Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan

Dr. Cindy Blackstock is Gixtan native in Canada, Professor of Social Work at McGill University, and Executive Director of First Nations Child & Family Caring Society. I collaborated with Dr. Blackstock for the presentation “Mind Control and Colonization.” With her help, I’ve come to realize that the same mind control I’ve studied for 45+ years exerted by cult leaders has unquestionably been exerted and is still exerted on Indigenous People. In this fascinating conversation, we talk about this vital issue through this underreported lens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Thomas Gutheil is an internationally known forensic psychiatrist and author of over 300 publications. He is a Professor of Psychiatry and co-founder of the Program in Psychiatry and the Law (PIPATL) associated with Harvard Medical School. In this interview, we talk about how he got interested in psychiatry, what makes a mentoring relationship ethical and successful, and most importantly, his help in helping to establish a clear understanding of undue influence which can be used to promote justice.Learn more about Dr. Steven Hassan's work and find more resources at his website FreedomOfMind.com.Follow Dr. Hassan on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frederick Clarkson is one of the foremost experts on Christian Dominionism in the United States (“Dominionism” is the theocratic idea that Christians are called by God to exercise dominion over every aspect of society by taking control of political and cultural institutions). Fred is a journalist and the author of the classic "Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy." He broke the story of Project Blitz, a coalition of conservative Christian groups working to enact Dominionist legislation in state & local legislatures across the U.S., and helped set up BlitzWatch.org to monitor, track, and defeat attempts by Christian Nationalists to implement their distorted view of religious freedom. In this interview, we talk about the contemporary politics of Dominionism. We talk about how we got here and why Dominionists are exerting so much power and influence in public life.Learn more about Dr. Steven Hassan's work and find more resources at his website FreedomOfMind.com.Follow Dr. Hassan on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anne Speckhard is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University's Medical School in Washington D.C. Her research focuses on developing counter-terrorism initiatives and understanding the motivations of terrorists. In this talk, we discuss what ISIS members and white supremacists have in common and how effective counterterrorism efforts use psychology.Learn more about Dr. Steven Hassan's work and find more resources at his website FreedomOfMind.com.Follow Dr. Hassan on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Winkler Is the program manager for the Heroic Imagination Project. Founded by seminal social psychologist Philip Zimbardo (Stanford Prison Experiment), The Heroic Imagination Project provides training for individuals and groups using groundbreaking scientific research and experiential training workshops.Matthew Winkler has taught and mentored teenagers at middle schools, high schools, and colleges in New York, New England, China, and Japan. His viral TED-Ed video “What Makes a Hero,” snowballed into his first book “Mentoring Teenage Heroes: The Hero’s Journey of Adolescence.”Learn more about Dr. Steven Hassan's work and find more resources at his website FreedomOfMind.com.Follow Dr. Hassan on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick West is a science writer, skeptical investigator, and creator of the websites Contrail Science and Metabunk. West investigates and debunks pseudoscientific claims and conspiracy theories such as chemtrails and UFO’s. To help people out of these dead ends, he advocates a kind, patient approach similar to my Strategic Interactive Approach. His first book is Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect.Learn more about Dr. Steven Hassan's work and find more resources at his website FreedomOfMind.com.Follow Dr. Hassan on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark and Kimberly O'Donnell are former Jehovah's Witnesses who’ve become some of the loudest whistleblowers of the cult. They were prominently featured in the Vice Documentary “The Crusaders,” highlighting rampant child sexual abuse in the cult. They continue to speak out today and work with former members working to recover from undue influence.Learn more about Dr. Steven Hassan's work and find more resources at his website FreedomOfMind.com.Follow Dr. Hassan on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malcolm Nance was a career counterterrorism and intelligence officer for the U.S. government’s Special Operations, Homeland Security, and Intelligence agencies. He has over 33 years of experience combating radical extremism. While researching Al-Qaeda, Nance referenced my BITE Model in his book, Defeating ISIS. He (accurately) labels ISIS a terrorist “cult.” His latest book is They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency. Nance is a frequent media contributor and counterterrorism analyst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Molly Brown Koch has been leading parenting workshops for over 60 years. She is the author of the award-winning book, “27 Secrets to Raising Amazing Children.” When I was about to become a parent, I read this book and have been relying on its wisdom for many years. At 94 years young, Koch has been a respected voice on ethical parenting for decades. In this conversation, she highlights her main ideas about parenting and shares interesting stories from her past. I have been recommending this book to second-generation former cult members in my work. I do this because when they read it, they realize what healthy parenting should have been and it helps them for their future with their children.Learn more about Dr. Steven Hassan's work and find more resources at his website FreedomOfMind.com.Follow Dr. Hassan on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jon Atack is generally acknowledged as the world's leading authority on the cult of Scientology. He spent nine years in the cult, training as an 'auditor' and becoming 'OT V.’ He’s the author of the definitive biography of Ron Hubbard, “Let’s Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky.” His new book "Opening Minds," is a must-read that helps explain undue influence and in particular, how to protect yourself from predators.Learn more about Dr. Steven Hassan's work and find more resources at his website FreedomOfMind.com.Follow Dr. Hassan on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices