Carol Merchasin: Head of Sexual Misconduct in Spiritual Communities Practice and Of Counsel
Carol Merchasin has been called “the Cult Assassin,” the “Wonder Woman of taking down cults,” “one of the United States’ most feared legal eagles,” and a “magnificent legal warrior.”
Carol Merchasin brings her deep legal experience to McAllister Olivarius, heading up cases involving sexual misconduct in religious, faith-based and spiritual communities. As an investigator, she has worked to uncover sexual misconduct within the Shambhala International lineage of Buddhism, the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, and is currently assisting other spiritual communities in bringing allegations of sexual misconduct to light. She has worked with survivors of abuse and misconduct across a number of global spiritual and religious movements and has extensive experience as both a litigator and an investigator.
Before joining McAllister Olivarius, Carol was a partner in the Philadelphia office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius where she was a member of the firm’s employment law practice and the director of Morgan Lewis Resources, providing training on harassment and discrimination as well as investigation services for clients. She has conducted dozens of workplace investigations and taught investigative techniques to human resource professionals at many Fortune 50 companies. She is based in New Jersey and is registered as an attorney with the Massachusetts Bar.
Jon Atack is best known as a leading expert on Scientology, but in the 30 years since the publication of Let’s Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky, he has studied many other destructive cult groups and other forms of authoritarianism, including terrorist radicalization, racial supremacy, multi-level marketing, conspiracy theories, human trafficking, pedophile grooming, and domestic abuse.
Jon is a court-appointed expert witness who has consulted on more than 150 cases around the world. He has been a source for more than 200 media pieces, including many books and documentaries. Jon has written more than 500 papers and articles. He recently published a chapter co-authored with Steven Hassan, Ph.D. in the Oxford University Press book, Lone Actor Terrorism.
Jon has lectured extensively, including hosting the Getting Clear of Scientology seminar in Toronto with Professor James Beverley, and giving a talk at the highly prestigious Eton College this year. Jon’s latest book is Opening Our Minds: avoiding abusive relationships and authoritarian groups, which is available in print, as an e-book, and as an audiobook. As emeritus professor of law, ICSA Board member Alan Scheflin says in the introduction, “If you want to make your body stronger, go to a gym. If you want to make your mind stronger, pay close attention to what this book tells you. Not only will you learn how to spot and avoid threats to your mental integrity, you will also have the pleasure of reading a very fine book.”
Jon has posted more than 300 videos on his YouTube channel jon atack, family and friends,including interviews with some of the leading experts on cults, authoritarianism, and coercive control. Jon is currently working on a preventative curriculum for schools covering all the topics raised in the book. By teaching the next generation how to recognize human predators and their techniques, and how to spot fake news and propaganda far fewer of them will be lured into authoritarian groups or other abusive relationships.
Jon is currently working on a preventative curriculum for schools covering all the topics raised in the book. By teaching the next generation how to recognize human predators and their techniques, and how to spot fake news and propaganda far fewer of them will be lured into authoritarian groups or other abusive relationships.
And, finally, an offering by Spike, discussing dangerous misconceptions people have about authoritarian groups and relationships: https://youtu.be/1eRSvAUSxm8
Some praise for Jon from Professor Steven Kent:
“I appreciate the staggering amount of research material that Mr. Atack had to assimilate and present.
He demonstrated impeccable judgment concerning his sources, and similarly he showed artistic skill in his ability to present complex … material in graceful and clear prose. Had his book been offered by a doctoral candidate … it would far exceed necessary standards … an unrivalled piece of superb scholarship. Quickly his book has become one of the classic studies of sectarianism and deviant belief systems. All future scholarship on Scientology will build upon his contribution.”
—Professor Stephen Kent, Sociology and History of Religion, University of Alberta
Ashlen Hilliard (she/her) is Director of Events for the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) and a volunteer co-organizer of SAFE, the Spiritual Abuse Forum for Education (SAFE) in Portland, Oregon. She also serves as a thought reform consultant helping families with loved ones in cultic or high-control groups or relationships.
Ashlen recently completed her MSc in the Psychology of Coercive Control and conducted research on the relationship between reproductive coercion, psychologically abusive environments, and the extent of group identity in a sample of those who have left cultic groups.
Prior to ICSA, Ashlen helped individuals leaving diverse polygamist communities gain independence while working as a case manager in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Ashlen is featured in Season 3 of the BET+ Original Series: American Gangster: Trap Queens. She has presented at multiple ICSA conferences and webinars on a variety of topics, interviewed on several podcasts, as well as published an article for ICSA Today 10.2 / 2019 on, "The Genesis, Text, and Implications of Utah House Bill 214: Office for Victims of Crime Amendments".
I spontaneously gave this lecture to a friend over dinner recently, and decided it was something I wanted to share with a bigger audience. This is all part of me going through the process of becoming comfortable with speaking to camera as well. Here is a link to a series of lectures by one of their swamis that will illustrate what I talk about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EUQhaCHMHc
A Recovering Monk - Digesting My Extended Adolescence - Nitai Joseph Recently, due to this newly released documentary and website created by a second-generation Hare Krishna member, the subject of widespread child abuse within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has been reignited on social media. After seeing some express bewilderment as to how these kinds of abuses can go on within a spiritual community, I’ve decided to offer my analysis on the subject. In doing so, I’ve found a lot of confirmation and insight in Esther Rockett’s blog post titled “Cultivating Sexual Abuse in Religious Communities“, which is in turn based heavily on the work of Father Tom Doyle. One reason these recent releases are stirring up discussion is because they show that despite ISKCON’s desire to present child abuse as a (well-documented) stain of the past, the problems continue, although they do seem to be less widespread. Please note that of course not all of the components in the following analysis are present in all places or at all times, but they are absolutely not anomalous, either. In fact, many of them stem from core tenets of Gaudiya Vaishnava doctrine and how ISKCON has instituted those tenets from its inception in the 1960s. While I set out to write this solely as an analysis of behaviors and attitudes, I found it impossible to separate those from the theological and philosophical stances of the tradition. For those who can’t understand the framework that has made ISKCON and others such a fertile place for abuse, I offer the following: CONTINUE READING http://arecoveringmonk.com/
Hare Krishna Thing So, you’re thinking about giving this Hare Krishna Thing a try? Perhaps you got a book or visited a temple, it doesn’t matter — before you give it a try, please listen to us first. We’ve been there and done that. And there are plenty of things we strongly feel are so intrinsically damaging to your well-being, to the very sense of who you are, that we’re obliged to warn you by providing you with as much information as possible. We’re not armchair anti-cultists. We’re normal people from all walks of life who actually did the Hare Krishna Thing. But those days are over. We’ve spent years, in some cases decades, embroiled in the daily ups-and-downs and ins-and-outs of the Hare Krishna Thing. Then we spent several more years wresting ourselves free. We’re no longer part of it because we know what that Hare Krishna Thing is really all about. We’d like you to know, too. This sites is intended to get you up to speed. They outline the cult’s beliefs and practices and give a sense of the issues – personal, social, philosophical – you can expect to contend with as a Hare Krishna follower. http://harekrishnathing.com/
"Guided by the principle that one should move through life with open eyes and some degree of self-awareness, and that one should share the fruits of one's insights and intuitions, I would like to pass on some useful information to anyone who might be getting involved in the Krishna movement. I myself was a loyal, dedicated, and influential devotee for many years, and have had many years since to reflect on and make sense of my experiences. It's my hope that what I write here will help bring some clarity to your spiritual quest. (I'll say a few more words about myself at the end.)"
"First, please know that I respect and honor anyone who is fed up with the conventional, material world and seeks a meaningful alternative—some kind of life with more truth, wisdom, sanity, ecstasy. The problem is, sincere seeking in and of itself does not guarantee finding one's true path or reaching the ultimate goal. Making a major decision about what direction to take depends on having a clear sense of what the options are, what's actually out there in the spiritual marketplace. Some guides are helpful, others aren't. Many have mixed motives and hidden agendas. At the very least, then, gather enough information so that you have some sense of where you're going, what you're getting yourself into. Otherwise, it's easy to become waylaid by questionable teachers and disciples competing for converts. "
"What I'm going to present here is an accurate, unbiased, straightforward description of some of the things you'll be expected to believe and do as an active member of ISKCON. If a Krishna person tells you that any of these points are incorrect or untrue, he or she is probably not being honest. It's natural that members will want to explain Krishna consciousness to you in as positive and attractive a way as possible, which is certainly what I did when I was there. Here, however, what you will read is the simple, unadorned truth, boiled down to its fine (if rather blunt) essence. I affirm that everything I present here is true and accurate, though admittedly stated with a certain directness that you won't get from active, committed members trying to make a good impression on a potential new recruit. I have no other motive in this than to share what I know to be the truth on some important matters, and possibly (hopefully) save some people a lot of time and trouble."
Gaura Rader has a BS.C. in psychology and an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Florida. He was born in a Krishna cult and went to Krishna cult boarding schools and private schools until he started college. When he was eighteen he joined the Krishna cult he was born by deciding to dedicate his life to God and become lifelong celibate monk. He spent approximately ten years as a member of a Krishna cult. He currently teaches ethics at Hocking College and is working on completing a Ph.D. in social psychology. His research is focused on the psychological foundations of morality. He is the author fo the upcoming (2016) book The God Question: What should we believe about God, science, religion, and morality? He blogs at http://krishnacult.com/.
Krishna Cult Awareness Foundation is a project whose goal is to provide information about Krishna cults to non-members who are considering joining and to help current and former members transition out of the cult.
Over the years a number of people have left Krishna cults and detailed their experiences (Steven J. Gelberg, Nori Muster, Willem Vanderberg) and there are a number of people contributing to the conversation about Krishna cults on various blogs and youtube channels.
Krishna Cult Awareness Foundation seeks to facilitate the evolution and the anti-Krishna cult movement by being a comprehensive resource for those, whether individuals or members of institutions) looking to know more about Krishna cults and how they function. And an online community (Like the Facebook page!!!) for those that have been a part of and left Krishna cults.
If you’d like to get involved in the project in any way email Gaura at gaurarader@gmail.com.
Robert Örell is a director at Exit Sweden, a project launched by NGO Fryshuset to help members safely leave racist, violent, and extremist groups. He has over thirteen years of experience in disengagement from political extremism and criminal gangs. He also has experience in social work, supporting victims of crime, parental support, networking and management.
Robert is involved in national and international networks focused on sharing knowledge and best practices in the field of radicalisation, disengagement, and intervention. He has arranged several international conferences and workshops. He has advised several countries on forming their own counterparts to Exit and has participated in several EU projects.
Since 2012, Robert has been a member of the steering committee of the European Commission’s RAN (Radicalization Awareness Network), where he co-chairs the working group RAN Exit. This year, he joined the expert pool at the RAN Center of Excellence. In 2014, he supervised the work at the family support hotline project Sy.Realize, which addresses the concerns of families affected by the Syrian conflict.
Robert has studied social pedagogy, has basic psychotherapy training, and has a certificate in Terrorism Studies from the University of St. Andrews.
Narangkar Glover was born in Española, New Mexico to members of the high demand group 3HO Sikh Dharma. Because of this group, she and her siblings spent their entire childhood away from their parents at a boarding school called Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary School located in Uttarakhand, India. She left the group at age nineteen and began studying art. Glover’s work revolves around her formative years in this group – the chaos, the hostility, and the trauma – which have driven her to be interested in what it is about early life experiences that can fundamentally influence who we are, how we navigate our worlds, and why we are driven to create work from it. Glover received a Bachelor in Fine Arts from The California College of Arts and Crafts in 1999, and a Masters in Fine Arts from The University of California at Berkeley in 2011. She has exhibited her work in New York, Michigan, Los Angeles and all over the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s the recipient of the prestigious Joan Mitchell MFA Award in Painting and Sculpture, the Headlands Center for the Arts Graduate Fellowship, and The Phelan-Murphy-Cadogan prize. She has been published in New American Paintings 93 (MFA Annual) and 91 (Pacific Coast Edition), and is currently represented by Andrea Schwartz Gallery in San Francisco. Glover lives and works in Oakland, California.
