
Resources for those who have been spiritually abused and/or members of a religious cult, as well as those who want to understand cults and spiritual abuse.
"While it is clear that ordinary, healthy people may become entrapped in prolonged abusive situations, it is equally clear that after their escape they are no longer ordinary or healthy. Chronic abuse causes serious psychological harm." - Trauma and Recovery by Dr. Judith Herman
What is a cult?
"Within a healthy religious environment, family bonds are upheld and even strengthened, questioning of the leader and basic tenets is accepted, and the leader lives in a similar manner to the followers. One is offered all the information necessary to make an educated decision about joining, and once involved, people can choose the amount of involvement that feels right to them. A cultic environment tears families apart, does not accept any questioning, and has a leader who claims to have an exalted position and to be above reproach. The cult is designed to solely advance its own goals, to abuse the members' trust, and to use fear and shame to manipulate the followers. It freely utilizes deceptive techniques while recruiting new members and fundraising, misuses scripture, and declares other belief systems as false. Because it is not under the umbrella of a recognized religion, there is no governing body and the leader is, therefore, free to do as he or she pleases." - Cult Clinic
What is spiritual abuse?
Spiritual abuse is "the use of God, religion, or other spiritual concepts as tools to gain power and control by the abuser. ...When God is used as the weapon of power and control, spiritual abuse can occur. ...the consequences of spiritual abuse can be just as powerful as the other types of abuse (e.g., physical, emotional, verbal, sexual) that are more readily identified in psychology. Consequences may include high levels of shame, self-loathing, addictive patterns of behavior, self-mutilating and self-injurious behaviors, and many of the symptoms that we normally associate with post-traumatic stress." - Jamie Marich Full article
"Just as emotional abuse affects one emotionally, while physical abuse inflicts pain and bodily injury on its victim, spiritual abuse affects one spiritually. It is the result of a spiritual leader or system that tries to control, manipulate, or dominate a person. This control is often in the form of fear. This is considered a major factor in mind control or thought reform. There are those who feel the latter comes into play in cases such as these, while others feel the thinking is in error. No matter where one stands, it does not lessen the effects of spiritual abuse." -SpiritualAbuse.org
Rafael Martinez, co-director of Spiritwatch Ministries, describes an abusive religious group: "Complete with authoritarian leadership and a viciously antisocial dogmatism tinged with [twisted doctrines], it uses cultic mind control in a religious culture that spiritually abuses those who find themselves unable to meet up with all of its ideals. ...Testimony after testimony of victims may be cited where their marriages, family ties, personal needs, fortunes, and goods have been ruthlessly and intentionally plundered to advance the group agenda through blatantly authoritarian means. [They practice] coldly unethical and deliberate manipulations of idealistic people looking for a cause to rally around, and a purpose for life."
RESOURCES
Spiritual Abuse and Recovery
Mental Health
Cults and Cult Recovery
CULTIC GROUPS
List of Groups
Apologetics Index
"While it is clear that ordinary, healthy people may become entrapped in prolonged abusive situations, it is equally clear that after their escape they are no longer ordinary or healthy. Chronic abuse causes serious psychological harm." - Trauma and Recovery by Dr. Judith Herman
What is a cult?
"Within a healthy religious environment, family bonds are upheld and even strengthened, questioning of the leader and basic tenets is accepted, and the leader lives in a similar manner to the followers. One is offered all the information necessary to make an educated decision about joining, and once involved, people can choose the amount of involvement that feels right to them. A cultic environment tears families apart, does not accept any questioning, and has a leader who claims to have an exalted position and to be above reproach. The cult is designed to solely advance its own goals, to abuse the members' trust, and to use fear and shame to manipulate the followers. It freely utilizes deceptive techniques while recruiting new members and fundraising, misuses scripture, and declares other belief systems as false. Because it is not under the umbrella of a recognized religion, there is no governing body and the leader is, therefore, free to do as he or she pleases." - Cult Clinic
- Quiz: Are you in a cult?
- 6 Traits of an Abusive Cult
- Video: How to Become A Cult Leader
- HuffPost: What Is A Cult? Recognizing And Avoiding Unhealthy Groups
- Cult Awareness for College Students
What is spiritual abuse?
Spiritual abuse is "the use of God, religion, or other spiritual concepts as tools to gain power and control by the abuser. ...When God is used as the weapon of power and control, spiritual abuse can occur. ...the consequences of spiritual abuse can be just as powerful as the other types of abuse (e.g., physical, emotional, verbal, sexual) that are more readily identified in psychology. Consequences may include high levels of shame, self-loathing, addictive patterns of behavior, self-mutilating and self-injurious behaviors, and many of the symptoms that we normally associate with post-traumatic stress." - Jamie Marich Full article
"Just as emotional abuse affects one emotionally, while physical abuse inflicts pain and bodily injury on its victim, spiritual abuse affects one spiritually. It is the result of a spiritual leader or system that tries to control, manipulate, or dominate a person. This control is often in the form of fear. This is considered a major factor in mind control or thought reform. There are those who feel the latter comes into play in cases such as these, while others feel the thinking is in error. No matter where one stands, it does not lessen the effects of spiritual abuse." -SpiritualAbuse.org
Rafael Martinez, co-director of Spiritwatch Ministries, describes an abusive religious group: "Complete with authoritarian leadership and a viciously antisocial dogmatism tinged with [twisted doctrines], it uses cultic mind control in a religious culture that spiritually abuses those who find themselves unable to meet up with all of its ideals. ...Testimony after testimony of victims may be cited where their marriages, family ties, personal needs, fortunes, and goods have been ruthlessly and intentionally plundered to advance the group agenda through blatantly authoritarian means. [They practice] coldly unethical and deliberate manipulations of idealistic people looking for a cause to rally around, and a purpose for life."
RESOURCES
Spiritual Abuse and Recovery
- Recognizing When Spiritual Abuse Is in the Church
- The Yeast of the Pharisees: Spiritual Abuse by Pastors and Counselors by Edward J. Cumella, Ph. D.
- The Barnabas Ministry
- SpiritualAbuse.org
- Churches That Abuse and Recovering from Churches That Abuse by Ron Enroth (Click here for complete PDFs of these books)
- Healing Spiritual Abuse: How to Break Free from Bad Church Experiences by Ken Blue
- The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen
- Twisted Scriptures by Mary Alice Chrnalogar
- Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges
- The Grace Awakening by Charles Swindoll
- Changes That Heal: How to Understand the Past to Ensure a Healthier Future by Henry Cloud
- Forgiving and Reconciling: Bridges to Wholeness and Hope by Everett L. Worthington
- Stages of Faith by James W. Fowler
- From Bondage to Bonding: Escaping Codependency, Embracing Biblical Love by Nancy Groom
- Discussion forum
Mental Health
- Quiz: Do You Have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD ?
- Other psychological self-tests / quizzes
- Religious Trauma Syndrome: How Some Organized Religion Leads to Mental Health Problems
- Religious Trauma Syndrome: It’s Time To Recognize It
- Symptoms of PTSD
- Common Psychological Problems of Victims of Cult Mind Control
- National Center for PTSD
- The American Academy of Experts on Traumatic Stress (AAETS)
- It's OK Not to be OK...Right Now: How to Live Through a Traumatic Experience by Dr. Mark Lerner
- Trauma and Recovery by Dr. Judith Herman
- The PTSD Workbook
Cults and Cult Recovery
- Quiz: Are you in a cult?
- 6 Traits of an Abusive Cult
- What Is A Cult? Recognizing And Avoiding Unhealthy Groups
- Video: How to Become A Cult Leader
- Quiz: Have you been a victim of mind control?
- Steven Allan Hassan's Freedom of Mind Center
- Cult FAQ
- Cult Education Institute and Message Board
- FACTNet - Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network
- New England Institute of Religious Research
- SpiritWatch: CultWorld
- How Cults Work
- International Cultic Studies Association
- New Covenant Publications: A Counter-Cult Ministry
- reFOCUS: Recovering Former Cultists' Support Network
- CultNews.com
- Ex-Cult Resource Center
- Meadowhaven - a short-term living center for recovery from high control, destructive groups
- Midwest Christian Outreach Counter-Cult Ministry
- CultWatch
- The Religious Research Project
- Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships by Tobias/Lalich
- Combatting Cult Mind Control and Releasing the Bonds by Steven Hassan
- Recovery From Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse by Michael D. Langone
- Cults in our Midst by Margaret Singer and Janja Lalich
- Bounded Choice by Janja Lalich
- The Kingdom of the Cults and The New Cults by Dr Walter Martin
- Cult-Proofing Your Kids by Dr. Paul Martin
CULTIC GROUPS
List of Groups
Apologetics Index