After the world of the cult: My 50-plus year journey with ICSA and beyond
This presentation shares Paul Engel’s personal account of his involvement in the cult awareness movement over the past 50 years, highlighting his evolving understanding of cultic relationships and their impact on individuals.
Black families in religiously abusive organizations: Considerations for mental health providers
This presentation examines the complex intersection of religious trauma, cultural identity, and mental health in Black families, providing guidance for mental health providers on recognizing and addressing the unique challenges of religious abuse.
From dogma to data: Artificial intelligence as a mechanism of coercive control within The Watchtower Society
This study, presented by Michael Miller, examines how The Watchtower Society, governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, uses AI-enabled systems to influence believers, creating a digital panopticon that supplements and displaces human surveillance, effectively multiplying coercive control.
Hypnosis and coercion: What people believe vs. What we know.
This presentation aims to clarify misconceptions about hypnosis, its applications, and its role in coercive and cultic environments, providing a scientifically grounded understanding of its effects and limitations.
Identity (trans)formation following disengagement from High Demand Groups (HDG): Understandings and treatment implications using systems theory
In this presentation, Catherine de Boer illustrates how Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST) can help understand the dynamics of High-Demand Groups (HDGs) and provide a roadmap for therapeutic intervention by exploring the balance between autonomy and belonging, and the concept of “differentiation of self”.
Epileptic cult leaders?
In this presentation, Yuval Laor proposes that some cult leaders may exhibit a combination of dark triad personality traits and features associated with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), which can contribute to their charismatic and controlling behavior.
When silence speaks in color: Expanding coercive control awareness through art therapy
This presentation explores the intersection of personal art-making, academic inquiry, and the study of coercive control through art therapy, highlighting the potential of arts-based inquiry to raise awareness and promote healing.
Olive Leaf Network: A trans-cultic model of coercive control from survivor-led advocacy in Australasia
This presentation discusses the Olive Leaf Network’s survivor-led approach to supporting individuals affected by cults and high-control groups, highlighting its model of practice, achievements, and future directions.
Hypnosis and coercion: What people believe vs. What we know (pre-recorded)
This presentation aims to clarify misconceptions about hypnosis, its applications, and its role in coercive and cultic environments, providing a scientifically grounded understanding of its effects and limitations.