The annual ICSA International Conference brings together researchers, health professionals, service providers, and survivors and their families from around the world to engage in open dialogue on the most pressing themes around cultic studies. The 2026 conference explores the theme: Expanding the scope of coercive control: Understanding abusive dynamics and their impacts across interpersonal, institutional, and cultic contexts. Log in to access the conference’s on-demand presentations and join live sessions at their scheduled times.
Published date
24.06.2026
This presentation explores the evolutionary origins of coercive control and absolutist thinking, examining how language, anxiety, and the search for reassurance contribute to escapism, self-affirmation, and the dynamics of human influence.