Experiences and Perspectives on Mental Health Support Among Survivors of High-Control Environments

A letter from Janja.

Hello,

I’m writing to encourage all survivors of cults, coercion, and/or extremist groups to please participate in this study. This survey research was formulated by Dr. Natalie Fabert, a professor of psychology at Arizona State University. Dr. Fabert is also a much-appreciated member of the Board of Directors of my nonprofit, the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion, and is Director of our Continuing Education programs. Many of us know from hearsay, as well as our own experience, that it is very difficult (near to impossible) to find a therapist who understands the personal and psychological aftereffects of coercive experiences (especially cults). How many times have I heard some version of this: “I explained to her (the therapist) that I had been in the group for 40 years, lost all my money, worked for the leader’s business for free, broke contact with my family and friends, and even recruited my children into the cult. When I was finished, the therapist looked at me and said, ‘Well, why didn’t you leave?’” This kind of uneducated and hurtful reply is exactly why we need this research, so that we have hard evidence of the need for training.

The results of this study will provide us with the type of solid research data that we need to show why it is so crucial that helping professionals get the type of training and education that will provide them with the skills to better serve their clients who may be struggling with the aftereffects of cults or some form of coercive control.

So, please, consider completing this survey. It would mean a lot to me, to all of us at the Lalich Center, and to all survivors who are searching for the kind of care and support they need.

Regards to all,

Janja Lalich, PhD
Professor Emerita of Sociology
Founder & CEO
Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion



Study link: Experiences and Perspectives on Mental Health Support Among Survivors of High-Control Environments


https://asu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d5XTEkswpjaQma2?

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/22/2026

Culture & Media

New Docuseries

Realscreen: ID slates new “People Magazine Investigates” doc on alleged online cult

Investigation Discovery (ID) is premiering a new People Magazine Investigates documentary on July 14th, focusing specifically on "The University of Cosmic Intelligence"—an alleged online cult. This reflects a broader media trend of investigating decentralized, internet-based organizations rather than traditional communal compounds.

New Video

This Is Your Brain: Tell-Tale Signs That You Are in a Cult – Janja Lalich

Cults and high-control groups influence beliefs and fundamentally reshape identity, decision-making, and autonomy. In this episode, Dr. Phil Stieg sits down with sociologist and cult expert Dr. Janja Lalichu, Professor and author of Take Back Your Life, to explore the psychology behind cults. Drawing from decades of research as well as her own personal experience of spending a decade in a political cult, she discusses how indoctrination alters a person’s sense of self, why anyone can become vulnerable under the right circumstances, and the road to recovery after leaving

Updates

Domestic & True Crime

Al Jazeera: Alleged criminal activities of a cult group

Philippines Senate Probe: A formal investigation has begun regarding the "Kingdom of Jesus Christ" group. The probe is focused on the alleged criminal activities of its leader, Apollo Quiboloy, who currently remains on the U.S. FBI's wanted list for human trafficking and abuse.

Group Profile

A Taste of Utopia? Cultivating a Culture of Sustainability in Fairfield, Iowa
Atmore, Lane; Rootstalk: A Prairie Journal of Culture, Science and the Arts, Vol. II, No. 2. Grinnell College 201 6

This is another piece by Lane Atmore, based on the same ethnographic fieldwork she conducted during her two months in Fairfield in the summer of 2016. While published in Grinnell's Rootstalk under the slightly shorter title "A Taste of Utopia: A Brief Introduction to Fairfield, IA," her research focused on the intersection of TM's spirituality and the town's culture of environmental sustainability.

This article is particularly relevant to your work, as it bridges the gap between the town's utopian, eco-friendly public image and the high-demand, coercive dynamics operating beneath the surface.

Here are the primary themes from Atmore's ethnographic account:

The Illusion of the Secular

TM officially markets itself to the outside world as a simple, secular meditation technique—often stripping away spiritual language to gain entry into public schools, veterans' programs, and corporate environments. However, Atmore observes that within Fairfield, TM is institutionalized in a way that is "strongly reminiscent of religion." In this community, the purportedly scientific concept of "consciousness" is effectively synonymous with "spirituality," and adhering to the Maharishi's Vedic worldview is the social baseline.

Sustainability as Dogma

The town's famous culture of sustainability—its organic agriculture, off-the-grid homes, and solar initiatives—is not rooted purely in modern environmentalism. Instead, it is an extension of Maharishi's teachings on "natural law." The community's eco-friendly practices, including the strict adherence to Vastu (Vedic architecture oriented to cardinal directions for energetic alignment), are driven by a dogmatic requirement to align with the Guru's specific interpretation of universal balance.

The "Closed System"

Atmore highlights a core tension: a potentially beneficial meditation practice is wrapped in an ideology that dictates every facet of life. Because Maharishi was viewed as fully "enlightened," his word became unquestionable absolute truth. Atmore describes the Fairfield TM community as a "closed system"—a conservative paradigm where taking the founder's word as literal truth stifles progressive thought and creates a profound lack of critical thinking.

Social Coercion and the "Cult" Label

Crucially, Atmore notes that the word "cult" is commonly used by many residents in Fairfield—both non-meditators and meditators. She directly attributes this to the movement's restrictiveness and its active punishment of those who fail to comply with movement standards. For example, she notes that simply choosing to meditate at home rather than inside the Golden Domes can result in lasting social repercussions and ostracization from the community network.

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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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.

CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/21/2026

Updates

Legislative & Legal

Korea JoonngAng Daily: Top court finalizes 18-month sentence for church official who gave gifts to former first lady

South Korea’s Supreme Court has finalized an 18-month prison sentence for Yun Young-ho, the former head of the Unification Church’s global headquarters. Yun was convicted of providing luxury gifts, including a diamond necklace and a Chanel handbag, to former first lady Kim Keon Hee in 2022 to secure government favors for the church.

The court also upheld his conviction for violating the Political Funds Act by paying 100 million won to a lawmaker close to the president to arrange introductions during the presidential transition. Yun further faced charges related to the embezzlement of church funds used to purchase the illicit gifts.

This definitive ruling is significant because it confirms the nature of the gifts intended to influence government policy, potentially affecting the former first lady’s separate ongoing appeal before the Supreme Court. A final verdict regarding Kim’s own bribery and influence-peddling convictions is expected later this month.

Bishop Accountability: Osceola County pastor convicted of raping church member who sought spiritual guidance

An Osceola County jury convicted Eddy Noelsaint, a 54-year-old former Orlando pastor of Eglise Evangelique De La Restauration, on four counts of sexual battery against a female congregation member.

The victim initially approached Noelsaint in 2022 for spiritual guidance. During a meeting presented as a "spiritual revival," Noelsaint secretly drugged the victim's tea, leaving her incapacitated before forcing himself on her. He subsequently refused her requests to call 911. He later stole her wedding ring under the guise that it carried "bad spirits" and assaulted her a second time months later.

Though Noelsaint initially gave conflicting statements to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, he eventually confessed to the non-consensual encounters. State Attorney Monique Worrell praised the survivor's courage following the verdict. Noelsaint is remanded to the Osceola County Jail and faces decades in prison at his sentencing on September 11, 2026.

Research & Academic

Personality changes following first-time psychedelic use in college students in Germany

Constantin Volkmann, Michael Seitz, Felix Betzler, NPJ Mental Health Research, Volume 5, Article number: 34 (2026)

Abstract: Psychedelics may influence personality traits, but longitudinal evidence on first-time use outside clinical settings remains limited. We followed 102 first-time psychedelic users and 1066 never-users over one year among Berlin university students. Personality was assessed with the Big Five Inventory at baseline and follow-up. Linear mixed-effects models showed small relative increases in Openness and decreases in Conscientiousness among first-time users. After adjustment for age, sex, income, psychiatric diagnosis, and baseline substance-use burden, estimates were attenuated but directionally similar (Openness: beta = 0.19, SE = 0.10, p = 0.06; Conscientiousness: beta = –0.20, SE = 0.10, p = 0.05; FDR-adjusted p = 0.16 for both). Change was not clearly different from first-time users of other illicit substances. In exploratory moderation analyses, first-time users with psychiatric diagnoses showed larger Neuroticism reductions. Findings suggest small personality changes after first-time psychedelic use, with limited causal interpretability.

Ongoing Focus

New Idea: “These people aren’t my family”: How Maria Esguerra escaped a cult to save her children

Maria Esguerra, 45, spent the first 22 years of her life enduring severe physical, psychological, and sexual abuse inside the Children of God. Born into the religious group, she faced constant fear and beatings. She was routinely denied basic medical care because the cult relied entirely on faith healing.   

The turning point came when she and her husband Jesse, who was also raised in the cult, had their first child. The baby nearly died from meningitis after cult members resisted seeking outside medical treatment. Realizing her children were in grave danger, Maria and Jesse fled the Sydney commune with only the clothes on their backs.

Starting over with no education or work experience was daunting, but they successfully rebuilt their lives. Maria eventually went to university and qualified as a psychologist. After hiding her past for years, a tragic 2022 religious death inspired her to speak out. Today, she advocates for survivors of extreme religious groups nationwide.

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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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.

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

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com helps families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families in making the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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

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