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Terror, Love and Brainwashing
- Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins
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Publisher's summary
Written by a cult survivor and renowned expert on cults and totalitarianism, Terror, Love and Brainwashing draws on the author's 25 years of study and research to explain how almost anyone, given the right set of circumstances, can be radically manipulated to engage in otherwise incomprehensible and often dangerous acts.
Illustrated with compelling stories from a range of cults and totalitarian systems, from religious to political to commercial, the book defines and analyzes the common and identifiable traits that underlie almost all these groups. It focuses on how charismatic, authoritarian leaders control their followers' attachment relationships via manipulative social structures and ideologies so that, emotionally and cognitively isolated, they become unable to act in their own survival interests. Using the evolutionary theory of attachment to demonstrate the psychological impact of these environments, and incorporating the latest neuroscientific findings, Stein illustrates how the combined dynamic of terror and "love" works to break down people's ability to think and behave rationally.
This important book offers clarity and a unique perspective on the dynamics of these systems of control and concludes with guidance to foster greater awareness and prevention.
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- My Life as a Polygamist's Wife
- By: Irene Spencer
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Irene Spencer did as she felt God commanded in marrying her brother-in-law, Verlan LeBaron, becoming his second wife. When the government raided the fundamentalist, polygamous Mormon village of Short Creek, Arizona, Irene and her family fled to Verlan's brothers' Mexican ranch. They lived in squalor and desolate conditions in the Mexican desert with Verlan's six brothers, one sister, and numerous wives and children.
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Eye Opening... Difficult Listen... Honest
- By Paul Mullen on 06-24-08
By: Irene Spencer
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Daughter of Gloriavale
- My Life in a Religious Cult
- By: Lilia Tarawa
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In this personal account, Lilia Tarawa exposes the shocking secrets of the cult, with its rigid rules and oppressive control of women. She describes her fear when her family questioned Gloriavale's beliefs and practices. When her parents fled with their children, Lilia was forced to make a desperate choice: to stay or to leave. No matter what she chose, she would lose people she loved.
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Incredibly disturbing.
- By Barbara W. on 10-11-24
By: Lilia Tarawa
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Shunned
- How I Lost My Religion and Found Myself
- By: Linda A. Curtis
- Narrated by: Emily Ellet
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Shunned follows Linda as she steps into a world she was taught to fear and discovers what is possible when we stay true to our hearts, even when it means disappointing those we love.
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Great book
- By Anonymous User on 04-14-21
By: Linda A. Curtis
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Church of Lies
- By: Flora Jessop, Paul T. Brown
- Narrated by: Eve Bianco
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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"I was one of 28 children born to my dad and his three wives. Indoctrinated to believe that the outside world was evil, and that I resided among the righteous, I was destined to marry a man chosen for me by the Prophet. I would then live in harmony with my sister-wives, bear many children, and obey and serve my future husband in this life and throughout eternity. But my innocence didn't last long." Flora goes on from there to tell the dramatic true story of how she ultimately escaped and has been rescuing women and children from the FLDS.
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So sad!
- By Granny of 9 on 08-02-20
By: Flora Jessop, and others
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The Polygamist’s Daughter
- A Memoir
- By: Anna LeBaron, Leslie Wilson - contributor
- Narrated by: Anna LeBaron
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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"My father had more than 50 children." So begins the haunting memoir of Anna LeBaron, daughter of the notorious polygamist and murderer Ervil LeBaron. With her father wanted by the FBI for killing anyone who tried to leave his cult - a radical branch of Mormonism - Anna and her siblings were constantly on the run with the other sister-wives. Often starving and always desperate, the children lived in terror. Even though there were dozens of them together, Anna always felt alone.
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Bait and Switch
- By A. C. on 04-25-17
By: Anna LeBaron, and others
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Cults on Trial
- A Cross-Examination of Jim Jones, Charles Manson, Hitler… and Donald Trump
- By: Lance Moore
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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The Culture of Cults Our current malaise raises questions: • Are we all soul-stained with selfishness... or is it just a healthy survival instinct? • Where is the line between normal self-interest and full- blown Narcissism? • How do we distinguish strong leadership from manipulation? Community from Cult? Drawing upon court cases and real world experiences, this book shows how cult gurus and “cult cultures” fit a predictable pattern, a common template of destructive traits and tactics. By studying Cult Culture, the author argues, we gain insight into current politics and Fascist ...
By: Lance Moore
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Favorite Wife
- Escape from Polygamy
- By: Susan Ray Schmidt
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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She had no choice in the matter - none of the girls did. Her mission was to give birth to and raise many children in devoted service to a shared husband. Susan was 15 years old when she became the sixth wife of Verlan LeBaron, one of the leaders of a rogue Mormon cult, who was engaged in a blood feud with his brother that from 1972 to 1988 claimed up to two dozen lives. In this gripping and eloquent book, Susan Ray Schmidt tells the story of growing up on the inside and of her ultimate escape with her children from an oppressive and violent life.
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If you have 22 hours to kill...
- By BarB on 03-30-20
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The Sound of Gravel
- A Memoir
- By: Ruth Wariner
- Narrated by: Ruth Wariner
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Ruth Wariner was the 39th of her father's 42 children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turned a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach that God will punish the wicked by destroying the world and that women can ascend to heaven only by entering into polygamous marriages and giving birth to as many children as possible.
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Unputdownable
- By Lesley A. on 01-16-16
By: Ruth Wariner
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The Demon Next Door
- By: Bryan Burrough
- Narrated by: Steve White
- Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling author Bryan Burrough recently made a shocking discovery: The small town of Temple, Texas, where he had grown up, had harbored a dark secret. One of his high school classmates, Danny Corwin, was a vicious serial killer. In this chilling tale, Burrough raises important questions of whether serial killers can be recognized before they kill or rehabilitated after they do. It is also a story of Texas politics and power that led the good citizens of the town of Temple to enable a demon who was their worst nightmare.
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Odd narration choice
- By Amanda Fredericks on 03-08-19
By: Bryan Burrough
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Jesus and John Wayne
- How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
- By: Kristin Kobes du Mez
- Narrated by: Suzie Althens
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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How did a libertine who lacks even the most basic knowledge of the Christian faith win 81 percent of the white evangelical vote in 2016? And why have white evangelicals become a presidential reprobate's staunchest supporters? Jesus and John Wayne is a sweeping account of the last 75 years of white evangelicalism, showing how American evangelicals have worked for decades to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism.
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Like reading a history of my evangelical life
- By Renee on 10-15-20
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Cultish
- The Language of Fanaticism
- By: Amanda Montell
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join - and more importantly, stay in - extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has.
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Get this book ASAP
- By chris boutte on 06-17-21
By: Amanda Montell
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The Cult of Trump
- A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control
- By: Steven Hassan
- Narrated by: Steven Hassan
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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The Cult of Trump is an accessible and in-depth analysis of the president, showing that under the right circumstances, even sane, rational, well-adjusted people can be persuaded to believe the most outrageous ideas. Hassan’s audiobook is essential listening for anyone wanting to understand the Trump phenomenon and looking for a way forward.
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Tools to deprogram
- By N. Squier on 01-11-20
By: Steven Hassan
What listeners say about Terror, Love and Brainwashing
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Audible Listener
- 02-08-21
Thank You!
Wonderfully layed out and insightful for those looking to better understand coercive control and totalitarianism.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Evie S.
- 04-02-22
Alexandra Stein understands cults
Alexandra Stein was a cult member herself before she decided to help others to escape totalitarian systems. It pays off that she really knows what she's talking about - she's been there, done that. Great insight into human psychology and her own trappings. A fascinating read and help for people who are prone to hand over their power to a system or a person who have not their best interests in mind.
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- Amy
- 05-28-22
Excellent explanation of totalitarianism and attachment
I love the personal stories interwoven with attachment theory, for a comprehensive and understandable explanation of how attachment theory and assessment can create trauma bonds and reveal continued unresolved traumas. Being able to recognize the underlying mechanics of totalitarian/coercive dynamics is crucial to having that ‘Ah-ha’ realization and running the other way, and protecting/ advocating for the safety of possible vulnerable children within.
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1 person found this helpful
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- JandL
- 11-23-23
Very informative!
As a clinician, working with clients that experience attachment trauma and dissociative experiences,, I respect the work that went into this book to describe how those experiences lead to an intractable sense of duty to an organization based in disorganized attachment.
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- Jessica Jones
- 07-27-24
Accurate research, Horrid narrator
The voice acting is at minimum unnecessarily theatrical and distracting, but as much as I wanted to stop listening I couldn't because as a cult survivor I need this information to heal. This spot on research has provided clarity and a wealth of knowledge to reset my foundation and rebuild from spiritual and psychological abuse.
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- Aurora
- 11-07-20
Great book about nos cults work
Great book about what is a cult, types of cult - religions, political and others -, nos people join these types of groups or relationships, cult leaders, brainwashing or undue influence, how members are isolated, how the cult self works and many other features of cults. Clear and detailed exposition with examples of people in cults and many references to the literature on this topic.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Max
- 08-01-22
Excellent book, distracting performance
Thoroughly researched, well written, and profoundly insightful… but the narrator sounds like a character in a crime noir film. It’s not as bad once you get a third of the way through, but it struck me as a pretty odd match for a book of this caliber. Don’t let that stop you from spending a credit on this though - it’s an important read. Highly recommend
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1 person found this helpful
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- Homer
- 03-04-24
The Narration is Bad
The material was informative but took a while to get there. A lot of the info in the beginning is common knowledge but I enjoyed learning as it went on. The narration almost made me quit. I sped it up to 1.2 which made it more bearable.
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- Simon
- 03-28-23
Weirdest narrator
The narrator is really grating. She sounds like a robot that doesn't understand English but knows how to say all the words. Very rote-reading style. She's also very slow and if you speed it up she sounds stressed out and angry.
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- C.Schillings~
- 07-12-24
Informative important book here.
A very educated clinical break down of cults and totalitarian control methods and the psychological ramifications resulting from them, writing in a very accessible way, Dr Stein, a survivor of a cult herself, not only gives us exampled overview of some cults but a thorough examination of people who've been exploited by them as well, often using their very own survivor testimonials, while weaving helpful informed assessments. Understanding them is probably more important now in the 21st century than it's ever been before as we travel through a technological global epoch that makes the world much smaller than it once was and any of us vulnerable to cultic psychological coercion than ever before. Would love to see her personal memoir "Inside Out" on Audible as well. Good narration and loaded with info I found helpful and enlightening. I highly recommend this.
See also "Qanon And On" by Van Badham & "The Storm Is Upon Us" By Mike Rothschild, great accompaniments to this knowledgeable piece of work.
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