Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 8, No. 3, 2009, Page 43
relations, ideology and social control, as well as issues related to family, gender, and
sexuality. Dr. Lalich is consulted regularly by former cult members and their families legal,
educational, and mental-health professionals government agencies and the media. Her
most recent book, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships
(2006), provides a general introduction to cults and cult indoctrination, with a focus on
recovery. Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults (2004), which presents a
new theoretical framework for understanding cult commitment and behavior, is based on a
comparative study of Heaven‘s Gate, which committed collective suicide in 1997, and the
Democratic Workers Party, a radical left-wing political cult (of which Lalich was a high-
ranking member for more than 10 years). Other works include being guest editor of Women
Under the Influence: A Study of Women‟s Lives in Totalist Groups, a special issue of the
Cultic Studies Journal 14(1), 1997 coauthor with Margaret Thaler Singer of "Crazy”
Therapies: What Are They? Do They Work? (1996) and Cults in Our Midst (1995) and
author of numerous journal articles and book chapters. (JLalich@csuchico.edu or
drlalich@sbcglobal.net http://www.cultresearch.org)
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Review 2009, Volume 8,
Number 3, pages 281-302. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the
bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
relations, ideology and social control, as well as issues related to family, gender, and
sexuality. Dr. Lalich is consulted regularly by former cult members and their families legal,
educational, and mental-health professionals government agencies and the media. Her
most recent book, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships
(2006), provides a general introduction to cults and cult indoctrination, with a focus on
recovery. Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults (2004), which presents a
new theoretical framework for understanding cult commitment and behavior, is based on a
comparative study of Heaven‘s Gate, which committed collective suicide in 1997, and the
Democratic Workers Party, a radical left-wing political cult (of which Lalich was a high-
ranking member for more than 10 years). Other works include being guest editor of Women
Under the Influence: A Study of Women‟s Lives in Totalist Groups, a special issue of the
Cultic Studies Journal 14(1), 1997 coauthor with Margaret Thaler Singer of "Crazy”
Therapies: What Are They? Do They Work? (1996) and Cults in Our Midst (1995) and
author of numerous journal articles and book chapters. (JLalich@csuchico.edu or
drlalich@sbcglobal.net http://www.cultresearch.org)
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Review 2009, Volume 8,
Number 3, pages 281-302. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the
bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
