CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/20/2026

Updates

Legislative & Legal

India Today: UP Police rescues 300 trainees, arrests 19 in fake network marketing job scam

The Varanasi Fake MLM Job Scam

The headline refers to a major crackdown by the Uttar Pradesh Police and the cybercrime unit in Varanasi, which successfully dismantled a predatory multi-level marketing (MLM) and employment-fraud syndicate.

• The Arrests and Rescue: Authorities raided a fraudulent training facility, rescuing approximately 300 young adults who were being held and manipulated. Police arrested 19 individuals, including the alleged kingpin of the interstate operation, Deepak Kumar Shah.

• The Setup: The group operated under a fake entity called "Mahadev Enterprises," falsely presenting itself as a franchise of a legitimate wellness brand. They specifically targeted unemployed individuals across Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, offering fake corporate or agricultural jobs with a promised monthly salary of ₹25,000.

• The Extortion Model: Candidates were brought to a professionally staged "corporate office" in Varanasi for interviews. Once hooked, they were forced to pay between ₹30,000 and ₹35,000 as a mandatory registration fee. In return, they received a cheap kit of basic goods (clothes, soap, oil) worth no more than ₹2,000.

• The Pyramid Structure: After paying the fee, recruits were sequestered in a training center where they underwent psychological manipulation. The organizers pressured them to trap at least three friends or family members into the network, threatening to withhold their salaries and deny any refunds if they failed to recruit new victims.

• The Financial Scale: Investigators have uncovered nearly ₹4 crore in bank transactions credited to the gang over the past year. During the raid, authorities seized laptops, dozens of mobile phones containing scripts and audio recordings of the fraud, vehicles, and fake corporate documents.

Resources

TED-Ed: How to spot a pyramid scheme - Stacie Bosley

The video breaks down the math behind the endless chain recruiting model, illustrating how the financial structure forces the bottom layer of recruits to lose money.

Mental Floss: The Overview of 7 Alleged Modern Pyramid Schemes 

This video details the mechanics of investment fraud versus retail-oriented recruitment traps, in which new sellers bear all the financial inventory risk.

NEW 2-MONTH SUPPORT GROUP SERIES - Cults. Coercive Control. Recovery. 

Beginning this July and continuing through August (Cult Awareness Month), we’ll be embarking on a special five-part educational support group series exploring cults, high-control groups, and the unique experiences of Black survivors of religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and cultic abuse.

For many Black survivors, leaving a high-control religious or spiritual environment is about more than walking away from a group. It can mean untangling years of fear, shame, manipulation, conditional belonging, identity confusion, and the loss of community.

This series was intentionally created to explore those experiences through a culturally responsive, trauma-informed lens.

Over five gatherings, we’ll explore:

• Let’s Talk About Cults: What Makes a Group a Cult?

• Recognizing Cultic Dynamics in Black Religious and Spiritual Communities

• From Jonestown to Carbon Nation: Exploring Cult Dynamics Across Popular Cults

• Breaking Free: Navigating Recovery After Cultic Abuse

• Beyond the Cult: Finding Your Way Forward

Together, we’ll examine how cults and high-control groups operate, discuss the unique ways these dynamics can emerge within Black religious and spiritual spaces, learn from historical and modern examples, and explore what healing and recovery can look like after cultic abuse.

Whether you’re questioning past experiences, making sense of your own story, or continuing your healing journey, this series is designed to provide education, validation, meaningful conversation, and community.

Understanding what happened is powerful.

Finding language for your experience can be liberating. And healing is possible.

If you’re a Black survivor looking for a compassionate space to learn, reflect, and connect with others who understand, we invite you to join us for this important series.

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.

Cults, high-control groups, and coercive control for the week of July 20, 2026.

News and developments regarding cults, high-control groups, and coercive control for the week of July 20, 2026.

There are no major legislative movements on Canada's Bill C-16 this week; it remains under Senate review. However, we have several legal and procedural updates stemming from the groups we covered last week.

### Updates on Ongoing Investigations and Legal Actions

 * **Kingdom of Canada Fallout:** Following up on last week's story about the town of Richmound, Saskatchewan, evicting the "Kingdom of Canada" group, a trial date has now been set for Ricky Manz. Manz is the local property owner who allowed the self-proclaimed "Queen of Canada," Romana Didulo, and her followers to occupy an old school building for two years. He will stand trial beginning January 5 in Swift Current, facing charges stemming from a police raid on the compound last year.

 * **Apollo Quiboloy's Digital Reach:** Despite the active Philippine Senate probe and Quiboloy's status on the FBI's wanted list for human trafficking and abuse, his "Kingdom of Jesus Christ" network remains highly active online. The group hosted multiple broadcasts and livestreams as recently as July 19th, underscoring the ongoing challenge authorities face in shutting down the digital recruitment and fundraising arms of high-control groups even when their leaders are under indictment.

### Upcoming Events

 * **Victoria Inquiry Public Hearings:** The Parliament of Victoria’s inquiry into the impacts of cults and organized fringe groups is preparing for its next major public hearing on Thursday, July 23. The proceedings will be broadcast live. In preparation, the committee has published a new batch of redacted public submissions and formal responses from government departments regarding the ongoing demand for cult-exit support services.

India in a Mind’s Eye: Travels and Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim

 

Publication Announcement

 

 

India in a Mind’s Eye

Travels and Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim

 

By Steven J. Gelberg

 

 

India in a Mind’s Eye: Travels and Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim is a work which should be of particular interest to cult-watchers and other observers of the contemporary religious scene. The author, Steven J. Gelberg, is a former member of ISKCON (the Hare Krishna Movement) and author of several important works on the Krishnas, including the widely-influential essay “On Leaving ISKCON.”*

        On one level a colorful and eventful journey through India, both modern and traditional, the book also serves as an honest, thoughtful and eloquent critique of a religious movement in crisis - beset by scandal, power struggles and growing disillusionment. Written not long before Gelberg left the organization, it presents the deeply personal musings and insights of one still following a spiritual path, yet questioning his continued commitment to an organization in decline. Neither “anti-cult” polemic nor cult apologetic, India in a Mind’s Eye provides a unique, nuanced view into the complex, many-layered process of religious disaffiliation. Originally self-published in 2012 in a limited edition, India in a Mind’s Eye is now available in a fully revised edition from Monkfish Publications.

* https://surrealist.org/cults/gelberg1.html

 

 

“An extremely interesting book ... His observations in this memoir are tinged with the ‘mind’s eye’ of a skeptic, albeit one laced with dry wit and humor. ... As a travelogue detailing that vast fascinating country, Gelberg’s vivid descriptions reminded me of Paul Theroux’s classic first travel book, The Great Railway Bazaar. Anyone interested in India or Eastern thought or cults, or just fascinating travel writing, will enjoy this wonderfully written and insightful book.”

—Marcia Rudin, International Journal of Cultic Studies

     [Vol. 4, 2013]

 

 

_____________________

 

Praise for India in a Mind’s Eye:

 

“During the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, tens of thousands of young Americans, inspired by utopian dreams, found themselves attracted to Hindu spirituality in one form or another. But over time, and perhaps especially after visiting India, the homeland of those utopian dreams, many developed a nuanced and less gullible understanding of the movements they had joined. Gelberg has provided an excellent book based on his travel journal, recording the landscapes of India, as well as his own 'mindscapes' as he came to terms with his growing disillusionment with the Hare Krishna movement and its leaders. This is a deep dive into skepticism as a necessary aspect of the spiritual path."

— Dr. Dana Sawyer, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and World Religions, Maine College of Art & Design. Author, The Transcendental Meditation Movement.

 

“Not unlike a snake charmer, Steven Gelberg entices you into his mind’s eye as he journeys around secular and holy sites of India. Part travelogue, part thought-provoking spiritual exploration, and illustrated with sensitive portraits of fellow seekers on the path, this is a voyage that offers the reader a glimpse into understanding how and why a ‘Hin-Jew’ could become both enamoured of an 'alien' belief and disillusioned by the organisation/people ostensibly embracing its way of life. At times comical, at other times moving, but always engaging - if you have something urgent to do, don't open this book.

— Dr. Eileen Barker OBE FBA FAcSS, Professor Emerita, London School of Economics and Political Science.

 

“Gelberg has the perspective and temperament of a scholar who appreciates his in-group but is increasingly impatient with that group’s divisions and dictates. He is especially drawn to women devotees who display typically mystical qualities in their demeanor, conversation, and lifestyles. Gelberg doesn’t state this outright, but perhaps he was drawn to these women because they pointed to a purer and cleaner way of devotion that the international movement had seemingly lost sight of during the internecine conflicts among competing gurus.”

— Dr. W. Michael Ashcraft, Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions [Vol. 18, No. 3 (February  2015)]. Author, A Historical Introduction to the Study of New Religious Movements.

 

“It is Gelberg’s ability to speak clearly about his ambivalence that gives this book its historical importance, since the 1986 trip took place during the critical period of numerous leadership failures and conflicts when many other devotees were going through similar uncertainties about their involvement in ISKCON. Gelberg is now able to view that period from a more mature perspective and give an eloquent voice to the mixed emotions so common at the time – an important contribution to the historical record, and a needed supplement to the numerous writings about the period by former or current devotees that tend to be either accusative or defensive.

       . . . Purely as a travelogue, it stands alongside the best ever written. It is much more than that, however, and is – as Gelberg recognizes in his title – a journey of the spirit that helps us understand the ups and downs of ISKCON’s first fifty years. It does not claim to provide a comprehensive history of those years, but it is a valuable contribution to the history that is yet to be written. Anyone who wants to understand India or ISKCON should read it.

— Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins, Journal of Vaishnava Studies [23.2 (Spring 2015)]. Author, The Hindu Religious Tradition.

 

_______________________

* Available from Amazon and other booksellers.

Lisa Halverson: She Spent 15 Years in Scientology—Here's Why She Left Everything Behind

 

Lisa Halverson was involved in Scientology as both a public member and a staff member. Deeply committed to the organization, she never expected that her parents' determination to help her would ultimately change the course of her life. Concerned that Scientology was taking over Lisa's life, her parents arranged for her to meet with experienced exit counselors - Hana & Jerry Whitfield, who presented information that Scientology did not want her to see.

A Review of American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda

A Review of American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda

Ru Marshall’s *American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda* (OR Books, 2026) is far more than a literary biography; it is a vital examination of the structural mechanics of undue influence. For decades, Castaneda was celebrated as a revolutionary voice in anthropology, peddling *The Teachings of Don Juan* as genuine Indigenous wisdom. But behind the facade of this twentieth-century hoax lies a chilling case study in how charismatic narcissists build and sustain high-demand movements.

Marshall meticulously unravels Castaneda's transition from a fraudulent academic to the architect of a secretive New Age sect. The book traces his deployment of classic coercive control tactics—isolating his followers, severing their ties to their pasts, and blurring the lines between fabricated mysticism and psychological reality. Most devastatingly, *American Trickster* does not shy away from the tragic terminus of this totalistic environment. When Castaneda died in 1998, five of his closest female followers vanished, widely believed to have taken their own lives to join him in a "next dimension".

What elevates this 670-page work is its sociological rigor. Marshall dissects the intersection of the 1970s cultural zeitgeist and Castaneda’s deeply manipulative interpersonal behavior, framing it as an allegory for modern spiritual abuse and the erasure of actual Indigenous practices. Crucially, the biography illuminates the vertical and horizontal contributions to the cult experience, exploring both the leader's top-down deception and the environmental vulnerabilities of those seeking enlightenment.

For those researching the historical precedents of high-demand groups or developing recovery frameworks, *American Trickster* is essential reading. It transforms Castaneda from a mere literary charlatan into a quintessential study of how pseudo-spirituality is weaponized to dismantle autonomy, making it an indispensable addition to the literature on psychological captivity and mediation.

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/17/2026

Culture & Media

New Docuseries

HBO Max premieres its documentary series THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI this fall

HBO Max today announced the fall premiere of its new original documentary series THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI, produced by THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO for HBO Max in Spain, created and directed by Mònica Terribas.

Following the media and social impact of the documentary series THE HEROIC MINUTE, I TOO LEFT OPUS DEI, which was awarded the 2025 Ondas prize - which addressed the labor, spiritual and psychological abuse to which, according to the testimonies of thirteen women, they are subjected within the institution - many men who had left Opus Dei also needed to explain the role they had played within the Work.

According to their own accounts, they were recruited from childhood and destined to become numeraries or priests of Opus Dei. The series analyzes their descriptions of psychological control, recruitment practices, and oppression, as well as their accounts of the alleged underlying dynamics of power, money, influence, and control.

THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI features the testimonies of 14 men of all ages from eleven different countries, who recount their personal experiences within the reality of Opus Dei: Spain, Italy, France, Poland, Germany, England, and across the Atlantic in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, the United States, and Argentina. Many of them held positions of responsibility as directors, secretaries, and members of Local Councils within their centers, as well as officers of Regional Commissions. Others were called to support the institution from the highest levels of their professional careers to expand Opus Dei. Some, as numeraries, associates, or priests, were sent as teenagers to countries from which they never returned.

Their shared experiences shed light on the functioning of the Work, its economic dynamics and influence, through the Regional Commissions, the Local Councils, the educational, university, and research centers, as well as the dynamics of spiritual direction and precepting among adolescents and young university students.

“The men within Opus Dei command, maneuver, administer, mortify themselves, sacrifice themselves, and, like the women, they also break down. It is heartening to hear them speak on behalf of the many who do not yet dare to stand before the camera and who have been part of the research for this series,” declared Mònica Terribas Sala, screenwriter and director of THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI.

To contextualize the protagonists' testimonies, the documentary features the voices of experts, such as Santiago Bueno Salinas, professor of canon law, also judicial vicar and president of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Barcelona; María Esther Fernández Mostaza, professor of sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and author of the book Els fills de l'Opus; Dr. Vega González, clinical psychologist and managing director of Care and Research in Social Addictions (AIS); Gareth Gore, investigative journalist and author of Opus; and Rebecca Griffin, director of The Deep Dive Project.

The series features reenactments of the protagonists' stories, performed by actors Joel Bosqued and Guillem Balart and directed by Pere Sala.

THE GOOD SPIRIT: BEHIND THE DOOR OF OPUS DEI is an HBO Max original documentary series in Spain produced by THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO. Mònica Terribas, Bernat Elías, and Amparo Castellano are the executive producers for THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO. Bibiana González is the Director of Non-Fiction Content for HBO Max. María Rubio and Zaida Serrano-Piedecasas serve as executive producers for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Updates

Legislative & Legal

Punch Up: Leading Scholars Slam Jailing of Orgasm Guru Using Junk Science

Twenty global scholars of religion and human rights signed a memorandum condemning the forced labor conspiracy convictions of OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone and sales chief Rachel Cherwitz. Published via the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), the memo claims the case reintroduces a "brainwashing" theory as psychological coercion under trafficking laws, threatening religious liberty. Furthermore, a watchdog report alleges FBI collusion with a Netflix documentary crew, and prosecutors admitted their star witness's diaries were faked. Attorney Alan Dershowitz plans to seek a presidential pardon for both women.

When Persuasion Becomes a Crime: United States v. Cherwitz and the Second Circuit's Forced Labor Reckoning

Here is a summary of the article's main arguments regarding the Cherwitz case and its broader legal implications:

The article When Persuasion Becomes a Crime examines the constitutional stakes of the upcoming Second Circuit appeal in United States v. Cherwitz. Following the forced labor conspiracy convictions of OneTaste executives Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz, the author argues the government's novel prosecutorial theory dangerously criminalizes psychological persuasion, raising severe First Amendment and void-for-vagueness concerns.

The Evolution of the TVPA

At the heart of the critique is the application of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). Originally enacted in 2000 to target severe commercial trafficking involving physical compulsion or legal coercion, a 2008 amendment expanded the definition of "serious harm" to include psychological pressure. In Cherwitz, prosecutors argued the defendants coerced victims by threatening the loss of their belief system, community, and relationships. The author contends that this applies the statute to consenting adults in a voluntary wellness organization—a drastic departure from the TVPA's legislative intent and one that lacks any objective limiting principle.

The "Victim-Centered Approach"

The article traces this strategy to the institutionalization of the "Victim-Centered Approach" (VCA) across federal law enforcement over the last 15 years. Under the VCA doctrine, an individual's ongoing consent or voluntary participation is irrelevant. If a witness claims they loved an organization and were happy, prosecutors and judges are trained to view this not as autonomy, but as evidence of "brainwashing" and total psychological control. Because of this framework, the government explicitly told the Cherwitz jury that whether the victims actually suffered physical harm was not the question of the trial.

The Core Constitutional Question

Ultimately, the article frames the Second Circuit's impending review as a foundational test of American legal boundaries. Because all nine alleged victims in Cherwitz eventually left the organization voluntarily and without physical restraint, the appellate court must decide if the state can legally equate the persuasive power of ideas with criminal forced labor.

Courthouse News Service: Former Epoch Times executive pleads guilty to multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that funded newspaper

Weidong "Bill" Guan, the former Chief Financial Officer of The Epoch Times, has pleaded guilty to a charge of roughly $ 15 million to $62 million. Guan, who reached a plea agreement just as jury selection for his trial was underway, acknowledged that he had ignored multiple red flags and warnings from banks about the operation's legality.

The Epoch Times distanced itself from the litigation, noting that Guan was suspended upon his 2024 arrest and maintaining that the charges were unrelated to their journalism.

Guan faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and, as a non-U.S. citizen, potential deportation. His co-defendant, Le Van Hung, previously pleaded guilty to identity theft.

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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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.

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Please forward articles you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/16/2026

Culture & Media

New PublicationsFox: 'Game of Thrones' star says she mistook psychiatric hospital for a palace after joining wellness cult

Hannah Murray writes in her new memoir, 'The Make-Believe,' out now, that she entered Gordon Hospital 'extremely psychotic'.

In her new memoir, The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness, Game of Thrones actress Hannah Murray opens up about her terrifying descent into a "wellness cult" that triggered a severe psychotic break. Struggling with the dark, violent themes of her 2017 film Detroit, Murray sought comfort from an on-set "energy healer" who ultimately introduced her to the group. She became so deeply indoctrinated by the cult's leader—whom she believed was God—that her mental health was shattered. This culminated in a 28-day stint at a London psychiatric facility, which her delusional state initially led her to mistake for a palace.

Updates

Legislative & Legal

Will New Child Protection Laws End Youth Worthiness Interviews in Australia

This video from Mormonish Podcast discusses new, comprehensive child protection laws enacted in Queensland, Australia, as of July 1, 2026, and the LDS Church's response to these legal changes.

Key takeaways from the discussion:

Compliance with Local Law: The LDS Church released a 42-page handbook for members in Queensland to ensure compliance with local safeguarding protocols. This includes mandatory government background checks for anyone interacting with youth.

Reporting Requirements: The Queensland laws require that abuse allegations be reported to authorities immediately, regardless of whether they occurred during church activities or were learned through confidential religious confession.

Conflict with Internal Policies: The participants analyze a church directive stating that leaders must contact the Priesthood Leaders Australia Child Protection helpline before other notifications, unless there is an urgent safety concern. Critics in the video argue this prioritizes institutional protection over child safety.

Ending One-on-One Interviews: The new guidelines explicitly prohibit one-on-one interactions, including teaching, transportation, and interviews. The hosts discuss whether this effectively signals the end of traditional "worthiness interviews" for youth, noting that the church's handbook may be attempting to "wiggle around" these requirements.

Broader Implications: The panel suggests that while these changes are forced by national law in Australia, the LDS Church may struggle to reconcile its standard operating procedures—specifically the nature of worthiness interviews—with modern legal standards regarding sexual innuendo and child safeguarding.

Research & Academic

Experiences of Recovery from Spiritual Abuse

Rayann Gordon is researching spiritual abuse and is conducting a study on how people reconstruct their spirituality after leaving an abusive situation. She is talking to people who were hurt in a variety of spiritual settings, including Buddhist, Christian, New Age, and others.

Looking for participants for: “Reconstructing the Sacred: A Mixed Methods Study of Recovery After Spiritual Abuse,” a research project exploring what recovery looks like after spiritual abuse, including the role of grief, ritual, finding new meaning, how your spirituality has changed, and what helped along the way.

You may be eligible if you:

• Are aged 18 or over and fluent in English

• Have experienced religious or spiritual abuse in the past

• Have been out of the abusive situation for at least three years

• Currently have a meaningful spiritual life

• Feel that participation would not be distressing for you

What's involved: Two brief online questionnaires and a 60–90 minute Zoom interview about your recovery journey and spiritual life now.

Participation is entirely voluntary and confidential.

To find out more or to take part, start here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/reconstructingthesacred061026

Or contact Rayann Gordon (Researcher): r.gordon5@edu.salford.ac.uk

This study has been approved by the University of Salford Ethics Committee. Academic supervisor: Dr Linda Dubrow-Marshall.

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 complexities of a loved one's involvement in a cult.

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.

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Please forward articles you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/15/2026

Culture & Media

New Publications

Hannah Murray: The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness

From her breakout role as a teen actor on the cult TV show Skins to critically acclaimed movies to the smash hit Game of Thrones, Hannah Murray built a career in Hollywood, cracking open her own psychological foundations and pushing her body to its limits. But one day, the line between make-believe and reality disappeared, and she found herself confined to a psych ward, dangerously in love with the leader of a shadowy wellness organization, and believing in magic. How she got there—and how she managed to rebuild her life—is the heart of this gripping, powerful memoir that asks: How far would you go to find enlightenment?

For Hannah, it was deceptively easy to fall down the rabbit hole. As she struggled with her mental health, she sought help in the form of wellness and self-care. After an eye-opening session with an energy healer, Hannah was introduced to an organization that she was told would bring her further spiritual rewards. Enthralled by its charismatic leader and his teachings of a world filled with magic and meaning, Hannah found herself sucked into a rigorous practice involving high control and financial outlay. And as her sense of reality began to slip, eventually resulting in her hospitalization and diagnosis with bipolar disorder, she realized she had fully ceded control of her life to this mysterious organization. And, she thought, as she reckoned with the Hollywood career that conditioned her to give her body and soul over to others, maybe she’d been doing that her whole life.

Both a cautionary tale and a cry for radical empathy, Hannah’s story of learning to trust herself will resonate with anyone who has struggled to find agency. The Make-Believe is a probing exploration of womanhood and mental health, and a search for the healing that comes from reclaiming our own narratives.

Updates

Domestic & True Crime:

NY Post: Murderous Bishnoi Gang wiped out in mass raids across California after ‘barbaric’ assassination spree

"The Bishnoi gang is designated as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government and is reported to have infiltrated Cricket Canada to lead match-fixing and corruption within the organization.

“Operation Hard Ball” is the result of a years-long federal investigation into three Indian crime syndicates led by the Bishnoi that engage in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion, large-scale drug trafficking and other crimes.

The mysterious and murderous gang is led by 33-year-old Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster long imprisoned in India, who runs the operation from his jail cell.

The Bishnoi gang is affiliated with an eco-religious sect of the same name, founded in the 15th century in Rajasthan, and they worship the Indian antelope, the Blackbuck, which they consider a reincarnation of their spiritual guru.

Bishnoi delegates control of his gang to trusted lieutenants and regional leaders of the criminal enterprise to conduct “targeted killings, shootings, kidnappings, maimings, assaults, extortions, and drug trafficking,” court papers charge.

Ongoing Focus

New Indian Express: UP Cabinet approves 28 vital proposals, including renaming of Jalalabad city as Parashurampuri

The recent article from the *New Indian Express* detailing the 28 vital proposals approved by the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet contains a brief but significant reference to the "Maharishi" namesake. Specifically, the cabinet approved the establishment of the **Maharishi Mahesh Yogi International Agriculture University**.

This new private educational institution is slated to be located in Bilhaur, Kanpur. The approval of this university was part of a broader educational and developmental push by the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government, which included greenlighting two other private universities: Ajay Kumar Garg University in Ghaziabad and Thakur Yugraj Singh University in Fatehpur.

While the article focuses heavily on the high-profile renaming of Jalalabad city to Parashurampuri—a nod to the birthplace of Lord Parashuram—the inclusion of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi International Agriculture University highlights the state's concurrent focus on expanding higher education and specialized academic infrastructure. The university's namesake, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, was a renowned Indian guru known for developing the Transcendental Meditation technique, though the article itself restricts its mention to the institution's title and location.

Furthermore, this university's approval is bundled with other forward-looking agricultural and youth-centric initiatives passed during the same cabinet session. These include the establishment of a Horticulture College and Research Center in Rae Bareilly, a new livestock insurance scheme for farmers, and amended recruitment rules for medal-winning athletes. In summary, the sole reference to "Maharishi" in the text concerns the state's official authorization of the new agricultural university in Kanpur, reflecting UP's broader developmental agenda.

AL Monitor: Cardinal tipped to be pope accused of molesting several women

Spanish-born Cardinal Cristobal Lopez Romero, 74, the Archbishop of Rabat in Morocco, is stepping down following allegations of sexual assault by at least five women. Lopez, who had been considered a strong candidate to succeed Pope Francis before withdrawing from the papal conclave last year, denies the allegations.

A complaint filed with the Vatican embassy in May details "particularly insistent and prolonged hugs" and an attempted kiss. Church sources indicate a history of similar complaints dating back to his missionary work in South America, citing a "culture of complicity and silence" among his close associates who allegedly protected him.

The Catholic Church has opened a preliminary investigation into the claims. While no criminal charges have been filed in Morocco, local law allows for harsher penalties when sexual crimes involve a person in authority. The Vatican's doctrinal office has also received letters regarding the abuse allegations.

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

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The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan, Joseph Kelly, or Ashlen Hilliard endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.

Please forward articles you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.