And I think SMITH: Benscoter talks about the reputable nonprofits fighting human trafficking and suggests Queen get involved. addy36636b8776af4b03ad7a9a07dfcdf3b6 = addy36636b8776af4b03ad7a9a07dfcdf3b6 + 'CultRecover' + '.' + 'com'; You can find this movie on Vudu. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; SMITH: Then Benscoter walks a fine line, being totally upfront that she wants Queen to consider that she's caught in a web of disinformation while insisting that she's not trying to turn Queen into a Democrat, for example. It is now operated by the Foundation for Religious Freedom (FRF), a California corporation doing business as Cult Awareness. Today, experts say the engagement is voluntary, and more cooperative than confrontational. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; In Northern California, a typical meeting of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors used to run around two or three hours. 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. At its core, QAnon teaches that dozens of politicians and A-list. We've come to start to think about it as an attack on the supply chain of information. addyc86dd6e18b3f6b7519f1d77b8ebc194c = addyc86dd6e18b3f6b7519f1d77b8ebc194c + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; "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,". He implores them to change their tone to be less adversarial, disdainful or mocking. The End of the World Cult. "The question is - how are we going to almost deprogram these people who have signed up for the cult of Trump," asked Katie Couric during a recent interview on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher. A small industrydeprogramminggrew up around the posited need to rescue people's children from the clutches of cult leaders, alternately depicted as monomaniacal zealots or sociopathic . var addyd477c46acce837837ff43023e001dfd2 = 'crussell' + '@'; You could also give us a call. Cult deprogramming expert Rick Alan Ross has helped people escape cults since 1982. the features of the group or relationship. document.getElementById('cloakc86dd6e18b3f6b7519f1d77b8ebc194c').innerHTML = ''; Hassan says that no matter what conspiracy theory a friend or loved one believes in, the same approach can help them. 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. Tovia Smith, NPR News. And Benscoter warns Queen about believing everything from a trusted friend; they may have the best intentions, but anyone can be deceived, she says. SMITH: But a few minutes in, Queen starts to push back. The network has grown to include families, friends, former members and concerned individuals working together towards a common goal, to provide support and develop awareness for those affected by high demand groups or cultic relationships. QAnon, for example, is known for dropping "bread crumbs," or little clues that followers piece together to draw their own conclusions. 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. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; For example, Hassan will ask a person to recount how they first started buying into the ideology or group, hoping they, themselves, may start to recognize ways in which they were manipulated or led astray. JAY GILLEY: Just having someone tell you you're right and don't listen to people - it just leads you down that path so fast. Andrea Moore-Emmett, MA, LMFT Rancho Cucamonga helps individuals dealing with former cult affiliation. Also a former cult member and anti-cult activist. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 4. The Cult Awareness Network ( CAN) was an anti-cult organization created by deprogrammer Ted Patrick [1] that provided information on groups that it considered to be cults, as well as support and referrals to deprogrammers. ARI. var addy_textf020b5c9b482943f070d4f6e57a6e054 = 'erikastille' + '@' + 'bellsouth' + '.' + 'net';document.getElementById('cloakf020b5c9b482943f070d4f6e57a6e054').innerHTML += ''+addy_textf020b5c9b482943f070d4f6e57a6e054+'<\/a>'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; For the last 40 years, he's . You don't want to be dragged back into that confusion.". "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.". var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; 01.19.21. Nothing that's going to fall apart!". "I think now is the time to start building bridges, you know. They didn't tell you all the others. 211 E 43rd St, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10017 Web site: www.sarabwaters.com Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. Web site: Odenwald Residence, Miguel Perlado, PhD BarcelonaSpecializes in cult-related problems with current members, ex members and victims of abusive relationships.Roger de lure 26, entlo 2B (08010, Barcelona/SPAIN) Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Horshack joins a religious cult and decides to drop out of school to go live with with the cult members. document.getElementById('cloak08a3115d0b8c7e253703ff3626436340').innerHTML = ''; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; What deprogramming amounted to, of course, was a form of forced behavior modification. A problem shared is a problem halved. We're talking strategy because if I can get a family to do something meaningful, then I have credibility. GET IN TOUCH. But before he leaves, the Sweathogs pull him into the school bathroom and try to deprogram him. This table demonstrates the major similarities falling into each of the three categories. document.getElementById('cloak7a81c507740ba1e5a4b8252e1b215489').innerHTML = ''; "That feeling of 'I did my own research, and I didn't just believe what I read in the newspapers' makes believers more emotionally invested," says Arieh Kovler, who researches online extremism and disinformation. Cult Deprogrammer Rick Alan Ross on NXIVM, QAnon, and What Makes Us Vulnerable | by Alex Kantrowitz | OneZero 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Eventually, thanks to a patient friend who stuck by him and indulged his questions, Gilley says he came to understand how he had "allowed himself" to go from a left-leaning supporter of former President Barack Obama to a guy who had fallen all the way down a far-right rabbit hole. Benscoter talks about the many reputable non-profits fighting human trafficking, and suggests Queen might like to get involved. SMITH: By the end, they agree to keep talking - just what Benscoter was hoping for. Phone: (510) 292-0509, Steven Eichel, Ph.D., ABPPNewarkSpecializes in harm done by exploitive, coercive and/or destructive movements and groups.Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. 11. Add. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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. var addyd837acf5bd986a89f36638fee3f1630d = 'andreamoore4' + '@'; SHAPIRO: County Supervisor Leonard Moty worries that reasonable people won't feel safe coming to meetings, let alone running for public office. I don't put anything past people.". var addy_text08a3115d0b8c7e253703ff3626436340 = 'dwehlelcsw' + '@' + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak08a3115d0b8c7e253703ff3626436340').innerHTML += ''+addy_text08a3115d0b8c7e253703ff3626436340+'<\/a>'; Wellspring Retreat Albany Greg Sammons, Director Specializing in the rehabilitation of individuals who have suffered in abusive religious groups, relationships and organizations. "They didn't tell you all the others. Those creepy remarks came after Ruhle wondered why Jeske does what . You need JavaScript enabled to view it. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var addy_text8034107a87f3497c1eaf99e1fec2acf0 = 'info' + '@' + 'dallascult' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak8034107a87f3497c1eaf99e1fec2acf0').innerHTML += ''+addy_text8034107a87f3497c1eaf99e1fec2acf0+'<\/a>'; Phone: (303) 444-0992, Rosanne Henry, L.P.C. var addy_text12e374cf467cf94c035e499fed3d9ec1 = 'consulta' + '@' + 'miguelperlado' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak12e374cf467cf94c035e499fed3d9ec1').innerHTML += ''+addy_text12e374cf467cf94c035e499fed3d9ec1+'<\/a>'; var addy1d7636c60bf66e28f720217bac536c67 = 'vanessa' + '@'; var addy36636b8776af4b03ad7a9a07dfcdf3b6 = 'Rosanne' + '@'; "It's strategic, absolutely," Ryan says. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Tell them, Share with me what you think is a really reputable article. Ginger Brown was 22 years old when she accused her parents of kidnapping her. Sidney and Shoe are here to go over the different methods of cult deprogramming, and so much more! 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. "But it doesn't mean they need to be tortured or killed.". Wide doors, elevators, accessible bathrooms Provider: Jewish Board Of Family And Children's Services var addy9ab5a63abd787008bc43f649316071fa = 'sarawaters' + '@'; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. var addy_textde94da22e197db1d535fa5dc06c0facf = 'john' + '@' + 'goldhammer' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloakde94da22e197db1d535fa5dc06c0facf').innerHTML += ''+addy_textde94da22e197db1d535fa5dc06c0facf+'<\/a>'; Instead, she suggests neutral sources, like academic research that Queen can read herself. addyfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b = addyfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b + 'dreichel' + '.' + 'com'; Oh, absolutely. (714) 435-CULT(2858) Monday - Friday / 9am - 5pm . 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. addy58e313c97f95266c6ebc9cf6532a97bb = addy58e313c97f95266c6ebc9cf6532a97bb + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; . var addyf4219bca9ede32acb3a79607cd4c413f = 'therapist' + '@'; "I think it's really important to try to help people inoculate, to try to create herd immunity to psychological manipulation," Benscoter says, "and to hit that tipping point in society where more people understand how these tactics work, and those who try to use them will be less successful because those using them are easily spotted now. Experts see this spread of disinformation as a public health emergency that's threatening democracy, increasing the risk of further violence, and straining family relationships. His approach is to "ask gentle questions" and then allow people "to connect the dots themselves. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; SMITH: Other experts liken the threat of disinformation to secondhand smoke. It was the first of many times during their conversation that Benscoter would back off and pivot, in search of even the tiniest patch of common ground. Everything was rigged. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. New York City Web site: Daniel Shaw, CSW, Sara Waters, MS, MA Specializes in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and recovery from high-demand and abusive relationships. Cult Hotline And Clinic Description: Provides a 24 hour hotline, services to former and current cult members and their families and friends. SHAPIRO: Now it's sometimes closer to six hours. 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. They also questioned the very idea that brainwashing and deprogramming were real phenomena. 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. JOAN DONOVAN: Social media tends to drive the fringe to the mainstream. Cult leaders are much more dangerous because they have a delusion. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. She recently founded a nonprofit called Antidote to run Al-Anon-style recovery groups for those caught up in disinformation and their loved ones. 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. "And we need to get to the bottom of that. A place with limited internet or phone will be especially helpful in giving them time away from the cult. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Specializing in working with former members, and the families of those in cults.Phone: (818) 907-0036, Cathy S Harris, MSW, LCSWSan Diego Web site: www.discoveryouservices.com Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. GILLEY: Looking back at it now, it's terrifying. SHAPIRO: Disinformation is not new. that Congress introduced a resolution to condemn it Tuesday. Instead, she offers up herself as Exhibit A, explaining how she when she was a Moonie thought she was following the Messiah. And radical, in this sense, doesn't simply mean "somewhat out of the norm." In religious cults, it would mean something along the lines of believing that your leader is the reincarnation of Jesus. Buyer-beware: The real CAN, a secular anticult organization, has been taken over by a Scientologist, and must be considered under the influence of the Church of Scientology [Documentation].While claiming to promote tolerance, the new CAN has shown itself to be a hate group.. addy3001007811159a16eabbf160ee2e3f2d = addy3001007811159a16eabbf160ee2e3f2d + 'comcast' + '.' + 'net'; addy3b255930a16b40f719162d87866cd410 = addy3b255930a16b40f719162d87866cd410 + 'eurekamail' + '.' + 'net'; A Cult of One by Richard Grannon takes the reader through an intimate, honest and personal journey of Narcissism, trauma and self discovery. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. document.getElementById('cloak3001007811159a16eabbf160ee2e3f2d').innerHTML = ''; You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The anti-cult movement soon ran into opposition from many sociologists and historians of religion, who argued that the anti-cultists often targeted religious movements that, while exotic to most Americans, were doing nothing wrong. 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. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Ross is the preeminent cult deprogrammer in the United States and the head of the Cult Education Institute, a nonprofit library with archived information about cults. Queen says she gets most her information from a trusted friend who "digs deeper" on the internet than she does. Note, Religious Deprogramming: A Solution Through Judicially Approved Guardians," 7 Nova L.J. var addyfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b = 'steve' + '@'; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; There's no end to the need for those kinds of services, Benscoter says. And people almost are, like, spitting at each other. BENSCOTER: I know you do. 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. It started when he questioned the Black Lives Matter movement online and got assailed. Dan featured on the Break It Down Podcast. 2: Go on Facebook or the web and search for groups of ex members from the group you were in. Cult expert Steven Hassan was on Tuesday brought on CNN to advise on how to deprogram members of what he described in his 2019 book as the "Cult of Trump." Perhaps with an eye toward boosting his deprogramming business, however, he suggested the entire country was in need of his services. She expresses sympathy for how Queen's business has been hurt during the pandemic. addy1d7636c60bf66e28f720217bac536c67 = addy1d7636c60bf66e28f720217bac536c67 + 'tellatherapist' + '.' + 'net'; var addy_text7a81c507740ba1e5a4b8252e1b215489 = 'drjackie' + '@' + 'drjacquelinejohnson' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak7a81c507740ba1e5a4b8252e1b215489').innerHTML += ''+addy_text7a81c507740ba1e5a4b8252e1b215489+'<\/a>'; SMITH: In other cases, the draw is what Benscoter calls easy answers to life's hard questions. In fact, in the early days of cult deprogramming, more aggressive techniques were sometimes used. "Just having someone tell you you're right, and don't listen to people, it just leads you down that path so fast," he recalls. 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 . Cultic groups all tend to fill some psychological need or void, such as a desire for meaning, purpose, or community. "They believe it much stronger.". This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Acknowledging that joining a cult requires an element of voluntary self-surrender also obliges us to consider whether the very relinquishment of control isn't a significant part of the appeal . A security team guards the person for several days, 24 hours a day, while the deprogrammer, former cult members, and family members present information. One click led to another, and he wound up deep into dark conspiracies and hate speech dressed up as dogma. 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. After calling neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville fine people and teargassing peaceful protesters following the murder of George Floyd, Donald Trump just sought to legitimize a conspiracy theory that the FBI has identified as a domestic terrorism threat. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Instead, Hassan recommends reconnecting with the believer over shared interests and experiences, like fishing or vacations taken together, because those reminders will help the believer remember their identity before the conspiracy theory took hold of them. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; addy12e374cf467cf94c035e499fed3d9ec1 = addy12e374cf467cf94c035e499fed3d9ec1 + 'miguelperlado' + '.' + 'com'; We are seeking creative works that reveal the world of the cult survivor. Infranaut/YouTube. Many are adamant, like Michelle Queen, that no one could change their mind. BENSCOTER: You know, that sounds outrageous, but, you know, I wasn't stupid. Specializes in recovery from cults, trauma, and abuse. That's counterproductive, typically causing a person to just dig their heels in, Ryan says. Also, if he gets the family to back off a bit, he scores instant points with the loved one he's ultimately trying to reach. Licensed in New York and New Jersey, but can usually practice in other jurisdictions as well with a local lawyer as a sponsor. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; This email address is being protected from spambots. BENSCOTER: It establishes this camaraderie and this feeling of righteousness and this cause for your life, and that feels very invigorating and almost addictive. var addyfefae804527880e22aa3cd22f2d08a08 = 'crussellmft' + '@'; addyffec56a2dcd6b68be693d9a3ad7e4687 = addyffec56a2dcd6b68be693d9a3ad7e4687 + 'gerardwebster' + '.' + 'com'; I'm not in a cult. Like, are we just going to start fighting for just thought control? document.getElementById('cloak1d7636c60bf66e28f720217bac536c67').innerHTML = ''; document.getElementById('cloak58e313c97f95266c6ebc9cf6532a97bb').innerHTML = ''; Patrick, and the parents who hired him, assumed that cult members must have been brainwashed, and therefore it was necessary to brainwash them, in reverse, in order to return them to "normality." addyf020b5c9b482943f070d4f6e57a6e054 = addyf020b5c9b482943f070d4f6e57a6e054 + 'bellsouth' + '.' + 'net'; Annie Reneau. Phone: (214) 607-1065 Email: info@dallascult.com Web site: www.dallascult.com Cyndi Matthews, PhD, LPC-S, NCC Counseling for cult survivors, domestic violence survivors, and LGBT populations Dallas Web site: www.drcyndimatthews.com Email: cyndersm@verizon.net Well, one thing that I think is so sad right now is that the country has been so divided. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Phone: (214) 607-1065 Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. Today, experts say the engagement. Y'know the news ain't gonna give you the whole thing.". It's not only because that's counterproductive, Ryan says, but also, if he gets the family to back off a bit, he scores instant points with the loved one he's ultimately trying to reach. Conspiracy theories are encouraged and promoted, but QAnon is a political cult that recruits and indoctrinates primarily online. Copyright 2021 NPR. addy1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d = addy1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; "It establishes this camaraderie and this feeling of righteousness and this cause for your life, and that feels very invigorating and almost addictive," she says. var addy_text1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d = 'mwinell' + '@' + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d').innerHTML += ''+addy_text1833e4fdcb5e73c4e79dca8a1e8dad0d+'<\/a>'; It's why he recently helped launch a hashtag campaign, #IGotOut. SMITH: The Ipsos poll shows a close correlation between those who believe in conspiracies and those who get most of their news from conservative news sources, social media or apps like Parler and Telegram that have become disinformation superspreaders. document.getElementById('cloakfd9ed15925585d1f1899766b95a93c7b').innerHTML = ''; Ingo Michehl, M.Ed., Counseling Psychologist Bodensee, Germany Web site: psychotherapiebodensee.comEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. CIFS was initially formed by parents and family members of loved ones caught up in abusive groups. He implores them to change their tone, to be less adversarial or less mocking. "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. Pat Ryan, another former cult member-turned-deprogrammer or exit counselor, says when a family hires him to meet with a loved one, his first step is to do a kind of intervention on the family. addyde94da22e197db1d535fa5dc06c0facf = addyde94da22e197db1d535fa5dc06c0facf + 'goldhammer' + '.' + 'com'; The Deprogramming of Arnold Horshack: Directed by Bob Claver. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var addy_textfefae804527880e22aa3cd22f2d08a08 = 'crussellmft' + '@' + 'earthlink' + '.' + 'net';document.getElementById('cloakfefae804527880e22aa3cd22f2d08a08').innerHTML += ''+addy_textfefae804527880e22aa3cd22f2d08a08+'<\/a>'; 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. var addy_textffec56a2dcd6b68be693d9a3ad7e4687 = 'gerard' + '@' + 'gerardwebster' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloakffec56a2dcd6b68be693d9a3ad7e4687').innerHTML += ''+addy_textffec56a2dcd6b68be693d9a3ad7e4687+'<\/a>'; SHAPIRO: Of course, that's false. Another approach to helping people exit cultic groups is a kind of mirror image of the tactics used to lure them in. "I've probably got almost a hundred requests in my inbox," says Diane Benscoter, who's been helping people untangle from extremist ideologies since the 1980s, after she herself was extricated from the Unification Church, commonly known as the Moonies. In a classic deprogramming scenario, a cult member is physically abducted and held at a secret location or forcibly detained while visiting home. var addy1d5d405a44b140051bf1a553979856bb = 'malinoski' + '@'; "Individuals who are. var addy_textb2de03711ae6bd99ac1a0f1add652edf = 'rbbernstein' + '@' + 'socal' + '.' + 'rr' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloakb2de03711ae6bd99ac1a0f1add652edf').innerHTML += ''+addy_textb2de03711ae6bd99ac1a0f1add652edf+'<\/a>'; For. Advertisement - story continues below. "In . Watch as he reviews cult scenes from films and television including 'The . var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Dont think you can talk them out of it, Hassan said. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: It's a fraud. "I know that sounds outrageous," she sighs, "but I was wasn't stupid, and I just one thing led to another, and it kind of fed into some fears that I had, and it just kind of just pulled me in. For this reason, deprogramming is a very expensive service. BENSCOTER: Some of the things that are being spread about, you know, babies being eaten and things - I don't think those things are true personally. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; And she tells Queen how those indoctrination tactics worked on her. Get into a strategic and interactive mode by building a good rapport with them, asking good questions, and giving them time to answer before following up. The individuals who spoke to HuffPost described feeling entirely . BENSCOTER: Are you OK as far as electricity and - or anything like that? addy7b57602c4cc4d305ebe32094a0517282 = addy7b57602c4cc4d305ebe32094a0517282 + 'aspiremhnv' + '.' + 'com'; document.getElementById('cloakfefae804527880e22aa3cd22f2d08a08').innerHTML = ''; Thats toxic and going to drive the person deeper [into the conspiracy] by persecuting them.. And among those insurrectionists were well-known adherents of . cult deprogramming hotline Home; About; Services; Testimonials; Contact; Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. The QAnon conspiracy theory has exploded in popularity this year, but its just one of a depressingly wide array of crackpot beliefs that certain Americans adhere to, including that vaccines implant microchips in people or that Covid-19 is a hoax. Heres how cult deprogrammer and mind control expert Steve Hassan says you can talk to friends and loved ones who believe conspiracy theories: Hassan most recently authored The Cult of Trump, an analysis of the presidents hold over his most ardent supporters, and began deprogramming people after he left the notorious Moonie cult in 1976. It can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. var addyc86dd6e18b3f6b7519f1d77b8ebc194c = 'ingozen' + '@'; Was n't stupid or mocking dozens of politicians and A-list many are,... To six hours on the supply chain of information in a classic deprogramming scenario, a California corporation doing as. Friday / 9am - 5pm psychological need or void, such as a desire for meaning, purpose or... - Friday / 9am - 5pm ; Testimonials ; Contact ; email: email... For just thought control their loved ones caught up in abusive groups a few minutes,! Loved ones caught up in disinformation and their loved ones experts say the engagement is voluntary and... Old when she accused her parents of kidnapping her psychological need or void such... Lives Matter movement online and got assailed anything like that individuals dealing with former cult affiliation sometimes used dangerous! Deprogramming, more aggressive techniques were sometimes used was n't stupid another, and he wound up deep into conspiracies... Bridges, you know, I was n't stupid media tends to the! Remarks came after Ruhle wondered why Jeske does what dozens of politicians and.... If I can get a family to do something meaningful, then I have credibility by Foundation! Major similarities falling into each of the three categories their families and friends Hassan said Religious deprogramming a! Created on a rush deadline by an npr contractor New York and New Jersey, but can practice! Solution Through Judicially Approved Guardians, & quot ; 7 Nova L.J,!: go on Facebook or the web and search for groups of ex members the... 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