This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1992, Volume 9, Number 2, pages 163-189. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.

Cults, Coercion, and Contumely

Margaret Thaler Singer, Ph.D.
Marsha Emmer Addis

Abstract

This article, originally written as part of a festschrift in honor of Dr. Louis Jolyon West for his contributions in a wide area of psychiatry, shows how West's interest in cults evolved naturally out of three lifelong pursuits--his studies of the physiology of emotions, his studies of how human interactions impact on physiological reactions and lead toward health or illness, and his sense of social responsibility as a physician. West's intellectual foci serve here as a framework for addressing the definition of exploitative cults and the scientific basis for understanding cults' thought-reform techniques as a coordinated program of coercive influence and behavior control. The article also addresses 14 cult-related myths that have been promoted and perpetuated by cult apologists. Today, with the continuing growth of the cult phenomenon and with such tragedies as Jonestown and Waco behind us, we can perhaps see more clearly why cults are a public health concern.
 

Full text available through ICSA E-Library.