International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation ■ Vol. 1, No. 1, 2020 77
Europe also have a presence on the internet
as they often target isolated people who
believe they do not belong anywhere.
Another recent trend is recruitment through
the wellness movement. There have been
cases of cults within yoga and martial arts
circles, such as Bikram Yoga, considered a
cult by many people. These gateways to cults
make sense given that HDGs exploit people’s
highest ideals—that is, to fulfill one’s
potential, be it physical, professional,
emotional, or spiritual. This drive toward
self-actualization has its roots in the United
States in the human potential movement of
the 1960s, which gave birth to such HDGs as
Lifespring, EST, and the Forum. Some of
these ideals stem from Western cultures, but
their appeal has proven global in scope, and
the internet allows HDGs to target
individuals regardless of their physical
location.
NXIVM
NXIVM is a multilevel marketing group for
professional development known as the
Executive Success Program. Led by Keith
Raniere, the group is purported to have an inner
circle of female “sex slaves,” primarily selected
by the actress Allison Mack of television’s
Smallville fame. Women are expected to put up
“collateral” of nude photos of themselves to
ensure they do not disclose secret practices. The
“sex slaves” are branded near the pelvic bone,
without anesthesia, with the leader’s initials, KR.
In June 2019 Raniere was found guilty of all
charges including forced labor and sex
trafficking.
In the 20th century, our knowledge about the
inner workings of these groups came from the
first generation. These were the youth of the
1960s counterculture movement who had been
seduced by the idealistic messages of charismatic
leaders who exploited that idealism. Promising to
end world hunger (e.g., The Forum), create world
peace (e.g., Unification Church), or make
everyone “sane” (e.g., Center for Feeling
Therapy), this first generation was the true
believers who gave up their former lives and
dedicated themselves to the mission/ideology of
the group. Eventually, they bore the children
who, like Sarah, now comprise a large cohort
coming out of cults. Known as second-generation
adults (SGAs), their experience differs
fundamentally from that of their parents (Funari
&Henry, 2011). Whereas the first generation had
previous experiences of the outside world and a
precult personality to fall back on, this new cohort
lacks such resources. SGAs have been born or
brought into a cult very young, and many factors
make it particularly difficult for them to leave.
They usually attended only the group’s
educational system, in which they were taught
only what was needed to fulfill their role as the
leader defined it. For female SGAs, this usually
means to be obedient wives, to learn their place,
not to question the will of the men, and to be
sexually available (in some groups, not
necessarily only to one’s husband). To use an
FLDS term, women and girls are taught to “keep
sweet.” Any skills they learn in the group are not
chosen but designated by the leader. They have
had little or no contact with pop culture, and
common references to events that happened in
mainstream society during their cult years leave
them confused. Most SGAs who exit a cult have
left families and friends behind. Thus, with few
skills and limited education, income, and family
support, they often feel like the title of a popular
science fiction book, Stranger in a Strange Land
(Heinlein, 1987). They struggle to find their own
voices and to live outside in a world they have
been indoctrinated to believe is sinful and evil.
Sarah was 13 years old when she escaped
from the Twelve Tribes with her father. She
found the “real world” to be thrilling but also
overwhelming and extremely difficult to
navigate. She had only learned scripture and
been trained in domestic duties in the limited
schooling provided on the farming
compound, and she had much catching up to
do. Socially, she felt isolated and confused,
and for years she struggled to connect with
her peers. Her clothing, her hair, her manner
of speech—everything set her apart. She was
excited when a group of peers in her new
school invited her to play basketball but first
she had to ask, “What’s basketball?”
Europe also have a presence on the internet
as they often target isolated people who
believe they do not belong anywhere.
Another recent trend is recruitment through
the wellness movement. There have been
cases of cults within yoga and martial arts
circles, such as Bikram Yoga, considered a
cult by many people. These gateways to cults
make sense given that HDGs exploit people’s
highest ideals—that is, to fulfill one’s
potential, be it physical, professional,
emotional, or spiritual. This drive toward
self-actualization has its roots in the United
States in the human potential movement of
the 1960s, which gave birth to such HDGs as
Lifespring, EST, and the Forum. Some of
these ideals stem from Western cultures, but
their appeal has proven global in scope, and
the internet allows HDGs to target
individuals regardless of their physical
location.
NXIVM
NXIVM is a multilevel marketing group for
professional development known as the
Executive Success Program. Led by Keith
Raniere, the group is purported to have an inner
circle of female “sex slaves,” primarily selected
by the actress Allison Mack of television’s
Smallville fame. Women are expected to put up
“collateral” of nude photos of themselves to
ensure they do not disclose secret practices. The
“sex slaves” are branded near the pelvic bone,
without anesthesia, with the leader’s initials, KR.
In June 2019 Raniere was found guilty of all
charges including forced labor and sex
trafficking.
In the 20th century, our knowledge about the
inner workings of these groups came from the
first generation. These were the youth of the
1960s counterculture movement who had been
seduced by the idealistic messages of charismatic
leaders who exploited that idealism. Promising to
end world hunger (e.g., The Forum), create world
peace (e.g., Unification Church), or make
everyone “sane” (e.g., Center for Feeling
Therapy), this first generation was the true
believers who gave up their former lives and
dedicated themselves to the mission/ideology of
the group. Eventually, they bore the children
who, like Sarah, now comprise a large cohort
coming out of cults. Known as second-generation
adults (SGAs), their experience differs
fundamentally from that of their parents (Funari
&Henry, 2011). Whereas the first generation had
previous experiences of the outside world and a
precult personality to fall back on, this new cohort
lacks such resources. SGAs have been born or
brought into a cult very young, and many factors
make it particularly difficult for them to leave.
They usually attended only the group’s
educational system, in which they were taught
only what was needed to fulfill their role as the
leader defined it. For female SGAs, this usually
means to be obedient wives, to learn their place,
not to question the will of the men, and to be
sexually available (in some groups, not
necessarily only to one’s husband). To use an
FLDS term, women and girls are taught to “keep
sweet.” Any skills they learn in the group are not
chosen but designated by the leader. They have
had little or no contact with pop culture, and
common references to events that happened in
mainstream society during their cult years leave
them confused. Most SGAs who exit a cult have
left families and friends behind. Thus, with few
skills and limited education, income, and family
support, they often feel like the title of a popular
science fiction book, Stranger in a Strange Land
(Heinlein, 1987). They struggle to find their own
voices and to live outside in a world they have
been indoctrinated to believe is sinful and evil.
Sarah was 13 years old when she escaped
from the Twelve Tribes with her father. She
found the “real world” to be thrilling but also
overwhelming and extremely difficult to
navigate. She had only learned scripture and
been trained in domestic duties in the limited
schooling provided on the farming
compound, and she had much catching up to
do. Socially, she felt isolated and confused,
and for years she struggled to connect with
her peers. Her clothing, her hair, her manner
of speech—everything set her apart. She was
excited when a group of peers in her new
school invited her to play basketball but first
she had to ask, “What’s basketball?”
