by Tara Backes | May 9, 2023 | Blog, Essays
By Janja Lalich, professor emerita of sociology at the California State University, Chico On Feb. 22, a federal judge in New York issued what is likely to be the final decision in the case of the so-called Sarah Lawrence cult. The sickening...
by Dr. Janja Lalich | Sep 2, 2022 | Blog, Essays, Resources
I’m voraciously reading Sins of My Father: A Daughter, A Cult, A Wild Unravelling by Lily Dunn, a difficult book to describe. It’s a harrowing and troubling story of growing up controlled and manipulated by a malignant narcissist, Lily’s father. It’s horrifying and...
by Dr. Janja Lalich | Oct 18, 2020 | Blog, Essays
Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton and others explore the issue. Originally published in PsychologyToday. Is Trumpism a cult? This question, among other issues, has preoccupied certain psychiatrists and mental health professionals since Donald...
by Dr. Janja Lalich | May 28, 2020 | Blog, Essays
By Luigi Corvaglia My friend Vito is a smart guy. One day his 44-inch TV broke down. They told him that the repair would cost more or less 150 Euros. However, Vito thought it would be unprofitable to repair it as he could buy a new TV at a not much higher cost. So, he...
by Dr. Janja Lalich | Nov 20, 2019 | Essays
This originally appeared on newsreview.com. Camp Fire lasers and other beliefs rooted in disaster, vulnerability. As the Camp Fire blazed last November, a startling conspiracy theory spread with the flames that added a sci-fi element to the real-life terror and chaos...
by Dr. Janja Lalich | Nov 19, 2019 | Essays
This article originally appeared on popdust.com Recently, you’ve probably read more about the disturbing prevalence of cults than you’ve ever wanted to, as 2019 has already featured more headlines about “cults”—especially “sex...
