CultNEWS101 News: 7/27/2026

Updates

Research & Academic

A letter from Janja Lalich.

Hello,

I’m writing to encourage all survivors of cults, coercion, and/or extremist groups to please participate in this study. This survey research was formulated by Dr. Natalie Fabert, a professor of psychology at Arizona State University. Dr. Fabert is also a much-appreciated member of the Board of Directors of my nonprofit, the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion, and is Director of our Continuing Education programs. Many of us know from hearsay, as well as our own experience, that it is very difficult (near to impossible) to find a therapist who understands the personal and psychological aftereffects of coercive experiences (especially cults). How many times have I heard some version of this: “I explained to her (the therapist) that I had been in the group for 40 years, lost all my money, worked for the leader’s business for free, broke contact with my family and friends, and even recruited my children into the cult. When I was finished, the therapist looked at me and said, ‘Well, why didn’t you leave?’” This kind of uneducated and hurtful reply is exactly why we need this research, so that we have hard evidence of the need for training.

The results of this study will provide us with the type of solid research data that we need to show why it is so crucial that helping professionals get the type of training and education that will provide them with the skills to better serve their clients who may be struggling with the aftereffects of cults or some form of coercive control.

So, please, consider completing this survey. It would mean a lot to me, to all of us at the Lalich Center, and to all survivors who are searching for the kind of care and support they need.

Regards to all,

Janja Lalich, PhD
Professor Emerita of Sociology
Founder & CEO
Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion

Study link: Experiences and Perspectives on Mental Health Support Among Survivors of High-Control Environments

Coercive Control Masters Webinar - Special Two-Hour Event - 10 Years in!
By Rod Dubrow-Marshall

Online event
Saturday, August 1  •  1 PM - 3 PM EDT

Overview
Hear about 10 years of delivering the unique Coercive Control Masters Program featuring Alumni and other professionals from across the world!

Join this special webinar to hear from Program Tutors, Alumni and other professionals from across the world about the ongoing 10-year journey of delivering the only dedicated full master's program on the psychology of coercive control, which focuses on coercion, abuse and undue influence in cults and extremist groups, intimate relationships (domestic abuse) and families, trafficking, gangs, workplaces and organized crime.

This fully distance learning programme (at the University of Salford, UK) was started in 2017 by Drs Rod and Linda Dubrow-Marshall because of the introduction of a law in 2015 (Serious Crime Act, Section 76, in England and Wales) which outlaws psychological abuse in the form of controlling and coercive behaviours in relationships and families, along with human trafficking and modern slavery laws which apply to cults, extremist groups and organised crime. Similar laws are now emerging in other jurisdictions (across North America, Europe and Australasia), reflecting a burgeoning appreciation of coercive control and its damaging effects.

The Master's program draws on these developments by bringing in cutting-edge research on coercive influence and focuses on the psychological effects of coercive control, how people exit from coercive and abusive relationships and groups, approaches to recovery and rehabilitation, the cultural and historical context for coercion and legal and policy responses across the world.

The program still has places for this coming September 2026. It can be studied over 1 or 2 years and consists of live lectures that are also recorded, interactive seminars, 1:1 tutor support, loads of resources via a dedicated website, and the opportunity to conduct ground-breaking empirical research in the capstone dissertation module. The program has already had over 150 students from a wide diversity of countries across four continents, some of whom are existing professionals in the field and others who are looking to do work in this area where there is a huge need for more expertise and more research.

Domestic & True Crime

CBS News: Doctor charged with manslaughter over a year after woman died during psychedelic retreat in Miami Beach

Dr. Samuel Lee, 44, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter over a year after the death of Tina Sodhi during a psychedelic retreat in Miami Beach.

Sodhi died on February 10, 2025, while participating in a three-day "Heart Protocol" ceremony at a wellness home. The retreat involved the administration of MDMA and ketamine, which were advertised as a way to help participants connect with their "higher selves." Sodhi had paid a $2,000 fee and signed a waiver acknowledging the risks of the substances used.
Miami Beach police found Sodhi unresponsive in a rooftop sauna at the property. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner determined her cause of death to be dehydration resulting from a combination of the MDMA and ketamine, prolonged exposure to the heat of the sauna, and a cleansing regimen she underwent before the ceremony.

During the investigation, an independent physician consulted by the police concluded that Dr. Lee's actions reflected "an extreme and unjustifiable deviation from accepted safety and clinical practices."

Lee's attorney has entered a not-guilty plea and requested a jury trial. Prosecutors are seeking a court order to prevent Lee from practicing medicine while the case is ongoing. Representatives for Sabia Wellness, the organization behind the retreat, stated they mourn the loss and maintain that their client was not culpable, emphasizing the need for strict safety protocols in alternative therapies.

Science

Ecstatic Integration: Spiritual Emergencies and Esalen; The history and future of a concept

Jules Evans

In this post, Jules Evans explores the concept of "spiritual emergency," a term originating from the Esalen Institute to describe turbulent spiritual experiences that mimic psychosis but represent potential for psychological growth. Evans notes that while the concept provided a helpful framework for his own post-psyahuasca crisis, its application in the modern psychedelic landscape warrants caution.

The term is gaining traction within the psychedelic industry, particularly through training programs and harm-reduction organizations like the Zendo Project. However, Evans warns that "spiritual emergency" risks becoming a dangerous, "clumsily imposed" label when used by coaches or therapists to dismiss or reframe acute psychiatric crises. He argues that forcing a spiritual narrative onto a patient’s experience—which may actually be a medical or psychological emergency requiring clinical intervention—can be iatrogenic and unethical.

The essay is particularly timely given the contrast between the professionalizing, multi-billion-dollar psychedelic pharmaceutical industry and the ongoing risks within the unregulated underground, where recent tragic events (such as the death of a participant at a retreat led by Dr. Samuel Lee) highlight the life-threatening consequences of poor safety and oversight. Ultimately, while acknowledging the potential therapeutic value of the "spiritual emergency" framework, Evans urges greater critical scrutiny to ensure it does not function as a dangerous excuse for neglecting the basic safety and mental health needs of individuals in distress.

"...In the years since the Grofs introduced the concept of Spiritual Emergency, it has struggled to establish itself clinically and academically. This is true of many of the therapeutic innovations developed in the hot-tubs at Esalen, like Gestalt therapy, Internal Family Systems and Transpersonal psychology. It’s just a different form of validation and assessment, one more based on vibes and charisma than peer-review and falsification. The innovations developed in the informal spaces of Esalen can spread in alternative healing networks, but they often fail to cross back into the mainstream."

Purported Psychic Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Outrageous $4 Million Extortion Scheme

Press Release
Purported Psychic Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Outrageous $4 Million Extortion Scheme

Thursday, July 18, 2024
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia
USADC.Media@usdoj.gov

WASHINGTON – Gina Rita Russell, 35, formerly of New York, N.Y., and Los Angeles, California, was sentenced today to 125 months in prison for masterminding an elaborate fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme, which resulted in a Maryland man embezzling more than $4 million from his Washington, D.C., employer. Russell is the sixth defendant to be sentenced in the case.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.

In April 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Russell, her ex-common-law husband Robert Evans, his brothers Tony John Evans and Corry Blue Evans, and the brothers’ parents, Archie Kaslov and Candy Evans, all of New York, on various charges related to the scheme. At one point, one of Russell’s coconspirators threatened to harm the Maryland man’s young children.

According to the government’s evidence, Russell met a New York woman in October 2009 in Manhattan and performed a psychic reading on her. Though Russell had no psychic powers, she convinced the New York woman that she did and told the woman that bad things would happen unless the woman raised large sums of money for Russell and her family. The woman started giving Russell money from her lawful jobs, but then Russell convinced her to lie to her father by claiming she needed money for therapy, extensive sleep studies, and university classes. After giving his daughter enormous sums of money, the New York woman’s father eventually stopped providing her with financial assistance.

Russell then convinced the woman to earn more money through sex work. The woman advertised sensual massage services online, including Backpage.com. Through one of her ads, she met a Maryland man, who eventually fell in love with and proposed to her, even though he was married and had children. Preying on his affection, Russell and the New York woman conspired with Robert Evans, Tony John Evans, Corry Blue Evans, and Archie Kaslov to extort money and gold bars from the victim. The New York woman told the Maryland man that she owed money to bad people from prior debts and that her life was in danger. As a result, the Maryland man embezzled more than $4 million from his employer between January and March of 2017. As part of the scheme, Russell had Tony John Evans impersonate a mobster during calls with the Maryland man. During one of those calls, Tony John Evans asked if he needed to remind the Maryland man where his children went to school. Russell also dictated threatening texts and provided the New York woman with instructions on what to tell the Maryland man.

The Maryland man converted embezzled funds to cash and gold bars which he delivered to New York drop-off locations, including a hotel room, believing the funds were going to mobsters. In reality, all of the funds the man embezzled and delivered to New York went to members of the Russell-Evans-Kaslov family.

In July 2019, Russell pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by extortion. She was originally scheduled to be sentenced in May 2024, after her five co-defendants were sentenced. However, prior to her sentencing, the government learned that Russell engaged in similar criminal conduct in Los Angeles, convincing a woman there that she had psychic powers, working with the woman to defraud the woman’s father out of money, and persuading the woman to raise funds through sex work. The government brought Russell’s conduct to the attention of U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who promptly issued a warrant for her arrest. Russell was arrested on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, and has been in custody ever since.

In addition to the prison sentence of 10 years and five months, Judge Chutkan ordered Russell to pay $4,217,542.86 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.

Tony John Evans, 35, and Robert Evans, 37, both pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by extortion and were each sentenced to five years in prison. Corry Blue Evans, 31, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and was sentenced to 41-months in prison. Archie Kaslov, 57, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 30-months in prison. Candy Evans, 55, pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness by corrupt persuasion or misleading conduct and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Kent, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas, Rick Blaylock, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvind Lal and Paralegal Specialist Angela De Falco, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Oliver McDaniel and Melissa Goforth Koenig, who assisted with restraining funds.

Contact: USADC.Media@usdoj.gov

Updated July 18, 2024

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/24/2026

coe

Updates

Legislative & Legal

Việt Nam penalizes six multi-level marketing companies

In 2025, Việt Nam’s National Competition Commission fined six licensed multi-level marketing (MLM) companies a total of VNĐ1.31 billion (approximately US$49,600) for various regulatory violations. The companies penalized include Seacret Vietnam Co., Ltd. (which received the largest fine of VNĐ455 million), Mỹ Lợi Trading, Best World Vietnam, Elken International Vietnam, Unicity Marketing Vietnam, and Care For Vietnam.

Inspections revealed widespread non-compliance in business operations, reporting, and participant management. Specific breaches involved failing to update business registrations, operating without provincial approvals, neglecting distributor supervision, and ignoring training requirements. Furthermore, some firms failed the legal mandate requiring at least 20 percent of their annual sales revenue to come from customers outside their distributor networks.

The regulator issued a strict order to all six companies to immediately rectify their operations. Despite these violations and 25 related complaints, authorities report that Việt Nam's MLM sector, comprising 15 licensed companies, remains stable and is under very strict supervision.

Science

Psychology Today: Chart of Coercion in Cults

In the article, Fontes adapts Albert Biderman’s 1957 Chart of Coercion—originally developed to explain how torturers break the wills of prisoners of war—to illustrate the manipulative tactics employed by cults and high-demand groups.

Fontes argues that "coercive control," a framework frequently applied to domestic violence, is exactly the right term for understanding how cult leaders systematically entrap their followers. She explains that rather than relying on a single abusive act, leaders weave a broad, restrictive web of tactics designed to dominate members and strip them of vital resources, including their money, health, and connections to outside family and friends.

Crucially, Fontes notes that coercion in these environments is highly diffused. While a leader dictates and whimsically changes major rules, the members themselves are conditioned to actively police and pressure one another into total submission, eliminating any room for spontaneity or nonconformity. Her adapted chart categorizes these systemic abuses into recognizable tactics, including engineered isolation, induced exhaustion, targeted degradation, relentless micromanagement, and occasional indulgences that reinforce trauma bonds.

Ultimately, Fontes provides this adapted chart as a practical assessment tool for mental health, advocacy, educational, and legal settings. By clearly mapping out these mechanisms of mind control, the chart helps professionals identify high-demand groups and explains exactly why escaping them is so psychologically challenging.

International News

The Times: The dangerous new face of cults

Growing concern over online cults – Recent commentary examines how extremist and high-control groups increasingly recruit through Discord, gaming platforms, and social media, making them more difficult for families and authorities to detect.

Group Focus

Beyond Pointing: What Is the Matter With Mooji? – A Detailed Overview

In the article “What Is the Matter With Mooji? – A Detailed Overview” on the blog Beyond Pointing, the author critically examines the structural and psychological hazards embedded in Mooji's spiritual teachings. While public perception of Mooji oscillates between profound reverence and severe allegations—ranging from psychological manipulation to sexual misconduct—the article focuses primarily on the insidious nature of his pedagogical framework rather than the scandals alone.

The author argues that Mooji employs traditional contemplative vocabulary, such as "liberation," "awareness," and "the Self," but structurally repurposes these concepts to foster dependency and psychological destabilization. At the core of this issue is a "low-falsifiability" spiritual system that systematically downgrades individual personhood and invalidates critical thinking. By elevating an impersonal "witness-consciousness," the teaching frames natural skepticism, emotional distress, and rational doubt as mere manifestations of the "ego" or "mind" resisting spiritual progress. Consequently, cognitive dissonance and psychological distress are reinterpreted as necessary milestones on the path to enlightenment rather than warning signs of manipulation or abuse.

Furthermore, the author highlights a problematic logical leap in Mooji’s methodology: the transition from a valid contemplative practice—such as observing one's thoughts—to sweeping metaphysical assertions that the personal self lacks authority or reality. This leap creates a closed interpretive loop where the teacher’s perspective becomes the sole arbiter of truth. Ultimately, the article contends that Mooji’s framework strips away the discernment, moral seriousness, and humility inherent in mature spiritual traditions, replacing them with a procedural engine that subverts independent judgment and exacerbates vulnerability under the guise of spiritual awakening.

AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com helps families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexities of a loved one's involvement in a cult.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families in making the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

Facebook

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The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan, Joseph Kelly, or Ashlen Hilliard endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.

Please forward articles you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

Experiences and Perspectives on Mental Health Support Among Survivors of High-Control Environments

A letter from Janja.

Hello,

I’m writing to encourage all survivors of cults, coercion, and/or extremist groups to please participate in this study. This survey research was formulated by Dr. Natalie Fabert, a professor of psychology at Arizona State University. Dr. Fabert is also a much-appreciated member of the Board of Directors of my nonprofit, the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion, and is Director of our Continuing Education programs. Many of us know from hearsay, as well as our own experience, that it is very difficult (near to impossible) to find a therapist who understands the personal and psychological aftereffects of coercive experiences (especially cults). How many times have I heard some version of this: “I explained to her (the therapist) that I had been in the group for 40 years, lost all my money, worked for the leader’s business for free, broke contact with my family and friends, and even recruited my children into the cult. When I was finished, the therapist looked at me and said, ‘Well, why didn’t you leave?’” This kind of uneducated and hurtful reply is exactly why we need this research, so that we have hard evidence of the need for training.

The results of this study will provide us with the type of solid research data that we need to show why it is so crucial that helping professionals get the type of training and education that will provide them with the skills to better serve their clients who may be struggling with the aftereffects of cults or some form of coercive control.

So, please, consider completing this survey. It would mean a lot to me, to all of us at the Lalich Center, and to all survivors who are searching for the kind of care and support they need.

Regards to all,

Janja Lalich, PhD
Professor Emerita of Sociology
Founder & CEO
Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion



Study link: Experiences and Perspectives on Mental Health Support Among Survivors of High-Control Environments


https://asu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d5XTEkswpjaQma2?

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/22/2026

Culture & Media

New Docuseries

Realscreen: ID slates new “People Magazine Investigates” doc on alleged online cult

Investigation Discovery (ID) is premiering a new People Magazine Investigates documentary on July 14th, focusing specifically on "The University of Cosmic Intelligence"—an alleged online cult. This reflects a broader media trend of investigating decentralized, internet-based organizations rather than traditional communal compounds.

New Video

This Is Your Brain: Tell-Tale Signs That You Are in a Cult – Janja Lalich

Cults and high-control groups influence beliefs and fundamentally reshape identity, decision-making, and autonomy. In this episode, Dr. Phil Stieg sits down with sociologist and cult expert Dr. Janja Lalichu, Professor and author of Take Back Your Life, to explore the psychology behind cults. Drawing from decades of research as well as her own personal experience of spending a decade in a political cult, she discusses how indoctrination alters a person’s sense of self, why anyone can become vulnerable under the right circumstances, and the road to recovery after leaving

Updates

Domestic & True Crime

Al Jazeera: Alleged criminal activities of a cult group

Philippines Senate Probe: A formal investigation has begun regarding the "Kingdom of Jesus Christ" group. The probe is focused on the alleged criminal activities of its leader, Apollo Quiboloy, who currently remains on the U.S. FBI's wanted list for human trafficking and abuse.

Group Profile

A Taste of Utopia? Cultivating a Culture of Sustainability in Fairfield, Iowa
Atmore, Lane; Rootstalk: A Prairie Journal of Culture, Science and the Arts, Vol. II, No. 2. Grinnell College 201 6

This is another piece by Lane Atmore, based on the same ethnographic fieldwork she conducted during her two months in Fairfield in the summer of 2016. While published in Grinnell's Rootstalk under the slightly shorter title "A Taste of Utopia: A Brief Introduction to Fairfield, IA," her research focused on the intersection of TM's spirituality and the town's culture of environmental sustainability.

This article is particularly relevant to your work, as it bridges the gap between the town's utopian, eco-friendly public image and the high-demand, coercive dynamics operating beneath the surface.

Here are the primary themes from Atmore's ethnographic account:

The Illusion of the Secular

TM officially markets itself to the outside world as a simple, secular meditation technique—often stripping away spiritual language to gain entry into public schools, veterans' programs, and corporate environments. However, Atmore observes that within Fairfield, TM is institutionalized in a way that is "strongly reminiscent of religion." In this community, the purportedly scientific concept of "consciousness" is effectively synonymous with "spirituality," and adhering to the Maharishi's Vedic worldview is the social baseline.

Sustainability as Dogma

The town's famous culture of sustainability—its organic agriculture, off-the-grid homes, and solar initiatives—is not rooted purely in modern environmentalism. Instead, it is an extension of Maharishi's teachings on "natural law." The community's eco-friendly practices, including the strict adherence to Vastu (Vedic architecture oriented to cardinal directions for energetic alignment), are driven by a dogmatic requirement to align with the Guru's specific interpretation of universal balance.

The "Closed System"

Atmore highlights a core tension: a potentially beneficial meditation practice is wrapped in an ideology that dictates every facet of life. Because Maharishi was viewed as fully "enlightened," his word became unquestionable absolute truth. Atmore describes the Fairfield TM community as a "closed system"—a conservative paradigm where taking the founder's word as literal truth stifles progressive thought and creates a profound lack of critical thinking.

Social Coercion and the "Cult" Label

Crucially, Atmore notes that the word "cult" is commonly used by many residents in Fairfield—both non-meditators and meditators. She directly attributes this to the movement's restrictiveness and its active punishment of those who fail to comply with movement standards. For example, she notes that simply choosing to meditate at home rather than inside the Golden Domes can result in lasting social repercussions and ostracization from the community network.

AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com helps families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexities of a loved one's involvement in a cult.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families in making the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

Facebook

Twitter

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The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan, Joseph Kelly, or Ashlen Hilliard endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.

Please forward articles you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/21/2026

Updates

Legislative & Legal

Korea JoonngAng Daily: Top court finalizes 18-month sentence for church official who gave gifts to former first lady

South Korea’s Supreme Court has finalized an 18-month prison sentence for Yun Young-ho, the former head of the Unification Church’s global headquarters. Yun was convicted of providing luxury gifts, including a diamond necklace and a Chanel handbag, to former first lady Kim Keon Hee in 2022 to secure government favors for the church.

The court also upheld his conviction for violating the Political Funds Act by paying 100 million won to a lawmaker close to the president to arrange introductions during the presidential transition. Yun further faced charges related to the embezzlement of church funds used to purchase the illicit gifts.

This definitive ruling is significant because it confirms the nature of the gifts intended to influence government policy, potentially affecting the former first lady’s separate ongoing appeal before the Supreme Court. A final verdict regarding Kim’s own bribery and influence-peddling convictions is expected later this month.

Bishop Accountability: Osceola County pastor convicted of raping church member who sought spiritual guidance

An Osceola County jury convicted Eddy Noelsaint, a 54-year-old former Orlando pastor of Eglise Evangelique De La Restauration, on four counts of sexual battery against a female congregation member.

The victim initially approached Noelsaint in 2022 for spiritual guidance. During a meeting presented as a "spiritual revival," Noelsaint secretly drugged the victim's tea, leaving her incapacitated before forcing himself on her. He subsequently refused her requests to call 911. He later stole her wedding ring under the guise that it carried "bad spirits" and assaulted her a second time months later.

Though Noelsaint initially gave conflicting statements to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, he eventually confessed to the non-consensual encounters. State Attorney Monique Worrell praised the survivor's courage following the verdict. Noelsaint is remanded to the Osceola County Jail and faces decades in prison at his sentencing on September 11, 2026.

Research & Academic

Personality changes following first-time psychedelic use in college students in Germany

Constantin Volkmann, Michael Seitz, Felix Betzler, NPJ Mental Health Research, Volume 5, Article number: 34 (2026)

Abstract: Psychedelics may influence personality traits, but longitudinal evidence on first-time use outside clinical settings remains limited. We followed 102 first-time psychedelic users and 1066 never-users over one year among Berlin university students. Personality was assessed with the Big Five Inventory at baseline and follow-up. Linear mixed-effects models showed small relative increases in Openness and decreases in Conscientiousness among first-time users. After adjustment for age, sex, income, psychiatric diagnosis, and baseline substance-use burden, estimates were attenuated but directionally similar (Openness: beta = 0.19, SE = 0.10, p = 0.06; Conscientiousness: beta = –0.20, SE = 0.10, p = 0.05; FDR-adjusted p = 0.16 for both). Change was not clearly different from first-time users of other illicit substances. In exploratory moderation analyses, first-time users with psychiatric diagnoses showed larger Neuroticism reductions. Findings suggest small personality changes after first-time psychedelic use, with limited causal interpretability.

Ongoing Focus

New Idea: “These people aren’t my family”: How Maria Esguerra escaped a cult to save her children

Maria Esguerra, 45, spent the first 22 years of her life enduring severe physical, psychological, and sexual abuse inside the Children of God. Born into the religious group, she faced constant fear and beatings. She was routinely denied basic medical care because the cult relied entirely on faith healing.   

The turning point came when she and her husband Jesse, who was also raised in the cult, had their first child. The baby nearly died from meningitis after cult members resisted seeking outside medical treatment. Realizing her children were in grave danger, Maria and Jesse fled the Sydney commune with only the clothes on their backs.

Starting over with no education or work experience was daunting, but they successfully rebuilt their lives. Maria eventually went to university and qualified as a psychologist. After hiding her past for years, a tragic 2022 religious death inspired her to speak out. Today, she advocates for survivors of extreme religious groups nationwide.

AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com helps families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexities of a loved one's involvement in a cult.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families in making the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan, Joseph Kelly, or Ashlen Hilliard endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.

Please forward articles you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/20/2026

Updates

Legislative & Legal

India Today: UP Police rescues 300 trainees, arrests 19 in fake network marketing job scam

The Varanasi Fake MLM Job Scam

The headline refers to a major crackdown by the Uttar Pradesh Police and the cybercrime unit in Varanasi, which successfully dismantled a predatory multi-level marketing (MLM) and employment-fraud syndicate.

• The Arrests and Rescue: Authorities raided a fraudulent training facility, rescuing approximately 300 young adults who were being held and manipulated. Police arrested 19 individuals, including the alleged kingpin of the interstate operation, Deepak Kumar Shah.

• The Setup: The group operated under a fake entity called "Mahadev Enterprises," falsely presenting itself as a franchise of a legitimate wellness brand. They specifically targeted unemployed individuals across Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, offering fake corporate or agricultural jobs with a promised monthly salary of ₹25,000.

• The Extortion Model: Candidates were brought to a professionally staged "corporate office" in Varanasi for interviews. Once hooked, they were forced to pay between ₹30,000 and ₹35,000 as a mandatory registration fee. In return, they received a cheap kit of basic goods (clothes, soap, oil) worth no more than ₹2,000.

• The Pyramid Structure: After paying the fee, recruits were sequestered in a training center where they underwent psychological manipulation. The organizers pressured them to trap at least three friends or family members into the network, threatening to withhold their salaries and deny any refunds if they failed to recruit new victims.

• The Financial Scale: Investigators have uncovered nearly ₹4 crore in bank transactions credited to the gang over the past year. During the raid, authorities seized laptops, dozens of mobile phones containing scripts and audio recordings of the fraud, vehicles, and fake corporate documents.

Resources

TED-Ed: How to spot a pyramid scheme - Stacie Bosley

The video breaks down the math behind the endless chain recruiting model, illustrating how the financial structure forces the bottom layer of recruits to lose money.

Mental Floss: The Overview of 7 Alleged Modern Pyramid Schemes 

This video details the mechanics of investment fraud versus retail-oriented recruitment traps, in which new sellers bear all the financial inventory risk.

NEW 2-MONTH SUPPORT GROUP SERIES - Cults. Coercive Control. Recovery. 

Beginning this July and continuing through August (Cult Awareness Month), we’ll be embarking on a special five-part educational support group series exploring cults, high-control groups, and the unique experiences of Black survivors of religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and cultic abuse.

For many Black survivors, leaving a high-control religious or spiritual environment is about more than walking away from a group. It can mean untangling years of fear, shame, manipulation, conditional belonging, identity confusion, and the loss of community.

This series was intentionally created to explore those experiences through a culturally responsive, trauma-informed lens.

Over five gatherings, we’ll explore:

• Let’s Talk About Cults: What Makes a Group a Cult?

• Recognizing Cultic Dynamics in Black Religious and Spiritual Communities

• From Jonestown to Carbon Nation: Exploring Cult Dynamics Across Popular Cults

• Breaking Free: Navigating Recovery After Cultic Abuse

• Beyond the Cult: Finding Your Way Forward

Together, we’ll examine how cults and high-control groups operate, discuss the unique ways these dynamics can emerge within Black religious and spiritual spaces, learn from historical and modern examples, and explore what healing and recovery can look like after cultic abuse.

Whether you’re questioning past experiences, making sense of your own story, or continuing your healing journey, this series is designed to provide education, validation, meaningful conversation, and community.

Understanding what happened is powerful.

Finding language for your experience can be liberating. And healing is possible.

If you’re a Black survivor looking for a compassionate space to learn, reflect, and connect with others who understand, we invite you to join us for this important series.

AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.