Cult Awareness Day

08/30/2026

Yahoo News: 42 Years Ago Today, A Cult Poisoned Oregon Salad Bars

In America's First Major Bioterror Attack Forty-two years ago today, the United States experienced its first and largest major bioterrorist attack when a religious cult intentionally poisoned unsuspecting citizens in Oregon. Followers of the Rajneeshee movement deliberately contaminated the salad bars of multiple local restaurants in the small community of The Dalles with Salmonella typhimurium.

The massive biological attack successfully sickened more than 750 people, leading to numerous hospitalizations, though miraculously resulting in no fatalities. Investigations ultimately revealed that the poisoning was a calculated trial run for a much broader, sinister plot.

The cult's leadership orchestrated the contamination to incapacitate local voters and suppress turnout in an upcoming election. By making the voting population too ill to cast their ballots, the Rajneeshees hoped to win county elections and seize political control of Wasco County to prevent interference with their nearby commune.

Today, the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack remains a chilling historical landmark. This anniversary serves as a stark reminder of the extreme lengths to which radical groups will go to manipulate democratic processes, cementing the event as a pivotal moment in the history of American domestic terrorism and cult violence.

Hundreds got sick at Oregon salad bars in 1984. The culprit? A guru’s followers trying to rig an election. This is the story of America’s first bioterror attack.

06/26/2026

Hypnosis and coercion: What people believe vs. What we know

ICSA CONFERENCE 2026
Date: July 1-4, 2026
Hilton Bayfront, San Diego

Perhaps more than any other single method of influence, there is mystery, myth, misunderstanding and outright falsehoods about hypnosis, even among mental health professionals. Some cite research that essentially claims hypnosis does not exist beyond a not-particularly useful and confusing construct; others—especially among but hardly limited to some cult-critics—describe hypnosis in a manner that greatly exaggerates its power. This presentation, by a cult-aware psychologist with advanced training in scientific/experimental as well as clinical hypnosis, will cover and debunk a range of misunderstandings and misinformation about the use of hypnosis and hypnotic-like interpersonal dynamics in coercive and cultic environments and processes. The very real impact of hypnosis on certain people in certain situations will be carefully explored, using the most current research available rather than relying solely on anecdotal evidence.

Steve K.D. Eichel, Ph.D., ABPP, CST received his B.A. from Columbia University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a licensed psychologist since 1982. His career has included roles as a child and family psychologist, director of child and family services, and consulting forensic psychologist. He has also held academic positions, including Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Delaware. His professional affiliations include the American Academy of Psychotherapists and the International Cultic Studies Association, where he formerly served as president of the board.

This presentation aims to clarify misconceptions about hypnosis.

06/20/2026

This year's conference theme, Expanding the Scope of Coercive Control: Understanding Abusive Dynamics and Their Impacts Across Interpersonal, Institutional, and Cultic Contexts, has inspired one of our most diverse and interdisciplinary programmes to date.

Date: 1–4 July 2026
Location: San Diego Hilton Bayfront, San Diego

The agenda features presentations from researchers, clinicians, legal professionals, educators, journalists, advocates, and individuals with lived experience from around the world. Together, they will examine coercive control across a wide range of settings and explore its implications for research, practice, policy, prevention, and recovery.

General admission: US$375
ICSA members: US$325
Students: US$145
Online tickets: US$150
Day tickets: US$100 (Available for purchase in-person at the event)

https://internationalculticstudies.org/icsa-conference-2026/agenda/

06/07/2026

ICSA International Conference 2026
WORKSHOP: Building bridges across worldviews: A collaborative approach to addressing a loved-one’s cult-related involvement for families and clinicians

Date: Wed, 1 Jul
Time: 09:00 – 18:00, PDT
Location: Room 1 (313)
Hilton Bayfront, San Diego, USA

Session summary
An interactive full-day workshop for families and professionals exploring practical, ethical, and trauma-informed approaches to supporting loved ones involved in cultic groups while improving communication, reducing conflict, and building mutual understanding across differing worldviews.

Full Abstract
This all-day workshop is designed for both professionals and families, regardless of their loved one’s level of involvement in a cultic group. It is intended for parents of long-term members, families of individuals who have recently joined a group, and those who have encountered challenges during intervention efforts.

Participants will benefit from the combined expertise of intervention specialists, mental health professionals, and researchers, who will share practical insights and perspectives throughout the session. The workshop will be interactive and discussion-based, encouraging active participation and engagement.

Topics may include:
*Assessing a family’s unique situation
*Why individuals join and leave groups
*Understanding psychological manipulation and abuse
*The importance of accurate, objective, and up-to-date information
*Ethical considerations
Assessing the level of group involvement
*Effective communication strategies with loved ones
*Developing healthier coping mechanisms
*Navigating mental health challenges
*The neurobiology of trauma
*Epistemology and belief formation
*Problem-solving techniques
*Formulating constructive support strategies

The workshop will also explore how families and group members can better understand each other’s perspectives regarding the conflicts that divide them. Participants will examine strategies to improve communication, reduce conflict, negotiate mutual behavioral changes that decrease tension, and identify common ground while respecting differences in order to preserve important relationships.

https://internationalculticstudies.org/events/building-bridges-across-worldviews-a-collaborative-approach-to-addressing-a-loved-ones-cult-related-involvement-for-families-and-clinicians/

Facilitators:
Rachel Bernstein LMFT, MSEd (Presenting) [email protected]
IndoctriNation Podcast, Encino, CA, USA

Natalie Fabert Ph.D., L.P. (Presenting) [email protected]
Institution Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion, Walnut Creek, CA, USA

Erin Falconer PhD, MSc, LMSW [email protected]
Refuge Psychotherapy, LCSW, PLLC, New York, NY, USA

Joseph Kelly BA (Presenting) [email protected]
Cult Mediation/Intervention 101, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Patrick Ryan BA
[email protected]
Cult Mediation/Intervention 101, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Doni Whitsett PhD, LCSW, MFT (Presenting) [email protected]
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

An interactive full-day workshop for families and professionals exploring practical, ethical, and trauma-informed approaches to supporting loved ones involved in cultic groups while improving communication, reducing conflict, and building mutual understanding across differing worldviews.

05/01/2026

05/01/2026

Honoring Strength on Cult Recovery Day

On May 1st, we observe **Cult Recovery Day**—a time to recognize the immense courage it takes to reclaim one's life, identity, and autonomy. Healing is not a linear path, but it is one paved with resilience.

We honor the survivors, the families who never stopped searching for answers, and the dedicated professionals working to provide a safe harbor for those finding their way back.

# # # Why Today Matters:

* **Raising Awareness:** Shining a light on the dynamics of coercive control to help others spot the signs early.

* **Building Community:** Reminding survivors that they are not alone and that a life of freedom is possible.

* **Advocating for Change:** Promoting education and resources that empower individuals to heal and thrive.

To everyone on this journey: **Your voice matters, your story is yours again, and your strength is remarkable.**

** **

CultRecovery101.com

04/07/2026

International Journal of Coercive Control, Abuse and Manipulation (IJCAM): Religion and State authority: What happens when religious freedoms clash with child safety?

This article explores the tension between State authority and religious movements regarding the physical protection of minors. Using the Twelve Tribes and Quiverfull movements as case studies, the authors argue that these groups often seek to constrain or evade government oversight to maintain total control over their children's upbringing and discipline. Ultimately, the study highlights how inconsistent State enforcement and the prioritization of religious rights can leave children in "invisible" and dangerous environments.

https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=3264407&post_id=193379668&

This article examines how high-control religious groups use religious freedom claims to bypass State child-protection laws, often leaving children vulnerable to systemic physical abuse.

03/20/2026

Ecstatic Integration: Cult mediation with Patrick Ryan and Joe Kelly
Can the field move beyond the 'cult wars' of the 1970s and 80s?
Jules Evans

"Patrick Ryan and Joe Kelly have worked on something called ‘cult mediation’ for the last 40 years, offering professional mediation services between families and loved ones who have joined groups or relationships which cause concern to the families. They have personal experience of such groups, having both been involved with Transcendental Meditation. I interviewed them to find out more about their work, how it’s different from cult de-programming, how groups or individuals can sometimes use psychedelics and other drugs to control members, and why and how such groups or individuals often target very wealthy people. What I learned from them is it’s useful to try and understand the attraction of such groups and what people get from them, to try and avoid the polarisation that affected the study of new religious groups / cults in the 1970s-1980s. I was also interested that they sometimes mediate with such groups, to suggest ways to reduce harm and avoid lawsuits. That is the sort of dialogue-based approach I would like to take with ‘somewhat-culty psychedelic groups’ as well. Thanks to Patrick and Joe for sharing their wisdom and experience for us."
https://www.ecstaticintegration.org/p/cult-mediation-with-patrick-ryan

11/20/2025

How do the pros get someone to leave a cult?
Patrick Ryan and Joseph Kelly
Nic M Neves
The Guardian
November 19, 2025

When the phone rings at Patrick Ryan and Joseph Kelly’s home in Philadelphia, chances are the caller is desperate. One couple rang because their son was about to abandon his medical practice to follow a new-age guru in Spain. Another call came from a husband whose wife was emptying their life savings for a self-proclaimed prophet in Australia. Yet another family phoned about their niece, who was in a relationship with a man stealing from her, maybe drugging her, probably sexually assaulting her.

These families had tried everything else. When nothing worked, they heard there were two men in Philadelphia who might still be able to bring their loved one home.

What Ryan and Kelly do is unusual: they help people leave cults. Over the past 40 years, they have handled hundreds of cases – some simple and local, others stretching across borders and decades. They have been hired by families of both modest and considerable means. They say they have even been hired by government agencies, and that some cults they have investigated have left them genuinely afraid for their lives.

The goal is to untangle the family dynamics that might have made someone vulnerable to a cult in the first place

Although many people are involved in cultic studies and education, fewer than 10 people in the US do anything like what Ryan and Kelly do.

Two of the world’s leading cult interventionists live (with their parrot) in Philadelphia. They explain the art of coaxing people out of the most pernicious groups in the world