Complex Trauma Cult Survivor Study

Researchers want to talk to former high-demand group members who have been out of their group or online-based ideology for 1-10 years:

• This research project, entitled “Investigating the Mental Health Needs of People Exiting High Demand Groups,” is led by Dr. Smart at the University of Victoria. Others who are involved in the project are Rayann Gordon (graduate student at the University of Salford), Nazanin Babaei (graduate student at the University of Victoria), and Amanda Reaume and Sydney Klassen (undergraduate students at the University of Victoria).
• The study follows a trauma-informed approach to ensure sensitivity and participant well-being, offering breaks, resource materials, and mental health supports as needed. You can contact the lab at smartlab@uvic.ca if you believe you may be eligible to participate.

What is the study?

This study aims to investigate the lived experience of individuals who have exited a high-demand group (or ‘cult’) that was either fully online or hybrid online/in-person. The study aims to learn more about the challenges and needs of people leaving these groups, including their mental health, identity changes, coping strategies, and access to support services. It is hoped that the results of this project will inform ways to improve mental health care and resources for individuals leaving these environments.

Who is eligible?

• Adults aged 19+ who identify with having been in a cult (e.g., religious, political, new age, and so on), or
• Adults aged 19+ who identify with having been in online high-demand ideologies (e.g., QAnon/RedPill/Incel/Pick-Up, influencer-led communities,
• Individuals who have been out of their group for between 1 and 10 years,
• Individuals who are English-speaking, have access to a computer,
• Individuals who are not in active crises and who can identify a support person (i.e., a therapist, friend, family member).

What’s involved?

1) You can first reach out to our lab at smartlab@uvic.ca to express interest. The lab will then send you a brief screening survey to determine your eligibility.

2) If you are eligible, we will send a link to a 45-minute online questionnaire.

3) If you decide you’d like to participate in a subsequent 60–90-minute Zoom interview, our research assistants will schedule you for one.

4) For a 60–90-minute interview and approximately 45 minutes of questionnaires, the estimated compensation is $50. 

Contact the lab at smartlab@uvic.ca if you believe you may be eligible to participate.

CultNEWS101 News: 6/26/2026

Culture & Media

Videos

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

Yes Theory spends 100 hours in Fairfield and Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa, to explore the commhttps://www.cultnews101.com/2018/10/maharishi-ayur-veda-gurus-marketing.htmlunity built around the Transcendental Meditation movement. While acknowledging historical controversies associated with the organization, the team finds the local practitioners in this "cult city" to be welcoming and the experience a positive study in prioritizing mental health.

LPR Presents: The Cult of Synanon

Origins and Evolution

In 1958, recovering alcoholic Charles "Chuck" Diederich founded a grassroots, peer-led drug rehabilitation space in Santa Monica called The Tender Loving Care Group.  It strictly banned chemicals and physical violence.

Diederich soon developed "The Game", a fierce form of attack therapy designed to tear down psychological walls aggressively. Rebranded as Synanon, the group expanded rapidly. Diederich began recruiting wealthy, non-addicted people and secured a highly profitable tax-exempt status in 1966.

Shift to a Tyrannical Cult

By the late 1960s, Synanon had devolved into an authoritarian cult. Diederich broadcast mandatory sermons via a nationwide loudspeaker system. After his third wife, Betty, died in 1976, his policies turned extreme. He abolished monogamy, separating committed couples and re-pairing them. Diederich also mandated shaved heads for women, vasectomies for men, forced abortions, and put children into military-style boot camps. 

Violence and Downfall

L. Diederich built a brutal shadow security force called the Imperial Marines and officially allowed physical violence. After his marines beat a concerned father into a coma, investigative lawyer Paul Morantz launched a successful lawsuit against the organization. In retaliation, Diederich ordered Morantz's assassination. On October 10, 1978, two Imperial Marines placed a de-rattled rattlesnake in Morantz's mailbox. Morantz survived the bite. Police subsequently raided the compound and arrested Diederich while he was heavily intoxicated (56:48). Due to failing health, he received probation instead of prison, but was permanently banned from the group. Sunk by back taxes, Synanon filed for bankruptcy in 1991.

Ongoing Focus

Spectrum News 1: Judge rules Diocese of Buffalo can use proceeds from sale of Christ the King Seminary toward settlement

A federal judge has ruled that the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo may use 150 million portion of a settlement for sex abuse survivors.

Key details from the report include:

• Property Sale: The 117-acre seminary site in East Aurora was sold at auction in 2024 to the World Mission Society of God.

• Background: The seminary had closed in 2020 following years of declining enrollment and financial difficulties, which were compounded by the fallout from the abuse scandal.

• Diocese Statement: A spokesperson for the diocese welcomed the ruling, confirming that the proceeds will be directed to the settlement fund as previously agreed upon with the Creditors Committee.

Events:

ICSA International Conference 2026

Date: July 1 - July 4

Location: Hilton Bayfront, San Diego

Online Ticket: $150

The Online Experience

The digital stream provides a flexible way to engage with the conference program from anywhere in the world:

• Pre-recorded Content: Access a curated selection of sessions from the live conference program.

• Live-Filmed Sessions: Online attendees will also have access to key sessions filmed live on-site in San Diego.

• On-Demand Access: The online track will be available for streaming at your convenience during the conference days (1–4 July 2026).

Group Profile

How to understand the Raja Kingdom – Part 8: Why is the Global Country of World Peace dangerous?

According to investigative findings published by RajaLeaks, the Global Country of World Peace (GCWP)—the leadership framework of the modern Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement—has evolved into a high-control system that poses several serious dangers:

• Financial Opacity and Exploitation: Following the death of founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the ruling "Rajas" (kings) established a new corporate structure utilizing offshore companies. This system funnels massive amounts of public funds, royalties, and course fees away from public scrutiny and bypasses original, traditional TM organizations.

• Authoritarian Control and Silencing: The leadership operates as a strict, non-transparent hierarchy. Members or leaders who question these questionable rules or demand accountability are systematically excommunicated, cast aside, and publicly discredited.

• Deviating into Extremism and Cult Practices: Critics argue that the Rajas have warped what was originally marketed as a secular, science-backed meditation tool into a cultic, right-wing Vedic theocracy. They have drawn intense condemnation for forming highly controversial alliances with external entities, including the RSS (a right-wing Hindu nationalist paramilitary group) and the scandal-plagued Sai Baba movement.

• Severe Mental Health Stigmas: The pressure to maintain a facade of absolute inner peace within GCWP hubs, such as Maharishi Vedic City, has created severe toxic positivity. This collective denial isolates struggling practitioners, exacerbating severe mental health and suicide crises locally by punishing those who express suffering.

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 complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

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.

Major news regarding high-demand groups and cults for the week of June 26, 2026

Major news regarding high-demand groups and cults for the week of June 26, 2026:

Zizians Member Charged in 2022 Pennsylvania Double Homicide
On Wednesday, June 24, Delaware County prosecutors charged 33-year-old Michelle Zajko with murder, burglary, and conspiracy in connection with the New Year's Eve 2022 shooting deaths of her parents, Rita and Richard Zajko, in Chester Heights, PA.

Zajko is a known member of the Zizians—a group of highly intelligent computer scientists sharing radical ideologies regarding artificial intelligence, animal rights, veganism, and gender identity. The Zizians have been linked to six deaths across the U.S. since 2022, including the murder of a California landlord and a shootout in Vermont that left a U.S. Border Patrol agent dead.

Zajko has been jailed in Maryland since February 2025 on separate charges, along with the group's alleged leader, Jack "Ziz" LaSota. District Attorney Tanner Rouse stated that evidence—including neighbor doorbell cameras and ballistics—indicates Zajko did not act alone in her parents' murders. Zajko has historically denied the killings, publishing an "Open Letter to the World" in 2025 suggesting her father was responsible for a murder-suicide.

New Documentary: "The University of Cosmic Intelligence Cult"
On June 25, Investigation Discovery (ID) announced an upcoming special presentation from its People Magazine Investigates series. The documentary, titled The University of Cosmic Intelligence Cult, will focus on the operations and fallout of the pandemic-era group. The special is slated for a July 14, 2026, premiere on the ID network and streaming platforms.

"Cult" Rhetoric in Indiana Politics
The term "cult" has surfaced in political news this week surrounding Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith. Faith leaders and civil rights advocates are renewing their condemnation of Beckwith following a late-May appearance on the Christian political media network FlashPoint, where he referred to Islam as a "demonic death cult."

While not a story about a high-demand group itself, the incident highlights the ongoing weaponization of the word "cult" in mainstream political and religious rhetoric. In a recent June update, Beckwith publicly doubled down on his comments, stating he does not regret his phrasing.

Here are the sources used to compile the news summary:

• Zizians Member Charged in Pennsylvania Double Homicide:
◦ PBS News: A member of the cultlike Zizians group is charged in the killings of her parents in Pennsylvania (PBS)
◦ Northeast Times: Delaware County DA Files Murder Charges Against Zizians Member in Parents' New Year's Eve Deaths (Northeast Times)
◦ The Guardian: They wanted to save us from a dark AI future. Then six people were killed (The Guardian)

• New Documentary: "The University of Cosmic Intelligence Cult":
◦ Realscreen: ID slates new “People Magazine Investigates” doc on pandemic-era cult (Realscreen)
◦ Wikipedia: University of Cosmic Intelligence (Wikipedia)

• "Cult" Rhetoric in Indiana Politics:
◦ The Indiana Citizen: Video: FlashPoint interview with Lt. Gov. Beckwith (The Indiana Citizen)
◦ FOX 32 Chicago: Indiana lieutenant governor says he 'hates' Islam, deems it 'a demonic death cult' (FOX 32 Chicago)

Hypnosis and coercion: What people believe vs. What we know

ICSA CONFERENCE 2026

Date: July 1-4, 2026

Hilton Bayfront, San Diego

Perhaps more than any other single method of influence, there is mystery, myth, misunderstanding, and outright falsehoods about hypnosis, even among mental health professionals. Some cite research that essentially claims hypnosis does not exist beyond a not-particularly useful and confusing construct; others—especially among but hardly limited to some cult-critics—describe hypnosis in a manner that greatly exaggerates its power. This presentation, by a cult-aware psychologist with advanced training in scientific/experimental as well as clinical hypnosis, will cover and debunk a range of misunderstandings and misinformation about the use of hypnosis and hypnotic-like interpersonal dynamics in coercive and cultic environments and processes. The very real impact of hypnosis on certain people in certain situations will be carefully explored, using the most current research available rather than relying solely on anecdotal evidence.

Steve K.D. Eichel, Ph.D., ABPP, CST received his B.A. from Columbia University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a licensed psychologist since 1982. His career has included roles as a child and family psychologist, director of child and family services, and consulting forensic psychologist. He has also held academic positions, including Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Delaware. His professional affiliations include the American Academy of Psychotherapists and the International Cultic Studies Association, where he formerly served as president of the board.

https://internationalculticstudies.org/events/hypnosis-and-coercion/

CultNEWS101 News: 6/25/2026

Updates

Research & Academic

Do you have, or have you ever had, a relationship?

At the Autonomous University of Madrid and the University of Granada, we are conducting a study on relationships, well-being, attitudes, and behaviors.

We are looking for people who have or have had a relationship - dating, cohabiting, as a common-law partner, or married - to answer an anonymous, voluntary online questionnaire.

Participation lasts approximately 30 minutes and can contribute to improving the understanding of couple relationships, as well as to the development of better prevention and intervention resources.

This is a joint study conducted by researchers from the Psychology Departments of the Autonomous University of Madrid and the University of Granada. We are studying certain behaviors and attitudes that occur, with varying frequency, among one or both partners in romantic relationships. We hope that the information gathered in this study will help improve support for couples who may be experiencing problems and inform the implementation of educational programs to prevent such situations. To achieve this goal, we are requesting the participation of people who are currently in or have been in a romantic relationship to answer the questions below. By "partner," we mean a person with whom you have been, or are currently, dating, living together, in a civil partnership, or married.

Access to the questionnaire: https://psyuam.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6YvzjDoMzDIUBtI

Contact: investigacion.controlcoercitivo@gmail.com

We greatly appreciate both participation and dissemination among people who may be interested.

Ongoing Focus

New Yorker: Andrew Tate’s Empire of Abuse

How the defining figure of the manosphere built a fortune—and became a political force—by systematically exploiting women.

"Just north of Bucharest is a neat development of red-gabled houses known as American Village. It is an unlikely place to become the center of an international criminal intrigue, but on its western border stands a sprawling compound, patrolled by armed guards, that belongs to the British-American influencer Andrew Tate and his younger brother, Tristan. The Tates moved to Romania a decade ago to build an online-­pornography empire, and American Village was where they kept their recruits.

 

One day in April 2022, Iasmina Pencov was in a villa near the compound, recovering from surgery. A slender, dark-haired former psychology student, she had met Andrew Tate the previous year and agreed to move across Romania to be with him. Tate had told Pencov that he considered her his wife, and when he first asked her to strip on camera, she was appalled. “I’m old-fashioned, and I do believe in God,” she texted him. “My body is intimate and only my husband should be able to touch and see.” But he had worn her down—“identified the objections and destroyed them,” he wrote in private messages describing her recruitment. “She never believed in god. Women never believe in anything.”

Tate presided over an online network called the War Room, in which, for a fee of about eight thousand dollars a year, he promised to “free the modern man from socially induced incarceration.” Members learned how to recruit women into “sexual slavery” in a series of tutorials that Tate called his Ph.D., or “Pimping Hoes Degree.” He had used Pencov as a teaching case, reporting on her subjugation over the secure messaging app Telegram. “I’ve done this with over 100 girls,” he told members. 'I almost sound evil. But I’m not. I’m a shepherd. Leading the sheep.'"

Events

PANEL: Scaling clinical competence: Lessons from the Collaborative Certification Training Model of the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion

ICSA CONFERENCE 2026

Date: July 1-4, 2026

Hilton Bayfront, San Diego

Session summary

This panel explores scalable and survivor-informed training approaches designed to help clinicians recognize and respond to cultic abuse and coercive control, using the Lalich Center’s collaborative certification program as a central case example.

Full Abstract

Clinicians across a wide range of settings are increasingly encountering clients whose lives have been affected by cultic abuse, coercive control, and high-demand groups. Yet most therapists receive little or no formal education on these issues during graduate training or early professional practice. Without a foundational understanding of coercive influence, well-intentioned clinicians may unintentionally reinforce shame, overlook critical aspects of a client’s history, or misinterpret post-cult experiences.

For many providers, the goal is not necessarily to become specialists but to develop sufficient foundational competence to avoid causing harm when these clients present in clinical practice.

This panel examines the role that scalable and accessible training can play in preparing generalist clinicians to work more effectively with survivors of coercive environments. The Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion’s Basic Certification Program will serve as a central case example. Developed collaboratively by therapists, researchers, educators, and survivors, the program was intentionally designed as an asynchronous online Continuing Education course to reach an international audience across diverse clinical settings.

Panelists will discuss the development of the curriculum, challenges encountered during the process, and key lessons learned from implementing a survivor-informed training program for clinicians worldwide.

Building on this experience, the panel will explore broader questions facing the field: What core competencies should all therapists possess regarding cultic abuse and coercive control? What are the most effective and sustainable pathways for ensuring that more clinicians develop these essential skills?

The session invites a grounded discussion on how to responsibly and effectively prepare clinicians to meet this growing area of need.

Speakers

Janja Lalich, PhD

Founder & CEO at Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion | Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University

Janja Lalich is a Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Chico, and a leading authority on cults, coercion, and undue influence. She is the Founder and CEO of the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion, and the founder and former director of the Center for Research on Influence and Control. For over three decades, Lalich has advanced public and professional understanding of high-control groups through research, writing, and education.

Natalie Fabert, PhD

Arizona State University | Lalich Center on Cults & Coercion

Dr. Natalie Fabert is a teaching professor at Arizona State University, a practicing licensed psychologist, and a member of the Board of Directors at the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion.  In her private practice, Dr. Fabert specializes in complex trauma, recovery from cultic abuse, and religious/spiritual trauma. At ASU, she brings this specialized expertise into the classroom, teaching courses on social psychology, psychopathology, and cult psychology. Driven by a passion for clinical training and advocacy, Dr. Fabert also directs the continuing education program at the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion, where she focuses on training the next generation of mental health providers to offer competent, compassionate care to self-identified cult survivors.

Melanie Friedman, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Melanie Friedman, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in PTSD/CPTSD and recovery from coercive control environments. A survivor of the Troubled Teen Industry, she combines clinical expertise with lived experience to support trauma survivors and advocate for improved awareness, prevention, and mental health treatment for those affected by coercive control systems.

Kristina Berger, PsyD

Berger Psychotherapy

Kristina Berger, PsyD, is a dual-licensed psychotherapist specializing in religious trauma, recovery from high-control groups and cultic systems, and neurodiversity-affirming care. Licensed in California, Utah, and Idaho, she is the founder and director of a group practice in San Luis Obispo serving individuals, couples, and families. Her clinical work integrates psychodynamic, feminist, and depth-oriented perspectives to support clients navigating trauma, identity development, relational healing, and recovery from high-control environments.

Nichole Nelson

Nichole is currently enrolled in the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Rhode Island College, where her scholarly pursuits focus on coercive control and on working with survivors, including those hesitant to seek mental health support. Nichole supports the Lalich Center through writing and hosting a psychoeducational book club.

Group Profile

The Apostolic United Brethren (AUB) —often referred to by its members as "The Work," "The Priesthood," or "The Group"—is one of the most prominent sects within Mormon fundamentalism.

While outsiders frequently label them "Mormons" due to their shared roots, history, and scriptures, there are critical theological and cultural distinctions between the AUB and the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church).

1. Core Beliefs & The Mainframe Split

The AUB's history is rooted in the broader Latter-day Saint movement, founded by Joseph Smith in 1830. However, the fundamentalist split occurred when the mainstream LDS Church officially abandoned the practice of plural marriage (polygamy) via the Manifestos of 1890 and 1904.

The AUB teaches that the mainstream LDS Church "changed unalterable doctrines" to appease the U.S. government. They believe it is their divine responsibility to keep the original laws alive, particularly:

• Plural Marriage: The belief that polygamy is a requirement for the highest tier of celestial salvation.

• The 1886 Meeting: A foundational belief that prior LDS President John Taylor received a revelation ensuring the priesthood would always protect and perpetuate plural marriage, separate from the political or corporate organization of the church.

• The Priesthood vs. The Church: Unlike many ultra-isolated fundamentalist groups, the AUB actually views the mainstream LDS Church as a legitimate, divine vehicle tasked with spreading the Book of Mormon and doing genealogy work. However, they believe the LDS Church lost the necessary "priesthood keys" to administer the highest ordinances, which they believe rest with the AUB's leadership (currently led by David Watson).

2. Cultural Distinctiveness & Integration

Compared to more insular or restrictive fundamentalist sects like the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS, formerly led by Warren Jeffs), the AUB historically chose a path of greater community integration:

• Dress and Appearance: Members generally wear modern clothing rather than the historical prairie-style dress associated with the FLDS.

• Community Interaction: Members often attend public schools or higher education institutions, work standard local jobs (frequently in construction or in family-owned businesses), and interact openly with non-members.

• Stance on Marriage: The AUB publicly rejects arranged or "child-bride" marriages. Church policy dictates that individuals must be of mature age (at least 18), have the agency to choose their partners, and that a husband must secure the consent of his existing wives before courting another.

3. Pop Culture & Public Footprint

The AUB became globally recognized through the TLC reality television series Sister Wives, which premiered in 2010. The show chronicled the Brown family, who were active members of the AUB during the early seasons of the series before moving away from the formal group geography.

The group maintains its primary headquarters in Bluffdale, Utah, with established communities and enclaves across western North America, including:

• Rocky Ridge, Utah

• Pinesdale, Montana

• Harvest Haven / Eagle Mountain, Utah

• Pockets in Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona, and parts of Mexico

4. Current Internal Dynamics & Fracturing

In recent years, the AUB has faced significant internal strain, leading to fractures and disillusionment among younger generations:

• Leadership Scandals: The group experienced severe leadership crises and splits following allegations of financial mismanagement and abuse leveled against past leaders, including the late Lynn Thompson.

• Modern Attrition: Observers and former members estimate that roughly 50% of the youth raised within the AUB eventually choose to leave the organization as adults. Increased access to information online has facilitated a growing network of ex-members sharing their experiences regarding the pressures of high-demand religious dynamics and the realities of polygamist family structures.

The synthesis on the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB) draws on academic, historical, journalistic, and primary biographical sources. Key investigative frameworks and foundational documentation include:

1. Academic & Historical Documentation

• The World Religions and Spirituality Project (WRSP): Comprehensive institutional profiles and leadership histories detailing the transition from Rulon and Owen Allred to J. LaMoine Jenson, Lynn A. Thompson, and eventually David Watson.

• The B.H. Roberts Foundation & Sunstone Education Foundation: Extensive archives tracking the schisms of Mormon fundamentalism, the historical tracking of the "Council of Friends" established by Lorin C. Woolley, and the specific 1952 split that distinctively separated the AUB line from what became the FLDS (Short Creek/Leroy S. Johnson line).

• The 1886 Revelation Manuscripts: Primary historical documentation within the fundamentalist movement regarding John Taylor's claimed revelation, which forms the legalistic and theological bedrock of the AUB’s priesthood claims, independent of corporate LDS Church structures.

2. Primary Memoirs & Insider Perspectives

• Biographical Accounts by the Allred Family: Critical historical context regarding the foundational years, internal hardships, and structural daily life inside AUB enclaves is thoroughly documented in memoirs by daughters of the group's founder, such as Dorothy Allred Solomon (Daughter of the Saints: Growing Up in Polygamy and In My Father's House).

• Ex-Member Advocacy Data: Contemporary internal attrition rates, high-demand group behavioral patterns, and personal accounts of systemic pressures or leadership shifts are documented on platforms such as Growing Up In Polygamy (featuring testimonies from leadership descendants) and regional support organizations like Holding Out HELP.
  
  

3. Public Media & Legal Records

• The Associated Press & Local Utah Journalism (e.g., The Salt Lake Tribune, Fox 13 Salt Lake City): Investigative reporting and public statements surrounding internal AUB Priesthood Council audits, leadership successions, and the 2014 financial and physical abuse allegations brought against then-leader Lynn A. Thompson.

• TLC Network Broadcast Documentation: Production backgrounds, family statements, and geographic timelines originating from the multi-season run of Sister Wives (chronicling the Brown family's initial affiliation and subsequent operational distancing from the formal Bluffdale organization).

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.

CultNEWS101 News: 6/24/2026

Culture & Media

New Docuseries

Several high-profile cult documentaries and docuseries have premiered recently, focusing on dynamics of demand across a variety of groups—ranging from fundamentalist sects to New Age isolationists and modern digital-first movements.

The most prominent releases include:

1. Trust Me: The False Prophet (Netflix)

Premise: Directed by Rachel Dretzin (who previously helmed Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey), this highly acclaimed four-part series explores a modern, abusive splinter group of Mormon fundamentalism.

The Narrative: The series follows cult expert Dr. Christine Marie and her husband, Tolga Katas, as they embed themselves in the Short Creek community (Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona) amid the power vacuum left by Warren Jeffs' imprisonment. It tracks how they infiltrated the inner circle of Samuel Bateman—a self-proclaimed successor to Jeffs—ultimately collaborating with The Salt Lake Tribune and collecting critical evidence for the FBI to halt severe cases of child exploitation and human trafficking.

2. Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult (HBO)

Premise: Directed by prominent documentary filmmaker Chris Smith (Tiger King, Fyre), this three-part series investigates a highly specific, lesser-known New Age group called Eternal Values.

The Narrative: Led by the charismatic Frederick von Mierers, the group specifically targeted, recruited, and financially exploited young, successful fashion models and professionals in the late 1980s and 1990s. The series centers on the experiences of top male model Hoyt Richards, utilizing interviews with industry insiders (including Fabio Lanzoni and John Pearson) and former members. Rather than a standard true-crime exposure, it plays out as an exploration of how intelligence, success, and spiritual vulnerability can make individuals highly susceptible to sophisticated coercive control.

3. Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal (Paramount+)

• Premise: Directed by Emmy-winner Nicole Rittenmeyer, this three-part series takes an intimate look at Gloriavale, an ultra-insular, self-sustaining Christian community in rural New Zealand that has operated for over 50 years.

• The Narrative: The series balances historical archival footage with testimonies from recent escapees and current, defensive members. It dissects the strict patriarchal hierarchy where absolute obedience is demanded, detailing recent legal reckonings, labor exploitation, and systematic cover-ups of abuse. (Pop culture note: The community's uniform, rigid dress code famously served as a primary visual inspiration for the costume design of The Handmaid’s Tale TV series).

4. The Cult of NatureBoy (Hulu / ABC News Studios)

• Premise: A four-part investigative docuseries directed by Ben Zand that chronicles the dark evolution of an online-recruited group.

• The Narrative: The series charts the rise of Eligio Bishop (known online as "NatureBoy"), who initially used social media platforms to recruit followers into a group called Carbon Nation, pitched as a self-proclaimed, eco-friendly Black utopia. Using extensive video footage recorded by the members themselves, the series illustrates how a digital-first community rapidly devolved into physical isolation, total financial control, extreme psychological manipulation, and severe escalating violence under Bishop's self-proclaimed messianic rule.  

Ongoing Focus

Recognizing High-Control Groups

Stories about cults and high-control groups often raise an important question: How do intelligent, capable people become involved in organizations that later prove harmful?

Researchers who study cults note that recruitment is rarely based solely on deception. Many groups initially offer friendship, purpose, a sense of belonging, spiritual growth, or answers to life's difficult questions. Concerns typically arise when a group begins to discourage independent thinking, isolate members from family and friends, demand unquestioning loyalty to a leader, control access to information, or use fear and guilt to maintain compliance.

While not every unconventional religious or social movement is a cult, it is wise to evaluate any organization by its actions rather than its claims. Healthy groups generally welcome questions, respect personal boundaries, allow members to leave freely, and encourage relationships outside the organization.

Spectrum News 1: Judge rules Diocese of Buffalo can use proceeds from sale of Christ the King Seminary toward settlement

A federal judge has ruled that the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo may use 150 million portion of a settlement for sex abuse survivors.

Key details from the report include:

• Property Sale: The 117-acre seminary site in East Aurora was sold at auction in 2024 to the World Mission Society of God.

• Background: The seminary had closed in 2020 following years of declining enrollment and financial difficulties, which were compounded by the fallout from the abuse scandal.

• Diocese Statement: A diocese spokesperson welcomed the ruling, confirming that the proceeds will be directed to the settlement fund as previously agreed with the Creditors Committee.

Events

The US premiere of A Maternal Exorcism will be staged in Nashville and L.A.

Zoe Lambert performs her award-winning solo show at 7 pm on the 28th of June 2026 at The Filming Station, 501 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203.

Then she takes her show to L.A., where you can see a second performance on the 9th of July 2026, 7.30 pm at The Fanatic Salon, 3815 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066

Tickets are free/donate at the door. Call 615-400-5620 for more info.

The psychological harms and manipulations of the Law of Attraction and manifestation-based groups

ICSA CONFERENCE 2026

Date: July 1-4, 2026

Hilton Bayfront, San Diego

Session summary

This presentation critically examines the psychological and spiritual impacts of the Law of Attraction and manifestation-based belief systems. Drawing on lived experience, clinical practice, and psychological theory, Andrew Jasko explores how these frameworks can promote hyper-responsibility, emotional suppression, magical thinking, and victim-blaming while contributing to anxiety, shame, and distorted decision-making. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which manifestation-based systems can become psychologically harmful and learn trauma-informed approaches to recovery and rebuilding autonomy.

Full Abstract

The Law of Attraction (LOA), also known as manifestation, functions as a quasi-religious framework within self-help, New Age, and entrepreneur communities. Promoted by bestselling authors, coaches, and speakers as a universal principle for creating wealth, health, and personal transformation, LOA claims that individuals literally attract life outcomes through thoughts, feelings, and intentions. While LOA is widely accepted in spiritual circles and can produce certain subjective benefits, it has received relatively little critical psychological examination despite its cultural prominence.

This presentation examines the psychological and spiritual harms embedded in LOA and related manifestation practices. LOA’s core doctrine—that individuals are fully responsible for everything that happens to them—promotes hyper-responsibility, victim-blaming, and emotional suppression. It encourages adherents to interpret suffering as personal failure, guilt for negative emotions, and fear of attracting misfortune. LOA fosters obsessive cognitive patterns, compulsive thought-monitoring, and a suppression of honest emotional experience, reinforcing avoidance rather than authentic processing of pain. By privileging personal agency over systemic factors, relational context, and multicausality, LOA also contributes to isolation, hyper-individualism, and a diminished capacity for compassion toward others' suffering.

Drawing on lived experience with manifestation and LOA-oriented groups, along with trauma-informed clinical practice and psychological theory, this talk identifies specific mechanisms through which LOA teachings exacerbate anxiety, shame, and psychological distress. It outlines implications for recovery, including reestablishing balanced decision-making, developing a healthy relationship with intuition, gaining a realistic understanding of the roles of thought, behavior, and circumstance in life outcomes, and restoring autonomy after long-term cognitive and spiritual manipulation.

Speaker

Andrew Jasko, MPhil, MA, MDiv, AMFT

Founder and Psychotherapist | Life After Dogma

Andrew Jasko is a psychotherapist, comparative religion scholar, and founder of Life After Dogma. Raised in a high-control Pentecostal environment as the son of a minister, he trained for ministry, served as a missionary in India, and later underwent a profound deconversion and recovery from religious trauma. He holds degrees from the University of Oxford, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Golden Gate University. Andrew specializes in religious trauma, cult recovery, and high-control groups, integrating approaches such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, mindfulness, and depth therapy. Through Life After Dogma, he provides educational and therapeutic support to individuals recovering from coercive belief systems and rebuilding their identity, agency, and psychological well-being.

Group Profile

The Unarius Academy of Science

The Unarius Academy of Science is a non-profit spiritual organization founded in 1954 and headquartered in El Cajon, California. Its name is an acronym for "Universal Articulate Interdimensional Understanding of Science."

The group is best known for its unique blend of "fourth-dimensional physics," past-life therapy, and a belief system centered on benevolent extraterrestrials, often referred to as "Space Brothers."

Core Beliefs and Practices

• Interdimensional Science: Unarius teaches that humanity is part of a vast, interdimensional universe. They believe that life exists on higher frequency planes and that humans are currently at a lower stage of spiritual and scientific evolution.

• Past-Life Therapy: A central tenet is that the root cause of current life struggles lies in traumatic or unresolved events from past incarnations. Students use "past-life therapy" to uncover these memories and achieve personal healing.

• The "Space Brothers": Followers believe in an "Interplanetary Confederation"—an intergalactic "united nations" of 32 advanced worlds—and that Earth is invited to become the 33rd member. They anticipate that highly advanced beings will eventually land on Earth to share technology and help humanity overcome global challenges.

• Creative Expression: Unlike many other groups, Unarius emphasizes creative expression as a primary tool for spiritual growth. They believe that inspired art is timeless and that the act of creating helps align individuals with their "Higher Self."

History and Leadership

• Founders: The group was established by Ernest Norman (a self-described psychic) and his wife Ruth Norman (also known as "Archangel Uriel"). Ernest acted as the primary channel for the group’s core texts until his passing in 1971.

• The Uriel Era: After Ernest died, Ruth Norman assumed leadership. She significantly raised the group's public profile, appearing on national television (including Late Night with David Letterman) and advancing the mission toward "bringing Unarius to the masses."

• DIY Filmmaking: Under Ruth’s direction in the late 1970s and 80s, the Academy became a prolific filmmaking collective. They produced over 100 films, often characterized by elaborate, homemade costumes, visionary sets, and experimental "psychodrama" techniques. These films were frequently aired on public-access television and have since gained a cult following as examples of "outsider cinema."

• Post-Leadership: Following Ruth Norman’s death in 1993, the organization continued under Charles Louis Spiegel (Antares) until 1999. Since then, the group has had a smaller footprint, though it remains active, focusing on its educational mission and film archive.

Cultural Legacy

While the group’s beliefs regarding extraterrestrial landings (most notably a predicted landing that failed to materialize in 2001) drew skepticism and notoriety, they are often distinguished from other "cults" by their benevolent, non-coercive worldview. Observers and filmmakers like Jodi Wille have focused on their role as a creative, Warhol-esque collective, viewing their film output as a sincere, if eccentric, effort toward collective spiritual transformation.

Sociological and academic literature exploring the Unarius Academy of Science, its leadership, and its navigation of unfulfilled prophecies includes the following key studies:

• Tumminia, D. G. (2007). A Square Theory in a Round Reality: Thoughts on the Study of the Unarius Prophecy. In D. G. Tumminia & W. H. Swatos (Eds.), How Prophecy Lives (pp. 173–184). Brill.

This book chapter expands upon Leon Festinger's foundational cognitive dissonance theory, exploring how the Unarius community structurally managed, reframed, and adapted to unfulfilled predictions of extraterrestrial landings without experiencing organizational collapse or group demise (Tumminia, 2007). 

• Roth, C. F. (2011). Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact (review). Journal of American Folklore, 124(494), 356–358. https://doi.org/10.5406/jamerfolk.124.494.0356

This review highlights academic evaluations of "contactee" and UFO-centric spiritual groups. It emphasizes how Unarians uniquely utilize channeling, historical revelation, and past-life therapy rather than relying strictly on the traditional narrative tropes found within standard alien abduction or physical contact movements (Roth, 2011).

• Neal, L. S. (2025). Wearing Their Faith. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009304641

This text examines the visual culture, sartorial practices, and public-facing aesthetics of New Religious Movements (NRMs). It deconstructs how unique costuming—such as the elaborate, royal regalia worn by Ruth Norman—functions both to codify internal group status and to shape the broader media's hegemonic "cult stereotypes" (Neal, 2025).

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 complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

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.