On Torture and the “Murder of Language”
How Cults Use Disinformation and Depersonalization to Destroy Communities
Very few of us understand torture and its effects on the mind, or how this understanding can be applied to high-control, authoritarian cults. What are the connections? Mind control can attack a person’s sense of self, and even when there is no physical torture, it can impact a person’s ability to trust or even function normally.
In my latest Substack article, What Studying Torture Reveals About Cults, I discuss the work of world authority, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Barry Roth. In this article, we connect the dots with how torture attempts to sever the shared reality that allows people to trust one another and build communities of meaning.
Every cult survivor, every clinician, and every family member trying to help a loved one out of a high-control group needs to learn about this, so this article is free to all subscribers.
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Livestreams and more!
I was a guest on Pam Hemphill’s X Live (Spaces) on Monday evening; Hemphill is an ex-MAGA activist whom I have interviewed twice. Former VP Mike Pence wrote a thank-you letter to her when she refused Trump’s pardon. The J6 crowd wanted to hang Pence when he refused to undermine the peaceful transfer of power to Biden, who won the election.
My regular weekly livestream will be on Wednesday, April 22nd, at 2 pm EDT. We will discuss MAGA in turmoil, with major influencers critical of Trump, Amanda Ungaro, Melania / Epstein, Iran, Russia, and so much more! Bring your questions!
This Friday, April 24th, I will be hosting a livestream at 2 pm EDT; my guest will be researcher Frederick Clarkson, an expert on far-right Christian organizations, especially the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), which is a major part of the MAGA base.
Missed last week? Check out both recordings here:
Trump as JESUS?! AI Art Fallout Splits MAGA - Wednesday, April 15th
Corporate Cults? How Big Oil Silences Climate Change Activists - Friday, April 17th, with environmental lawyer and human rights advocate Steven Donziger, who won a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against Texaco/ Chevron and has been persecuted by Big Oil. This was an important and timely livestream examining how corporate influence, climate change denial, and legal intimidation intersect in one of the most explosive and controversial environmental cases in history.
This Week’s Cults, Culture & Coercion Podcast
In this week’s episode of my Cults, Culture & Coercion podcast, The Olive Leaf Network: Public Testimony to the Parliament of Victoria on Children in Cults and High-demand Religious Groups, I spoke with Australian psychologist Maria Esguerra, survivor of the infamous “Children of God” cult and now a specializing in disabilities and speaking for those who have been harmed as children in cults.
She co-directs a non-profit and testified that a special investigation into cults in Victoria, Australia, to change the laws to protect the rights of children in high-control groups and to afford them a better path to justice.
Listen on Apple | Spotify | Watch on YouTube
Read my Substack post about the interview here.
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!
Don’t forget to provide balance .
From AI. On the problem of today’s woke cult/ure messing with language:
Yes, evidence suggests that liberal-leaning news media and progressive commentators are actively evolving, and in some cases changing, the language used to discuss political, social, and gender issues, which critics argue creates confusion, serves ideological agendas, or signals in-group status. This shift often involves replacing traditional terminology with more "inclusive" or academic jargon, such as using "birthing person" for mother, "latinx" for latino/latina, or "equity" to describe equality of outcome rather than opportunity.
Key Aspects of the Language Shift
Ideological Redefinition: Critics argue that certain terms, such as "racism" or "systemic racism," have been expanded, making them less specific and more confusing. Similarly, the term "equity" is increasingly used to mean a deliberate, top-down re-engineering of outcomes rather than just equality under the law.
"Style Guide Liberalism": This approach involves a focus on language that is intended to be inclusive but often creates a "murky layer of jargon," acting as a marker of in-group status for highly educated professionals.
Alternative Terminology: Liberal media and organizations have promoted or adopted terms like "Latinx," "cisgender," "heteronormative," and "triggered" to describe social issues, which some critics argue alienates average voters.
"Sane-washing": Some liberal commentators use the term "sane-washing" to accuse mainstream media of sanitizing or rationalizing intense political speech from the right.