COOPER: Well, there’s really no telling how many cults there are were in America today. They’re different in many ways. But in controlling people’s lives they follow a very similar and tragic pattern. Steven Alan Hassan is a cult counselor and mind control expert. He helps families rescue loved ones trapped in a world they cannot get out of. I spoke to him earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Steve if what makes a cull a cult is the element of mind control, it’s interesting that this guy DiAngelo 10 years after Heaven’s Gate, most of the members committed suicide, he still appears to be a true believer.
STEVEN ALAN HASSAN, CULT COUNSELOR, MIND CONTROL EXPERT: Yes, I’ve experienced in the 30 years that I’ve been counseling people involved with destructive cults that the dissociative disorder that is created by mind control can last for decades after. And I just hope that this gentleman gets some counseling.
COOPER: What do you think appeal of Heaven’s Gate was?
HASSAN: I think there was a lot of deep UFO-ology that was appealed to, the people who grew up on “Star Trek,” for example. My understanding is that Bonnie Nettles and Herff Applewhite were very hypnotic personalities, if you saw the exit video that Applewhite left, he was calling himself Do. He had those very wide saucer eyes and was talking about how the world was going to be destroyed and everyone needed to be evacuated. But I’d say my experience is that many intelligent, educated people are recruited into a wide variety of different cults, Heaven’s Gate was definitely one of the more fringe type appeal groups.
COOPER: Yes. Who is the sort of the perfect candidate for a cult?
HASSAN: Someone who is going through a transitional period in their life, death of a loved one, major illness, divorce, moving away to a new city, state or country. Someone who is off-balance, someone who is ignorant about manipulation and deception and mind control techniques. But also someone who is very smart, very achieving, wanting to make themselves better, or wanting to make the world better, or wanting to develop themselves spiritually, but basically not high on street smarts, Anderson.
COOPER: Does it require a charismatic leader?
HASSAN: A lot of destructive cults have a charismatic figure at the top, but not all destructive cults have that feature. They may be an ideological cult, for example. But the key point is what I refer to as by control of behavior, control of information, control of thoughts and control of emotions.
So if anyone find themselves involved with a group where they’re being told they shouldn’t talk to ex-members or they shouldn’t talk to critics or they shouldn’t talk to cult experts or they’re being told not talk to family members and friends who are raising questions or they can’t take some time away to have a vacation and reflect on things, it should raise red flags.
COOPER: It’s interesting, though, because, I mean, you look at a Heaven’s Gate and you know, these are, you know, I guess, intelligent people. I mean, they’re people who, you know have jobs, have families, have — are clearly interested, you know, surf the Web or work as Web designers. It’s interesting that they can allow themselves or choose to enter into this kind of thing.
HASSAN: Well, I beg to differ on the point about choosing because I believe there needs to be informed consent in order to have a real choice. And I believe that what these groups are doing is a variety of deception, as well as manipulation and influence processes.
COOPER: It’s a fascinating subject. Steve, appreciate you coming on. Thanks so much.
Freedomofmind.com fully supports religious
freedom and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The fact that a person’s name or group appears on our website
does not necessarily mean they are a destructive mind control cult.
They appear because we have received inquiries and have established
a file on the group.
The Freedom of Mind Resource Center Inc. was established by cult expert Steve Hassan.
