1a553979856bb').innerHTML = ''; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; You don't want to be dragged back into that confusion.". addyffec56a2dcd6b68be693d9a3ad7e4687 = addyffec56a2dcd6b68be693d9a3ad7e4687 + 'gerardwebster' + '.' + 'com'; Web site: Wellspring Retreat.org, Colleen Russell, LMFT, CGP 70 SW Century Drive, Suite 100-363 Bend, Oregon 97702 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. Conspiracy theories are encouraged and promoted, but QAnon is a political cult that recruits and indoctrinates primarily online. They also questioned the very idea that brainwashing and deprogramming were real phenomena. Today, experts say the engagement is voluntary, and more cooperative than confrontational. Y'know the news ain't gonna give you the whole thing.". var addy_text1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d = 'mwinell' + '@' + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d').innerHTML += ''+addy_text1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d+'<\/a>'; In Georgia, Andra Gillespie of Emory University says the voting bill would disproportionately hurt lower-income voters, people of color and Democrats. Phone: (303) 444-0992, Rosanne Henry, L.P.C. Sadly, there is no magic hotline or manual to deprogram your QAnon-addicted loved one. And those who try to use them will be less successful using them because they're easily spotted now. The question is whether the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol can begin to steer some of the Trump faithful toward the kind of cult deprogramming they so . And that's just not what this country should be, I don't think. ARI. MICHELLE QUEEN: No way. The similarities between cults and being in love with a narcissist fall into three basic categories: the people involved. With everyone in distress from coronavirus, maintaining meaningful spoken communication with loved ones through phone calls and - where safe - visits are more important than ever. A few minutes in, Queen starts to push back, insisting she's not the impulsive or emotional type who would do that. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. SMITH: Other experts liken the threat of disinformation to secondhand smoke. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; 165 (1981)Google Scholar; Note, Conservatorships and Religious . var addy_textffec56a2dcd6b68be693d9a3ad7e4687 = 'gerard' + '@' + 'gerardwebster' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloakffec56a2dcd6b68be693d9a3ad7e4687').innerHTML += ''+addy_textffec56a2dcd6b68be693d9a3ad7e4687+'<\/a>'; SHAPIRO: Disinformation is not new. With disinformation spreading on an unprecedented scale, experts in cult deprogramming are turning their expertise to those who have fallen down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. ", "That's right," agrees Queen. Nothing that's going to fall apart!". You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "Well," she says at one point, "one thing that I think is so sad right now is that the country is so divided, people are almost like spitting at each other. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tell them, Share with me what you think is a really reputable article. Conspiracy theories, on the other hand DONOVAN: There are so many conspiracy theories on the Internet. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; When a family hires him to meet with a loved one, Ryan says his first step is to do a kind of intervention on the family. JOAN DONOVAN: Social media tends to drive the fringe to the mainstream. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. We've come to start to think about it as an attack on the supply chain of information. var addy_text8034107a87f3497c1eaf99e1fec2acf0 = 'info' + '@' + 'dallascult' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak8034107a87f3497c1eaf99e1fec2acf0').innerHTML += ''+addy_text8034107a87f3497c1eaf99e1fec2acf0+'<\/a>'; addy3001007811159a16eabbf160ee2e3f2d = addy3001007811159a16eabbf160ee2e3f2d + 'comcast' + '.' + 'net'; The Atlantic Monthly, Sept. 26, 2016 How Well-Meaning, Intelligent People End Up in a Cult. When Benscoter's conversation with Queen veers off toward an area of disagreement one more time, Benscoter makes one last pivot to try to end on a more congenial note. We are seeking creative works that reveal the world of the cult survivor. Thats toxic and going to drive the person deeper [into the conspiracy] by persecuting them.. [2] [3] [4] It was founded in the wake of the 1978 cult mass murder/suicide at Jonestown, Guyana. var addy91074be5ee59a2d78187577491ccc5ac = 'tbiegenlcsw' + '@'; You need JavaScript enabled to view it. addy1d7636c60bf66e28f720217bac536c67 = addy1d7636c60bf66e28f720217bac536c67 + 'tellatherapist' + '.' + 'net'; var addy_textf4219bca9ede32acb3a79607cd4c413f = 'therapist' + '@' + 'beaarmstrong' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloakf4219bca9ede32acb3a79607cd4c413f').innerHTML += ''+addy_textf4219bca9ede32acb3a79607cd4c413f+'<\/a>'; addy9305946a8da6033cf0ae51a493ea258b = addy9305946a8da6033cf0ae51a493ea258b + 'leonafurnari' + '.' + 'com'; BENSCOTER: Are you OK as far as electricity and - or anything like that? This was a small, homemade cult where she would pick up teenage boys and then videotape herself having sex with them because that is how the cult leader "got his jollies." Dr. Eichel worked with . Experts see it as a public health emergency, threatening democracy, straining family relationships and now also straining an industry of folks trying to help. It's a plandemic (ph), and it's a damndemic (ph). One click led to another, and he wound up deep into dark conspiracies and hate speech dressed up as dogma, which to Gilley felt like validation. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Specializes in litigation against cults. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Web site: www.dallascult.com, Cyndi Matthews, PhD, LPC-S, NCCCounseling for cult survivors, domestic violence survivors, and LGBT populations Dallas Web site: www.drcyndimatthews.com Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. document.getElementById('cloak9ab5a63abd787008bc43f649316071fa').innerHTML = ''; addy1d5d405a44b140051bf1a553979856bb = addy1d5d405a44b140051bf1a553979856bb + 'faxtone' + '.' + 'com'; 2: Go on Facebook or the web and search for groups of ex members from the group you were in. One click led to another, and he wound up deep into dark conspiracies and hate speech dressed up as dogma. SMITH: By the end, they agree to keep talking - just what Benscoter was hoping for. addyde94da22e197db1d535fa5dc06c0facf = addyde94da22e197db1d535fa5dc06c0facf + 'goldhammer' + '.' + 'com'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; At its core, QAnon teaches that dozens of politicians and A-list. But before he leaves, the Sweathogs pull him into the school bathroom and try to deprogram him. It goes deep. document.getElementById('cloak91074be5ee59a2d78187577491ccc5ac').innerHTML = ''; And so then we have a path to go on. Ill read it and get back to you on it, if you agree to read something I share with you. Two weeks ago, we watched a pro-Trump mob storm the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the results of a U.S. election and keep Donald Trump in power. addyd837acf5bd986a89f36638fee3f1630d = addyd837acf5bd986a89f36638fee3f1630d + 'verizon' + '.' + 'net'; One third. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: A controversial election bill clears another hurdle at the state capitol. var addy_text9305946a8da6033cf0ae51a493ea258b = 'info' + '@' + 'leonafurnari' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak9305946a8da6033cf0ae51a493ea258b').innerHTML += ''+addy_text9305946a8da6033cf0ae51a493ea258b+'<\/a>'; There's no end to the need for those kinds of services, Benscoter says. "Some of the things that are being spread about babies being eaten and things, I don't think those things are true, personally," Benscoter says. Recovering Emotionally 1 Work on your boundaries. We used to think smokers were only harming themselves. More commonly referred to as "exit counselors" or "de-radicalizers," they help people caught up in cultic ideologies to reconnect with reality. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Benscoter senses an opportunity to take one more shot at dispelling the disinformation. Those creepy remarks came after Ruhle wondered why Jeske does what . var addy7b57602c4cc4d305ebe32094a0517282 = 'deirdrewilson' + '@'; ", "Now, how would we do that?" You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The approach has evolved since the days when some deprogrammers came under fire for crossing legal and ethical lines by holding cult members against their will. Sidney and Shoe are here to go over the different methods of cult deprogramming, and so much more! The only viable strategy is prevention, she says, which is why she's helping to develop a public awareness campaign to help keep people from falling down the rabbit hole in the first place. var addy_textfefae804527880e22aa3cd22f2d08a08 = 'crussellmft' + '@' + 'earthlink' + '.' + 'net';document.getElementById('cloakfefae804527880e22aa3cd22f2d08a08').innerHTML += ''+addy_textfefae804527880e22aa3cd22f2d08a08+'<\/a>'; Phone: (214) 607-1065 Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. By the end of the conversation, they agree to keep talking, just what Benscoter hoped would happen. She also cautions that when people are suffering like they are during the pandemic it's easier to get them riled up," and how big-hearted, caring people can be especially "susceptible to buying into things.". It started when he questioned the Black Lives Matter movement and got criticized online. The Phoenix Project was created by Diana Pletts as a healing, liberating, and empowering experience. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Tivona Biegen, LCSW-R225 Broadway, Suite 2130New York, NY 10007646-512-4327This email address is being protected from spambots. Hassan has several models to illustrate how healthy influence differs from the unhealthy, along with criteria to help determine whether a group is, in fact, a cult. QUEEN: That's right - and sturdy bridges, not nothing that's going to fall apart. Phone: (415) 785-3513 Web site: www.ColleenRussellmft.com, Marlene Winell, Ph.D. Berkeley Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. the features of the group or relationship. Queen says she gets most her information from a trusted friend who "digs deeper" on the internet than she does. var addy1d7636c60bf66e28f720217bac536c67 = 'vanessa' + '@'; Sound of My Voice. And I think we need to get to the bottom of that, though. Michelle Queen does not consider herself part of QAnon, but she does believe some of its most outlandish conspiracies including that Satan-worshipping elites in a secret pedophile cabal are killing babies and drinking their blood. addyd477c46acce837837ff43023e001dfd2 = addyd477c46acce837837ff43023e001dfd2 + 'colleenrussellmft' + '.' + 'com'; var addy_text7a81c507740ba1e5a4b8252e1b215489 = 'drjackie' + '@' + 'drjacquelinejohnson' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak7a81c507740ba1e5a4b8252e1b215489').innerHTML += ''+addy_text7a81c507740ba1e5a4b8252e1b215489+'<\/a>';