The International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) is an interdisciplinary network of academicians, professionals, former group members, and families who study and educate the public about social-psychological influence and control, authoritarianism, and zealotry in cultic groups, alternative movements, and other environments.
ICSA conferences and workshops offer practical assistance, research findings, and information on cults, new religious movements and other groups from the leading professional organization in the field. Attendees and speakers are diverse, including academicians, helping professionals, former group members, current group members, families, clergy, educators, and others.
I hope the following will give you a better understanding of thought reform and my approach to
helping individuals make a fully informed choice in a way that is consistent with the ethical standards that myself and my colleagues have worked so diligently to develop.
In addition to my commitment to these ethical standards, I also have a deep commitment to the recovery of individuals who have been part of a thought reform program, a group that was psychologically or spiritually abusive or an abusive relationship. To those of you who fit into that category, I want you to know that you're not alone. The key to our recovery is education -- educate yourself about thought reform, about cults, about how such influence can and does effect individuals. And be patient with yourself in the
recovery process.
Remember, in coming out of such a situation, we face three difficult life transition stages:
an identity crisis;
grief (loss of one's commitment to the goals and people of the group, loss of one's sense of purpose in life, loss of people one came to consider "family" in the group, loss of belonging); and possibly
A goldfish living in a bowl that is painted
black on the outside will never know it lives in a bowl unless someone takes
it out and shows it the rest of the world. Mindsets can be like that - locked
into a `thinking box', unable to see outside because the web of beliefs is so
all-encompassing
How can this happen to people like you and me?
Have you ever bought an outfit that didn't fit properly because the sales person convinced you it looked nice? Ever have someone talk you into having another drink when you didn't want one? Ever run into a clever con artist who had a good line? Ever sign a contract you didn't really want to sign? Getting involved with a cultic group could be just that easy? (If you still think it can't happen to you take our test on the General Information page [grin]
In the USA alone there are an estimated 5,000 cults actively recruiting people of all ages, from all walks of life, at the rate of tens of thousands of new recruits every year. Australia is not far behind. Like most other countries, we tend to import them as soon as they develop.
Championing Psychological Freedoms in Cults, Corporations, Nations, and Families
This site includes extensive material on Transcendental Meditation. Studies on the negative effects of meditation can be found at www.trancenet.org/research/index.shtml .
The Resource Center for Freedom of Mind is dedicated to respect for human rights, spirituality, and consumer awareness. They endeavor to be a safe place one can turn to for news, information, counseling and other vital resources. They believe that only you have the right to control your mind..
F.A.C.T. Net: Homepage of Cults, Brainwashing, Mind Control. True stories, Testimonials, Affadavits, Court Records.
FACTNet (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network) is a non-profit news source, referral service, and archive. It is the oldest and largest cult and mind control resource on the Internet dedicated to protecting freedom of mind and life from harms caused by psychological coercion!
ACCESS Counseling Hotline: The Access Line is open to the public at no charge four days a week, Monday through Thursday from 1:00p.m. to 3:00 p.m. West Coast Time (or 4-6 Eastern Standard Time). It is only one of our ministries interfacing with public need and making available our over 6,000 files on different cults and groups around the world.
telephone: (510) 540-5767
Since 1973, the SCP has been a frontline ministry confronting the occult, the cults, and the New Age movement and explaining why they are making an impact on our society. In the name of truth, sophisticated lies are fed to unwary people who live in and shape our world. SCP's mandate is to communicate with our generation by creating crossover material that alerts and informs about the very real dangers of the latest deceptions. It is a critical mission at a critical time....
Apologetics Index / CounterCult.com provides research resources on religious cults, sects, new religious movements, alternative religions, apologetics-, anticult-, and countercult organizations, doctrines, religious practices and world views. These resources reflect a variety of theological and/or sociological perspectives.
The site provides information that helps equip Christians to logically present and defend the Christian faith, and that aids non-Christians in their comparison of various religious claims. Issues addressed range from spiritual and cultic abuse to contemporary theological and/or sociological concerns. AI also includes ex-cult support resources,
up-to-date religion news, articles on Christian life and ministry, and a variety of other features...
This website was created to offer the public a resource of information concerning controversial and/or potentially unsafe groups, which may have drawn some concern, attention and/or interest. Some groups listed and/or mentioned may have been called "cults." But the mention and/or inclusion of a group or leader within this website does not define that group as a "cult" and/or necessarily denote an individual, organization or group mentioned as either destructive and/or harmful. Instead, visitors to this website must exercise their own judgment after reviewing and considering the information
provided.
Here you will find an archive that contains thousands of documents, which includes news stories, related research, reports, court records, book excerpts, personal testimonies and hundreds of links to outside reference resources...
www.factnet.org/
