Book: Combatting cult mind control

Steven Hassan's #1 best-selling guide to protection, rescue, and recovery from destructive cults.

Some comments on this guide:

"Combatting Cult Mind Control combines superb research with authentic personal experience. The result is a remarkable achievement. Steve Hassan's book is especially welcome today when critical thinking, privacy, and freedom of conscience are being dangerously undremined in our society. It is a book that gets behind todays headlines, and tells us why destructive mind control groups are multiplying in the world. Best of all, Hassan outlines what action is needed to win this vital battle. Combatting Cult Mind Control is important reading for political leaders, teachers, clergy, doctors, lawyers and the media. Congratulations on a job well done!"

-Rabbi James A. Rudin, Director of National Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee and Co-author of Prison or Paradise: The New Religious Cults

"Combatting Cult Mind Control is an important addition to the growing literature on destructive cults. The book's practical value is enhanced by the author's extensive experience as a counselor to concerned families following his own involvement in a well-known cult. It is both readable and informed by scholarship."

-Dr. Ronald M. Enroth, Professor of Sociology at Westmont College and Author of The Jesus People, Why Cults Succeed Where the Church Fails, A Guide to Cults & New Religions, and A Guide to Cults.

"I came away from this book with a heightened sense of the urgency of the problem of mind-controlling cults, and a heightened admiration for Steven Hassan's work in understanding them and liberating people from them. It is a clear and valuable work."

-Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, Author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People and When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough

".....what he writes makes sense and he certainly speaks from a wealth of experience, both as an ex-cultist and as a successful 'unshackler'of the chains that bind. He deserves a hearing. Preachers and teachers, especially, should read it. Since the author tells us that there are currently as many as 3,000 destructive mind-control cults in the U.S. alone--with as many as 3,000,000 members trapped in these systems of evil--get this book and study it well! In fact, we would recommend that psychology classes on the collegiate level use it as one of the reference works on their required reading lists."

-Robert L. Sumner, D.D., Editor of The Biblical Evangelist

"I enthusiastically and wholeheartedly endorse Steve Hassan's new book Combatting Cult Mind Control. As an evangelist within the Churches of Christ since1973, one initial concern I had was that the client would be robbed of their faith in God if they talked with Steve. That concern was totally unfounded on my part. Steve always respects the faith of the client. In fact, he encourages the client to continue their search for a deeper faith in God. Steve seeks to educate concerning issues of mind control and how those issues impact the life of the client. Once the client has a clear understanding of the issues of mind control, they then decide if they want to remain in their respective group. Again, let me say, that Steve does not attempt to destroy a person's faith in God. Steve's book demands the widest circulation in all disciplines of the helping professions."

-F.H. (Buddy) Martin, Evangelist for the Church of Christ

"Steve Hassan has produced an excellent work on the destructive cult phenomenon. In clear, concise tones he puts forth basic information on the problem. His analysis of the root causes of destructive cultism results from the fact he was a member of one such group and has personally experienced these elements. There are many people today who would wish away the cult problem if they could. Others seek to blame the individual for whatever difficulty may have arisen. A certain element also projects the protection of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to every action of a cult member, and often to the group itself. Combatting Cult Mind Control puts everything into proper perspective. He explains the differences between coercion and freedom. He plunges right into the intricacies of mind manipulation to produce a clear understanding of the process and the dangers. In what I consider to be a unique feature of Steve Hassan's treatment of the cult phenomenon, and in particular, the element of mind control, he shows how mind control is not inherently evil. The cults use it for a selfish and controlling purpose. But as Steve indicates, for example, a proper use of mind control for cases of severe depression could restore new freedom to great numbers of people. It is an excellent book for parents, especially those who have lost one or more children to one of these destructive cults."

-Rev. James J. LeBar, Consultant on Cults for the Archdiocese of New York

"...Combatting Cult Mind Control offers amazing insight...The author probes beyond doctrine to uncover the thought control techniques common to many cults. Without this insight into the mental processes involved, a Christian worker can expend great effort trying to reach trapped individuals with no positive results."

-David A. Reed, Christian Research Journal

"If you want a book full of gossip stories about the abuses in the inner circle of cult groups, this is not your book. If you want a serious book examining some of the unhealthy methods and motivations used by a wide variety of groups, you will find this book valuable...When it comes to dealing with cults, there are some things on the market which leave a lot to be desired in the attitude the author portrays; but Mr. Hassan's book conveys a helpful, non-vindictive attitude. It is an intelligent, thought-provoking look at a subject that confronts all of us."

-Denny Boultinghouse, Editor of Image Magazine (Church of Christ)

"Steve Hassan's book, Combatting Cult Mind Control manifests a comprehensive and lucid definition of what cult researchers and professionals refer to as "mind control." Hassan extends his research beyond the ordinary definition in order to present a palpable illustration of the human mind and the vulnerability of the human being to cult recruitment in the quest for warmth, friendship, meaning and fulfillment. Hassan's touching story of struggle with his entrance, involvment, and exit from the Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon, in addition to his insightful extrapolation, is an imperative lesson to be shared with every human concerned with the ideal of democracy, human dignity, and freedom of thought. It is my hope that this book will be generated to many readers including parents of children in cults, ex-members, and the public at large. This work, a result of Hassan's experience and laborious research, is a most crucial contribution to the understanding of cults and the prevention of their further destructive influence on our society."

-Dr. Phillip Abramowitz, Director of the Interfaith Coalition of Concern About Cults

"Hassan is a master in the difficult task of opening closed minds. Anything he writes is on my booklist concerning destructive religious practices."

-Robert Watts Thornburg, Dean of Marsh Chapel, Chaplain to Boston University

"...a most interesting and unusual book which I feel compelled to bring to your attention. Mr. Hassan reminds us that "people don't join cults; cults recruit people". And our people are sustaining tremendous losses on this front. This is a book which should be read by all, lay and professional alike. It is a must for the impacted family. It is an education for th uniformed and a valued text for the teacher and the professional. It is easily read and understood as it is highlighted by personal comment and example."

-Rochelle Baltuch, Education Director for Adath Yeshurun, The United Synagogue of America

"The current literature on the phenomenon of cults and mind control has, until now, been found in scattered, too condensed, or too specialized sources. Steve Hassan has brought to us a synthesis of both the valuable work of his predecessors and his own personal reflection on the subject of cults, thought reform and mind abuse. I heartily recommend his book as a valuable resource on the subject. It provides counsel and reflection on positive means to enhance the freedom of individuals and assist them to make free, informed choices for their lives."

-Father Wm. Kent Burtner, O.P., Dominican Fathers for the Holy Rosary Church

"Seldom does a book come along that I feel that I can recommend to all audiences, but Combatting Cult Mind Control just happens to be one of them. In addition to being free of difficult language and abstract psychological concepts, this work is fun to read and almost everyone can relate to how mind control works, since Hassan does not limit the scope to religious organizations. Most importantly, Jehovah's Witnesses can be encouraged to read it without fear of being disfellowshipped, since it does not even mention the Watchtower once in the book. Former Witnesses and relatives of JWs will find the book very helpful in understanding how and why people get into groups like the Watchtower, and how their minds are being intentionally manipulated from the very first contact. Relatives will discover why reasoning with the JW regarding the organization or their doctrine seldom works. Hassan concludes by giving several potentially disarming questions to ask a cultist bent on recruiting you or someone else."

-Randall Watters, Bethel Ministries, Author of Thus Saith...The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses and Defending the Faith

"...Hassan's book is an excellent introduction to mind control in a cult setting or in broader society."

-Gary Leazer, Director of the Interfaith Witness Department for the Southern Baptist Convention

For more informations and further quiries, please check the Freedomofmind.com website