Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2002, Page 13
members prefer terms such as ―psychological abuse‖ or ―spiritual abuse‖ to ―cult,‖
―brainwashing,‖ or ―mind control.‖
Dr. Paul Martin and his colleagues at the Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center (a
residential treatment center for former group members) analyzed data Wellspring
had collected on 124 clients. CSJ published a report on this research in 1992.
In 1992 in Arlington, Virginia AFF conducted a conference, ―Cult Victims and Their
Families: Therapeutic Issues.‖ In 1995 AFF conducted a joint conference with Denver
Seminary: ―Recovery from Cults: A Pastoral/Psychological Dialogue.‖ And in 1996,
AFF, in conjunction with Iona College‘s pastoral and family counseling department,
conducted a conference, ―Recovery from Cults and Other Abusive Groups:
Psychological and Spiritual Dimensions.‖
Under Project Recovery, AFF published AFF News, a free outreach newsletter directed
toward ex-members. This periodical‘s function is now fulfilled through AFF‘s Web
sites and its free Internet newsletter, AFF News Briefs.
In 1993 Norton Professional Books published AFF‘s Recovery from Cults, edited by Dr.
Michael Langone, a book that the Behavioral Science Book Service chose as an
alternate selection. This edited book consisted of chapters written by members of
the Project Recovery study groups.
In 1993 AFF published Wendy Ford‘s book, Recovery from Abusive Groups, which
provides practical guidelines for individuals struggling with post-group adjustment
issues.
In 1994 Hunter House published Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, written by AFF advisors
Madeleine Tobais and Janja Lalich.
Research Advances
Project Recovery‘s research component led to an important three-day research planning
meeting, which was organized by Dr. Langone and hosted by Dr. Martin and his staff at
Wellspring in 1994. A follow-up meeting was held a year later. The action
recommendations identified at these meetings continue to guide AFF‘s research program.
Appendix D contains an abridged version of these research meeting reports.
Among those attending these meetings were two teams of graduate students from
Pepperdine University and Ohio University, working under Dr. David Foy and Dr. Steve
Lynn, respectively. These students later completed several dissertations and independent
research studies (some published in Cultic Studies Journal) relevant to goals of the research
plan enunciated at these meetings. Some of this research was reported in a paper
presented to the American Psychological Association‘s Division 36, Psychology of Religion in
1996. Other research was reported on at other professional meetings.
In 1995 Boston University named AFF‘s Dr. Langone the 1995 Albert Danielsen Visiting
Scholar. In this capacity, he conducted a research study that compared former
members/graduates of a cultic group and two mainstream religious groups on (a) members‘
perceptions of group abusiveness, and (b) psychological distress. This study‘s design was a
direct result of the research planning meetings conducted at Wellspring.
In 1994 AFF, with the Cult Awareness Network and the Cult Hot Line and Clinic of the New
York Jewish Board of Family &Children‘s Services, funded and received a special report
from the American Bar Association‘s Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law:
―Cults in American Society: A Legal Analysis of Undue Influence, Fraud and
Misrepresentation.‖ This report, published in Cultic Studies Journal in 1995, reflected AFF‘s
desire to support legal research with practical implications for former group members.
members prefer terms such as ―psychological abuse‖ or ―spiritual abuse‖ to ―cult,‖
―brainwashing,‖ or ―mind control.‖
Dr. Paul Martin and his colleagues at the Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center (a
residential treatment center for former group members) analyzed data Wellspring
had collected on 124 clients. CSJ published a report on this research in 1992.
In 1992 in Arlington, Virginia AFF conducted a conference, ―Cult Victims and Their
Families: Therapeutic Issues.‖ In 1995 AFF conducted a joint conference with Denver
Seminary: ―Recovery from Cults: A Pastoral/Psychological Dialogue.‖ And in 1996,
AFF, in conjunction with Iona College‘s pastoral and family counseling department,
conducted a conference, ―Recovery from Cults and Other Abusive Groups:
Psychological and Spiritual Dimensions.‖
Under Project Recovery, AFF published AFF News, a free outreach newsletter directed
toward ex-members. This periodical‘s function is now fulfilled through AFF‘s Web
sites and its free Internet newsletter, AFF News Briefs.
In 1993 Norton Professional Books published AFF‘s Recovery from Cults, edited by Dr.
Michael Langone, a book that the Behavioral Science Book Service chose as an
alternate selection. This edited book consisted of chapters written by members of
the Project Recovery study groups.
In 1993 AFF published Wendy Ford‘s book, Recovery from Abusive Groups, which
provides practical guidelines for individuals struggling with post-group adjustment
issues.
In 1994 Hunter House published Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, written by AFF advisors
Madeleine Tobais and Janja Lalich.
Research Advances
Project Recovery‘s research component led to an important three-day research planning
meeting, which was organized by Dr. Langone and hosted by Dr. Martin and his staff at
Wellspring in 1994. A follow-up meeting was held a year later. The action
recommendations identified at these meetings continue to guide AFF‘s research program.
Appendix D contains an abridged version of these research meeting reports.
Among those attending these meetings were two teams of graduate students from
Pepperdine University and Ohio University, working under Dr. David Foy and Dr. Steve
Lynn, respectively. These students later completed several dissertations and independent
research studies (some published in Cultic Studies Journal) relevant to goals of the research
plan enunciated at these meetings. Some of this research was reported in a paper
presented to the American Psychological Association‘s Division 36, Psychology of Religion in
1996. Other research was reported on at other professional meetings.
In 1995 Boston University named AFF‘s Dr. Langone the 1995 Albert Danielsen Visiting
Scholar. In this capacity, he conducted a research study that compared former
members/graduates of a cultic group and two mainstream religious groups on (a) members‘
perceptions of group abusiveness, and (b) psychological distress. This study‘s design was a
direct result of the research planning meetings conducted at Wellspring.
In 1994 AFF, with the Cult Awareness Network and the Cult Hot Line and Clinic of the New
York Jewish Board of Family &Children‘s Services, funded and received a special report
from the American Bar Association‘s Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law:
―Cults in American Society: A Legal Analysis of Undue Influence, Fraud and
Misrepresentation.‖ This report, published in Cultic Studies Journal in 1995, reflected AFF‘s
desire to support legal research with practical implications for former group members.
