The book got a nice write-up from Richard Blake in the January edition of the Midwest Book Review.  You can find it at:

Richard’s Bookshelf 

Margaret Singer has been studying cults and cult survivors for decades, and this book is a thorough overview of the many aspects of this complex subject.  Written for the mainstream, the book is clearly written and very readable, although her detailed descriptions of the abuse suffered by some cult members can be disturbing.  

I got this book hoping that it would provide me with scientific evidence that would help me develop a more informed opinion on the controversial issue of brainwashing.  Unfortunately, Taylor points out that it is ethically impossible to conduct controlled brainwashing studies, so I did not find the specific evidence I was looking for.  What the book does provide, however, is a detailed discussion of what science can tell us about how we come to believe what we do, and how influence attempts can impact that process. 

Taylor’s discussion of influence techniques is thorough, ranging from advertising and education through systematic techniques used by cult leaders to the physical abuse used on American prisoners during the Korean War.  By diving into neuroscience to detail how concepts and ideas are established in the brain, Taylor offers insight into how different kinds of manipulation attempts try to change how people think about the world around them.  Her discussion of how skilled manipulators work to link strong emotion to a new idea in attempt to bypass the critical thought processes that would make people stop and think is particularly important for people interested in cultic issues. 

Click here to check out this book.

In this thought-provoking book, Dennett seeks to subject religion to the examination of scientific inquiry.  The questions he raises include whether or not religion improved our evolutionary fitness in the past, and whether religion has a more positive or negative impact on our lives today.  While he only briefly addresses the issue of cults, many of the issues he discusses about the human relationship to religion in general will be helpful for people seeking to understand the dynamics of cults.  The book raises more questions than it answers, but it makes a compelling argument for applying critical thinking to matters of faith, and will give readers seeking to expand their own understanding of religion a lot to work with.

I recently came across a blog called What Enlightenment??! which is dedicated to raising awareness about some of the more disturbing behaviors of spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen, founder of What is Enlightenment? magazine. 

 There are some very elegant and well-written accounts of life inside Cohen’s group here, including several written by former editors of the magazine.  While the details may be different, the issues are the same as most groups I’ve encountered.  I particularly liked a post entitled Reflections of an Early Student, which addresses the conflict felt by members who struggle to reconcile behavior they don’t agree with from a teacher who they feel has really helped them. 

The August 24, 2006 post is an interesting essay entitled “Some Reflections on Abuse and Uncompleted or “Intermediate” Gurus.”  It discusses Aurobindo’s philosophy on the danger posed by teachers with only partial enlightenment as a reason for Cohen’s behaviors.  It’s an interesting theory, and the list of warning signs may be useful to some.  But the article supposes that there is such a thing as complete enlightenment, and implies that a teacher functioning in such a state would not be at risk of these behaviors.  Perhaps this is true, but as I have seen no evidence of any teacher who actually expresses such an idealized state, I question the validity of the concept itself. I seem to find myself much less willing to believe in things for which I have no proof, particularly given how difficult it is to find any teacher who is not tainted by scandal of some form. 

WHAT Enlightenment??! Blog