
Warping Reality: Inside the Psychology of Cults
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Narrated by:
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Wind Goodfriend
About this listen
Many of us have a deeply personal drive to seek inner fulfillment. We want to grow as individuals, explore our own potential, and make an important and lasting contribution to the world. It’s easy to run into groups that promise to help us along the way, and some of these groups are sincere. When a group, or even a charismatic individual, promises to help us meet our goals but then corrupts our good intentions for their own gain—when they exploit people in an organized fashion—that’s when you may have become a member of a cult. And it can happen much more easily than you might think.
In the 12 fascinating lectures of Warping Reality: Inside the Psychology of Cults, you will learn about some of the most widely known cults of modern times. But unlike any standard news reporting or documentary about the Peoples Temple, The Manson “Family,” The Branch Davidians, Heaven’s Gate, Children of God, the Unification Church, and NXIVM, your expert, Dr. Wind Goodfriend, will help you explore the psychology of these cults. How could these cult leaders have committed such heinous crimes under the guise of “helping” members in their development?
In this course, you will not only learn about cults, but you will also meet two former cult members who are willing to share their stories. They explain what led them to join these groups, what they had hoped to get from the groups versus the reality, and why they each stayed for over a decade before walking away.
It is not the cult members who were interested in cult membership to abuse and betray others, but it is the cult leader who has lied to, manipulated, and used their members in fraudulent and violent ways. Learning about cults and the psychology of their leaders is the best way to limit their control over our communities, loved ones, and ourselves.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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Story
“Who are you?” Chances are you’d answer this question by describing the highlights of your personality and life experiences. But if you’d been asked this same question yesterday, you might have responded with a slightly different description. Does that mean you are a particular person today but were a different person yesterday? And what about tomorrow? Welcome to the slippery, shape-shifting nature of memory. As Professor Gabrielle Principe reveals, “you” are the conglomeration of the often-unreliable information your brain decides to feed you at any given moment.
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Outstanding
- By Natasha on 01-20-24
By: Gabrielle F. Principe, and others
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Early Modern Philosophy: Descartes and the Rationalists
- By: James D. Reid, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: James D. Reid
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
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From the 17th to 18th centuries, bold thinkers cast off the authority of ancient traditions and embraced reason as the primary tool for understanding the world. These rationalists, or early modern philosophers, included René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz—visionaries whose answers to profound questions remain relevant today. Early Modern Philosophy: Descartes and the Rationalists covers the key philosophers of this period in 12 fascinating half-hour lectures, presented by award-winning teacher James D. Reid, Professor of Philosophy at Metropolitan State University.
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Great Introduction and overview
- By Shawn Klein on 01-16-25
By: James D. Reid, and others
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Stories of America’s National Parks
- By: Megan Kate Nelson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Megan Kate Nelson
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
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Many Americans remember a family road trip to visit one of our 63 national parks. Why did Americans start preserving these sites of natural and historic interest? How were these parks selected, and what steps did conservationists, activists, philanthropists, politicians, and others take to protect millions of acres against the booming developments of an expanding nation? An award-winning writer, researcher, and American Studies scholar, Dr. Megan Kate Nelson tackles these questions as she takes you on a marvelous journey through some of the most beautiful places on Earth.
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Interesting history
- By Secret Santa on 03-30-25
By: Megan Kate Nelson, and others
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Essentials of Social Psychology
- By: Wind Goodfriend, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Wind Goodfriend
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
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In this illuminating Audible Original, Professor Wind Goodfriend explores the various facets of social psychology, including how we form personal identities, the importance of perceptions, the human need to be liked and respected, stereotypes and prejudices, and more. Social psychology can be both fascinating in its own right and, ideally, applicable to your everyday life.
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A Solid Intro to an Important Field
- By Gilbert M. Stack on 08-14-22
By: Wind Goodfriend, and others
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Understanding Disorders of the Brain
- By: Sandy Neargarder, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Sandy Neargarder
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
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Science has come a long way in solving the mysteries of the human brain, but we still have a long way to go. Understanding Disorders of the Brain is a powerful introduction to the journey of brain science in the 21st century and an excellent addition to your lifelong learning library.
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Alzheimer's and Dementia
- By Chani on 08-15-22
By: Sandy Neargarder, and others
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The Viking Age: New Perspectives on History and Culture
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
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The Vikings evoke striking images of horned helmets, battle axes, and merciless coastal raids. Remembered for their shocking brutality and impressive naval prowess, these marauding pirates from the North have inspired poetry, fantasy novels, plays, symphonies, and even comic book heroes over the last 12 centuries. But do any of these enduring tropes reflect reality? Who were the Vikings really? What do we know about the period that bears their name? Explore these questions and more in The Viking Age, a 12-lecture course that corrects the record on a transformative period in world history.
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Up to date with new info
- By Amy Cassidy on 01-05-25
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
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Treating Anxiety
- By: Ellen Hendriksen, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ellen Hendriksen
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
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In the 12 fascinating and action-oriented lectures of Treating Anxiety, Dr. Ellen Hendriksen describes the causes and symptoms of numerous anxiety disorders—from generalized anxiety disorder to social anxiety to panic. In her calming manner, and always backed by rigorous scientific studies, she will give you numerous tools and exercises you can employ immediately to help treat your own anxiety. After all, few of us are in danger of being eaten by a bear these days and, as Dr. Henricksen points out, we don’t want to spend our lives hiding in the metaphorical cave.
By: Ellen Hendriksen, and others
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Food: A Cultural Culinary History
- By: Ken Albala, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ken Albala
- Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins
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Eating is an indispensable human activity. As a result, whether we realize it or not, the drive to obtain food has been a major catalyst across all of history, from prehistoric times to the present. Epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said it best: "Gastronomy governs the whole life of man."
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One of my top 3 favorite courses!
- By Jessica on 12-28-13
By: Ken Albala, and others
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Searching for People and Places of the Bible
- By: Jean-Pierre. Isbouts, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jean-Pierre Isbouts
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
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By exploring the stories of the Bible in their actual locations, and the stories of the complex human beings who lived them, you’ll gain fascinating and illuminating new dimensions of the texts. In this visually stunning course, you’ll also experience the Bible’s connection to both the real world and ancient history while you’ll engage with the past in a way that is both immediate and tangible.
By: Jean-Pierre. Isbouts, and others
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The Rise of Communism: From Marx to Lenin
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
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How did communism become such a pervasive economic and political philosophy? Why did it first take root in early 20th-century Russia? These and other questions are part of a fascinating story whose drama has few equals in terms of sheer scale, scope, or human suffering and belief. These 12 lectures invite you to go inside communism’s journey from a collection of political and economic theories to a revolutionary movement that rocked the world.
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Disappointing, simplistic, biased
- By Proteus_Undead on 11-09-19
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others