Cult Ties to Existing Facilities

Some behavior modification facilities currently operating can be traced to known cults.

Confrontational therapy, restricted food, sleep, and contact with the outside world, group-think instead of individuality, and the demand for extreme loyalty are just some of the cult-tactics used on children and parents today.




Straight, Inc. and The Seed

This treatment modality is linked to thousands of abuse reports and many suicides dating back to the 1970's.

The precise origin of the treatment method can be traced to the Synanon Church, which has been classified as a cult.

Numerous experts is the field of cultic studies agree that The Seed and Straight, Inc. fit the definitions of a cult.

While Straight and The Seed are closed, several second and third generation spin-off programs are currently operating and have made few, if any, changes to the Straight/Seed treatment model.

Known spin-offs of The Seed and Straight, Inc. include:




CEDU

The CEDU Schools were founded by Mel Wasserman after he spent time sponsoring a participant of Synanon.

Former students of the CEDU schools have complained of "brainwashing" and other cult tactics.

These sites contain more information about Synanon.

Rick Ross's Synanon Page

University of Virginia

The IRS on Synanon




World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS)

Facilities affiliated with the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) require children and parents to complete a series of "seminars" conducted by Resource Realizations/Premier Education.

Resource Realizations/Premier Education owner David Gilcrease is a former Lifespring trainer.

Lifespring has been classified as a cult.

Discovery Seminar Exposed

Lifespring Article from Redbook Magazine

Lifespring Article from Self Magazine

The Pathology of Lifespring, from the journal Psychiatry

Rick Ross

University of Virginia

FACTNet




Classifying Cults

The following is a list of common characteristics of cults.

These tactics are not only used on the children, but on the parents as well.

If you know of any juvenile facility that fits these descriptions, please contact us immediately.

  1. Limitation of communication with those outside the group. Books, magazines, letters and visits with friends and family are discouraged or even banned.


  2. New members become convinced of the higher purpose and special calling of the group through a profound encounter, i.e. an alleged miracle or the prophetic word of the group.


  3. An explicit goal of the group is to bring about some kind of change, be it global, social or personal.


  4. Use of the practice of self-disclosure to members in the group. In the context of a gathering of the group, converts are encouraged to admit past sins and imperfections, and doubts about the group.


  5. The group's perspective is absolutely true and completely adequate to explain everything. The doctrine is not subject to amendments or question. Absolute conformity is required.


  6. A new vocabulary emerges within the context of the group. Group members "think" within the very abstract and narrow parameters of the group's doctrine. Loaded terms and cliches prejudice thinking.


  7. Pre-group experience and group experience are narrowly interpreted through the absolute doctrine.


  8. Salvation is possible only in the group. Those who leave the group are doomed.

Source: www.factnet.org




The International Cultic Studies Association (ISCA)

The International Cultic Studies Association (ISCA) held their annual conference June 22-24, 2006 in Denver, Colorado.

The conference was very well-done and simply overflowing with invaluable information. The only difficult part was deciding between the presentations because I wanted to attend them all.

For the purposes of this website, here is a brief overview of the events that were relevant to our readers:

Phil Elberg, President of ISCA, delivered an excellent presentation on how many teen behavior modification programs use cult-like tactics to ensnare unsuspecting parents.

Maia Szalavitz, author of Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids provided the audience with an outline of the documented cult tactics used by the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS).

Bill Goldberg, Pyschologist, described the cult tactics used by Kids of New Jersey/Kids of Bergen County. Kids was run by Miller Newton and modeled after Straight, Inc.

The parent of a former WWASPS "student" told the stunned audience how the program was able to repeatedly convince her to leave her son there for months, even though she had serious doubts about his well-being.

This particular segment of the conference generated enormous interest, with many attendees staying to talk to Phil, Maia, the parent, and me, well into the lunch break.

I strongly recommend that everyone visit the ISCA website to learn more about upcoming events and attend if you possibly can.

International Cultic Studies Association

Shelby Earnshaw, Director




Additional Information:

Cult Awareness and Information Center

Conditions for Thought Control

More about mind control, from FactNet

Cult Checklist from Cultic Studies Journal

The Stockholm Syndrome

Source: ISAC Corporation - www.isaccorp.org