Steven Hassan

Steven Hassan was recruited from college into the Unification Church ('the Moonies'). Mr. Hassan was a Moonie for over two years, during which time he rose from recruit to Unification Church Manhattan NY main lecturer and Unification Church national headquarters assistant director. Then Mr. Hassan's family had him 'forcibly deprogrammed' while he was convalescing from a bad automobile accident. After much emotional resistance Mr. Hassan's Unification Church belief faltered and he regained the rational detachment required to view his experiences objectively.

Mr. Hassan grew to despise the abusive mind control techniques he had *experienced and used* as a Unification Church member and leader -- he now describes the Unification Church as a 'destructive cult'. Mr. Hassan returned to college to study psychology, then developed his own 'exit counseling' techniques that rely on discussion rather than anxiety-creating confrontation to break a destructive cult's hold upon its members.

Mr. Hassan's powerfully-written text first describes his experience as a destructive cult's member and leader, then describes his extensive experience as an exit counselor helping members of many destructive cults. Mr. Hassan describes how destructive cults attract, recruit, isolate and control their members, rewarding attitudes and behaviors approved by cult leaders and punishing attitudes and behaviors not approved by cult leaders. Cult members' lives revolve around this programmed reward and punishment, an environment that quickly confuses and forces cult members into obedience.

"Combatting CULT MIND CONTROL" is suitable both for social workers getting their first exposure to destructive cults, and also for concerned family members trying to understand what their loved one is experiencing as a cult member.