UPDATE: I've recently written a book entitled Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control. The new website, at Recovering Agency contains all of these articles, some of them updated, plus new resources. This older site is not being maintained, but will remain online as an archive.
Completed Works
- What is a Cult and Mind Control? - Read this first!. Here I define just what I mean when I say "cult" and "mind control". I also dispel the popular myths surrounding this subject, so that we're all on the same page. This paper speaks to cults in general, and does not mention or target Mormonism.- Is Mormonism a Cult? - A Rebuttal to FAIR - A point by point criticism of a paper by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, "Is Mormonism a Cult?".
- The BITE Model and Mormon Control - Steven Hassan, one of the more well-known cult experts, has described brainwashing through control of Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotion. Here I compare the BITE model to Mormonism, point by point.
- Cognitive Dissonance and Consonance: The Basics for Former Mormons - The theory of cognitive dissonance is an important basis for understanding the dynamics of thought reform. This paper covers the basics, along with some examples in a Mormon context.
- Thought Reform Methods - Various mind control methods used by high-demand groups to entice new members, to shape their personalities, and to keep them mentally trapped in the organization.
- Stages of Cult Recovery Applied to Mormonism - Post-cult recovery stages as identified by Dr. Paul R. Martin are examined in light of Mormonism. This is a good place to start if you are interested in recovery.
- Thought-Reform Analysis of a Recent Conference Talk by Thomas S. Monson - Thomas S. Monson is one of the Church's most beloved Conference speakers. This analysis shows the subtle influence of mind control at work.