Editor's Note: 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 on deception alone. 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.
As readers encounter news reports about cults and high-control groups, a thoughtful and informed approach can help distinguish legitimate communities from organizations that may exert undue control over their members.
Ongoing FocusNew EventsCoercive Control Masters Webinar
Saturday, June 20 • 1 PM - 2 PM EDT | Eventbrite
Webinar about the Psychology of Coercive Control and the dedicated online Master's Program running this September!
Join this special 1-hour webinar to learn more about the psychology of coercive control and the only dedicated full master's program on this subject, which focuses on coercion, abuse, and undue influence in cults and extremist groups, intimate relationships (domestic abuse) and families, trafficking, gangs, workplaces, and organized crime.
This fully distance learning programme (at the University of Salford, UK) was started in 2017 by Drs Rod and Linda Dubrow-Marshall because of the introduction of a law in 2015 (Serious Crime Act, Section 76, in England and Wales) which outlaws psychological abuse in the form of controlling and coercive behaviours in relationships and families, along with human trafficking and modern slavery laws which apply to cults, extremist groups and organised crime. Similar laws are now emerging in other jurisdictions (across North America, Europe, and Australasia), reflecting a burgeoning appreciation of coercive control and its damaging effects.
The Master's program draws on these developments by bringing in cutting-edge research on coercive influence and focuses on the psychological effects of coercive control, how people exit from coercive and abusive relationships and groups, approaches to recovery and rehabilitation, the cultural and historical context for coercion, and legal and policy responses across the world.
The program still has places for this coming September 2026. It can be studied over 1 or 2 years and consists of live lectures (also recorded), interactive seminars, 1:1 tutor support, loads of resources via a dedicated website, and the opportunity to conduct ground-breaking empirical research in the capstone dissertation module. The program has already had over 150 students from a wide diversity of countries across four continents, some of whom are existing professionals in the field and others who are looking to do work in this area where there is a huge need for more expertise and more research."
A Superior Court judge granted new representation for one of two Zizian defendants, while the other will be tried for competency in March.
Suri Dao and Alexander Jeffrey are members of the Zizians, a loosely organized, cult-like group of radical vegans who claim artificial intelligence poses a threat to humanity. The two are among about 10 known followers of blogger Jack “Ziz” LaSota, a 34-year-old transgender woman who moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2016.
The group has been linked to six killings nationwide, including Lind’s death. Fellow Zizian Maximilian Snyder is accused of fatally stabbing Lind in Vallejo on Jan. 17, 2025. Lind had been scheduled to testify in Dao and Leatham’s case. Snyder has pleaded not guilty, and his preliminary hearing is set for April 21.
LaSota, a former aspiring tech worker, moved to the Bay Area to study the risks posed by artificial intelligence and later built a following among AI theorists and tech bloggers for her extreme views on AI, veganism, and gender.
The Zizians
The "Zizians" is a fringe offshoot of the Silicon Valley rationalist community that has become the focus of intense investigation by federal and state law enforcement following multiple violent incidents across the United States.
Because they operate as a loose network rather than a formalized group, the name "Zizians" was applied by outside bloggers and investigators based on the online handle of their central figure.
Origins and Nature of the Group
Core Background: The group consists primarily of young, highly intelligent computer scientists, data scientists, and tech workers in their 20s and 30s. Several members have past employment ties to major Silicon Valley tech companies, including Google.
Structure: They do not consider themselves an official organization, nor do they use the label "Zizians" internally. They have functioned as a highly insular, nomadic collective, moving between communal arrangements, including a half-submerged tugboat (part of what they termed the "Rationalist Fleet") in Pillar Point Harbor near San Jose, box trucks/trailers, and leased duplexes in North Carolina.
Key Figure: Jack Amadeus “Ziz” LaSota (34), a transgender woman blogger originally from Alaska who moved to the Bay Area in 2016. LaSota has been identified by law enforcement and media as the group's ideological leader, though the network rejects formal leadership structures.
Ideology and Psychological Practices
The group combines extreme interpretations of Rationalism and Effective Altruism (EA) with radical political and biological beliefs.
Vegan Anarchotranshumanism: They view animal consumption as a severe, unforgivable ethical violation. Their philosophy prioritizes the preservation of sentient life against existential threats, with a specific focus on the alignment and risks of artificial intelligence (AI).
Timeless Decision Theory (TDT): Rooted in an extreme interpretation of a rationalist decision-making framework, they believe individuals must resolutely oppose perceived moral wrongs or societal norms, sometimes justifying extreme or anti-social actions to achieve what they view as a greater moral good.
Brain Hemisphere Gendering & "Debucketing": LaSota popularized the psychological theory that the left and right hemispheres of the human brain contain entirely separate personalities, often with distinct genders and conflicting interests. They practiced "debucketing," a process intended to liberate these personas from societal constraints.
Unihemispheric Sleep (UHS): Members attempted to induce a state of sleep deprivation where only one hemisphere of the brain sleeps at a time. This dangerous sleep-jailbreaking practice was intended to heighten dedication to their cause, but it has been linked to severe psychological distress and at least one member's suicide in 2018.
Timeline of Alleged Violent Incidents
Law enforcement has linked associates of the group to six deaths across three states spanning 2022 to 2025:
November 2022 (Vallejo, CA): An 80-year-old landlord, Curtis Lind, was brutally attacked and stabbed over 50 times with a sword during a dispute over unpaid rent at a property where members were staying. Lind survived this initial attack. An associate of the group, Emma Borhanian, was killed during the altercation.
December 2022 / January 2023 (Chester Heights, PA): Richard and Rita Zajko (aged 72 and 69) were shot and killed in their suburban Philadelphia home. Their daughter, Michelle Zajko, was linked to the Zizians and questioned, though not immediately charged. She was later arrested alongside LaSota.
January 20, 2025 (Coventry, VT): A routine traffic stop 20 miles from the Canadian border escalated into a fatal shootout. U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland (44) was killed. A Zizian associate, Ophelia Bauckholt, was also killed in the exchange, and a second member was taken into custody.
January 2025 (Vallejo, CA): Landlord Curtis Lind was attacked a second time and killed. Data scientist Maximilian Snyder was arrested and charged in connection with the murder.
Sources and References
The Guardian: “Killings across three states shine spotlight on cultlike 'Zizian' group” (Feb 15, 2025). Details on the background of tech workers, the tugboat in Pillar Point Harbor, and the Vermont shootout involving Agent David Maland.
WBUR / NPR (On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti): “Who are the Zizians?” (June 30, 2025). Featuring investigative journalist Max Read (Read Max Substack) and AI researcher Sonia Joseph. Direct coverage of the dual-hemisphere brain theories, "debucketing," the murder of the Zajko couple in Delaware County, PA, and the Silicon Valley rationalist roots.
Associated Press / WHYY:“Cultlike Zizian group linked to multiple murders” (Feb 2025). Documentation of FBI searches in Chapel Hill, NC, the insular behavior of members (wearing long black coats, driving box trucks containing stretchers), and the timeline of the cross-country investigation.
Wikipedia: “Zizians”. Summary of the group's adherence to "vegan anarchotranshumanism," Timeless Decision Theory, unihemispheric sleep attempts, and public statements from the House Committee on Homeland Security regarding the death of Agent Maland.
AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.
News, Education, Intervention, Recovery
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