CAP Liberté de Conscience

CAP Liberté de Conscience (Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience, or CAP-LC) is a European non-governmental organization based in France that advocates for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Founded in 1995 and granted special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2016, the organization is currently led by President Thierry Valle.

While its stated mission is the protection of religious minorities worldwide, within the context of cultic studies and coercive control, CAP-LC is primarily recognized as a prominent lobbying force that defends high-demand groups and New Religious Movements (NRMs) against government regulation and anti-cult organizations.

Role in the Cult vs. Anti-Cult Landscape
CAP-LC operates at the intersection of human rights advocacy and NRM apologetics, utilizing international bodies like the UN Human Rights Council and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to challenge what they view as state-sponsored religious discrimination. For researchers and interventionists, their activities present a specific challenge: the leveraging of legitimate human rights frameworks to shield controversial groups from scrutiny.

1. Opposition to State and Civil Anti-Cult Agencies
A central pillar of CAP-LC's advocacy is dismantling the French secular framework (laïcité) as it applies to minority religions, specifically targeting the About-Picard law (which criminalizes psychological subjection).

They frequently file reports and stage side-events at the UN and OSCE directly attacking:

• MIVILUDES: The French government's inter-ministerial mission for monitoring and combating cultic deviances. CAP-LC regularly characterizes MIVILUDES' actions as state-sponsored stigmatization and often successfully sues them or their partner organizations for defamation when groups are labeled as cults.

• FECRIS and UNADFI: The European and French anti-cult federations. CAP-LC campaigns to strip FECRIS of its own UN consultative status and cut its government funding, arguing that these organizations violate human rights by systematically attacking spiritual minorities.

2. Defense of High-Demand Groups
CAP-LC routinely intervenes on behalf of organizations that cult watchdogs, former members, and state agencies classify as coercive. They frame state investigations into these groups' practices—such as financial exploitation, medical neglect, or psychological abuse—as persecution of religious or philosophical belief.
Groups they have publicly defended or advocated alongside include:

• Scientology: Defending their tax-exempt statuses in various countries and arguing against state discrimination.
• Jehovah's Witnesses: Successfully pushing back against their inclusion in government cult reports.
• Shincheonji Church of Jesus: Raising alarms over the detention of its leadership in South Korea.
• OneTaste: In October 2026, CAP-LC delivered a statement at the Warsaw OSCE Human Dimension Conference regarding the OneTaste sex-trafficking and coercion case. They warned that expanding legal definitions of coercion to include "psychological influence" endangers "spiritual, therapeutic, and self-development communities," arguing that trafficking legislation should not be used to punish voluntary communal life.

Operational Strategy
CAP-LC establishes its credibility by participating in broader, universally supported human rights campaigns—such as advocating for the abolition of the death penalty, protecting victims of forced organ harvesting (often partnering with Falun Gong-affiliated DAFOH), and condemning the persecution of Uighur Muslims in China.

By embedding the defense of controversial high-demand groups within these broader, undisputed human rights issues, CAP-LC effectively complicates the international diplomatic response. For groups like MIVILUDES, separating CAP-LC's legitimate advocacy for oppressed ethnic minorities from its lobbying efforts on behalf of wealthy, high-control organizations remains an ongoing diplomatic and legal battle.

CAP Freedom of Conscience Raises Concerns at UN Human Rights Council Over Detention of Shincheonji Leader Lee Man-hee

Press Release

CAP Freedom of Conscience Raises Concerns at UN Human Rights Council Over Detention of Shincheonji Leader Lee Man-hee

by Press Release Desk

October 21, 2026

CAP Freedom of Conscience Raises Concerns at UN Human Rights Council Over Detention of Shincheonji Leader Lee Man-hee

Geneva, 21 October 2026: CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP Freedom of Conscience), a non-governmental organisation with United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) consultative status, delivered an oral statement during the General Debate under Item 3 of the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, raising concerns over the pretrial detention of Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old founder and leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the Republic of Korea.

The statement focused on concerns regarding the circumstances of Lee’s detention, the treatment of religious minorities, and the Republic of Korea’s obligations under international human rights law. It called for measures to ensure humane treatment, access to independent medical assessment, and a fair and impartial judicial process.

Lee Man-hee, a veteran of the Korean War, is currently being held at the Seoul Detention Center on non-violent charges, according to the organisation. CAP Freedom of Conscience expressed concern over the necessity and proportionality of his continued detention, noting that his age, fixed residence, and the reported absence of a flight risk warranted consideration of alternatives to incarceration.

The organisation also highlighted concerns about the conditions in which Lee was reportedly detained during Seoul’s severe summer heatwave. According to the statement, he was held in cells without air conditioning, raising questions about the adequacy of detention conditions for a 95-year-old individual and the potential implications for his health and well-being.

Human Rights Obligations and Religious Freedom

During its intervention at the Human Rights Council, CAP Freedom of Conscience referred to several international standards governing detention, the treatment of detainees, and the protection of fundamental freedoms.

The organisation cited Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects against arbitrary arrest and detention and establishes safeguards concerning deprivation of liberty. It also referred to Article 10, which requires that all persons deprived of their liberty be treated with humanity and respect for their inherent dignity.

The statement further referenced the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, which establish standards for humane detention and access to healthcare. It also highlighted the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures, known as the Tokyo Rules, which encourage the consideration of non-custodial alternatives where appropriate.

In addition, CAP Freedom of Conscience emphasised Article 18 of the ICCPR, which protects the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. The organisation expressed concern that the case could raise broader questions about the treatment of religious minorities and the protection of freedom of religion or belief in the Republic of Korea.

The concerns raised by the organisation underscore the importance of ensuring that legal proceedings involving members of religious communities are conducted in accordance with due process, equality before the law, and applicable international human rights standards.

Call for Proportionate Measures and a Fair Judicial Process

Through its oral statement, CAP Freedom of Conscience urged the Human Rights Council to call on the Republic of Korea to uphold its international human rights obligations and ensure that Lee’s detention and judicial proceedings comply with established legal safeguards.

The organisation called for the consideration of alternatives to pretrial detention, an independent medical assessment of Lee’s health, and appropriate measures to safeguard his well-being while legal proceedings continue.

It also stressed the importance of ensuring a fair and impartial trial, free from discrimination based on religion or belief.

The intervention forms part of CAP Freedom of Conscience’s broader advocacy for the protection of freedom of religion or belief and its engagement with European and international institutions on alleged human rights violations affecting religious and belief communities.

About CAP Liberté de Conscience

CAP Liberté de Conscience, also known as CAP Freedom of Conscience, is a secular European non-governmental organisation established in 1995. The organisation holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and works to protect freedom of religion or belief and combat discrimination based on religious or philosophical convictions.

The organisation collects testimonies concerning discrimination and human rights violations affecting religious and belief communities and brings relevant concerns to the attention of European and international institutions. It also advocates for the recognition and protection of the rights of religious and spiritual groups facing discrimination.

CAP Freedom of Conscience is a member of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB) and the European Network on Religion and Belief (ENORB), and participates in the Civil Society Platform of Fundamental Rights established by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

Media Contact:

CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC)

117, Rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris, France

Website: https://freedomofconscience.eu/cap-lc-contact/

https://easternherald.com/2026/10/21/cap-freedom-of-conscience-raises-concerns-at-un-human-rights-council-over-detention-of-shincheonji-leader-lee-man-hee/

Fundamentalist Religious Childhoods and Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing

Gill Harvey: Fundamentalist Religious Childhoods and Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing

Growing up in a strict fundamentalist religious environment shapes adult mental health and wellbeing in complex ways, balancing early structure and community belonging against rigid all-or-nothing belief systems, authoritarian fear-mongering, and potential religious trauma. 

* Focuses on both the challenges and benefits of a strict religious upbringing rather than simply the former

* Uses important terminology such as religious-OCD, religious scrupulosity, rapture, and afterlife anxiety

* Understand the potential effects of fundamentalist religious experiences in the formative years

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-20140-9

Seeking adult participants who have experienced religious coercion.

Seeking adult participants who have experienced religious coercion. 

Participation includes completing a 15-minute survey. To participate scan the QR code or follow the qualtrics link below:

https://asucounselored.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2oFIpghrZwGvjJc

Participate in this research

Please participate in and share this research. You don't have to have religious trauma to take it. This is the last phase of their research before publishing the results of the MRSTA (Multidimensional Religious and Spiritual Trauma Assessment).

NPI Fall Conference: Understanding Traumatic Narcissism Theory and Its Clinical Utility

Beginning in 1996 with the essay “Traumatic Abuse in Cults: A Psychoanalytic Perspective,” up to the release in 2026 of his latest book, Traumatic Narcissism Theory: A Contemporary Introduction, Daniel Shaw has studied the psychology of the individual he terms the “traumatizing narcissist,” and the specific ways that they seduce and then subjugate others. Trained extensively in relational psychoanalysis as well as in trauma-informed psychotherapies, Shaw uses his understanding of the psychology and the behavior of the traumatizing narcissist to provide tools for the therapeutic healing and recovery of victims of “subjugation trauma,” his term for the impact of the traumatizing narcissist’s coercive control of victims. The Traumatic Narcissism Theory summarizes Shaw’s work of the last thirty years, providing accessible, practical information and tools in support of both psychotherapists and their clients working toward healing from the traumatizing narcissist’s relational system of subjugation.

Course Objectives:

1. Describe the psychological motivations for the traumatizing narcissist’s relational behavior.

2. Identify how the traumatizing narcissist subjugates significant others.

3. Utilize clinical strategies to aid victims of the traumatizing narcissist to repair damage to the self and restore trust in their subjectivity.

4. Identify signs of disorganized attachment and dissociation in victims of subjugation trauma.

5. Recognize victims’ self-alienation and utilize clinical tools to develop victim’s self-compassion.

6. Describe the experience of internal earned secure attachment.

6 CE Credits Available

Presented by Dan Shaw, LCSW

All registration fees include a $40 non-refundable administrative charge. Refund requests will be honored if received 14 days before individually scheduled events. No refunds will be available after the event.

October 24, 2026: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Venue:   The Chicago School The Chicago School (2400 E Katella Ave, Ste 150 Anaheim, CA 92806)

 https://www.npi.edu/events/npi-fall-conference-understanding-traumatic-narcissism-theory-and-its-clinical-utility/

THE WEAPONIZATION OF FINANCIAL ABUSE AS A TACTIC OF COERCIVE CONTROL

ESRC Festival of Social Science Online Event Saturday 17th October 4-7 pm UK time

https://ticketstripe.com/weaponisation-financial-abuse (free event, registration required)

Financial abuse or economic abuse is often part of an overall pattern of coercive control, and many times people do not realise that this is happening to them. Because of feelings of shame and hopelessness about financial difficulties, they may not ask for help. This event will feature experts in the field of financial abuse and coercive control and is designed to allow people to gain information that may be of practical benefit to themselves and people they may know who are being financially abused. It will cover financial or economic abuse in relationships, families, coercive groups or cults and also in trafficking.

Marjoe Gortner, Child Preacher and 'Earthquake' Actor, Dies at 82

[The Hollywood Reporter]: 

Former child evangelical preacher turned actor Marjoe Gortner has passed away at the age of 82 from complications related to congestive heart failure in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gortner gained national prominence in the late 1940s as a four-year-old revivalist preacher, delivering dramatic sermons and performing marriages under the strict direction of his parents on the Pentecostal circuit.

In the early 1970s, Gortner granted filmmakers candid access to his final revival tour, exposing the movement's manipulative tactics and financial motivations. The resulting 1972 feature "Marjoe" won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. After the documentary's success, Gortner transitioned to Hollywood, starring in feature films such as "Earthquake," "The Food of the Gods," and "Starcrash," and appearing on television in series like "Falcon Crest." His wife, Susan Magestro, survives him.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/marjoe-gortner-dead-child-preacher-earthquake-falcon-crest-1236721873/

100 Hours in America's Strange "Cult City"

[Yes Theory]: 100 Hours in America's Strange "Cult City"

​In this video, the creators travel to Fairfield, Iowa, a unique Midwestern community built around Vedic architecture and Transcendental Meditation (TM). Founded under the guidance of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the town has sparked debate over whether it functions as a spiritual paradise or an secretive movement. The team immerses themselves in the local culture to understand why this small city attracts both global followers and high-profile celebrities.

​During their stay, they undergo TM initiation, learn their personalized mantras, and attend lectures on the physiological benefits of stress reduction. They explore unique local landmarks, including Vedic observatories, group meditation domes, and vibrant art installations, while connecting with long-time residents and university leaders.

​Reflecting on their experience, the creators report receiving a warm and welcoming reception from the community. While acknowledging past online criticisms of the broader TM organization, they share that integrating the meditation practice into their daily routines provided tangible personal benefits, leaving them with an enriched perspective on the town's distinct lifestyle.

​#FairfieldIowa #TranscendentalMeditation #YesTheory #Mindfulness

​http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2o_quWIBbk

WA business moguls dragged into Mormon Church’s Supreme Court defamation case over excommunicated member

The West Australian

Several Western Australian business leaders and high-ranking members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are facing a Supreme Court defamation lawsuit. The case was filed by Adam Chapman, a Quinns Rocks father who was excommunicated from the church following a dispute over a complaint he lodged three years ago. The exact nature of his original complaint currently remains under a suppression order.

The defendants named in the lawsuit include prominent figures such as Peter Meurs, a wealthy former executive director at Fortescue Metals and one of the most influential Mormons globally. Other defendants include Geoffrey Andrew Grant, the chief people officer at WA's Department of Transport, and Justin Richard, the CEO of Oar Resources. Rounding out the list are business owner Brent Arthur Kimpton and church bishop David Frost.

Chapman alleges that these individuals made multiple disparaging remarks about him following his fallout with the church. In response, the five defendants have formally applied to strike out Chapman’s statement of claim. While the church has publicly dismissed the defamation claims as "meritless," the matter is considered sensitive enough that American observers have been dispatched to monitor the legal proceedings.

https://thewest.com.au/news/court-justice/wa-business-moguls-dragged-into-mormon-churchs-supreme-court-defamation-case-over-excommunicated-member-c-22817759

Douglas Joseph Agustin Obituary

Douglas Joseph Agustin

April 4, 1941 - August 15, 2026

Douglas Joseph Agustin (Doug), age 83 passed away peacefully on Saturday August 15th at Autumn Glen Senior Living in Coon Rapids Minnesota. He was born on April 4th, 1943, in Duluth Minnesota to Doris and Urbano (Joe) Agustin, and shortly after they moved down to South Minneapolis. Doug lived in South Minneapolis and then in North Minneapolis but finally settled in Coon Rapids, Minnesota.

Doug was an account manager for a national cleaning company and retired while he was managing the account at Hamline University. He was also very involved in exit counseling of individuals who left cults. He helped them return to themselves and society, with an understanding of the undue influence and mind control they had experienced. He helped hundreds of families all over the world in that capacity. To say he loved to hunt and fish might be an understatement; he would catch fish in any body of water where fish existed, and he loved to hunt upland game, waterfowl, and deer. He was also an avid musician - his twelve-string guitar and his singing voice were the life of any gathering.

He is survived by his son Paul Agustin (Marissa), sisters Connie Larson (Don), Sandy Agustin, Pat Ellis; brother Carlos; grandchildren Zachary Agustin, Peter Agustin, and Katherine Agustin; nephews Isaac Larson (Lisa), Joseph Closner, Roy (Kathy) Ellis, Bob (Christine) Ellis; nieces Desiree (Luke), Jerine Agustin, Zella Ellis, Bette Ellis, Anne (Jim) Lefter: great-nephews Brandon, Nick, Gavin, Connor and many other Ellis great-nephews and nieces. Preceded in death by his mother Doris, his father Urbano (Joe), sisters Sherry Closner, Jan Agustin; brother Raymond Agustin; niece Tina Closner; and many beloved pets.

Doug didn’t want a funeral, so he had planned his own celebration of life which was to have taken place with him as the center of attention before his death. But he passed one week before the party. There will be no further service per his wishes.

Donations to the International Cultic Studies, or the Humane Society would be appreciated.

https://cremationsocietyofmn.com/tribute/details/84224/Douglas-Agustin/obituary.html

ICSA International Conference 2027

The annual ICSA International Conference, brings together researchers, health professionals, service providers and survivors and their families from around the world to engage in open dialogue on the most pressing themes around cultic studies. 

We are excited to announce the location and theme for the 2027 event.

Location: Oslo, Norway

2027 Conference Theme: Shifting Ground: Coercion, Influence, and Control

The landscape of coercion, influence, and control is changing. Digital technologies are creating new avenues for manipulation, surveillance, exploitation, and control, raising particular concerns for children and young people.

While there is growing recognition that autonomy can be restricted in subtler ways through close relationships, social communities, group belonging, and authority structures, these forms of influence and control are often difficult to recognize, both for those affected and for the people around them.

At the same time, legal systems around the world are developing new ways of understanding and regulating coercion, consent, autonomy, and accountability.

The 2027 conference will examine emerging forms of digital influence and control, as well as developments in law and public policy. We welcome proposals addressing the full range of cultic and high-control environments and communities, as well as other interpersonal contexts in which coercion is perpetrated, including human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and gangs. Proposals may explore recovery and healing, prevention, research, professional practice, and lived experience.

We seek contributions that deepen understanding, encourage interdisciplinary dialogue, and identify effective ways to recognize coercion and control, reduce harm, support recovery, and strengthen individual and collective autonomy.

The ICSA International Conference brings together people with lived experience, families, researchers, clinicians, legal and policy professionals, educators, organizations, and others to explore how coercion, influence, and control emerge, are exercised, and are maintained across different contexts.

Study on psychological experiences following group membership

Study on psychological experiences following group membership

Principal researcher

Victor Laurent

Postdoctoral researcher in psychology at the University of Lille

victor.laurent@univ-lille.fr

Supervisor

Thierry Kosinski

Associate professor in psychology at the University of Lille

This project was approved by the University of Lille  Behavioral Sciences Ethics Committee.

Approval Number : 025-891-S137

https://us.list-manage.com/o62neLGgfI7

Latest news and developments regarding cults, high-control groups, and coercive control for the week of September 28, 2026.

Latest news and developments regarding cults, high-control groups, and coercive control for the week of September 28, 2026.

This week, public attention is turning toward long-standing communal groups facing renewed legal scrutiny, alongside ongoing preparations for major international advocacy summits.

Legal Actions and Survivor Advocacy

The Community of Jesus Lawsuit (Cape Cod, Massachusetts) Legal and public pressure is mounting around the Community of Jesus, a prominent religious community in Orleans, Cape Cod. Recent investigative reporting and ongoing civil litigation have brought forward fresh allegations from former residents detailing decades of institutional abuse, psychological manipulation, and child maltreatment. Survivors and local advocates have organized public awareness gatherings, using the renewed media spotlight to highlight how closed, high-demand communal environments systematically insulate themselves from external oversight and accountability.

Decult 2026 Preparations Preparations are ramping up across Australasia for the upcoming Decult 2026 conference, scheduled for October 24–25 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Building on recognition from the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA), the conference is positioning itself as a central hub for bridging academic research, survivor advocacy, and public policy. This year's panels are heavily focused on establishing standardized support systems and legal frameworks to address human rights abuses within high-control environments.

Media Spotlight and Institutional Scrutiny

The "Midtown AA" Investigations Mainstream investigative reporting brought fresh attention to the intersection of alternative groups and high-control dynamics. A detailed investigation published by The Guardian examined a rogue Washington, D.C.-based Alcoholics Anonymous splinter group known as "Midtown AA" from earlier decades. Former members detailed a cult-like environment characterized by extreme isolation, psychological dominance, and severe exploitation of younger members by leadership. The reporting has sparked broader public discussion regarding how informal or alternative therapeutic settings can occasionally warp into insular, high-control power structures when left without proper governance or oversight.

India in a Mind’s EyeTravels and Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim

Publication Announcement

[Relevance: Cultic Studies]

 

India in a Mind’s Eye

Travels and Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim

 

By Steven J. Gelberg

 

India in a Mind’s Eye: Travels and Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim is a work which should be of particular interest to cult-watchers and other observers of the contemporary religious scene. The author, Steven J. Gelberg, is a former member of ISKCON (the Hare Krishna Movement) and author of several important works on the Krishnas, including the widely-influential essay “On Leaving ISKCON.”*

        On one level a colorful and eventful journey through India, both modern and traditional, the book also serves as an honest, thoughtful and eloquent critique of a religious movement in crisis - beset by scandal, power struggles and growing disillusionment. Written not long before Gelberg left the organization, it presents the deeply personal musings and insights of one still following a spiritual path, yet questioning his continued commitment to an organization in decline. Neither “anti-cult” polemic nor cult apologetic, India in a Mind’s Eye provides a unique, nuanced view into the complex, many-layered process of religious doubt and disaffiliation. Originally self-published in 2012 in a limited edition, India in a Mind’s Eye is now available in a fully revised edition from Monkfish Publications.

* https://surrealist.org/cults/gelberg1.html

 

 

“An extremely interesting book ... His observations in this memoir are tinged with the ‘mind’s eye’ of a skeptic, albeit one laced with dry wit and humor. ... As a travelogue detailing that vast fascinating country, Gelberg’s vivid descriptions reminded me of Paul Theroux’s classic first travel book, The Great Railway Bazaar. Anyone interested in India or Eastern thought or cults, or just fascinating travel writing, will enjoy this wonderfully written and insightful book.”

—Marcia Rudin, International Journal of Cultic Studies

     [Vol. 4, 2013]

 

“[A] transcendent travelogue that offers insight into an uncommon religious experience.”

       Kirkus Reviews

 

_____________________

 

Praise for India in a Mind’s Eye:

 

“During the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, tens of thousands of young Americans, inspired by utopian dreams, found themselves attracted to Hindu spirituality in one form or another. But over time, and perhaps especially after visiting India, the homeland of those utopian dreams, many developed a nuanced and less gullible understanding of the movements they had joined. Gelberg has provided an excellent book based on his travel journal, recording the landscapes of India, as well as his own 'mindscapes' as he came to terms with his growing disillusionment with the Hare Krishna movement and its leaders. This is a deep dive into skepticism as a necessary aspect of the spiritual path."

— Dr. Dana Sawyer, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and World Religions, Maine College of Art & Design. Author, The Transcendental Meditation Movement.

 

“Not unlike a snake charmer, Steven Gelberg entices you into his mind’s eye as he journeys around secular and holy sites of India. Part travelogue, part thought-provoking spiritual exploration, and illustrated with sensitive portraits of fellow seekers on the path, this is a voyage that offers the reader a glimpse into understanding how and why a ‘Hin-Jew’ could become both enamoured of an 'alien' belief and disillusioned by the organisation/people ostensibly embracing its way of life. At times comical, at other times moving, but always engaging - if you have something urgent to do, don't open this book.

— Dr. Eileen Barker OBE FBA FAcSS, Professor Emerita, London School of Economics and Political Science.

 

“Gelberg has the perspective and temperament of a scholar who appreciates his in-group but is increasingly impatient with that group’s divisions and dictates. He is especially drawn to women devotees who display typically mystical qualities in their demeanor, conversation, and lifestyles. Gelberg doesn’t state this outright, but perhaps he was drawn to these women because they pointed to a purer and cleaner way of devotion that the international movement had seemingly lost sight of during the internecine conflicts among competing gurus.”

— Dr. W. Michael Ashcraft, Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions [Vol. 18, No. 3 (February  2015)]. Author, A Historical Introduction to the Study of New Religious Movements.

 

“It is Gelberg’s ability to speak clearly about his ambivalence that gives this book its historical importance, since the 1986 trip took place during the critical period of numerous leadership failures and conflicts when many other devotees were going through similar uncertainties about their involvement in ISKCON. Gelberg is now able to view that period from a more mature perspective and give an eloquent voice to the mixed emotions so common at the time – an important contribution to the historical record, and a needed supplement to the numerous writings about the period by former or current devotees that tend to be either accusative or defensive.

       . . . Purely as a travelogue, it stands alongside the best ever written. It is much more than that, however, and is – as Gelberg recognizes in his title – a journey of the spirit that helps us understand the ups and downs of ISKCON’s first fifty years. It does not claim to provide a comprehensive history of those years, but it is a valuable contribution to the history that is yet to be written. Anyone who wants to understand India or ISKCON should read it.

— Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins, Journal of Vaishnava Studies [23.2 (Spring 2015)]. Author, The Hindu Religious Tradition.

 

"This illuminating memoir from 'ambivalent pilgrim' Gelberg ... invites readers into [his] journeys throughout India, whose culture, history, and spiritual traditions have long fascinated him and shaped his life. India in a Mind's Eye explores the evolution, over many 'pilgrimages, ' of this former Krishna devotee's understanding of spirituality, identity, and the gap between idealism and reality. ... Gelberg now sees his youthful zeal to convert to Hinduism as 'a quest (however naively idealistic) for radical psychic liberation' and writes with tender frankness of his years with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), demystifying and honoring the Krishna experience while reporting disillusionment with a system affording so much power to all-too-human gurus. Throughout, Gelberg writes with warmth, intelligence, and an engaging conversational tone that makes his deepest reflections a pleasure to connect with ... including marvelous scenes depicting a woman touched with 'insights and ecstasies most devotees can only theorize and pontificate about.' ... Despite Gelberg’s piercing disappointment in the reality of ISKCON ... he movingly celebrates 'Indian pessimism, ' that 'abiding insight into the insubstantiality of the perceived world, the mutability and ephemerality of everything we see, and the centrality of suffering in human experience.' Gelberg makes that beautiful and inviting."

  - Publishers Weekly/Booklife [Editor's Pick]

 

_______________________

* Published by Monkfish Publications / Red Elixir

* Publication date: Sept 15, 2026

* Available from Amazon US:  https://amazon.com/dp/1966293496

    and other booksellers.

CultNEWS101 News: 9/21/2026

Culture & Media

New Podcast

jon atack, family & friends: moving beyond the guru - with Joe Kelly

In this interview, Joe Kelly recounts his nine-year involvement with Transcendental Meditation (TM) and his subsequent transition into cult exit counseling. Raised in a conservative Catholic environment, Kelly was drawn to TM in the early 1970s, inspired by the Beatles and the era's counterculture movement. Seeking alternative consciousness and world peace, he quickly escalated from a student to an active volunteer and instructor, interacting with diverse groups of professionals drawn to TM's promised pragmatic and spiritual benefits.

After fourteen and a half years involved in TM and another group, Kelly describes the profound disorientation of leaving his high-demand environment and returning to a normal life. This transition involved moving back with his confused parents and attempting to rebuild his independence from scratch. He also details participating in a lawsuit against the TM organization, which ultimately concluded with an out-of-court settlement that refunded his financial investments.

Following his exit, Kelly attended a Cult Awareness Network conference where he connected with exit counselor Kevin Garvey. Under Garvey's mentorship, Kelly began using his own experiences to assist others in leaving large group awareness training, eventually becoming an established interventionist and exit counselor himself.

Updates

Legislative & Legal

SocialCare.Today: First national call for evidence on spiritual and cultic abuse The UK government is facing pressure to launch the nation's first call for evidence regarding spiritual and cultic abuse, following an open letter submitted by survivors and advocates. Spiritual and cultic abuse involves coercion, exploitation, and manipulation within religious or spiritual groups, often slipping through the cracks of current protective systems. The campaign, spearheaded by Surviving Universal UK, seeks to understand the true scale of the issue rather than restrict religious freedoms.

According to a survey by the charity, 75% of the groups reported for abuse were registered charities, and nearly 90% were active places of worship, with Black communities being disproportionately targeted. The campaign draws inspiration from a recent parliamentary inquiry in Victoria, Australia, which resulted in 98 findings and 39 recommendations to combat harm in high-control groups. Supporters, including local politicians and child safety campaigners, emphasize that an urgent national inquiry is a vital first step to provide adequate support for survivors and hold abusive organizations accountable.

Courthouse News Service: 10th Circuit affirms dismissal of Mormon church tithing fraud class action as too late A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a class-action lawsuit accusing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of tithing fraud. Plaintiffs alleged the church misled donors by funneling charitable contributions into a $100 billion investment slush fund, utilizing $1.4 billion to develop a commercial shopping mall in Salt Lake City. The 10th Circuit panel ruled that the plaintiffs missed the statute of limitations to file their claims. The court determined that widespread national media coverage of a December 2019 IRS whistleblower report should have provided sufficient notice to donors regarding the potential misuse of funds. While the court did not explicitly rule on whether the church committed fraud, the decision emphasizes the legal expectation for plaintiffs to act promptly when allegations of institutional financial misconduct enter the public domain. 

LawNews: The Latter-Day Saints Trademark Infringement Lawsuit Could Backfire in Ways Nobody Expected The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit against John Dehlin, host of the Mormon Stories podcast, alleging the unauthorized use of logos and branding. The church claims the podcast’s marketing deceives listeners into believing it is an official church product, though Dehlin maintains his status as an independent pundit. In a surprising counterattack, Dehlin’s legal team is challenging the church’s intellectual property rights directly. They have requested the court revoke eleven of the church’s trademarks, including the term "Mormon," arguing that church leadership publicly abandoned the term years ago and fraudulently claimed active use to the US Patent and Trademark Office. Legal experts and the ACLU suggest the church’s attempt to enforce these trademarks could backfire. If Dehlin successfully invalidates the trademarks, the church could lose its exclusive legal claim to a term used by communities across North America for generations. 

ChosunBiz: Lee Man-hee denies intent in 7.5 billion won tax evasion trial in South Korea Shincheonji Church of Jesus Chairman Lee Man-hee has formally denied the charges brought against him in his first trial concerning a massive tax evasion case. South Korean authorities allege that the controversial religious leader actively evaded approximately 7.5 billion won in taxes. During the court proceedings, Lee’s defense maintained that there was no deliberate intent to evade taxation, challenging the prosecution's narrative regarding the organization's internal financial practices. The trial brings renewed legal scrutiny to Shincheonji, a group that has frequently faced public, legal, and governmental pushback over its high-demand operational tactics and financial transparency.

Jehovah’s Witnesses: Each Witness Now Decides Whether to Accept or Donate Main Blood Components

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jehovah’s Witnesses: Each Witness Now Decides Whether to Accept or Donate Main Blood Components

Position on whole blood transfusion unchanged

WARWICK, N.Y. (September 18, 2026)—The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses announced on Friday that the decision to accept red cells, white cells, plasma or platelets from another person’s blood is a matter of personal conscience. Likewise, each Witness must decide whether or not to donate blood for the clearly expressed purpose of providing components or fractions for use by another person.

The long-standing refusal of whole-blood transfusions on religious grounds, a core teaching based on the command to ‘abstain from blood’ (Acts 15:20), is unchanged.

“Blood remains sacred to Jehovah’s Witnesses, who continue to regard life and blood as precious gifts from God,” Paul Gillies, international spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses at their World Headquarters, said. “We recognize that medical decisions involving blood components are a matter of conscience between each Witness and their God, Jehovah.”

The adjustment follows earlier updates regarding blood fractions and the use of one’s own blood during medical procedures. Since the Bible does not comment on such decisions, they are a matter of individual conscience. That same reasoning has now been extended to the four main components of blood.

Jehovah’s Witnesses love life and want the best available medical care. They do not practice faith healing, and they seek out doctors who can provide effective treatment in accord with their wishes, values and beliefs.

“Congregations do not involve themselves in personal decisions that rest with the individual conscience. We will continue to respect and support the personal decisions of our fellow believers,” Mr. Gillies said. “We are grateful, too, for the many skilled and compassionate physicians who provide quality medical care that respects our personal wishes regarding blood.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses number over nine million worldwide, in congregations across more than 200 lands.

Media Contact: pressroom@jw.org

JW.ORG® / OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

Healing from Emotional, Anger, and Relational Trauma Educational Support Group

 Start Date: Monday, September 28, 2026

Schedule: Mondays at 12:30 PM ET and Wednesdays at 7:30 PM ET (Ongoing, with scheduled breaks)
Platform: Zoom (Link provided upon registration)

Group Overview

Offered by Queens Long Island Community Services (QLICS), this educational support group provides a safe space for former cult members and anyone seeking to recover from relational harm. Facilitated by Dr. Paul Engel, DHL, LCSW, and supported by dedicated QLICS staff, the group helps participants gather, build community, and develop actionable strategies to integrate meaningful change into their lives.

Core Focus Areas

• Emotional Regulation: Learning to cope more effectively with anger and intense emotions.
• Understanding Manipulation: Navigating the impacts of coercive control, traumatic narcissism, and gaslighting.
• Healing & Recovery: Navigating grief, practicing forgiveness, and releasing yourself from emotional pain.

Registration & Contact Information

• Registration: Access the sign-up page.
• Email Contact: paul.engel@flushingjcc.net
• Phone Contact: 516-547-4318

CultNEWS101 News: 9/18/2026

Culture & Media

New Docuseries

Medical Daily: Coercive Control Warning Signs: Mica Miller and the Netflix Series The deeply tragic and highly publicized criminal case of Mica Miller has thrust the incredibly insidious nature of coercive control into the national public spotlight, prompting urgent and renewed societal discussions about complex psychological abuse.

Unlike overt physical violence, coercive control operates quietly through a highly systematic, calculated pattern of emotional manipulation, forced social isolation, and relentless intimidation designed explicitly to strip a victim of their personal autonomy. Critical warning signs of this abuse often include extreme and irrational jealousy, strict financial restriction, constant monitoring of digital communications, and actively alienating the targeted victim from their protective support networks.

A recent, highly popular true-crime Netflix series has further amplified widespread awareness of this critical issue. The program provides global viewers with a chilling, accurately dramatized look at exactly how domestic abusers slowly and methodically dismantle their partners' independence over time.

Advocates and lawmakers are now actively using the intense public momentum generated from Miller’s heartbreaking case and the series to aggressively push for much stricter legal definitions and concrete protections against emotional abuse. Mental health professionals continually emphasize the absolute importance of early intervention and widespread public education to help vulnerable victims safely recognize and escape these dangerous dynamics.

Reviews

When Prophecy Fails Review – Gripping Dive Into a Doomsday Cult

Published by The Guardian on August 30, 2026, this article reviews a new physical theatre production by the Scottish company Groupwork that explores the true story of a 1950s Midwestern doomsday group. The play is based on the landmark sociological study of Marian Keech, an alias for a woman who believed she was channeling extraterrestrial messages and the voice of Jesus Christ. Keech successfully cultivated a following of seemingly ordinary citizens who became entirely convinced that the world was on the brink of an apocalyptic end, yet held out hope that they would be rescued by aliens from the planet Clarion.

The review highlights how the production effectively captures the eerie ordinariness of the group's followers, demonstrating that susceptibility to undue influence and extreme ideological shifts is not limited to societal outliers. By focusing on the psychological dynamics that allow a charismatic leader to exert coercive control over a dedicated sect, the play serves as a striking reflection of the exact mechanisms researchers and interventionists study in high-demand environments today. It underscores the profound cognitive dissonance that occurs when deeply held prophecies inevitably fail, and how members often double down on their beliefs rather than abandon the group. This theatrical adaptation offers a compelling, real-time exploration of human vulnerability, the mechanics of social fraud, and the enduring nature of radical group indoctrination.

DVD Review: How a Cult's Recruitment of Jeremy Spencer Shaped Fleetwood Mac's Future The sudden, highly unexpected, and deeply shocking departure of talented guitarist Jeremy Spencer in 1971 definitively remains one of the most pivotal, transformative, and utterly bizarre moments in the extensive history of the legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac.

While actively on a demanding concert tour in Los Angeles, Spencer uncharacteristically left the band's hotel simply to run a quick afternoon errand and mysteriously never returned to his bandmates. He had been randomly approached on the street and rapidly, intensely recruited by the Children of God, a highly notorious and manipulative religious cult. He entirely abandoned his rapidly rising music career and his closest friends without any prior warning or explanation.

His unprecedented disappearance instantly threw Fleetwood Mac into a state of severe, immediate operational crisis, desperately forcing them to scramble to fulfill their lucrative touring obligations. The highly traumatic emotional event deeply fractured the band's original, traditional blues-rock lineup.

Ultimately, this chaotic, deeply painful rupture inadvertently and permanently paved the way for the band's spectacular future commercial evolution. Spencer’s exit forcibly required Fleetwood Mac to continuously reinvent their core sound, eventually directly leading to the historic recruitment of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

Updates

Legislative & Legal

Seoul Economic Daily: Unification Church Leader Faces Verdict in Political Funding Case 

A Seoul court is preparing to deliver its verdict on Han Hak-ja, the leader of the Unification Church, who faces serious charges of political-religious collusion with the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Prosecutors are seeking a 13-year prison sentence for Han for violating the Political Funds Act and anti-graft laws.

The allegations center around church funds being illegally funneled to politicians. Working with top church officials, Han allegedly delivered 100 million won to a prominent People Power Party lawmaker in 2022 to secure the administration's support. Furthermore, they are accused of using "split donations" to distribute another 144 million won to various politicians, effectively bypassing legal disclosure requirements.

In a highly publicized detail, the church leadership is also accused of gifting an expensive Chanel handbag and necklace to First Lady Kim Keon-hee. These luxury items were reportedly passed through a known shaman to gain political favor.

The sweeping judicial proceedings also extend beyond the church. The article highlights the upcoming trials of former military leaders involved in a controversial martial law declaration, as well as a critical impending vote by creditors on the financial rehabilitation plan for Homeplus.

Ongoing Focus

Yahoo News: 42 Years Ago Today, A Cult Poisoned Oregon Salad Bars In America's First Major Bioterror Attack 

Forty-two years ago today, the United States experienced its first and largest major bioterrorist attack when a religious cult intentionally poisoned unsuspecting citizens in Oregon. Followers of the Rajneeshee movement deliberately contaminated the salad bars of multiple local restaurants in the small community of The Dalles with Salmonella typhimurium.

The massive biological attack successfully sickened more than 750 people, leading to numerous hospitalizations, though miraculously resulting in no fatalities. Investigations ultimately revealed that the poisoning was a calculated trial run for a much broader, sinister plot.

The cult's leadership orchestrated the contamination to incapacitate local voters and suppress turnout in an upcoming election. By making the voting population too ill to cast their ballots, the Rajneeshees hoped to win county elections and seize political control of Wasco County to prevent interference with their nearby commune.

Today, the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack remains a chilling historical landmark. This anniversary serves as a stark reminder of the extreme lengths to which radical groups will go to manipulate democratic processes, cementing the event as a pivotal moment in the history of American domestic terrorism and cult violence.

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