Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
ICSA 2025 Conference - Montreal, QC
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Ingo Michehl
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Abstract: As a former cult member (Moonies, 86 - 93), who completed his masters degree in counselling psychology with a thesis on Cult Trauma and Recovery, Ingo Michél explains mind control and possible interventions with American psychologist Leon Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance paradigm and Robert J Lifton’s 8 criteria from the author’s book “Totalitarianism and the psychology of mind control”. Having experienced the subtle and subversive mind control techniques of the “Moonies” himself, and being converted from a liberal agnostic with a Christian background to a extreme right-wing religious fanatic within a matter of two weeks, working for free and being mentally, emotionally, and physically abused for 6 1/2 years, Mr. Michél explains how this transformation was possible, why a planned intervention by his parents failed, and how he was finally able to escape.
ICSA 2025 Conference - Montreal, QC
-
Ingo Michehl
-
Abstract: As a former cult member (Moonies, 86 - 93), who completed his masters degree in counselling psychology with a thesis on Cult Trauma and Recovery, Ingo Michél explains mind control and possible interventions with American psychologist Leon Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance paradigm and Robert J Lifton’s 8 criteria from the author’s book “Totalitarianism and the psychology of mind control”. Having experienced the subtle and subversive mind control techniques of the “Moonies” himself, and being converted from a liberal agnostic with a Christian background to a extreme right-wing religious fanatic within a matter of two weeks, working for free and being mentally, emotionally, and physically abused for 6 1/2 years, Mr. Michél explains how this transformation was possible, why a planned intervention by his parents failed, and how he was finally able to escape.
