Sons of Patriarchy You're in a Cult if...
May 16, 2025
In this insightful discussion, cult expert Steven Hassan, a former member of the Unification Church, shares his journey from being recruited into a cult to becoming a leading researcher on mind control. He introduces the BITE model, illustrating how cults manipulate behavior and emotions to maintain control. Hassan dives into modern recruitment tactics, including online strategies and love-bombing. He also provides invaluable advice for families with loved ones in cults and emphasizes the importance of empathy and free will in recovery.
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Recruitment Into The Moonies
- Steven Hassan recounts being recruited into the Moonies at 19 and believing Sun Myung Moon was the Messiah.
- He describes fasting for Nixon and later being deprogrammed after a near-fatal van crash which opened his mind.
What Defines A Destructive Cult
- Hassan defines destructive cults as pyramid-structured authoritarian groups using deceptive recruitment and the BITE model.
- He emphasizes new identities are created that make members dependent and obedient to the group.
BITE As A Validated Framework
- The BITE model (Behavior, Information, Thought, Emotion control) is now empirically validated for assessing authoritarian control.
- Hassan used quantitative research to make the model legally and scientifically applicable across groups.
