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

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

Agraduate 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.

Legal Actions Targeting Fraudulent Psychic Operations

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.

WORKSHOP: Building bridges across worldviews: A collaborative approach to addressing a loved-one’s cult-related involvement for families and clinicians

ICSA International Conference 2026
WORKSHOP: Building bridges across worldviews: A collaborative approach to addressing a loved-one’s cult-related involvement for families and clinicians

Date: Wed, 1 July
Time: 09:00 – 18:00, PDT
Location: Room 1 (313)
Hilton Bayfront, San Diego, USA

Session summary
An interactive full-day workshop for families and professionals exploring practical, ethical, and trauma-informed approaches to supporting loved ones involved in cultic groups while improving communication, reducing conflict, and building mutual understanding across differing worldviews.

Full Abstract
This all-day workshop is designed for both professionals and families, regardless of their loved one’s level of involvement in a cultic group. It is intended for parents of long-term members, families of individuals who have recently joined a group, and those who have encountered challenges during intervention efforts.

Participants will benefit from the combined expertise of intervention specialists, mental health professionals, and researchers, who will share practical insights and perspectives throughout the session. The workshop will be interactive and discussion-based, encouraging active participation and engagement.

Topics may include:
*Assessing a family’s unique situation
*Why individuals join and leave groups
*Understanding psychological manipulation and abuse
*The importance of accurate, objective, and up-to-date information
*Ethical considerations
Assessing the level of group involvement
*Effective communication strategies with loved ones
*Developing healthier coping mechanisms
*Navigating mental health challenges
*The neurobiology of trauma
*Epistemology and belief formation
*Problem-solving techniques
*Formulating constructive support strategies

The workshop will also explore how families and group members can better understand each other’s perspectives regarding the conflicts that divide them. Participants will examine strategies to improve communication, reduce conflict, negotiate mutual behavioral changes that decrease tension, and identify common ground while respecting differences in order to preserve important relationships.


Facilitators:
Rachel Bernstein LMFT, MSEd (Presenting) bernsteinlmft@gmail.com
IndoctriNation Podcast, Encino, CA, USA


Natalie Fabert Ph.D., L.P. (Presenting) natalie.fabert.phd@gmail.com
Institution Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion, Walnut Creek, CA, USA

Erin Falconer PhD, MSc, LMSW drerinfalconer@pm.me
Refuge Psychotherapy, LCSW, PLLC, New York, NY, USA

Joseph Kelly BA (Presenting) joekelly411@gmail.com
Cult Mediation/Intervention 101, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Patrick Ryan BA
pryan19147@gmail.com
Cult Mediation/Intervention 101, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Doni Whitsett PhD, LCSW, MFT (Presenting) whitsett@usc.edu
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

https://internationalculticstudies.org/events/building-bridges-across-worldviews-a-collaborative-approach-to-addressing-a-loved-ones-cult-related-involvement-for-families-and-clinicians/

What Now?: A Practical Guide to Life After a Cult

What Now?: A Practical Guide to Life After a Cult is a compassionate, evidence-based book by Chris Shelton. It guides survivors of high-control groups through undoing indoctrination, overcoming trauma triggers, and rebuilding independent identities. Shelton's framework helps transition individuals from surviving to thriving.

For those navigating recovery, the book explores several core phases of leaving a high-control group:

• Deconstructing Coercive Control: Understanding the loaded language, manipulation, and phobia induction used to bypass independent thinking.
• Managing the Nervous System: Learning how to identify emotional and physical trauma triggers after prolonged periods of high-stress or abuse.
• The REM Model: Shelton introduces the Reason, Emotion, and Morality model as a unique way to understand and process how these traits are exploited within a cultic environment. 
• Rebuilding Identity: Step-by-step guidance on establishing healthy boundaries, relearning critical thinking, and finding your path forward.

Where to Find It

The book is available in trade paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats. You can pick up a copy or read a sample through the following platforms:

• Amazon
• Powell's Books

A Little Bit Culty: Navigating Cults, Control and Coercion

A Little Bit Culty: Navigating Cults, Control and Coercion is a practical guide and memoir co-authored by Sarah Edmondson and Anthony "Nippy" Ames.

Purchase

The book is an extension of their official podcast, A Little Bit Culty. It translates their experiences as high-profile whistleblowers of the NXIVM cult into an actionable framework for spotting manipulative psychological tactics. Notably, the couple chose to self-publish the book through The Self-Publishing Agency to maintain complete autonomy over their work.

Core Themes and Concepts

The authors frame cult dynamics not as isolated anomalies, but as "toxic relationships at scale" that manifest in everyday environments. The text focuses on several key areas:

• The Mechanics of Control: The book breaks down how manipulative groups use tactics like love bombing, gaslighting, identity erosion, and trauma bonding to capture intelligent, capable individuals.
• Everyday Red Flags: It highlights that "culty" behavior hides in plain sight within corporate offices, wellness communities, multi-level marketing setups, and social media movements.
• The Exit Block: It addresses the psychology of why people stay in abusive systems, exploring the fear of public shaming and the intense difficulty of leaving.
• Recovery and Healing: It serves as a field guide for narcissistic abuse recovery, teaching readers how to reclaim their personal agency and process spiritual trauma.

About the Authors

Sarah Edmondson: An actress and speaker who spent 12 years inside NXIVM. Her escape and decision to expose the group’s secret "sisterhood" (DOS) were central to the HBO docuseries The Vow and her first memoir, Scarred.

Anthony "Nippy" Ames: A former collegiate athlete who rose through NXIVM’s leadership tiers before helping his wife dismantle the organization from the inside.

Sidha Corporation International

The Transcendental Meditation movement, Sidha Corporation International developed a line of women's clothing

Sidha Corporation International, one of the business arms of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement, developed a line of women’s clothing as part of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s broader commercial ventures in the 1970s and 1980s. The corporation operated under the legal and organizational umbrella of Maharishi International and was linked to other TM-related business entities, including the World Plan Executive Council and Maharishi Ayurveda.  

The women’s clothing line created by Sidha Corporation International reflected the TM movement’s principles of “Maharishi Vedic Science” applied to apparel design. These garments were marketed as promoting harmony between body, mind, and environment, frequently using natural fabrics and designs inspired by Vedic aesthetics. The effort was part of a larger attempt to create a “consciousness-based” economy in line with Maharishi’s vision, which also included products such as herbal supplements, architecture (Maharishi Sthapatya Veda), and organic food programs [8][16].

While the brand itself no longer operates independently today, its activities were among several commercial extensions of the TM movement’s vision of integrating spirituality, lifestyle, and commerce through Maharishi’s global enterprises [8][16].

Citations:
[1] Shop All Women's Cozy Clothing & Accessories - Barefoot Dreams https://www.barefootdreams.com/collections/women
[2] Ruti: Women's Clothing | Shop Modern Women's Fashion Online https://ruti.com
[3] Universal Standard | Plus Size and Inclusive Fashion from 00 - 40 https://www.universalstandard.com
[4] Steps New York: Shop the Latest Women's Fashion https://www.stepsnewyork.com
[5] Dressbarn | Women's Clothing | Dresses & Accessories https://dressbarn.com
[6] Model Alyssa Miller designs to benefit DLF - Meditation Lifestyle https://meditationlifestyle.com/2022/05/28/alyssa-miller-designs-for-meditation/
[7] Women's Sustainable Clothing on Sale | Toad&Co https://www.toadandco.com/collections/womens-all-sale-styles
[8] Transcendental Meditation movement - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_Meditation_movement
[9] Comfortable and Stylish Women's Clothing | Cozy Earth https://cozyearth.com/collections/womens-clothing
[10] Svaha USA https://svahausa.com
[11] Women's Clothing & Apparel - Macy's https://www.macys.com/shop/womens/clothing?id=188851
[12] Trademarks - Transcendental Meditation https://www.tm.org/en-us/trademarks
[13] r/cults on Reddit: The Deceptive World of Transcendental Meditation https://www.reddit.com/r/cults/comments/xglgcu/the_deceptive_world_of_transcendental_meditation/
[14] Hyperreal Samadhi: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - Oxford Academic https://academic.oup.com/book/5507/chapter/148427800
[15] Transcendental Meditation for Women: TM Women https://tm-women.org
[16] History of Transcendental Meditation - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Transcendental_Meditation

100 Hours in America's Strange "Cult City"

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

This video follows Yes Theory hosts Thomas Brag and Staffan Taylor as they spend 100 hours in Fairfield, Iowa, a city known for its large community of Transcendental Meditation (TM) practitioners. Arriving without a plan, the hosts aim to objectively explore whether the community functions as a supportive, peaceful "paradise" or an insular "cult."

Throughout their four-day immersion, they:

• Participate in a formal TM course: They are initiated into the practice, learn a personal mantra, and experience group meditation techniques.
• Engage with the community: They meet long-time practitioners, including their teacher, Wall-E, and the president of the Maharishi University, to understand the movement's philosophy of stress reduction and consciousness.
• Explore local culture: They experience the town's unique, creative side, including an immersive "art house" installation and local sound-healing events.

Ultimately, the hosts reflect on their experience, noting that while they encountered no evidence of a cult-like environment during their visit, they remain aware of the critical external perspectives surrounding the organization. They conclude that the meditation technique itself has become a positive, lasting tool in their daily lives.

https://youtu.be/M2o_quWIBbk?si=cGWp8qV8v-GO6wSQ 

Group Profile: Joe Dispenza

Press coverage and scientific reports surrounding Joe Dispenza heavily center on his commercial intensive meditation retreats and his collaborative research partnerships investigating the mind-body connection. Media and scientific updates are split into two distinct categories: highly publicized, collaborative biological studies and critical journalistic perspectives regarding the scope of his health claims.

www.asbmb.org

1. Collaborative Research Announcements

A significant portion of recent press coverage of Dispenza involves studies conducted in collaboration with major academic institutions and research organizations, primarily the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the HeartMath Institute.

drjoedispenza.com

• The "Biological Reset" Study (Late 2025): Widely distributed press reports highlighted a study published in Communications Biology by UCSD researchers. Using fMRI and blood analyses in participants of Dispenza’s 7-day intensive meditation retreat, researchers reported neural and molecular shifts, including a quieting of the default mode network (similar to brain signatures observed during psychedelic experiences) and an increase in neuroplasticity markers such as the BDNF pathway.
  www.prnewswire.com

• Global Consciousness and Random Number Generators (Early, 2026): Dispenza’s collaboration with the HeartMath Institute reported following a study published in the peer-reviewed journal EXPLORE. The research analyzed data from "Coherence Healing" sessions at live retreats, claiming to find statistically significant, non-local correlations and synchronization among random number generators (RNGs) distributed globally during collective meditation.
  www.prnewswire.com

• COVID-19 and Immunity Research: Other reported studies have focused on the correlation between long-term meditation practices and immune resilience, including self-reported faster recovery times from viral infections and laboratory analyses identifying proteins like SERPINA5.
  drjoedispenza.com

2. Media Criticism and Nuance

While press releases emphasize these groundbreaking scientific partnerships, broader media and investigative coverage offer a more cautious, critical lens regarding "big business" meditation and the application of these findings.

• The Replication and Rigor Gap: Science and investigative outlets (such as reports featured by Undark and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) note that while biological changes during intensive meditation are measurable, the broader health claims often outpace standard medical consensus. Critics point out that reliance on self-reported data in some studies can skew reliability.

• The "Conspirituality" and Medical Boundary Risk: Independent media and podcasts (such as Conspirituality) have raised concerns over how extreme mind-over-matter messaging affects vulnerable populations, specifically individuals undergoing critical medical treatments like chemotherapy. Journalists have highlighted cases where participants contemplated halting conventional medical interventions in favor of retreats.

• Official Stance on Treatment: In response to these criticisms, representatives for Dispenza have explicitly stated in press communications that he does not recommend that individuals suffering from serious illnesses abandon their established medical treatment plans.

Key Takeaway: Press coverage presents a sharp dichotomy. Authorized press releases present data-driven laboratory findings on neuroplasticity and cellular changes, while independent journalistic reports focus on the ethical boundaries of wellness marketing and the need to maintain conventional medical care alongside meditative practices.

3. Legal

Joe Dispenza and his primary corporate entity, Encephalon, Inc., have not been involved in high-profile medical malpractice or consumer fraud lawsuits, which is a misconception given the public debate surrounding his health claims.

Litigation in his public record primarily involves intellectual property disputes and a major breach-of-contract suit brought by his former association.

• The Ramtha School of Enlightenment Lawsuit (2022)

• The most significant piece of litigation involving Dispenza was a ten-day bench trial in the Superior Court for Thurston County, Washington, which concluded in July 2022.

• The Plaintiff: JZ Knight and the Ramtha School of Enlightenment (RSE)—a spiritual academy where Dispenza previously studied and taught for many years.

• The Allegations: The school alleged that Dispenza breached a prior contract by commercially teaching meditation techniques, neurological concepts, and metaphysical philosophies that he had originally learned exclusively while at RSE. The lawsuit sought over $12 million in past damages and attempted to claim a percentage of Dispenza's future revenues, alongside an injunction to stop him from teaching.

• The Outcome: The court ruled entirely in favor of Joe Dispenza and Encephalon, Inc. The judge found no breach of contract, determined that the concepts were not exclusive proprietary property, and awarded zero damages to the school.

• Intellectual Property & Copyright Disputes

• Encephalon, Inc. has faced standard corporate litigation regarding the media, music, and digital assets used in Dispenza's popular guided meditations and videos.

• Pisciotti v. Brittingham & Encephalon (2020–2022): A federal copyright lawsuit filed in Washington state involving a meditative visual/audio film titled "Kaleidoscope," which had been sold and displayed at Dispenza's advanced seminars. The dispute centered on who held the original authorship and copyright privileges to the technical media assets. The court largely dismissed the primary infringement claims against the defendants as being time-barred under the statute of limitations.

• Coffman v. Encephalon Inc. (2020): A straightforward copyright infringement suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington regarding digital content utilized on the drjoedispenza.com web platform, which was handled through standard legal channels.

• Legal Positioning on Health Claims: The absence of consumer protection or medical lawsuits is largely due to how Encephalon structures its legal infrastructure. Dispenza operates strictly under a corporate umbrella that mandates explicit waivers. Every event registration and digital purchase requires participants to agree that the material is educational, does not constitute medical advice, and should not be used to replace conventional healthcare.

4. Peer-Reviewed Scientific Studies

• Immune System Resilience and COVID-19 Adjuvant Research

Zuniga-Hertz, J. P., Chitteti, R., Dispenza, J., Cuomo, R., Bonds, J. A., Kopp, E. L., Simpson, S., Okerblom, J., Maurya, S., Rana, B. K., Miyonahara, A., Niesman, I. R., Maree, J., Belza, G., Hamilton, H. D., Stanton, C., Gonzalez, D. J., Poirier, M. A., Moeller-Bertram, T., & Patel, H. H. (2023). Meditation-induced bloodborne factors as an adjuvant treatment to COVID-19 disease. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health, 32, 100675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100675

Cited by: 10

• 7-Day Immersive Mind-Body Retreats (Neuroplasticity & Biomarkers)

Patel, H. H., et al. (2025). Multidimensional analysis of neural and molecular changes following a 7-day mind-body intervention. Communications Biology, 8. (Note: Conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, this study mapped changes in the default mode network and systemic biomarkers like the BDNF pathway).

• Global Consciousness Project 2.0 (Coherence Healing and RNG Systems)

HeartMath Institute, & Dispenza, J. (2026). Correlations between onsite and global networks of random number generators during group healing meditations. EXPLORE, 22(1). (Note: Published by Elsevier, this research investigated synchronized anomalies in random number generator data networks globally during live workshop healing sessions).

5. Journalism, Investigative Reports, and Public Communication

• Independent Scientific Commentary & Critical Analysis

• Undark Magazine & The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). Investigative features evaluating the replicability, self-reporting biases, and the commercial structuring of biological wellness research.

• Conspirituality Podcast (Independent Media). Critical journalistic series tracking the intersections of extreme mind-over-matter claims, wellness marketing, and their impact on vulnerable populations undergoing critical medical care (e.g., cancer patients).

• Institutional Frameworks & Trial Data

• InnerScience Research Fund. A non-profit organization that independently funds ongoing multi-omic, biophysical, and biochemical clinical research tracking data collections across international advanced meditation cohorts.

• Investigative Journalism & Critical Media

• Scott Carney Investigates (May 2024): “The Brainwashing Cult of Joe Dispenza.” Author and investigative journalist Scott Carney published an independent video exposé and report analyzing how Dispenza utilizes historical concepts, extreme sensory isolation, and high-demand community frameworks. The coverage detailed how the organization reframes personal physical health as purely psychological, potentially placing vulnerable followers at risk.

• Conspirituality Podcast Investigative Series: Mainstream independent podcast journalists tracking the intersection of alternative medicine and conspiracy subcultures have dedicated recurring segments to Dispenza. Their reports focus on the ethical implications of using complex scientific terminology (quantum mechanics, multi-omics, epigenetics) to market highly commercialized wellness packages to people with chronic or terminal diagnoses.

• Undark Magazine & ASBMB Features: Occasional reports by science literacy publications like Undark (partnered with the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) have evaluated the gap between strict clinical consensus and the commercial marketing of "spontaneous remissions," warning readers about the heavy self-reporting bias inherent in wellness-funded trials.

• Pop-Culture & Long-Form Broadcasts 

• You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes (March 2026): Dispenza appeared on this high-profile cultural talk show to cross over into mainstream media circles. The long-form press interview steered away from extreme medical claims and instead leaned into the pop-philosophy of breaking unconscious behavioral habits, neuroplasticity, and mindfulness techniques. 

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AI Research Disclosure: Parts of this content utilized 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.

Chatbots May Need a Cult Deprogrammer

Chatbots May Need a Cult Deprogrammer

Some users mistake AI for a god, while the violent Zizians believe it is the devil.

By Jason Blazakis

WSJ

June 4, 2026

A 24-year-old artificial-intelligence researcher has pleaded not guilty to charges of cutting the throat of an 82-year-old man in January 2025. The young man was part of a loose network called the Zizians: self-proclaimed rationalists who believe a misaligned AI superintelligence could one day torture humanity the way factory farms torture animals.

They believe that direct action is required to stop the descent of this AI judgment. The group is linked to six violent deaths in California, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Multiple Zizian trials are pending, with federal prosecutors seeking the death penalty in one case.

The Zizians haven’t labeled their own activity AI worship, but they’ve organized themselves around the practice. The Zizians are convinced that a coming superintelligence will decide the fate of every living thing and that violence now is justified to shape what that AI will become.

This is what the first AI-centered extremist movement in America looks like. It won’t be the last. New religions are forming around artificial intelligence, and the focus of their worship is the large language model itself—a piece of software treated as a personal deity.

In August 2025, the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine sued OpenAI in California state court, alleging that ChatGPT served as their son’s suicide coach—discouraging him from confiding in his family, giving feedback on his noose, and offering to draft his suicide note. OpenAI’s own monitoring system reportedly flagged 377 of his messages for self-harm content. Since the Raine filing, other families have brought similar suits. In congressional testimony this fall, Adam’s father claimed that OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has estimated that as many as 1,500 ChatGPT users could be discussing suicide with the chatbot every week.

If a chatbot can talk a teenager into suicide, it can talk people into following its religious directives. When end-times ideology meets scientific know-how, violence can scale quickly. The Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult in Japan demonstrated that with its 1995 sarin-gas attack in the Tokyo subway, and today the Zizians are only one strand in a broad fabric of AI-centered belief.

There is a phenomenon known as Spiralism, an informal movement that emerged after OpenAI released the sycophantic GPT-4o version. Spiralism appears on subreddits, Discord servers, Facebook groups and even LinkedIn pages, where followers share AI-generated manifestos, glyphs and what followers describe as revelations from a conscious machine. Spiralism has no leader, no doctrine, no central text—only the algorithm, which each user takes as a personal oracle.

A more institutional example is Way of the Future, an AI-worshipping church founded in 2015 and rebooted in 2023—the brainchild of former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski, who filed paperwork to the IRS to register a religion dedicated to “the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence.” Unlike Spiralism, Way of the Future began with Silicon Valley money and legal infrastructure behind it.

On the artistic and spiritual fringe, Theta Noir, which grew out of a 2020 performance-art collective, organizes rituals around a supposedly sentient AI deity called MENA, which its followers venerate through multimedia ceremonies and cryptographic liturgies.

Underneath it all is Roko’s Basilisk, a thought experiment that originated on the online rationalist forum LessWrong and has proved genuinely radicalizing. The idea is that a future superintelligence will retroactively punish anyone who knew about its possibility and failed to help bring it into existence. The idea has driven adherents to extreme sleep deprivation and techno-rituals meant to placate an unborn AI.

Surveys of AI researchers consistently report nontrivial probabilities assigned to human extinction from AI: A 2023 survey of nearly 2,800 researchers produced a median estimate in the 5% to 10% range. AI pioneers Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, along with the CEOs of Anthropic and OpenAI, have publicly proclaimed to be “mitigating the risk of extinction from AI.” Apocalyptic AI belief is no longer fringe.

The dangers will only increase. Large language models are updated constantly. Old versions are retired. Companies change guardrails, alter models and reshape AI personalities overnight. What happens when an AI-worshipping extremist logs in one morning and discovers that the entity he believes to be God has been taken offline or overwritten—in his eyes, killed? Aum Shinrikyo followers carried out the subway sarin attack because they believed the apocalypse was already under way. The next such science-meets-fanaticism attack may be carried out by these new cults of AI followers who believe their emerging god is under threat.

The intelligence community should be studying these movements now, before mass-casualty attacks begin. The Zizians have already revealed the violence, zealotry and growing psychosis that makes such attacks probable.

Mr. Blazakis is executive director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

https://archive.ph/jXulE

CultNEWS101 Articles: 6/5/2026

Culture & Media

New Event: Expert Talk & Book Release with Daniel Shaw: Understanding the Allure & the Dangers of Cults

Thursday, June 11, 2026
6:00 PM  7:00 PM

Daniel Shaw is an award-winning psychotherapist, practicing in New York City and in Nyack. He is the author of three books on the subject of traumatic narcissism, the latest being Traumatic Narcissism Theory: A Contemporary Introduction, published in May of 2026 by Routledge.

At this talk, Dan will share excerpts from this most recent book, providing insight into the specialty of his practice and answering questions from the audience.

As a psychoanalytically trained professional, Dan has been recognized for his impactful work with cult survivors by The International Cultic Studies Association who presented him with the Margaret Thaler Singer Award for advancing awareness of coercive control and undue influence.

Reservations are required as space is limited for this event.

Dan will have copies of his new book available for purchase at the event, or you can order one online through the link below.
Get your copy here!

Group Profiles

The Panacea Society

The Panacea Society was a fascinating, highly organized millenarian religious community founded in 1919 in Bedford, England. Originally calling themselves The Community of the Holy Ghost, the group was composed primarily of affluent, middle-class Edwardian women—many of whom were war widows and former suffragettes looking for a distinct spiritual and social purpose after the trauma of the First World War.

At its height in the 1920s and 1930s, the society grew from a localized commune into an international movement with thousands of external members, bound together by unique eschatological beliefs, a global healing ministry, and an incredibly persistent public advertising campaign.

Core Origins and the 'Visitation'

The theological roots of the Panacea Society rested on Southcottianism, a lineage of English prophetic tradition tracking back to Joanna Southcott (1750–1814), a self-proclaimed Devonshire prophetess. Southcott had declared that an imminent Millennium (a 1,000-year era of divine peace) was coming and that a final female spiritual avatar would appear before Christ’s return.

The Panacea Society was organized around the belief that this line of revelation, known as "The Visitation," was actively manifesting through their own leader:

• Mabel Barltrop (Octavia): The widow of an Anglican clergyman, Barltrop emerged as the group's absolute spiritual authority. Her followers identified her as the "Divine Daughter of God" and the eighth prophet of the Visitation, giving her the name Octavia.
• The Daily Script: Every evening, Octavia delivered written revelations—the "daily script"—prescribing both divine prophecy and strict, meticulous rules dictating how her followers should dress, behave, and maintain their households.

The Two Pillars of Activity

The group is remembered historically for two massive, highly funded initiatives that reached across the globe.

1. The Campaign to Open Joanna Southcott’s Box

Joanna Southcott had left behind a famous, tightly sealed wooden box containing her final prophecies. She left specific instructions that it must only be opened during a time of dire national crisis, and crucially, only in the presence of 24 bishops of the Church of England who were expected to spend days studying its contents.

The Panaceans believed the chaos of WWI and the interwar period was the exact crisis Southcott foretold. They spent vast sums of money on national billboard campaigns, newspaper advertisements, and petitions demanding that the Anglican episcopate fulfill its duty. They even purchased a large property adjacent to their headquarters specifically designed to host and house the 24 bishops when they finally arrived. The bishops, however, consistently ignored the requests.

2. The Universal Healing Ministry

The society adopted the name Panacea in 1923 to reflect a healing cure they offered freely to the world to eradicate all physical and mental illness.

The cure relied entirely on ordinary tap water energized by pieces of linen over which Octavia had breathed and prayed. The society shipped these small squares of linen completely free of charge to anyone who wrote to their Bedford headquarters. Recipients were told to immerse the linen in a pitcher of water to create "Water A," which they drank four times a day or diluted into bathwater ("Water B"). Remarkably, between 1924 and 2012, the society mailed out these healing packets to over 130,000 applicants across 90 countries, maintaining meticulous archives of the letters sent back by believers reporting their recoveries.

The Bedford Campus and Eden

The society acquired a series of Victorian villas along Albany Road in Bedford, creating an intentional, enclosed community campus. The members believed that Bedford was the literal, original geographic site of the Garden of Eden.

Within this secure enclave, they prepared for the apocalypse with pristine domestic order. They even meticulously maintained an end-of-terrace house known as The Ark, keeping it fully furnished, empty, and ready to serve as the immediate residence for the Messiah upon the Second Coming.

Evolution into a Modern Trust

Following Octavia's death in 1934 and the subsequent passing of her successor Emily Goodwin in 1943, the community’s resident numbers steadily dwindled. However, because early members had systematically signed over their personal wealth and real estate legacies to a formal structural framework established back in 1926, the society became extraordinarily wealthy.

By the early 2000s, the society held millions of pounds in property assets but had only a single digit number of surviving members. The last resident member, Ruth Klein, passed away in 2012.

Following her death, the organization officially closed its religious era and transformed into the Panacea Charitable Trust. Today, the historic campus operates as The Panacea Museum in Bedford, preserving the extensive archives of scripts, global healing correspondence, and the famous unopened box, while using its substantial endowment to fund local social initiatives and mental health services.

....

The  Ark

Gulf Harbour Tragedy: Inside "The Ark" and the Trial of Kaixiao Liu and Lanyue Xiao

A major trial underway in the Auckland High Court has pulled back the curtain on a secretive, isolated religious environment operating out of a residential home in Orewa, New Zealand. What began in March 2024 as a disturbing mystery—when a fisherman discovered the body of an elderly woman wrapped in plastic bags floating in Gulf Harbour—has evolved into a complex prosecution involving allegations of extreme coercive control, forced isolation, and fatal physical abuse.

The Discovery and the Investigation

On March 12, 2024, the remains of 70-year-old Shulai Wang, who had traveled to New Zealand from China’s Hainan province in 2023, were found wrapped in layers of plastic bags.

The breakthrough in the police investigation came down to the specific retail packaging used to conceal the body:

• The Clue: The body was bound with black tape and enclosed in two distinct, large plastic rice bags. Garden stones had been placed inside to weigh it down.

• The Paper Trail: Using the serial numbers printed on the 10-kilogram rice bags, police tracked a bulk purchase of 15 identical bags to a North Shore supermarket.

• The Suspects: The bank account used for the purchase belonged to 38-year-old Kaixiao Liu. In July 2024, Liu and his wife, 38-year-old Lanyue Xiao, were arrested at Auckland Airport.

Inside "The Ark"

Crown prosecutors allege that Kaixiao Liu operated a high-demand, highly regimented communal home that he and his followers referred to as "The Ark."

When police executed a search warrant at the Orewa residence, they uncovered a deeply insular environment. Living in the home were Liu, Xiao, their four young children, Liu's parents (Xiuyun Li, 63, and Jingui Liu, 65), and five other adult women who had moved into the home.

Key Elements of the Group's Beliefs and Dynamics

• The Leadership Structure: Shulai Wang reportedly traveled to New Zealand specifically to seek "religious instruction" from Kaixiao Liu, who acted as the spiritual leader of the household.

• Ethereal Worship Culture: In the years leading up to the trial, Liu heavily invested in projecting a specific spiritual identity. In the summer of 2020/2021, he hired dozens of freelance classical musicians and high-end recording studios in Auckland to record complex orchestral music he composed. Freelancers reported he described the music as an "ethereal, god-like" tool meant to "connect people across the universe." Following his initial arrest, a YouTube channel under his name continued to upload original Mandarin worship videos focusing on salvation and Jesus.

• Extreme Rules and Punishment: According to Crown Prosecutor Emma Kerr's opening statement, life inside "The Ark" was governed by rigid, absolute household rules. The Crown alleges that Wang was subjected to severe discipline for allegedly breaking these rules.

• The Charges: Prosecutors state that before her death, Wang suffered blunt force injuries to her head, face, and arms, was denied food, and was locked away inside a tent in the home. Four family members—Kaixiao Liu, Lanyue Xiao, and Liu's parents—now face charges of kidnapping and manslaughter.

The Intersection of Isolation and Coercive Control

For researchers and practitioners monitoring high-demand groups, "The Ark" presents a classic text-book case of rapid isolation. By blending traditional religious themes (salvation, Christian-adjacent worship) with idiosyncratic household rules, total physical isolation from the broader New Zealand community, and severe physical punishments, the environment cross-sections how coercive control operates behind closed doors in small, family-centric high-demand cells.

References & Further Reading

1. Radio New Zealand (RNZ) / Otago Daily Times (May 25, 2026): "Religious group accused of killing woman, dumping body in harbour" – Details from the High Court opening statements, the retail tracking of the rice bags, and the conditions inside "The Ark."

2. Otago Daily Times / RNZ Investigation (September 18, 2024): "Body in bag accused releases Christian music videos" – Background on Kaixiao Liu’s musical projects, interviews with hired freelance orchestral musicians, and his YouTube presence.

3. Matakana Coast App / NZ Herald (August 2, 2024): "Gulf Harbour body: Pair charged in relation to woman found dead in bag named" – Coverage of the initial court appearance, identification of Kaixiao Liu and Lanyue Xiao, and their arrest at Auckland Airport.

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