Thought stopping cliches are indicative of these groups. As I don't speak the language, I wonder if during the cultural revolution these existed.🤔 In my experience, paying attention to the linguistics says way more than the words themselves could ever say. It's always about power and control, whether the conversation itself is explicitly about that or not. Issues such as economics were only the topic du jour for those trying to gain some form of power. I recently came across something from China called "peng shua" (I probably butchered it). I'll always have a critical consciousness of ALL religions because of their social psychological aspects and the effect they have on people and culture.

Such an important interview, thank you. There are many similarities to coercive brainwashing. If someone starts using terms that are derived from gratuitous punitiveness, I avoid the person

Thank you for this important conversation with Lucas Wilson. Conversion therapy is vile. Once upon a time, I was the editor-in-chief of my college newspaper in the Deep South and turned down an ad series from a conversion therapy group looking to lure young gay and lesbian evangelicals into their workshops. If I recall, it was run by a gay man and lesbian who were married to each other, trying to convince others that with enough “therapy,” prayer, and practice, anyone could get back to God’s design of heterosexuality. Or something like that. They toured the Deep South, spreading their misinformation. This was 1996 and the BS stank back then like it does today. Thanks again for this interview.

Excellent book Gore

Las decisiones personales sin asimilar el estudio de los vedas crea fanáticos, que comenten actos independientes sin analizar lo que todos conocemos por Karma, Sri Krishna mismo vino a enseñarnos como vivir, que nosotros a través de nuestro ego entendamos de manera equivocada lo que se debe o no hacer es una decisión personal y eso se llama libre albedrío. Falto madurez.

i still think they are connected to the GOVT and child pedo rings... how else can they be in so many towns? we have a local yellow deli and rumors of the cult here forever. they tryed getting me after a dead show and while playing Pokemon Go.

One week intensive sounds scary. I have the best way sounds culty

Today much needed , thank you very much

I'm here from Canada on Jan 11, 2025, and still feeling upset. Nero is considered the worst Emperor of the Roman Empire. Trump mirrors Nero's lifetime cruelty, narcissism, and incompetence.

No need opus dei. No need organization in catholic church

Thanks!

Excited to listen to this one. I’d also watch an episode on the Church of God (Cleveland TN).

We need more Stevens’s and less Musks!

Carl Jung was adept at active imagination, which sounds similar to immersive daydreaming. Many people practice lucid dreaming, which involves identifying when you are dreaming, and then actively and consciously engaging in the dream space. So sounds like there's an overlap in the phenomenon. I appreciate that this conversation allows for the adaptive benefits of this activity.

They wanted my cousin to marry a Korean woman. The monitor who talks to who 😂

Opus is horrid for those who were recruited in their very early teens. These people don't even start to recognize this.

This is a vile practice, it should be investigated.

Thanks!

I watched this today and it was amazing. Thank you so much for making this available to view. The presentation itself was flawless. The inclusion of literary review helps to illustrate the long history of trying to define coercive control. I would like to know how to get involved in making protective and compensatory laws a reality. We need to create an informed society so that we can stop these tactics from taking place in our institutions of faith, education, and even social groups. I'm not saying to end religion. I'm saying we need to define these tactics in a way that can be used in legislation to stop it in religion. Have a checklist that says over X amount of yes answers indicates authoritarian control and results in the loss tax exemption and designation of "known cult".

Thank you for sharing. Much love, Lindi-Lu, 💜

There was a time when I thought Steve Hassan was a reputable source. That time I long gone now. I loath the Assemblies of God but to call them anything even close to a "High Demand" religious group is light years beyond laughable. Steve Hassan is identical now to Bill Nye the Science Guy. Using unrelated credentials to push an agenda. Atheism. That all religious thoughts is toxic. I grew up Catholic but had many AOG friends and was at an AOG church/event 3 or 4 times a week. There was ZERO demand- let alone "High Demand". One of the reasons so many AOG churches now are openly welcome to LGBTQ people. They are not required to live a certain way. Steve Hassan LOVES to talk about Confirmation Bias, totally oblivious that the guests he brings on are doing just that. He is a self-loathing Jew + find people to confirm they hate their religious experience also= see? Any religion that requires anything of you is now "High Demand". The sad part is that there ARE destructive belief systems out there but Steve Hassan has single handedly ensured that they will flourish now. For the record I do not believe in or support the Assemblies of God.

Maladaptive daydreaming reminds me of the movie, Brazil. I guess living in a bureaucratic dystopia could be a big significant source of trauma.

Steve, please consider doing an episode on Shambhala Buddhism (one of Carol's cases).

In my personal opinion, I'm seeing a lot of cults popping up on KZbin!

I'm still processing after being raped by a city lifeguard in 1973. I've paid a very high price in ramifications

Great discussion. I love Steve Hassan's vision for his next project. And Carol's insights from the legal perspective are amazing. Here's to them both! Salud! State and federal law definitely has room for improvement. I'd love to see many of those improvements in the near future.

Gratitude to you lovely people doing this very important work!!!! ❤

GUYS, WE NEED YOU OVER HERE IN EUROPE - CROATIA !! S.O.S.

Not in my country Croatia, I hope and pray, they are under police investigation - NAR "church" Word of Life

A major loophole is "religion." For example, prosecutors are usually more lenient on defendants who kill because of religious beliefs, and juries often do the same. If, as an atheist, I killed someone, I should be convicted of murder, but religious people who kill someone because they were trying to exorcise the person would be more likely to get a manslaughter charge or "not guilty" verdict. There is no such thing as an atheist cult. "Atheist" and "atheism" have the same definition, the lack of belief any god exists. The ism in atheism is superfluous. An atheist could run a cult, but atheism can't be the reason for the cult. There is nothing mysterious about atheism. Most atheists also have no belief a Satan exists, either.

26:13 the problem is, Dr. Hassen, that people will use the legal system to punish churches with whom they disagree. They can just say they didn’t receive the spiritual benefit that they were supposed to have gotten, and it will cost these legitimate churches and other places of worship a lot just to fend off the legal battles and get the case dismissed. How do we guard against it?

And if you don't go along with the abuser you are destroyed.

I just wonder if every religion has a cult part that abuses members. It is not usually in the religion itself but in the would be experts or leaders who use the religion to control others.

My experience is that someone can't really understand the victimhood unless they personally have the same or similar experience. I hope I am wrong. True that younger people are generally more vulnerable. Likely elderly people too are more vulnerable. My experience is that courts are likely to dismiss or hide quality medical psychological opinions. I don’t think they consider it important. I think it is very expensive to try to change that.

great interview.

I always sit up when I see a podcast with the brilliant Carol Merchasin - brilliant as in a shining light. Thank you for sharing your interview with Carol so we can hear from her and to listen to her very valuable insights.

Isn't it sad that so many millions of people will give trump their ears, minds, souls and bank accounts- but what they really need is available for free on this channel?

RIP Mike R, for exposing Scientology and other Cults ang helping people build a life once out!

Great interview I enjoyed hearing from Carol and the intersection between Law and the Psychology of Cults Carol is a lovely Human being As are you Stephen Hugs

🙏 RIP to Mike Rinder; thank you Dr Hassan & Carol for speaking out and exposing these clear cult movements ‘around’ the law, to evade their societal obligations 💜💃⚖️ ☮️

The ORDER/WATCHTOWER BTS, this evil corporation has brainwashed less thinking/analytical folks called JW. It's two different groups. The real estate and asset management company called WATCHTOWER BTS controls or own slaves called JW. They are under constant spell through indoctrination and can't see or reason. PRAY FOR THEM

Not only that inner world of sexual acts ... in Tibetan Buddhism it tends that saying no to these "Lamas" is made to be unthinkable. Often the shocked people are the kind of service cooks, attendants some of whom are forced to perform sexual services. They came and said "you said no ..." ... and yes, there could be repurcussions though that depends on how valued you are to the community. Narcissists bribe, threaten etc alternating to get what they want and keep people. They won't threaten kicking you out if they badly need you though they may do it to the community publicly to make everyone think they are saying it to them.

RIP to friend of the channel Mike Rinder.

Yes! Relationship crimes are illegal in some European countries. These laws need to be implemented here In America.

Looking into the model, some started at home, many controlling parents could take the boxes. Most damaging could be cult like leader controlling a powerful nation, make worst a nuclear weaponlise nation. To be able to use threat or control the world of people life and death could be some cult leader ultimate addictions. Allow them to have some control may make the world safer, but now the controller being controlled by another one? But seems justify for humanity.

They were 5HO in the early '70s.

Well, Tony and Steve. As far as empathy is concerned, I am exactly the opposite to what has been stated and I have Asperger's. There is no way whatsoever that a cult would even manage to get past my defenses. As for Trump and Musk. I definitely don't like either. My politics are with people like Carl Sagan and Daniel Dennett and Stephen Fry and the Enlightenment and a scientific interrogative. As for terrorists, what I would say about them is unprintable.

....and filthy conditionns in India and starvation during a national strike.

TDS forever Snowflakes ! Winning.

Everything is a cult. Unions, families, countries, Sports, Companies etc. It depends how you see and understand it. You top try to people buying books or listening to your utube are cults too.