9 Takeaways From the Book 'Taken No More'

Robin Boyle-Laisure's book explores the social psychology of manipulation.

Lisa Aronson Fontes Ph.D.

Psychology Today

June 14, 2026

Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

Key points

Cult leaders and human traffickers use similar techniques to entrap new recruits.

Adults can help young people learn to protect themselves from recruitment into cults and trafficking.

"Taken No More" by Robin Boyle-Laisure provides suggestions for adults to help youth stay safe.

In Taken No More, law professor and cult expert Robin Boyle-Laisure, J.D., discusses commonalities between cults and human trafficking. In the mix, she also considers intimate partner violence and child sexual abuse. Coercive control unites these diverse situations.

The book is subtitled, “Protect Your Children Against Traffickers and Cults.” A good chunk of it is directed toward parents and educators. However, it also seems relevant to professionals who work in mental health, child protection, and the law, as well as casual readers with an interest in these topics.

9 of the book’s main points

1. Human trafficking and cults have a lot in common. Leaders in both kinds of enterprises manipulate young people and adults for their own gain.
2. Traffickers and cult leaders use deception to recruit their targets. They find out what potential recruits value and exploit it. Most commonly, they provide false offers of financial gain, romance, community, or fame—whatever it takes. Labor traffickers entice their targets by promising desirable working conditions and wages.
3. Cult leaders and traffickers groom their new recruits. They build and strengthen interpersonal bonds through gifts, affection, kind words, and welcoming acts. New recruits let down their guard. Then they become entrapped and find it impossible to leave.
4. Cult leaders and traffickers shape their targets to accept increasingly difficult conditions. They desensitize recruits to abuse. A sex trafficker posing as a boyfriend might ask his girlfriend to “prove her love” by having sex with his friend. Or a sex trafficker might promise a career in modeling. Cult leaders ask new members to prove their dedication by turning over money and cutting off previous relationships. Labor traffickers make “deals” where the targets end up feeling like they owe money and will risk legal trouble if they try to flee.
5. Trafficking is immensely profitable because humans can be sold and re-sold. Gangs that once dealt drugs have discovered that trafficking in (young) women and men can yield them a greater profit over a longer period. Many gangs engage in both drug and human trafficking. Each facilitates the other.
6. Cults don’t all look the same. When people think of cults, they often think of recruits with shaved heads and orange robes, chanting and begging on the streets. But, as Boyle-Laisure points out, cults are not all religious. They could be political, terrorist, commercial, or some combination of these.
7. Thought reform, brainwashing, and coercive control all refer to the same processes. Traffickers, cult and gang leaders, and domestic and sexual abusers all use similar social and psychological pressures to change the way targets think and act. Targets’ attitudes and self-images change. The unthinkable gradually seems acceptable, inevitable, or even welcome. For instance, a new cult member who was once close to his family might write them off as unacceptable. A newly recruited trafficking victim who was a virgin when she met her “boyfriend” might consent to sex with others, at his request, and convince herself that she is happy to have made him happy. Labor trafficking victims may believe that they “just have to get through” the next couple of months, and then they will receive the wages they are due.
8. Young people need developmentally appropriate instruction in how to stay safe. The author provides a chapter on “Raising a Savvy Child” and another on “Protecting Children from Online Predators." She offers advice to caretakers on how to speak with children and teens about social dangers without paralyzing them with fear. She describes planning for a range of family emergencies. She offers practical suggestions including at what age to get children a cell phone and how to instruct them in its safe use.
9. Clinicians working with survivors of cults and trafficking will need to adjust their usual trauma-focused practices. The book includes a full chapter dedicated to “mental health professionals, college administrators, and the community.” Boyle-Laisure draws on experienced psychotherapists for advice on working clinically with survivors of cults and trafficking.

The book is marred by small errors. For instance, Steve Hassan’s Influence Continuum is referred to several times as “the influence of continuum.” The Children of God practice of recruiting members through sexual seduction is referred to repeatedly as “flirty fishy” rather than “flirty fishing.” These are mere quibbles in this heavily researched and interesting book.

References

Boyle-Laisure, R. (2026). Taken no more: Protect your children against traffickers and cults. Bloomsbury Press.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/invisible-chains/202606/9-takeaways-from-the-book-taken-no-more

CultNEWS101 Articles: 6/19/2026

Updates

Legislative & Legal

N12: A lawsuit to silence? An organization that promotes "sacred sexuality" sued an Israeli for millions

Summary:

An international New Age organization called ISTA (International School of Temple Arts), which promotes "sacred sexuality" through spiritual, tantric, and shamanic seminars, filed a 3.6 million NIS (~$1 million USD) defamation lawsuit in Israel against a former participant turned vocal critic, Eyal Shaham.

Key details of the case include:

• The Allegations against ISTA: ISTA seminars, which operate globally and in Israel, have faced investigative journalism uncovering allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate sexual practices between instructors and participants. In 2023, the Israeli Center for Cult Victims issued a public warning about ISTA, citing concerning characteristics. They described activities like group masturbation and pressure toward sexual openness, culminating in a ritual where group members massage female participants' genitals.

• The Lawsuit: Shaham participated in an ISTA seminar and subsequently joined an alumni group, where he began posting warnings about systemic and abusive patterns within the organization, particularly targeting vulnerable young women. ISTA and its senior instructor, Lori Handlers, filed a lawsuit alleging severe reputational and financial damage. ISTA maintains that it has taken steps to ensure safety and to ban misconduct, arguing that Shaham's claims are baseless defamation.

• The Court's Precedent-Setting Decision: Shaham’s legal defense (handled pro bono by the Haifa University Legal Clinics and the firm LIPA&CO) argued that this is a SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) meant to silence public criticism. They requested that the lawsuit be dismissed or that ISTA be required to deposit a financial guarantee equal to the amount of the lawsuit.

• Tel Aviv District Court Judge Idit Katsavoy partially accepted Shaham's request. While she did not dismiss the suit or outright label it a SLAPP suit at this early stage, she applied a legal precedent on anti-SLAPP frameworks to impose a high financial burden on the plaintiffs. She ordered ISTA and Handlers to deposit a combined, unusually high guarantee of roughly half a million NIS to proceed with the lawsuit.

Perspectives:

• Defense / Eyal Shaham: Shaham and his lawyers called the ruling a major victory for freedom of speech, proving courts will not be weaponized to silence public interest criticism. Shaham stated he felt a moral obligation to protect future victims after trying to change the system from within.

• ISTA's Response: ISTA emphasized that the court explicitly refused to declare the case a SLAPP suit or dismiss it outright. They also noted the judge rejected Shaham’s demand for a 3.6 million NIS deposit, instead setting a much lower amount. ISTA expressed determination to see the trial through to hold Shaham accountable for years of "baseless slurs."

Event

Not just about sex: Forced labor and the economics of cultic control, Carol Merchasin

ICSA CONFERENCE 2026

Date: July 1-4, 2026

Hilton Bayfront, San Diego

This presentation explores how forced labor provisions within U.S. human trafficking law can be applied to cultic contexts where unpaid or underpaid work is extracted through coercion, psychological control, and threats of harm. Carol Merchasin examines how legal frameworks such as forced labor statutes and Civil RICO can expose patterns of economic exploitation that often remain hidden behind religious or ideological structures. Attendees will gain insight into emerging legal approaches that may offer new avenues for accountability and justice in cases of coercive control.

Full Abstract

Cults often cause profound harm that does not fit neatly into existing civil or criminal laws because legal systems often fail to recognize the effects of coercion. U.S. human trafficking law, on the other hand, has been increasingly used to address sexual abuse in cultic settings because it recognizes that coercion negates consent to sex. But the application of the trafficking law does not end there.

Forced labor claims are a component of the U.S. human trafficking framework that remains under-recognized in cultic contexts. Forced labor claims can apply to situations in which individuals are pressured to work through psychological control and threats of serious harm (including non-physical harm). These dynamics closely mirror how many cults extract unpaid or underpaid labor, often framed as “selfless service” or spiritual obligation for the benefit of leaders or affiliated entities.

Forced labor claims can also open the door to another powerful U.S. law commonly known as Civil RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), which allows courts to examine patterns of exploitation across leadership, related entities, and financial structures rather than treating harm as a series of isolated incidents. This “follow the money” lens shifts the focus from belief or doctrine to economic reality, making systemic exploitation legally visible in ways individual claims often cannot.

By focusing on coercion, labor extraction, and economic benefit—rather than beliefs or theology—both forced labor and Civil RICO attach meaningful financial consequences to coercive systems that have long escaped accountability.

Speakers

Carol Merchasin

Of Counsel McAllister Olivarius | President of ICSA Board of Directors

Carol Merchasin is an attorney and human rights advocate whose work focuses on coercive control, religious freedom, human trafficking, and accountability within high-control groups. She has represented survivors of abuse and exploitation in a range of legal contexts and is widely recognized for her efforts to advance legal protections for individuals harmed by coercive systems. Her work explores the intersection of human rights law, trafficking legislation, and cultic studies, with particular attention to how existing legal frameworks can be used to address exploitation, forced labor, and other forms of abuse. A long-time advocate for survivors, she currently serves as President of the ICSA Board of Directors.

Ongoing Focus

Arizona Daily Star: Lawsuits accuse Southern Arizona religious community of covering up sexual abuse, forcing labor

This Arizona Daily Star article, written by columnist Tim Steller, reports on serious allegations against the Global Community Communications Alliance (GCCA), a Southern Arizona religious group.

The group, which consists of about 100 members, operates on a 200-acre property near Tumacacori called the Avalon Organic Gardens and EcoVillage. The scrutiny stems from three recent legal developments: 

Two lawsuits filed by women who grew up in the community and a report by a court-appointed advisor in a child-custody/divorce case.

The core details and allegations outlined in the report include:

• Failure to Report and Victim-Blaming: The court filings and lawsuits allege that when children or members reported instances of sexual abuse, GCCA leadership systematically ignored, minimized, or covered it up. Internal counselors allegedly engaged in victim-blaming, telling victims that the assaults were "karmic consequences" or punishment for being rebellious in a past life.

• High-Control and Exploitative Environment: Lauri Owen, a court-appointed advisor in a member's divorce case, officially characterized the GCCA as a "closed-campus, high-control religious community" with a strict, authoritative hierarchy in which members are forced to work and forbidden to disobey or express conflicting opinions.

• Separation of Families: The lawsuits state that children within the community are placed into communal group housing, cycled through unrelated adult caretakers, and denied consistent access to their own parents. One plaintiff noted she ultimately fled the group under the pretense of a medical visit after learning the group planned to remove her three-year-old daughter from her care.

• The Group's Background: Founded in Sedona in 1989 by Anthony Delevin (who went by "Gabriel of Sedona" and later "Van of Urantia" before dying in 2025) and Nancy Emerson Chase ("Niann"), the group bases its teachings on the Urantia Book alongside spiritual "sequels" the founders claimed to receive from celestial beings.

• The Group's Defense: The GCCA has categorically denied all allegations of abuse, misconduct, and unlawful labor practices, maintaining that they are a voluntary, law-abiding spiritual community. They have filed motions to dismiss the legal actions, arguing that many of the claims fall outside the legal statute of limitations.

• The lawsuits are currently in their early stages, and the group has not yet presented its formal defense in court.
  

Group Profile

Unity Church

The original overview of Unity Church's theological foundations and major criticisms is expanded below, with formal references that map to contemporary religious studies and historical overviews.

1. Core Beliefs

The foundational identity of Unity as a non-creedal, practical expression of Christianity emerging from late 19th-century Transcendentalism remains central to its modern practice (EBSCO, 2019). The five core principles that dictate its metaphysical theology are consistently structured around the absolute goodness of a non-anthropomorphic God and the creative responsibility of human thought.

• God as Omnipresent Energy: God is defined not as a personified judge, but as an immanent spiritual force, universal mind, and infinite intelligence underlying all creation (EBSCO, 2019).

• Inherent Human Divinity: Humanity possesses a "divine spark" or "Christ Consciousness," establishing that our essential nature is divine and inherently good. The traditional doctrine of original sin is entirely rejected (EBSCO, 2019; Lutheran Spokesman, 2019).

• The Law of Mind Action: Through the creative power of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, individuals actively shape their physical health and life experiences (EBSCO, 2019).

• Affirmative Prayer: Prayer is used to align one's awareness with divine truth through positive affirmations and the release of negative thoughts, rather than petitioning a deity to alter circumstances (EBSCO, 2019).

• Living the Truth: Spiritual principles must be dynamically demonstrated through an individual's words, choices, and active service (EBSCO, 2019).

2. Scriptural and Doctrinal Reinterpretation

• The movement's founders, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, established a unique metaphysical framework for interpreting traditional Christian elements:

• Jesus Christ: Rather than being viewed as the exclusive deity or sole Savior, Jesus is regarded as a "Master Teacher" and "Way-Shower" who fully realized and manifested the Christ potential latent within all humanity (EBSCO, 2019; Open Christian Education, 2024).

• The Bible: Treated as a primary spiritual resource, the Bible is read allegorically and metaphysically, tracing the psychological and evolutionary journey of the human soul toward spiritual awakening (EBSCO, 2019; Open Christian Education, 2024).

• The Afterlife: Heaven and hell are interpreted strictly as internal states of consciousness experienced on earth. Additionally, historic Unity writings incorporate a belief in reincarnation as a mechanism for the soul to continuously resolve its earthly lessons (Lutheran Spokesman, 2019; Open Christian Education, 2024).

3. Areas of Controversy

Unity’s departures from orthodox religious and medical paradigms have generated documented criticisms from theological, sociological, and medical perspectives.

1. Mainstream Christian Theological Critiques

Traditional, evangelical, and orthodox Christian bodies frequently critique Unity, asserting that its baseline tenets stand in direct opposition to Biblical scripture (Lutheran Spokesman, 2019; Open Christian Education, 2024).

• Diminishing Christ's Unique Role: Critics argue that reducing Jesus to one among many spiritual guides conflicts with standard Christian doctrine regarding his singular divinity, sacrificial death, and physical resurrection (Open Christian Education, 2024).

• The Erasure of Sin and Redemption: By dismissing inherited sin and focusing exclusively on human goodness, mainstream theologians state that Unity entirely undermines the Gospel's core message of repentance and salvation through divine grace (Lutheran Spokesman, 2019; Open Christian Education, 2024).

• A "Self-Centered" Spirituality: Traditional commentators note that affirmative prayer shifts focus from seeking God's sovereign will to asserting personal desires, fostering an individualistic framework that can dilute communal accountability and humility (Open Christian Education, 2024).

2. The Critique of Positive Thinking and Accountability

Because Unity teaches that individuals construct their own realities through mental alignment, critics raise serious sociological and ethical concerns regarding the practical application of the "Law of Mind Action":

• Implied Blame for Suffering: A rigid application of thought-manifestation implies that individuals experiencing systemic poverty, unexpected tragedies, or chronic illness are suffering due to a failure in their own mental state or "negative thinking."

• Overlooking Structural Injustice: Critics argue that a focus on individual mental transformation can distract from addressing collective social responsibilities, systemic inequities, and structural issues that cannot be resolved solely by individual mindset shifts.

3. Spiritual Healing Boundaries

Historically, the movement was heavily anchored in the belief that physical illness could be resolved through spiritual alignment, rooted in Myrtle Fillmore's recovery from tuberculosis (EBSCO, 2019). While early stances generated friction with the medical community, modern Unity leadership clarifies that the church does not reject or resist scientific medical treatment but encourages the use of spiritual healing practices alongside traditional healthcare (EBSCO, 2019).

References

EBSCO. (2019). Unity Church. Research Starters: Religion and Philosophy.

Lutheran Spokesman. (2019). Unity Church. Lutheran Spokesman, 62(3).

Open Christian Education. (2024). Is the Unity Church's teachings aligned with traditional Christian doctrine? Open Christian Education Blog. 

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

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CultNEWS101 Articles: 6/18/2026

Culture & Media

New Publications

How One Teenage Girl Fared in the Osho/Rajneesh "Free Sex" Cult 

In a new book, Sarito Carroll describes how she traded sex for adult male affection as a young teen living communally with followers of this infamous Indian guru.

Updates

Legislative & Legal

High-profile legal actions targeting fraudulent psychic operations, mass-mailing scams, and individuals using spiritual claims for extortion or defamation have led to several major rulings and lawsuits in federal and state courts over the past year.

The notable cases from 2025 and 2026 include:

1. United States v. Georg Ingenbleek (April 2026)

• The Case: A federal judge in New Jersey sentenced German national Georg Ingenbleek to 70 months in prison and ordered a massive $`13.6 million forfeiture for orchestrating a multi-million dollar psychic mail fraud scheme.

• The Fraud: Between 2011 and 2016, Ingenbleek ran a predatory mass-mailing operation targeting vulnerable individuals across the U.S. The letters claimed to be personalized insights from well-known psychics offering "free" services and items to bring good fortune. Once victims engaged, the operation sent aggressive follow-up billing notices demanding money and falsely threatening legal action and prosecution if they didn't pay. Ingenbleek was indicted in 2020, captured as a fugitive in Italy in 2024, and extradited to the U.S. in 2025.

2. Rebecca Scofield v. Ashley Guillard (February 2026)

• The Case: A federal jury in Boise, Idaho, ordered a viral TikTok "tarot card reader" to pay `$10 million in damages to a University of Idaho history professor in a massive defamation lawsuit.

• The Fraud: Self-proclaimed psychic Ashley Guillard posted over 100 videos to TikTok claiming her "spiritual intuition" and tarot readings proved the history department chair was responsible for ordering the tragic 2022 stabbings of four Idaho college students. Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco ruled the claims entirely defamatory, stating they relied purely on "spiritual intuition" with zero objective basis. The February 2026 trial ended with a unanimous jury awarding $`7.5 million in punitive damages alone to punish the behavior and deter similar online "psychic" accusations.

3. United States v. Gina Rita Russell (Late 2024 / Ongoing Impact)

• The Case: Sentenced to over 10 years (125 months) in federal prison, self-purported psychic Gina Rita Russell was penalized for masterminding an elaborate fraud, extortion, and money laundering ring.

• The Fraud: Operating out of New York and Los Angeles, Russell weaponized her position as a spiritual advisor to psychologically coerce a Maryland man. Through extortionate spiritual threats and manipulation, she forced the victim to embezzle more than `$4 million from his Washington, D.C., employer to fund her lifestyle.

4. Pennsylvania Record Civil Filing: Spells & Blackmail Action (August 2025)

• The Case: A civil lawsuit was filed against an individual operating as a psychic and spiritual practitioner, alleging severe financial exploitation.

• The Fraud: The lawsuit outlines a classic multi-layered psychic fraud mechanism. It charges the defendant with civil RICO violations, extortion, unjust enrichment, "theft by fortune-telling," and practicing medicine without a license. The plaintiff alleges the psychic manipulated her into paying exorbitant fees for personalized spells, using emotional distress and eventual blackmail to extract funds.

Common Red Flags Identified in Recent Litigation

Civil and criminal court filings from these cases highlight a distinct pattern used by fraudulent spiritualists to exploit victims:

• The "Personal Vision" Mass Mailer: Automated form letters sent to thousands of elderly or isolated individuals simultaneously, falsely claiming a famous psychic had a specific, individualized vision of their upcoming wealth or tragedy.

• Karmic and Legal Extortion: Demanding escalating fees to "cleanse" a curse or prevent a tragedy, often shifting into aggressive legal threats or spiritual blackmail if the victim attempts to stop paying.

• Unsubstantiated "Intuition" as Fact: Using spiritual tools (like tarot cards or mediumship) to publicly fabricate criminal allegations against innocent individuals for internet clout or financial gain via social media monetization.

Research & Academic

Researchers Need Your Input: A New Tool to Assess Religious and Spiritual Trauma

A graduate researcher at the University of Illinois Springfield is developing the first standardized assessment tool for religious and spiritual trauma — and is looking for participants to help validate it.

The Multidimensional Religious and Spiritual Trauma Assessment (MRSTA) is designed to measure how religious and spiritual experiences affect mental and emotional well-being, including intergenerational trauma, family and religious culture, and organizational harm. The goal is to give therapists and educators better tools for working with survivors of religious harm.

The study is conducted by Takouhie Jensen under the supervision of Dr. Huijuan Li, Assistant Professor of Counseling at the University of Illinois Springfield, and has been reviewed and approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Who can participate? Anyone 18 or older with current or past involvement in any religious or spiritual group.

What does it involve? An anonymous one-time online survey of approximately 130–150 items, taking 20–30 minutes. No personal identifiers are collected. You may skip any question.

Survey link: https://uisits.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3EkKLn3QtpOOJWm

Questions can be directed to Takouhie Jensen at tjens@uis.edu or Dr. Huijuan Li at hli254@uis.edu.

Ongoing Focus

WRSP: Clearwater City Council approves giving street to Church of Scientology to build L. Ron Hubbard Hall

"Clearwater City Council gave the green light Thursday night for the Church of Scientology to take over a short city street that’s key to building L. Ron Hubbard Hall, a 3500-person venue named after its controversial founder.

The decision came after more than an hour of public comment that councilmembers cut short. Hundreds of Scientologists and dozens of their critics once again packed the downtown library where council meetings are held.

“My wife and I have personally contributed millions of dollars toward the L. Ron Hubbard Hall since the inception of this project because we believe in what it will mean for future generations of parishioners and for downtown Clearwater,” said Scientologist Stu Sjouwerman, the billionaire tech founder of KnowBe4, the world's largest integrated security awareness training and simulated phishing platform. “It's the completion of a vision that has been discussed for decades and the final piece to complete [Scientology’s] downtown campus.”

This is not the church's first attempt. In 2025, Scientology withdrew a similar application shortly before a final city vote, saying it intended to revise and resubmit the proposal. It did exactly that in 2026.

Critics argue that South Garden Avenue is public land and should remain open to everyone. They believe transferring the roadway would further consolidate Scientology's already extensive influence over downtown Clearwater. The church and affiliated entities own a large share of downtown property. Many former Scientologists who showed up at the meeting say the church commits human rights abuses and uses child labor."

"... In late 2025, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued an opinion siding with Scientology's position that the church could pursue its planned development and that the city lacked certain grounds to block it. That opinion strengthened the church's case but did not automatically settle the matter politically.

Thursday night, three councilmembers, David Allbritton, Mike Mannino, and Ryan Cotton, said they were supporting the vacation request because they are routine and have never been rejected."

Group Profile

International Society of Divine Love (ISDL)

The International Society of Divine Love (ISDL), incorporated in 1975 by the Hindu guru Swami Prakashanand Saraswati (a disciple of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj), underwent a severe institutional collapse and complete rebranding following a major criminal scandal involving its founder.

The trajectory of the organization and its ultimate fate unfolded through several key developments:

1. Expansion and the Creation of Radha Madhav Dham

Originally founded in India, the ISDL expanded internationally to New Zealand and eventually to the United States. In 1990, the organization established its international headquarters on a massive 200-acre property in Austin, Texas, known as Barsana Dham (later renamed Radha Madhav Dham). The site became one of the largest Hindu temple complexes in the Western Hemisphere, attracting thousands of followers and visitors for religious festivals.

2. Criminal Charges and Conviction of the Founder

The organization's trajectory shifted abruptly between 2007 and 2011 due to severe criminal allegations against its founder, Prakashanand Saraswati:

• 2007–2008 Arrest: Three former residents of the Texas ashram came forward to law enforcement, reporting that they had been subjected to chronic sexual abuse by Saraswati when they were minors (ranging from ages 12 to 14) during the 1990s. Saraswati was subsequently arrested.

• 2011 Trial and Conviction: In March 2011, a Texas jury found Saraswati guilty on 20 counts of indecency with a child.

• Flight and Fugitive Status: Following his conviction but before the sentencing phase, Saraswati fled the United States while out on a $10 million bond. He was sentenced in absentia to 280 years in prison and a $200,000 fine. Federal authorities later determined he had used a fraudulent passport to escape to India, where he remains a fugitive.

3. Reorganization and Rebranding

Following the founder's conviction and flight, the International Society of Divine Love faced immense legal, financial, and public relations crises. To survive the fallout, the organization systematically distanced itself from Prakashanand Saraswati and restructured its governance:

• Institutional Scrubbing: The organization stripped Saraswati’s name, images, and writings from its official materials, websites, and temple gift shops.

• The Rebrand: The U.S. nonprofit entity underwent a total rebranding. The Texas ashram officially changed its name from Barsana Dham to Radha Madhav Dham to signal a fresh start.

• New Leadership Alignment: Globally, the broader movement shifted its primary alignment away from the disgraced founder and placed itself directly under the umbrella of its parent organization in India, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP), which is managed by Kripalu Maharaj's daughters.

Today, the physical infrastructure built by the International Society of Divine Love still operates in Texas as Radha Madhav Dham, a community temple and cultural center. However, it is now under a completely restructured local management designed to sever ties with its history of coercive control and abuse.

References

The Criminal Case and Conviction: The details surrounding the arrest and subsequent trial of the founder, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati (often referred to as "Shree Swamiji"), are extensively documented in Texas legal archives and in media outlets such as The Austin American-Statesman and KXAN-TV. In 2011, a Hays County jury convicted him on 20 counts of indecency with a child stemming from a pattern of abuse against minors at the Texas ashram during the 1990s.

Fugitive Status: Following his conviction, Saraswati skipped his $10 million bond and fled the country, an escape that led to appearances on law-enforcement broadcasts, including CNN’s The Hunt with John Walsh and Fox's America's Most Wanted.

Documentation regarding the transition from Barsana Dham to Radha Madhav Dham comes from the organization's corporate restructuring filings in Texas and official public relations statements. This shift placed the remaining physical complex directly under the administrative wing of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) in India, an entity listed in repositories such as the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA).

International Society of Divine Love (ISDL)

Following the 2011 conviction and subsequent flight of its founder, Prakashanand Saraswati, the organization overseeing the 200-acre Texas ashram faced severe legal, financial, and existential crises. To survive the fallout and address lawsuits from victims, the management implemented a series of dramatic structural, legal, and leadership changes designed to stabilize the community and insulate it from its founder's criminal legacy.

The specific changes implemented include:

1. Reconstitution of the Board and Local Leadership

The organization dissolved the insular governance structure that had previously been controlled by or directly answered to Prakashanand Saraswati.

• Appointment of New Leadership: The ashram appointed new, public-facing spiritual and administrative leaders who were distinct from the inner circle active during the 1990s abuse period. Sushree Diwakari Devi was appointed President of Radha Madhav Dham, overseeing administrative, organizational, and spiritual outreach alongside other Western-based preachers such as Swami Nikhilanand.

• Separation of Management: Day-to-day operations and public relations were handed over to a restructured board of directors and a dedicated management team. Spokespersons (such as Vrinda Devi) were designated to explicitly communicate to the public and the media that the ashram was actively "moving forward" and severing historical ties.

2. Legal Restructuring and Incorporation Changes

To manage the immense financial liabilities stemming from civil litigation—including major vicarious liability and negligence lawsuits brought by survivors of the abuse—the entity underwent formal corporate restructuring.

• Asset Insulation: The nonprofit entity stepped away from the "International Society of Divine Love" (ISDL) corporate identity in the United States.

• The "Radha Madhav Dham" Rebrand: In addition to renaming the physical site from Barsana Dham to Radha Madhav Dham, the corporate entities were restructured to operate under this new moniker, aiming to separate the physical temple assets and community operations from the legal entity directly tied to Saraswati’s 1975 incorporation.

3. Direct Subordination to Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP)

Previously, the international branches of the ISDL operated with a high degree of autonomy under Saraswati's personal dictate. Following his flight, the Texas ashram shifted its organizational alignment to become a direct, subordinate international wing of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP), the parent charitable trust headquartered in Mangarh, India.

• Oversight by the "Pracharikas": JKP India was established by Kripalu Maharaj (Saraswati's own guru) and is explicitly administered by his daughters (Sushri Dr. Shyama Tripathi and Sushri Dr. Krishna Tripathi). By integrating tightly into JKP’s international governance, Radha Madhav Dham effectively placed its theological and structural oversight in the hands of the Indian parent trust's leadership, bypassing the authority of its fugitive founder.

4. Total Institutional Erasure of the Founder

From a structural policy standpoint, the new management enacted a strict "scrubbing" protocol across the entire organization to dismantle the cult of personality surrounding Saraswati:

• Removal of Material: The board ordered the immediate removal of all photographs, portraits, and statues of Prakashanand Saraswati from the Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple and the surrounding grounds.

• Literature and Media Sanctions: All books, audio recordings, and philosophical commentaries authored by Saraswati were permanently pulled from the ashram’s gift shops, libraries, and online distribution channels. The organization shifted entirely to using orthodox texts and materials produced directly by Kripalu Maharaj or the JKP trust. 

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 to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

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

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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.