by Dr. Janja Lalich | Nov 10, 2019 | Blog, Essays
This article originally appeared on thecut.com Photo: Keith Raniere Conversations/Youtube In October 2017, the New York Times published an exposé of a shadowy “self-help” organization called NXIVM (pronounced nex-ee-um), led by a man named Keith Raniere, who was known...
by Dr. Janja Lalich | Nov 10, 2019 | Blog, Essays
This article originally appeared on Refinery29.com The story of Nxivm is as disturbing and compelling as they come — a so-called “sex slave cult,” notable for its sadistic practices (slaves, human branding, bizarre sex rituals), and also for its cadre of elite female...
by Dr. Janja Lalich | Nov 10, 2019 | Blog, Essays
This article originally appeared on Glamour.com NXIVM turned women into slaves, branded members with its leader’s initials, and blackmailed victims into submission. It was also…on Instagram? This is what a cult looks like in 2019. Over two days in May 2019, the...
by Dr. Janja Lalich | Nov 10, 2019 | Blog, Essays
This article originally appeared on CNN.com on May 7, 2019 (CNN) — The members of the upstate New York group called Nxivm looked up to Keith Raniere as a leader who spread his ideas on how to achieve success and happiness but, prosecutors say, he was actually a conman...
by Dr. Janja Lalich | Sep 1, 2018 | Blog, Essays
Originally shared on Refinery29. It’s no coincidence that so many cults align themselves with mainstream religions. Like a predatory animal that has evolved to resemble something commonplace and nonthreatening, these organizations understand that the more they...
by Dr. Janja Lalich | Aug 15, 2017 | Blog, Essays
During my first week at Competitor in June, there was a lot of getting-to-know-you small talk with new colleagues. As you’d expect at a running magazine, the topic of workouts is a popular subject. I mentioned that I did CrossFit in my 20s, but now...
