Newsletter: Why Do Some People “Cult-Hop”?
Why it’s essential to learn the signs of manipulation now
Many people who realize that a relationship or group is abusive will leave, only to fall into the same trap in different packaging. While some might blame the person for their repeated misfortune, it’s a sad truth that falling into a second cult is one of the most predictable outcomes of leaving the first one.
Understanding why it happens is the first step toward making sure it doesn’t happen again.
In this week’s article for paid subscribers, 3 Reasons Cult Survivors Get Recruited Again, I discuss the underlying reasons why survivors often find themselves in subsequent high-control groups, and the steps required to break this recurring pattern.
If you aren’t already a paid subscriber, now is an excellent time to become one. Paid subscribers directly support my work while gaining full access to an extensive library of resources, insightful articles, and exclusive interviews with leading experts, including:
Our regular weekly livestream will take place this week on Wednesday, July 15th, at 2 pm EDT. Also, I will be having a special livestream with guest environmentalist legend Bill McKibben on Friday, the 17th, also at 2 pm. Bill was just interviewed on the Ezra Klein show, and I highly recommend listening to this! Bring your questions! For those unable to see last week’s livestreams, you can see them here:
Wednesday, July 8th - $2.2 BILLION RICHER?! Trump's Not-So Presidential Motivations Exposed
Friday, July 10th - Can Local Elections Stop Authoritarianism? Defending Democracy One Vote at a Time - with special guest Sarah Chadzynski
This week’s episode of my Cults, Culture & Coercion podcast, She Spent $115K in a Wellness Cult, features Brandie Hadfield, a registered psychotherapist and co-founder of the peer support nonprofit Flipping the Pyramid, who spent roughly ten years selling supplements for a wellness MLM (Multi-level Marketing group) before she understood she had been recruited into a commercial cult.
These groups disguise themselves as business opportunities, supportive communities for like-minded people, or even as a fun way to connect with others, but when you peel back the glossy messaging, you’ll find the strings of control, conditional “friendship,” and financial abuse that are the hallmarks of any high-control authoritarian organization.
Listen on Apple | Spotify | Watch on YouTube
Read my Substack post about the interview here.
Next week’s episode will feature U Penn law professor and former CEO of CHILDusa.org, Marci Hamilton, author of God Vs. The Gavel, and noted advocate for the rights of children and other vulnerable individuals affected by abuse at the hands of high-control religious groups. We recently published an article, Forced Labor Is Not Protected by the First Amendment, in the National Law Review, fully explaining our position and why freedom of religion must include freedom from religion.
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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!
