Jon Atack

Jon is a leading expert on authoritarian cult groups as well as a best-selling author. He has worked with hundreds of former members and has lectured and written extensively in a career spanning almost four decades.

A review of Jamie Mustard’s Child X: A Memoir of Slavery, Poverty, Celebrity, and Scientology

More about retribution than redemption At birth, Jamie Mustard’s mother abandoned him in what he calls Scientology’s ‘baby factory’ in Los Angeles. Hundreds of children around the globe suffered shameful neglect from the few ‘nannies’ tasked with their care. Mustard’s story is harrowing. I can confirm from interviews with him and others subjected to this […]

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Robert Lifton’s 8 Criteria of Thought Rerform

Robert Jay Lifton (b. 1926) developed these criteria to identify the manipulative techniques with which authoritarian groups gain control over their members, clouding their minds to rational thinking.This list can be used to measure the degree of control, not only in groups, but also in relationships, families and even entire countries. Milieu Control:Control the social

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Little Sister is Listening to You – artificial intelligence and undue influence

Can digital assistants be used as agents of undue influence? AIs like Siri, Alexa, Cortana, Now, M and Bixby help us to send messages, play music, and set reminders. We can even insult them to get a witty comeback, or ask them to tell us a joke – and then demand they tell us a

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