Newsletter: Steven Attends the BrainMind Forum, Has His Mind Blown
Also: the hard work that goes into healing from Scientology
Dear friends,
I had a wonderful time at the BrainMind Special Forum, meeting and networking with some of the top minds in neuroscience and AI (artificial intelligence). It is truly eye-opening to see what is going on in those fields. The people I spoke with were the best part; they were terrific!
This week’s Influence Continuum is a special treat; my longtime friend and colleague Jon Atack, world-renowned expert on Scientology and authoritarianism, joins me in a frank discussion on recovery and the hard work that many cult survivors must do to be fully healed.
In honor of graduation season, my most recent blog post in Psychology Today offers helpful advice to our graduates. I’m sure they will find the information in this article vital; please share it with your graduate today! You will find links to this below, and you can also look at celebrities in cults. Enjoy!
The BrainMind Special Forum was an incredible event; experts in the rapidly evolving fields of neuromodulation, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and the interaction of AI artificial and biological Intelligence joined together to explore the forefront of cognitive innovation, offering transformative potential for mental health and human performance.
For the Your Brain on Art section of the conference, I was delighted to meet with Susan Magsamen, who wrote the book Your Brain on Art with Ivy Ross. The brain is indeed oriented to the arts, particularly music; there is a lot of brain research on how brain patterns change when listening to music, not just playing it.
Learn more about the BrainMind Special Forum and Your Brain on Art.
In this week’s episode of the Influence Continuum, I had the pleasure of speaking with my dear friend and colleague, Jon Atack. Jon, who resides in Nottingham, England, is a prolific writer, artist, musician, and world-renowned expert on Scientology and authoritarianism. Our conversation delved deeply into the complexities of mind control, the importance of processing and healing from cult experiences, and the challenges former members face in reclaiming their lives.
Listen to the podcast below:
As today's graduates step into a world of unprecedented advancements, recruiters from destructive groups are waiting to lure the best and the brightest of them.
Cult involvement is NOT restricted to average people in the general public. Many wealthy people and celebrities have been targeted and fallen victim to cult involvement! Remember, bright, talented people—often from good homes and with higher education— can fall under the control of a cult.
What celebrity cult involvement are you aware of? Let us know in the comments!
In the meantime, check out our post on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X.
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!
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This course will help mental health professionals understand cults, brainwashing, thought reform, mind control, and undue influence. It will teach them how people can be programmed into a destructive authoritarian cult and inform them about undue influence and destructive cults. Additionally, they will learn how to recognize patients in need, several approaches that work, and guidelines when working with those affected by destructive cults.