Newsletter: Keeping Democracy Safe and Sane
Fighting Misinformation and Extremism
In this week’s episode of Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum, “Cults, Authoritarian Control, and the Fight for Democracy,” I spoke with Dr. Stephen Kent, Canadian professor emeritus of sociology, who taught courses on alternative and sectarian religions, including destructive cults. His research concentrates on issues related to harm caused by groups to individuals and society, and our discussion focuses on what we can do to prevent our culture from degrading into a fascist regime. We discuss cult apologists, cult leaders' narcissism, and other interesting content you won't hear elsewhere. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
In next week’s episode, “The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America,” I speak with David Pakman, whose book of the same title is an excellent exploration into how misinformation spreads, why people become trapped in ideological bubbles, and the real-world consequences of media echo chambers on democracy.
This week’s livestream will be tomorrow, Wednesday, May 7th, at 1-2 p.m. EDT. I welcome everyone to tune in with questions and comments! Last week’s livestream was a great success; you can see the recording here if you missed it. Also, Lev Parnas and I collaborated on a Substack Live; it was a great conversation touching on many important topics, and I look forward to doing more.
I’m delighted to see that my Instagram following is up to 131k followers! Thanks to all who follow me there, and remember to also follow me on BlueSky. We are developing plans to do a lot more content on my YouTube channel- for those who wish premium memberships to help Freedom of Mind continue its important work.
If you want to learn more about cultic manipulation and control, my workbook, Understanding Cults, is now available. Based on my online Understanding Cults: A Foundational Course, it is an excellent resource for those wishing to help a loved one out of any high-control group or relationship.
I was invited to do a vitally important chapter for an upcoming book, Representing People with Trauma: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers, published by the American Bar Association. The chapter will focus on what defense lawyers need to know about clients subjected to undue influence in cults. A special thank you to Simone Hall who contributed greatly as coauthor.
What topics would you like to see me cover? What are your favorite posts or podcasts of mine that you have really enjoyed, and why? Moving forward, I’d love to hear more about what topics YOU find important!
Have you ever been part of a group that shaped you—positively, negatively, or perhaps both? Your experience is important. I invite you to take a few moments to complete my BITE Model of Authoritarian Control™ survey. We continue to gather firsthand insights from people across a wide spectrum—from those who found support and growth in ethical communities to those who endured manipulation in high-control groups. If you’ve been part of multiple groups, feel free to submit separate entries. Each contribution brings us closer to building a comprehensive, evidence-based resource for healing, education, and prevention. Thank you for lending your voice to this vital work.
Cult influence can be found everywhere online, including the political sphere we see when we scroll on social media. Understanding how authoritarian control operates is urgent to preserve our autonomy and individuality. In this new episode of The Influence Continuum, I talk with Dr. Stephen Kent, professor emeritus of sociology, who taught courses on alternative and sectarian religions. His research concentrates on issues related to harm caused by groups to individuals and society.
Read the blog post or listen to the podcast below:
How can you tell if that group your family member has joined is safe? Is your relationship hitting a “rough patch,” or is there actual cause for concern? With this anonymous, easy-to-use diagnostic tool, you can answer simple questions and determine if any group or relationship is beneficial or destructive, ethical or unethical, healthy or unhealthy. And now, you can share your results on your social media if you wish!
As always, please let us know what you think about these pieces or what you’d like to see us discuss in the future. Thanks so much!
Stephen - Love your work and in particular I am excited about the book regarding trauma/defense attorneys. What I find concerning is how you cover only the "far right" as a cult, but you are not able to see it on the far left? Even Ronald Reagan said that fascism would eventually come from the far left. This is what has happened, but they are projecting. During this most recent campaign we literally had the leftists mindlessly repeating taglines "he's a fascist, rapist, etc." That is mind control. Also the lawn signs that say "black lives matter... no one is illegal," That is dogma, teetering on the brink of religion. In your position, I believe it should be very difficult to take a side because both sides sadly are cults to some extent. I actually see far less of cult brainwashing and mind control on the right at the moment. A lot of folks on the right, like Charlie Kirk, are trying to engage in solid healthy debate across the aisle. That is not something I see anyone on the left currently doing... The closest we came was seeing Gavin Newsome on Tucker Carlson. Anyways, I know it's difficult because of the confusion and extremes, but I would love to see a more politically balanced perspective.