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SMART Ritual Abuse and Mind Control Newsletter - Issue 175 - March 2024
copied with permission
S.M.A.R.T.
(Stop Mind control And Ritual abuse Today)
P O Box 1295, Easthampton, MA 01027-1295 USA
Issue 175 – March 2024
The purpose of this newsletter is to help stop secretive
organizations and groups from abusing others and to help those who
allege they have been abused by such organizations and groups. This
newsletter is not a substitute for other ways of recovering from ritual
abuse. Readers should use caution while reading this newsletter. If
necessary, make sure other support systems are available during and
after reading this newsletter.
Important: The resources mentioned in this newsletter are for
educational value only. Reading the books cited may or may not help your
recovery process, so use caution when reading any book or contacting
any resource mentioned in this newsletter. Some may have a religious or
other agenda that may be separate from your own recovery process. Others
may have valuable information on secretive organizations but have
triggers or be somewhat sympathetic to those organizations. less
explicitly stated otherwise, the views expressed in this newsletter
constitute expressions of opinion, and readers are cautioned to form
their own opinions and draw their own conclusions by consulting a
variety of sources, including this newsletter. Resources listed, quoted
and individual articles, etc. and their writers do not necessarily
support all or any of the views mentioned in this newsletter. Also, the
views, facts and opinions mentioned in this newsletter are solely the
opinions of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of this
newsletter or its editor.
Information in this issue includes: Jeffrey
Epstein, FBI, coverup, criminal sex trafficking ring, Prince Andrew,
President Clinton, Ghislaine Maxwell, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Johanna
Sjoberg, Donald Trump, grand jury records, underage girl abuse probe,
Child abuse ring, Glasgow, sexual abuse, rape, murder, sexual assault,
Zone of Interest, Holocaust Tale, Höss villa, Auschwitz, concentration
camp, Third Reich, Martin Amis= 2014 novel, killing of nearly one
million Jews and others, Nuremberg Trials, Auschwitz Exhibition,
Barbarossa operation, Joseph Goebbels Minister of Propaganda of the
Reich, Der Untermensch, Utah bill, ritualistic sexual abuse of minors,
Brett Bluth, House Bill 196, Rep. Ken Ivory, Kenya death cult leader,
Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, convicted child molester Rashad Jamal, child
molestation, cruelty to children convictions, authoritarian structures,
critical thinking, Dr. Steven Hassan, Dr. Janja Lalich, polygamy, sleep
deprivation, manipulative language, irrational fears, ex‑Olympian,
Conrad Mainwaring, statute of limitations, Former La Luz del Mundo
‘cult’ members, religious event, child sexual exploitation charges,
Naasón Joaquín García, brainwashed, The Light of the World, Stressful
Life Events, Traumatic Experiences, Onset of Obsessive‑Compulsive
Disorder, OCD, trauma, development of major psychiatric disorders, PTSD,
Dispelling Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder Treatment,
Empirically Based Approach, dissociative identity disorder, dissociative
amnesia, DID treatment, DID patients, symptoms and functioning,
Trauma‑Informed Care, Training Deficits, Doctoral Programs,
psychological services, Trauma exposure
The Survivorship Trafficking and Extreme Abuse Online Conference 2024
Low Prices until March 15th.
Survivor Conference – Saturday and Sunday May 4 – 5, 2024
Clinician’s Conference – Friday May 3, 2024
Speakers and topics include:
Ritual Abuse, Sex Trafficking and Mind Control – Neil Brick
Masonic Ritual Abuse: Its Characteristics, Prevalence and Expression in Western Art and Culture. – Dr. Lynn Brunet
Uses of Art Therapy, Sensory Awareness and EMDR in Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) – Patricia Quinn
Using Creative Choice and Flow to Engage Healing States – Patricia Quinn
Teaching Trauma and Dissociation in Higher Education – Randy Noblitt PhD
Tackling Complex Trauma Assessment Problems with Cybernetic Big 5 Theory – Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz
Recovery Tips for and by Survivors – Moderated by Dr. Randy Noblitt and
Neil Brick.
https://survivorship.org/the-survivorship-trafficking-and-extreme-abuse-online-conference-2024
Jeffrey Epstein victims sue FBI, allege coverup –
Reuters – Jonathan Stempel February 14, 2024 NEW YORK (Reuters) ‑ A
dozen victims of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit on Wednesday accusing
the FBI of covering up its failure to investigate the late financier,
enabling his sex trafficking to continue for more than 20 years.
The victims, using Jane Doe pseudonyms, said the FBI received
credible tips as early as 1996 that Epstein trafficked young women and
girls, yet failed to interview victims or share what it knew with
federal and local law enforcement.
Victims said the FBI finally began a probe in 2006, but ended it two
years later after Epstein pleaded guilty to a Florida prostitution
charge, and kept ignoring tips until his July 2019 arrest….
“As a direct and proximate cause of the FBI’s negligence, plaintiffs
would not have been continued to be sex trafficked, abused, raped,
tortured and threatened,” the complaint said. “Jane Does 1‑12 bring
this lawsuit to get to the bottom ‑‑ once and for all ‑‑ of the FBI’s
role in Epstein’s criminal sex trafficking ring,” it added….
Wednesday’s complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan seeks
damages from the U.S. government, the only defendant. It cited a Dec. 5,
2023, Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where FBI Director Christopher
Wray was asked why the FBI didn’t do more. He promised to “get with my
team and figure out if there is more information we can provide.” The
number of Epstein’s victims is believed to be well over 100. Victims
previously reached approximately $500 million of settlements, before
deducting legal fees and costs, with a program funded by Epstein’s
estate and with two of Epstein’s banks, JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche
Bank. It is unclear whether the 12 plaintiffs received compensation from
those settlements…. The case is Doe 1 et al v United States, U.S.
District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24‑01071.4, 2024
https://www.aol.com/jeffrey‑epstein‑victims‑sue‑fbi‑185614994.html
Jeffrey Epstein documents unsealed, naming Prince Andrew and former President Clinton By Samantha Delouya, Lauren del Valle and Kara Scannell, CNN Wed January 3, 2024
CNN C Hundreds of pages of unsealed documents from a lawsuit
connected to accused sex‑trafficker Jeffrey Epstein were publicly
released on Wednesday. This is the first set of documents to be unsealed
under a December 18 court order, with more expected in the coming
weeks.
The documents in total, including material yet to be unsealed, are
expected to include nearly 200 names, including some of Epstein=s
accusers, prominent businesspeople, politicians and potentially more.
The first batch of documents didn’t appear to contain any bombshell
revelations. Much of the information in them has already been released
through media reports and other court proceedings. But this is the first
time these documents, filed with a court, have been released through
the legal system.
Attorneys for Ghislaine Maxwell said in a statement on Wednesday:
AShe has consistently and vehemently maintained her innocence.@
The documents contain excerpts of depositions taken of Maxwell and
Virginia Roberts Giuffre. There is also a deposition from Johanna
Sjoberg, who in the document described Prince Andrew touching her breast
in a joking manner while taking photos. Sjoberg=s story has been
public, but this is the first time her deposition has been unsealed. She
worked sometimes for Epstein, and she has said that he pressured her to
go beyond her comfort level at times in giving sexualized massages.
Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre previously reached an out‑of‑court
settlement in her sexual abuse lawsuit against him, according to a court
document filed by her attorneys Tuesday. Andrew has denied the
allegations against him.
The deposition transcripts include references to several prominent
names, as has been previously reported, including Andrew as well as Bill
Clinton, the former US president.
Sjoberg recalled in her 2016 deposition that Epstein spoke to her
about Bill Clinton. AHe said one time that Clinton likes them young,
referring to girls,@ she said. When asked if Clinton was a friend of
Epstein=s, she said she understood Epstein had Adealings@ with Clinton. A
spokesman for Clinton confirmed in 2019 that the former president had
flown on Epstein=s private plane but said Clinton knew nothing of the
financier=s Aterrible crimes.@ A Clinton spokesman on Wednesday
reiterated that 2019 denial and told CNN that it has now Abeen nearly 20
years since President Clinton last had contact with Epstein.@ Clinton
has not been accused of any crimes or wrongdoing related to Epstein.
In her deposition, Johanna Sjoberg also recalled a time she was with
Epstein on one of his planes and pilots informed them they needed to
land in Atlantic City. Epstein then suggested they contact Donald Trump.
AJeffrey said, Great, we=ll call up Trump and we=ll go to B I don=t
recall the name of the casino, but B we=ll go to the casino,@ Sjoberg
said. Sjoberg later said in her deposition she never gave a massage to
Trump. Trump is not accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein in the
documents. CNN has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
Giuffre alleged in her deposition that Maxwell directed her to have
sexual contact with people including former New Mexico Governor Bill
Richardson, Prince Andrew, tech guru Marvin Minsky, well‑known French
modeling scout Jean‑Luc Brunel and American investor Glenn Dubin.
A Dubin spokesperson said in a statement in 2019, when Giuffre=s
allegations were previously made public, that A@Glenn and Eva Dubin are
outraged by the allegations against them in the unsealed court records
and categorically reject them.@ The statement was widely reported at the
time, including in the Washington Post, the Hill and Vanity Fair.
The same portion of that deposition still has three unnamed people
that were not revealed Wednesday. Giuffre alleges Maxwell directed her
to have sexual relations with an Aunnamed prince,@ the Aowner of a large
hotel chain@ and a completely redacted out name.
It is not clear from the document whether Giuffre subsequently had
sexual contact with any of the people named. Other records unsealed are
legal motions filed by the attorneys. The documents are filings from a
settled case brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an American woman who
claimed Epstein sexually abused her as a minor and that Ghislaine
Maxwell, Epstein=s former girlfriend, aided in the abuse.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/business/jeffrey‑epstein‑documents‑list‑names/index.html
Jeffrey Epstein grand jury records from underage girl abuse probe to be released under Florida law By CURT ANDERSON February 29, 2024
Grand jury transcripts from a 2006 Florida investigation into
Jeffrey Epstein=s abuse of dozens of underage girls will be released
publicly later this year under legislation signed into law Thursday by
Gov. Ron DeSantis. A local judge cited the new law in denying release of
the records for now.
The measure, which takes effect July 1, would carve out a limited
exception to the secrecy that generally shrouds grand jury testimony in
specific cases such as that involving Epstein, DeSantis said at a
signing ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida, where many of the crimes took
place at Epstein=s home.
Epstein, a wealthy financier, cut a deal with South Florida federal
prosecutors in 2008 that allowed him to escape more severe federal
charges and instead plead guilty to state charges of procuring a person
under 18 for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution. He was
sentenced to 18 months in the Palm Beach County jail system, followed by
12 months of house arrest. He was required to register as a sex
offender….
https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey‑epstein‑grand‑jury‑records‑desantis‑8b6e5a3788f9caba6351321b83eb95f8
Child abuse ring warned of potential life sentence BBC Thu, January 4, 2024
A group of seven people convicted of sexually abusing children in
Glasgow have been told that they face possible life sentences. Five men
and two women were convicted in November in what is believed to be the
largest prosecution of a child abuse ring in Scotland….
The assessors will help the judge to decide whether a lifelong
restriction order should be placed on some or all of the gang, who
carried out horrific abuse against three children in a Glasgow drug den
known as the “beastie house” by one of their victims. It will look at
whether the abusers would potentially “seriously endanger the lives or
physical or psychological wellbeing of the public at large” and should
therefore be subject to risk management for the rest of their lives.
They would also be ordered to serve a minimum period in jail ‑ a
punishment part ‑ before they could be considered for parole. Iain
Owens, 45, Elaine Lannery, 39, Lesley Williams, 42, Paul Brannan, 41,
Scott Forbes, 50, Barry Watson, 47, and John Clark, 48, had denied all
of the allegations against them but were found guilty after a nine‑week
trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
All seven were convicted of sexual abuse ‑ including rape ‑ with
Owens, Lannery, Brannan and Williams also being found guilty of
attempting to murder a child by pushing her into a microwave and
trapping her in other places. Judge Lord Beckett told the seven that
they had been convicted of crimes of “extraordinary depravity” and they
all faced a “very substantial prison sentence”.
He added: “Some of you have been convicted of sexually abusing three
children and some of you two children. “All of you were convicted of
sexual abuse of a young child in the most appalling circumstances. “All
the crimes you were convicted of are serious. All the sexual cases are
of extreme gravity.”
The court heard two girls and a boy, who were all aged under 13 at
the time, were violently and sexually assaulted on multiple occasions
between 2012 and 2019, and members of the group used Class A drugs in
front of the children and caused them to consume alcohol and drugs.
Charges related to causing the children to take part in seances and
witchcraft were dropped during the trial which ran between September and
November.
Jurors had returned verdicts on 21 charges which were committed
between April 2012 and June 2019. The court heard that the children
first came into contact with social work in Glasgow in August 2017 and
were deemed to be at risk in July 2018. But the allegations of violence
and sexual abuse did not come to light until March 2020.
https://news.yahoo.com/child‑abuse‑ring‑warned‑potential‑143123893.html
The Real‑Life Inspiration Behind The Zone of Interest=s Chilling Holocaust Tale
By Armani Syed January 12, 2024 The Höss villa in southern Poland is
an idyllic two‑story building with a garden landscaped to perfection.
It is also located in the shadows of Auschwitz, the largest and
deadliest concentration camp of the Third Reich. The former house of
Nazi Commandant Rudolf Höss, who served as Camp Commandant of Auschwitz
from May 1940 to December 1943, shared the home with his wife Hedwig,
and their two children. And the building is the locus of the action in
Jonathan Glazer=s insidious Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest, his
first film in the decade since Under the Skin (2013), and the winner of
the Grand Prix and FIPRESCI prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
The film, adapted from Martin Amis= 2014 novel of the same name and
releasing nationwide in the U.S. on Jan. 12, depicts the domestic bliss
of the Höss family, who have built their Eden on genocidal foundations.
And it never contrasts this utopia with the victims of the Holocaust on
the other side of the wall. Instead, we stay with its perpetrators. The
film opens with a family enjoying a lake‑side picnic, the sunshine ripe.
But in the home setting, we learn that Rudolf (Christian Friedel) is at
the forefront of exterminating European Jews. Hedwig (Sandra Hüller),
who chillingly dubs herself AQueen of Auschwitz,@ runs a strict
household that she places above all elseCeven her husband. The family
tries its best to drown out the sounds of screams, cries, and gunshots,
but the atrocities taking place beyond the wall are undeniable, and seep
in through the cracks….
Instead, we are offered a detailed and frankly mundane insight into
their domestic routine; the children play, the husband and wife
reminisce about old memories, and Hedwig dolls herself up with lipstick
and clothing taken from Jewish women. We come no closer to knowing these
perpetrators, yet their lives don=t appear dramatically different from
our own.
ATypically we may think of Nazis and people who commit atrocities as
monsters and therefore not us, not humans[Y] which actually teaches us
nothing,@ says Glazer. AIt leaves us feeling a very safe distance,
imagining that none of us are capable of that.@ In inviting viewers to
the perpetrator=s side of the wall, he invites us to reflect on our
similarities with these people, to see that we are all capable of such
evil.
By spending time on this side of the wall, we come to see how
effortlessly the Höss couple compartmentalize the material success
they=ve built on suffering. AThey were ordinary people who managed to
separate their brains in such a way that that wasn’t troubling them,@
says Oddy. AThey sort of reveled in the nouveau riche lifestyle that
they’d carved out for themselves on the back of this and didn’t bat an
eyelid.@….
In his post as Commander of Auschwitz, Rudolph was ultimately
responsible for the killing of nearly one million Jews and others held
in the camp. After the war ended, he lived under a false identity before
British intelligence tracked him down and arrested him. Rudolph
testified in the Nuremberg TrialsCa joint tribunal ordered by France,
the Soviet Union, the U.K., and the U.S. between 1945 and 1946Cbefore he
was tried in Poland and hanged on April 16, 1947 at the site of his
crimes.
Rudolph never admitted guilt for his actions, insisting until the
endCin a refrain that became hauntingly familiar as the justification of
so many other NazisCthat he was simply following orders….
https://time.com/6554425/the‑zone‑of‑interest‑true‑story/
Auschwitz Exhibition @auschwitzxhibit The
Barbarossa operation was accompanied by an intense propaganda campaign
coordinated by Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda of the Reich.
One of the most notorious pamphlets was Der Untermensch (“The
sub‑human”), published in 1942 by the SS & displayed in
@auschwitzxhibit
https://twitter.com/auschwitzxhibit/status/1747000785102159874
Utah bill aims to define ritualistic sexual abuse of minors
by Jim Spiewak, KUTVTue, January 23rd 2024 SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) C A
new bill seeks to define “ritualistic sexual abuse” of children, a term
that sparked public interest and grabbed headlines last year after a
public spat between the Utah County Sheriff and a former Utah County
Attorney over ongoing ritualistic investigations. Survivor Brett Bluth,
who said he was ritually abused by a therapist over twenty years ago,
helped write House Bill 196. He described how religious practices were
exploited to facilitate the abuse.
“I have struggled with that very thing for many years.” The bill
aims to clearly define ritualistic sexual abuse, specifying it as an act
that commemorates or celebrates an important event in a religious,
cultural, social, or institutional context, which is then used to
sexually abuse a child. “It’s particularly heinous when a perpetrator
uses a familiar component in our society, or culture or religion to
coerce a child, to trick a child into coming closer,” Bluth said.
Rep. Ken Ivory (R B Salt Lake County), is sponsoring the bill. Bluth
said the fact that the bill has been filed shows how far this issue has
come, saying, “This is the first time those words ‘ritual abuse’ are
going to be brought into this building (State Capitol) in Utah
history.” If passed, the legislation would focus only on the sexual
abuse of minors.
https://kmyu.tv/news/local/utah‑bill‑aims‑to‑define‑ritualistic‑sexual‑abuse‑of‑minors‑utah‑county‑sheriff‑former‑attorney‑therapist‑religious‑practices
Kenya death cult leader charged after hundreds found dead in forest
Self‑proclaimed pastor arrested over deaths of more than 200 people,
most of whom had died of hunger Agence France‑Presse in Nairobi Tue 23
Jan 2024
Paul Nthenge Mackenzie (centre) is alleged to have incited his
acolytes to starve to death in order to >meet Jesus=. A Kenyan
court has charged a cult leader and dozens of suspected accomplices with
manslaughter over the deaths of more than 200 people. Self‑proclaimed
pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 94 other suspects, including his wife,
pleaded not guilty to 238 counts of manslaughter, according to court
documents seen by AFP.
Mackenzie, who was last week also charged with terrorism, is alleged
to have incited his acolytes to starve to death in order to Ameet
Jesus@ in a case that provoked horror across the world. He was arrested
last April after bodies were discovered in the Shakahola forest near
the Indian Ocean. Autopsies revealed that the majority of the 429
victims had died of hunger. Others, including children, appeared to have
been strangled, beaten or suffocated.
The site of a mass grave in Shakahola outside the coastal town of
Malindi after the exhumation of bodies. The 238 victims mentioned in
Tuesday=s hearing were killed between January 2021 and September 2023 at
Shakahola, court documents said.
The grisly case, dubbed the AShakahola forest massacre@, led the
government to flag the need for tighter control of fringe denominations.
Police and residents carry the exhumed bodies of victims of Paul
Mackenzie Nthenge=s religious cult through the village of Shakahola last
week. Questions have been raised about how Mackenzie managed to evade
law enforcement despite having a history of extremism and previous legal
cases. A Senate commission of inquiry reported in October that the
father of seven had faced charges in 2017 for extreme preaching. He was
acquitted of charges of radicalisation in 2017 for illegally providing
school teaching after rejecting the formal educational system that he
claimed was not in line with the Bible.
In 2019, he was also accused of having links to the death of two
children believed to have been starved, suffocated and then buried in a
shallow grave in Shakahola. He was released on bail pending that trial,
which is ongoing.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/23/kenya‑death‑cult‑leader‑charged‑after‑hundreds‑found‑dead‑in‑forest
Kenyan doomsday cult leader charged with murder of 191 children
Reuters February 6, 2024 NAIROBI, Feb 6 (Reuters) ‑ Kenyan cult leader
Paul Mackenzie and 29 associates were charged on Tuesday with the murder
of 191 children whose bodies were found among more than double that
number buried in a forest.
The defendants all denied the charges brought before a court in the
coastal town of Malindi. One suspect was found mentally unfit to stand
trial. Prosecutors say Mackenzie ordered his followers to starve
themselves and their children to death so that they could go to heaven
before the world ended, in one of the world’s worst cult‑related
disasters in recent history. The followers of his Good News
International Church lived in several secluded settlements in an
800‑acre area within the Shakahola forest. More than 400 bodies were
eventually exhumed.
Mackenzie was arrested last April. He has already been charged with
terrorism‑related crimes, manslaughter and torture. He was also
convicted in December of producing and distributing films without a
licence and sentenced to 12 months in jail. A former taxi driver,
Mackenzie forbade cult members from sending their children to school and
from going to hospital when they were ill….
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenyan‑cult‑leader‑charged‑with‑murder‑191‑children‑2024‑02‑06/
6 who went missing may be tied to a cult. Here’s how social media draws people in. Minnah Arshad Jeanine Santucci USA TODAY Jan. 21, 2024
In an era when almost anyone can reach millions on the internet,
where is the line drawn between a social media influencer and an
influential leader who draws followers to something more sinister?
Six people are missing out of Missouri after investigators believe
they were sucked into what appears to be a Aspiritual cult@ on social
media called the University of Cosmic Intelligence. The group is run by
convicted child molester Rashad Jamal….
Jamal is currently in prison on child molestation and cruelty to
children convictions. Authorities say he built up an online following of
hundreds of thousands of followers on platforms including YouTube,
TikTok and Instagram, and shares his theories about Black and Latino
people being gods and goddesses, while people of other races and
ethnicities are not from this planet. He also shares conspiracy theories
in his videos about government controlling the weather and elites and
politicians being Areptilian shapeshifters@ who drink blood.
The missing people became increasingly isolated from family members,
quit their jobs and were seen engaged in nude meditations outdoors,
according to the Berkeley Police Department in Missouri.
The Apot of odd beliefs that=s bubbling outside of mainstream
society@ has always existed, said Stephen Kent, emeritus professor at
the University of Alberta=s sociology department. But experts say with
the internet and the dominance of social media, people have easier
access to them, and targeted content can drag them further in.
What is a cult?
What sets cults apart from other organized groups is they operate to
benefit only a leader, and their authoritarian structures leave no room
for critical thinking, according to Dr. Steven Hassan, a renowned cult
expert with firsthand experience escaping the Unification Church. Hassan
founded the Freedom of Mind Resource Center to help other survivors
heal.
Cult leaders, Hassan said, construct authoritarian rulings that
benefit only themselves either financially or by fueling their
narcissistic beliefs. They become tyrannical, with no allowance for free
will or anyone else’s needs. AIf you can create uncertainty, doubt and
fear, it makes people=s minds more susceptible to an authoritarian
voice,@ Hassan said.
Dr. Janja Lalich, a professor emerita of sociology at California
State University, Chico and founder of the Lalich Center on Cults and
Coercion, was also in what she describes as a political cult. She said
in a Wired video that cults have four common characteristics: a leader
who is charismatic and a narcissist, a transcendent belief system Athat
gives you the answer to everything,@ a system of control that dictates
things like how followers live or what they wear, and a system of
influence that draws on emotions such as fear or grief to get followers
to comply. AProbably 99% (of cult leaders) are con artists and they know
exactly what they=re doing. Some of them may eventually become
delusional because they get away with so much for so long,@ Lalich said
in the video.
Jamal told USA TODAY in a lengthy statement provided by his
publicist, Nataé Robinson, that his YouTube and other social media posts
are intended to share his opinions “ranging from metaphysics to quantum
physics to marine biology, Topography, Philosophy, Religion, Black
History, World History, Yoga Meditation and Crystal healing.” “I want
to categorically state that I am not a cult leader. … I am not involved
in any form of cult activities, and my teachings are focused on
enlightenment, not control,” the statement said….
AThe dangers depend upon how one uses the internet and information,@
Kent said. Hassan suspects other agents are also at work. AIf
you look at (Jamal’s) YouTube, how did he get so many followers? Was it
really organic, or were there bad actors amplifying it, or was it just
algorithms of YouTube trying to make money?@ Hassan said….
Police in Berkeley, Missouri, have said the missing people were
followers of Jamal on social media, shared his content and referenced
his teachings. Their behaviors included engaging in polygamy, changing
their names to “a spiritual God or Goddess” and “referring to their
mother as a ‘shell’ that brought their spirit into the universe,” police
said.
It’s possible the missing people never had any in‑person contact
with Jamal, Kent said, because the social media influencer has been
imprisoned and was previously living in a different state. But that
doesn’t mean they were not among his followers, Kent said. AThat=s one
of the consequences of the internet: People can feel like they know a
leader even if a leader doesn=t know them,@ he said.
While cults are often thought to only attract a fringe group of
people, Hassan warned virtually anyone is susceptible, though cult
leaders may take advantage of weak moments. They use behavioral tactics
to gradually rope people in, such as sleep deprivation, manipulative
language and instilling irrational fears to prevent recruits from
leaving or fighting back. And in the age of the internet, recruiting a
wide breadth of people is made even easier for cult leaders, Hassan
said….
Lalich said in the Wired video that people on the outside of a cult
should make sure to be a “safe haven” for anyone who might be involved
in a cult to know they can go to. “It’s not easy to leave a cult,”
Lalich said in the Wired video. “It’s one of the hardest things
someone’s ever going to do.”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/01/20/cults‑online‑social‑media‑missing‑people/72281211007/
An ex‑Olympian pleads guilty to sexually assaulting boys B but the total number of victims >remains unknown,= DA says Holly Yan and Nic F. Anderson, CNN February 10, 2024
As boys, they trusted him as a revered coach and mentor. As men,
they say he=s a Amonster@ who used his Olympic fame to manipulate young
athletes and sexually assault them. Now, more than four decades after
Conrad Mainwaring trained young athletes at a Massachusetts sports camp,
the 72‑year‑old pleaded guilty this week to 14 counts of indecent
assault and battery involving nine male victims. In addition to the
criminal cases in Massachusetts, at least seven men have accused
Mainwaring of sexual assault in civil lawsuits in New York state, an
attorney representing them told CNN. And there could be more victims who
have yet to come forward….
Immediately after the Olympics, Mainwaring moved to Massachusetts to
work at Camp Greylock B a boys= sports camp in Berkshire County B from
1976 to 1979, the district attorney said. AWhile working at the camp,
the Defendant is confirmed to have sexually abused nine children,@
Shugrue said in a written statement. CNN has reached out to Camp
Greylock for comment. For decades, the victims= abuse was a closely
guarded secret. Some accusers told CNN they had felt too uncomfortable
or even ashamed to speak out….
Waxman said Mainwaring was such an Aexpert manipulator@ that he
didn=t realize he had been sexually assaulted until years later, when he
was in college. Then he felt a wave of shame and self‑loathing, the
victim told his abuser in court Thursday. AOver time, as I realized what
you had done, I began to experience many self‑damaging thoughts:
>What was wrong with me? Why did you choose me in the first place?
Why didn=t I stop you? I must be defective in some way or ways,=@ Waxman
told Mainwaring. AThose negative thoughts took up space in my head for
decades.@
Mainwaring pleaded guilty to 14 counts B or instances B of sexual
assault involving nine male victims who were between 13 and 19 years old
at the time. As part of a plea deal, he was sentenced to 10 to 11 years
in prison, a spokesperson for the Berkshire County District Attorney=s
Office said. But more allegations of rampant abuse by Mainwaring have
emerged….
After Mainwaring left Camp Greylock in 1979, he moved to upstate New
York to study guidance and counseling at Syracuse University, according
to a civil court filing. He was also employed as a resident adviser. In
1980, Mainwaring also started working with Ahigh school student
athletes at the nearby Nottingham High School,@ another court filing
says….
In a statement to CNN, the Syracuse City School District said it
Ahas no records that Conrad Mainwaring was ever a staff member or a
sanctioned volunteer at Nottingham or in the Syracuse City School
District.@ But the Olympian quickly earned the teenager=s trust and
friendship, and the pair would speak regularly B often in a guidance
counselor=s office, Kriesberg said. AWe would talk about school and
sports and whatever teenage boys want to talk about,@ Kriesberg told
CNN. AHe was part counselor, part mentor, part coach, part friend, big
brother, therapist.@
But later, Kriesberg said, he realized Mainwaring was actually a
manipulative Amonster.@ AI was being groomed B sort of set up for the
kill, so to speak.@ In the summer of 1981, when Kriesberg was 17, he
visited Mainwaring at his Syracuse University campus home.
Mainwaring then started massaging Kriesberg….@ the complaint says.
AMainwaring used intimidation, fear, fraud, force and his position of
power and authority over Joseph,@ the lawsuit says. AMainwaring told
Joseph that this procedure was necessary so he could properly understand
Joseph=s sex drive and provide proper counseling. Joseph did not
consent to Mainwaring=s sexual assault.@
The lawsuit names Syracuse University as a defendant, saying it Adid
not conduct a background check, did not contact Mainwaring=s prior
employment, including his employment with Camp Greylock, and did not
collect references from Mainwaring@ prior to allowing him to live on
campus and hiring him as a resident adviser. A Syracuse University
spokesperson declined to comment on Mainwaring and the sexual assault
allegations against him, citing Astill active litigation.@
Kriesberg said he could not pursue criminal action against
Mainwaring for the alleged 1981 incident at Syracuse because the statute
of limitations in New York state has passed. That's why he's pursuing
civil action. At least six other men have also accused Mainwaring of
sexual assault in civil lawsuits filed in New York state, said Kat
Thomas, an attorney representing those
plaintiffs….https://www.aol.com/news/ex‑olympian‑pleads‑guilty‑sexually‑211219752.html
Former La Luz del Mundo ‘cult’ members protest religious event in Houston
The Houston First Corporation, which manages the George R. Brown
Convention Center downtown, said it has “no legal basis for denying” the
megachurch to host an event. By Eric Killelea Feb 12, 2024
The leader of La Luz del Mundo, a Mexico‑based Christian megachurch
with 18 Houston congregations, has been locked up in a California prison
since being arrested on child sexual exploitation charges in 2019.
Naasón Joaquín García, the 54‑year‑old self‑described “Apostle of Jesus
Christ,” pleaded guilty in 2022 to sexually abusing three minors and has
been serving a nearly 17‑year sentence in prison. He is now facing
another 40 years after being charged in October with two felony counts
of producing and possessing child pornography.
Meanwhile, documentaries on HBO and Netflix have featured stories
from former church members who claim they were brainwashed and sexually
abused by leaders in the Christian church.
Regardless of the church’s reputation, La Luz Del MundoC”The Light
of the World”Chas managed to book an event meant to attract thousands of
members from Houston and across the United States and Mexico to the
George R. Brown Convention Center near Discovery Green downtown, taking
place Monday through Wednesday. In the past two weeks, Houston church
members have been distributing digital flyers displaying animated
versions of García on Facebook to promote the “Holy Supper 2024” event….
Judith Castillo is among the growing number of former members of the
church’s Houston congregations that have been asking state lawmakers,
Mayor John Whitmire, city council members and Houston First, the
government corporation that operates the George R. Brown Convention
Center, to cancel the event. Castillo told them that both she and her
daughter had been sexually abused by church members in Houston.
“This convention is a way the church tries to prove that they’re
still powerful,” Castillo, a PhD student at the University of Houston,
said Sunday. “We need to protect the integrity of the city and protect
our kids from the members of the church who will attend this event. So,
knowing all the facts, why is the city allowing this message of
corruption?”….
https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/la‑luz‑del‑mundo‑houston‑convention‑18662983.php
Unveiled: Surviving La Luz Del Mundo – HBO Documentary
This documentary series explores the horrifying, yet relatively
unknown story of the Christian church La Luz del Mundo (LLDM) and the
sexual abuse that scores of members, many of them minors, say they have
suffered at the hands of its successive leaders, known as the
AApostles.@ Told from the point of view of the survivors who met to
share their stories of abuse, the series chronicles the history of one
of the most powerful religious groups not only in Mexico where it was
founded, but also in the United States, while giving voice to the men
and women who were brave enough to stand up and call out the heinous
crimes.
Under the guise of the only true church offering eternal salvation,
LLDM, which claims to have congregations in over 50 countries and over
five million followers, was founded in 1926 by Aarón Joaquín Gonzalez.
Joaquín Gonzalez was succeeded by his son and then grandson, all three
Apostles said to be appointed by Adivine revelation.@ Now, scores of
former members have come forward to describe how the Apostles built and
maintained a system to procure and groom children for abuse. The series
culminates in the events leading up to the 2019 arrest of the current
Apostle, Naasón Joaquín García and his present‑day trial, shedding light
on a story that was all but ignored by mainstream media, and
illustrating the positive power of social media to unite and provide
agency to the survivors.
https://www.hbo.com/unveiled‑surviving‑la‑luz‑del‑mundo
The Darkness within La Luz del Mundo 2023 Netflix Documentary For
the first time, complainants against La Luz del Mundo megachurch
leaders expose the abuses they suffered through exclusive interviews.
https://www.netflix.com/title/81404182
Impacts of Stressful Life Events and Traumatic Experiences on Onset of Obsessive‑Compulsive Disorder
B Keitaro Murayama,1 Tomohiro Nakao,1,* Aikana Ohno,1,2 Sae Tsuruta,3
Hirofumi Tomiyama,1 Suguru Hasuzawa,1 Taro Mizobe,1 Kenta Kato,1 and
Shigenobu Kanba1 Front Psychiatry. 2020; 11: 561266. Published
online 2020 Dec 3. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.561266
AIn the present study, we investigated the onset conditions of 281
patients with OCD and compared clinical characteristics among groups
with or without stressful life events including traumatic experiences.
As a result, 172 (61.2%) participants had experienced various stressful
life events, and 98 (34%) participants had had traumatic experiences
before the onset. Furthermore, the participants who had had stressful
life events showed more contamination/fear symptoms compared with those
without such life events….
We examined patients with OCD to identify the circumstances around
the onset, including traumatic experiences and stressful life events. We
found that around 61% of patients experienced stressful life events
before the onset, and around 57% of patients had traumatic experiences
within 1 month before the onset. We also found that patients with
stressful life events showed significantly more contamination/fear
symptoms, and patients with traumatic experiences showed a tendency
toward more hoarding obsessions compared with patients with spontaneous
onset.@ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7744562/
Trauma‑related obsessiveBcompulsive disorder: a review Kristy L.
Dykshoorn a , Health Psychol Behav Med. 2014 Jan 1; 2(1): 517B528.
Published online 2014 Apr 23. doi: 10.1080/21642850.2014.905207
“The interplay between obsessiveBcompulsive disorder (OCD) and
traumatic experiences has been researched consistently in the anxiety
disorder community. Many scholars, dating back to Janet’s work in 1903,
are aware that trauma can and does impact the development of major
psychiatric disorders (de Silva & Marks, 2001)….
2.2. Possible links between OCD and PTSD Recent research has
suggested that OCD and PTSD are, in fact, two disorders on the same
continuum (Gershuny, Baer, Radomsky, Wilson, & Jenike, 2003).
Gershuny et al. (2003) suggest that there is a tremendous overlap
between the symptomatology of both OCD and PTSD. Both are characterized
by recurrent and intrusive thoughts that are experienced as anxiety/fear
inducing. They discovered that as PTSD symptoms reduce, OCD symptoms
increase, and as OCD symptoms are treated, PTSD symptoms take over. They
argue that OCD symptoms do not appear to Areplace@ the PTSD symptoms,
but rather OCD symptoms are used to cope with, reduce, and avoid the
trauma‑related symptoms and memories….
Regardless of whether a trauma theory of psychopathology is adhered
to, the evidence suggesting the impact of trauma on OCD is irrefutable.
Because trauma can complicate the treatment of OCD and/or have practical
implications about the specific course of treatment, an accurate
evaluation of the traumatic event, themes, and impact is necessary (de
Silva & Marks, 1999).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4346088/
Dispelling Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder Treatment: An
Empirically Based Approach Bethany L. Brand, Richard J. Loewenstein, and
David Spiegel Psychiatry 77(2) Summer 2014
Objective: Some claim that treatment for dissociative identity
disorder (DID) is harmful. Others maintain that the available data
support the view that psychotherapy is helpful. Method: We review the
empirical support for both arguments.
Results: Current evidence supports the conclusion that phasic
treatment consistent with expert consensus guidelines is associated with
improvements in a wide range of DID patients= symptoms and functioning,
decreased rates of hospitalizattion, and reduced costs of treatment.
Research indicates that poor outcome is associated with treatment that
does not specifically involve direct engagement with DID self‑states to
repair identity fragmentation and to decrease dissociative amnesia.
Conclusions: The evidence demonstrates that carefully staged
trauma‑focused psychotherapy for DID results in improvement, whereas
dissociative symptoms persist when not specifically targeted in
treatment. The claims that DID treatment is harmful are based on
anecdotal cases, opinion pieces, reports of damage that are not
substantiated in the scientific literature, misrepresentations of the
data, and misunderstandings about DID treatment and the phenomenology of
DID. Given the severe symptomatology and disability associated with
DID, iatrogenic harm is far more likely to come from depriving DID
patients of treatment that is consistent with expert consensus,
treatment guidelines, and current research….
The current literature provides considerable empirical evidence that
DID treatment is beneficial. While RCTs have not been conducted with
DID, current evidence is consistent with the conclusion that DID
treatment is responsible for improvements in DID patients= symptoms and
functioning.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bethany‑Brand/publication/262682220_Dispelling_Myths_About_Dissociative_Identity_Disorder_Treatment_An_Empirically_Based_Approach/links/0a85e538cb428ee6c2000000/Dispelling‑Myths‑About‑Dissociative‑Identity‑Disorder‑Treatment‑An‑Empirically‑Based‑Approach.pdf
Trauma-Informed Care? Identifying Training Deficits in Accredited Doctoral Programs
Robert Foltz, Aeysha Kaeley, Judy Kupchan, Andrew Mills, Katie
Murray, Alexandra Pope, Hannah Rahman, and Colin Rubright 2023 American
Psychological Association 2023, Vol. 15, No. 7, 1188B1193 ISSN:
1942-9681 https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001461 Department of Clinical Psychology, Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago Campus
Trauma-informed care has become a pillar of competent psychological
services.A foundation in understanding trauma and its treatment should
be viewed as essential for clinical psychologists entering the field, as
working with individuals that have experienced trauma is inevitable.
Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the number of
accredited doctoral programs in clinical psychology that require a
course in trauma-informed theory and intervention in their curriculum.
Method: Clinical psychology programs accredited by the American
Psychological Association were surveyed to determine their requirement
for a course related to trauma-informed care. Program information was
initially reviewed online and in the absence of clear indication within
their program websites, survey questions were sent to the program Chair
and/or Directors of Clinical Training. Results: Data were obtained from
193 of the 254 APA-accredited programs included in this survey process.
Only nine (5%) require a course related to trauma-informed care. Of
these, five were PhD programs and four were PsyD programs. This equates
to 202 (8%) of graduating doctoral students having been required to take
a course related to trauma-informed care.
Conclusions: Trauma exposure is common and a major factor to be
considered in the development of psychological disorders and overall
physical and emotional wellbeing. As a result, clinical psychologists
should enter the field with a foundation in understanding the impact and
treatment of trauma exposure. However, only a minority of graduating
doctoral students have been required to take a course related to this
topic in their graduate curriculum.
Https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36913296/
