Episodes
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Dustin Rozario Steinhagen, PhD is a privacy expert who recently graduated with his doctorate degree in Cyber Defense from Dakota State University. His dissertation is titled “Defending the security of the mind: A mail survey of thought-reform literacy in South Dakota.” This quantitative analysis measured “what everyday people know about thought reform and psychologically manipulative groups.” One of the most powerful defenses a person can have against mind hacking is admitting they are vulnerable to it. After that, skills can be acquired and built upon to teach people how to protect themselves further. However, we mustn’t let our guard down when it comes to our brains and minds coming under attack. Like anti-virus software needing updates to protect against the latest cyber threats, our minds also require ongoing learning to maintain psychological security in addition to adequate rest, play, and sleep. Influences are also more challenging to detect, more frequent in occurrence, from multiple directions, and require vigilance when interacting with different levels of trusted or untrusted sources. Having trusted groups who respect personal privacy and have our best intentions in mind becomes extremely important in such an environment.
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Professor Boyle is a full-time faculty member at St. John’s University School of Law, New York (since 1994). She is a board member of the International Cultic Studies Association. She has written Law journal articles on using Trafficking law to prosecute cult leaders and uses my BITE Model of Authoritarian Control. Robin’s new book, Taken No More: Protecting Your Children Against Traffickers and Cults, will be published in 2025. Her articles, essays, and book chapters appear in legal and academic publications, many peer-reviewed. She writes and publishes on topics of undue influence, using the human trafficking statutes to prosecute cult leaders, the Violence Against Women Act, gaining emancipation for youth, rape laws, and stalking. Her articles, essays, and book chapters appear in legal and academic publications, many peer- reviewed. She regularly presents at conferences domestically and internationally (Canada, China, England, France, and Spain) on topics concerning human trafficking and coercive control in high-demand groups. The laws need to be updated to protect human rights. Join us for a fascinating discussion.
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Australian Maria Esguerra tells us that it’s still difficult to speak about her personal experiences as a second-generation survivor of The Children of God cult. In this episode of The Influence Continuum, we explored the challenges of breaking free from cults and how those who become part of society’s natural defense system against cult indoctrination and authoritarianism help to free others. She traced her story back to a childhood of illnesses that mainly went untreated. “I had measles, chicken pox, mumps, malaria, every imaginable childhood disease, lots of parasites,” she said. Her father would eventually die when she was only four years old from Hodgkin Lymphoma, a form of cancer considered to be largely curable. She explained that in The Children of God cult, medical care was avoided as illnesses were considered the fault of the person or as “God judging you.” Maria is now a psychologist and Director of Assessable, an organization dedicated to serving people with disabilities. This is an especially commendable achievement in that her early life was shaped by her parent’s involvement in The Children of God cult. We discussed the experience of raising children within the cult and what ultimately pushed Maria to leave. One of the critical factors in her decision was her son’s battle with meningitis, which left him in a coma at a medical research center for ten days, resulting in a lifelong brain injury. While in Africa, Maria became pregnant again and endured harsh conditions. Upon returning to Australia, she resolved to create a new reality for her children—one rooted in safety and love, something she had not been given. Maria is an inspiration for everyone!
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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In recent years, modern science has confirmed what ancient tribal medicine has known all along—medicinal plants and practicing meditation can offer fantastic health benefits. Plants like ayahuasca and psilocybin are now being recognized for their remarkable ability to treat mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Yoga and meditation can facilitate a deeper mind-body connection, allowing us greater awareness and control over our emotions and stress. Indigenous cultures have used these practices for centuries, but even as science continues to confirm their efficacy, the mental health field has been resistant to advocating these practices. Driven by profit and regulatory hurdles, Big Pharma’s reluctance to embrace psychedelics indicates the continuous struggle between modern commercialization and our human ties with nature. On this episode of The Influence Continuum, I sit down with my dear friend and colleague, Chris Kilham, known as The Medicine Hunter. Chris has authored over a dozen books, the most recent of which is The Lotus and the Bud: Cannabis, Consciousness, and Yoga Practice. In these stressful, uncertain times, it is essential we all come back to a healthy mind-body lifestyle with good values.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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There is a new HBO Max 4-part documentary called Breath of Fire on the cult of Guru Jagat and Harijiwan Singh Khalsa, her controller. The doc is very well done and was based on a Vanity Fair article, “The Second Coming of Guru Jagat” by Hayley Phelan. “Breath of Fire: The Unbelievable Story of Guru Jagat, the Elizabeth Holmes of Yoga” is Hillary Busis’ follow up article about the docuseries. Many celebrities have been associated with Bhajan’s cult of kundalini.We interviewed a former insider who appeared in the series, Peter Blachly, who wrote the book The Inner Circle: My Seventeen Years in the Cult of the American Sikhs. It is another look into a fabulously wealthy cult founded by a total fraud. The cult continues and there are disciples the world over still recruiting and harming people. Of interested is if you have ever used Yogi Tea or heard of Akal Security which Homeland Security gave a fortune to this cult for “security.” There is great value in learning about other cult leaders and how they bewitch people to work without pay, get sexually violated and continue to believe. Until they wake up and leave.
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On this episode of the Influence Continuum, I spoke with Craig Unger, an investigative journalist and the author of Den of Spies, which is described in his biography as “a real-life political thriller about how master spy William Casey put together a treasonous covert operation in 1980 that hijacked American foreign policy and stole the election for Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.” Craig is also the author of six books on the Republican party’s assault on democracy, including American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery. He has written for New York Magazine, The New Republic, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Esquire, The Independent, and many others. “Initially, I think, it was very covert, as I show in this book. Everything was behind the scenes. With Trump today, it’s almost overt,” Craig said, noting Trump’s direct message in 2016 to Russia to retrieve Clinton’s emails. I noted The Wall Street Journal’s recent article citing Elon Musk’s relationship with Vladimir Putin and secret conversations. We then discussed the volumes of evidence supporting the idea that Trump was recruited as an asset for the KGB in the 1980s. This book is a well researched documented revealing of how American Democracy has been manipulated. Tragic and Americans wil now see what is brought to power. Eyes open and courageous resistance is required!
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Now with the American election won with the help of Elon Musk and his social media platform, X, and other tech billionaires. We need to pay attention! TECH is now the major world religion! Think about it. Technology was developed as a tool to serve humans, not vice versa. Unfortunately, we humans seem to have forgotten this, as billions worldwide are literally addicted to our smartphones. Many in the upper echelon of technology circles propose and even ominously insist upon humanity serving technology futures. They believe that we, the people, should work towards constant innovation, a technological race to the top, even at the cost of humanity’s future. There is also an emerging thoughtform that suggests that humanity should sacrifice the planet, our very means of existence, to ensure that technology AI data personas would be preserved and reach their ultimate destiny.Peer-reviewed through The MIT Press and distributed by Penguin Random House, Epstein asked, “Who is profiting from these tech-centric futures, and how can we center humanity at the heart of engineering?” This is one of the most important books of our time.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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Dr Phil spoke at Madison Square Garden saying Trump wasnt a bully. Ha! Professor Yamada is an internationally recognized authority on workplace bullying. He is a professor of law and the director of the New Workplace Institute at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. It is the primary drafter of model workplace anti-bullying legislation known as the Healthy Workplace Bill, which is serving as a template for law reform efforts in the U.S. He also is the founding board chairperson of the International Society for Therapeutic Jurisprudence, which promotes the application and design of laws, legal procedures, and legal institutions that support psychological health and well-being. Professor Yamada identifies former President Donald Trump as being a classic workplace bully, constantly resorting to ridicule, name-calling, and cruel putdowns in his public and private behavior. These actions are consistent with some of the worst types of workplace bullying. Drawing from the DSM-V, Trump’s behaviors are often called “cluster B” traits or behaviors. Cluster B includes narcissism, sociopathy, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and attention-seeking. It is no wonder that 40 out of 44 former insiders from the Trump White House have now come out in favor of Kamala Harris. The idea of well-being is central to Professor Yamada’s work and the backbone of our discussion in this episode. Professor Yamada’s current work examines how the law, public policy, and dispute resolution procedures can be designed to be more trauma-informed, enhancing the well-being of those impacted by law and public policies.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oAmU7E1zaycPovorrPQ4JJmBtwl_RgRy/view?usp=drive_link
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When thinking about political leaders—those with influence over national or global issues—how often do we consider the role of their political followers? Could you or I say “no” to a toxic leader and courageously defy their commands? This consideration is critical. Leaders don’t operate in isolation. They need political followers who support, amplify, and even challenge their actions. These checks and balances support strong, fair leadership and ensure the political process is just. To Stop a Tyrant is a book approved of by readers at both ends of the political spectrum as it is a non-partisan and evergreen topic. In my interview with Ira Chaleff, author of The Courageous Follower and Intelligent Disobedience: Doing Right When What You’re Told to Do Is Wrong, we explored this multifaceted relationship as he explained how political followers have the power to support healthy leadership or enable authoritarianism. His fascinating perspective comes from a dedicated career of studying the dynamics of leadership and followership – specifically in political contexts. Together, we unpacked his insights on what he calls “Courageous Followership,” his perspectives on intelligently and ethically disobeying harmful instructions from a leader, and the roles of followers who have the power to combat undue influence.
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Pornhub was once recognized as the largest and most popular porn site in the world. The site made it easy for users to upload and download content, which is desirable in other contexts. However, these features pose significant threats when applied to freely accessible user-generated, homemade, pornography. Reports suggest that without adequate safeguards, there was a rapid increase in uploads of questionable, illegal, and violent content, including instances of nonconsensual sexual acts. More troublingly, such content became widely viewable and could be downloaded onto private devices. Laila Mickelwait is the author of the new book Takedown: Inside the Fight to Shut Down Pornhub for Child Abuse, Rape, and Sex Trafficking. She is also the founder and CEO of the Justice Defense Fund, a non-profit organization that seeks to help bring justice to survivors of online sexual crimes. Numerous lawsuits have been filed based on sex trafficking, child abuse, and RICO laws in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., with claims that Visa and two hedge funds also knowingly profited from content depicting sexual abuse.
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My latest guest on the Influence Continuum is Amanda Tyler, a graduate of Georgetown University and The University of Texas School of Law, who has practiced privately as an attorney, as a law clerk for a U.S. district court judge in Dallas, Texas, and at various positions within the federal level. She is currently the Executive Director of the BJC ( Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty) .Her new book is titled How to End Christian Nationalism. Amanda’s work has focused on constitutional law analysis and advocacy for ‘faith freedom for all,’ on which topics she has testified before Congress. She defined Christian nationalism as “a political ideology and a cultural framework that tries to merge American and Christian identities.” She based her foundation for religious freedoms squarely on the First Amendment, which stated, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” During our conversation, she shared her legal analysis and religious freedom advocacy perspective, highlighting that this scenario is currently threatened by Christian nationalism in the United States.
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United States history is often portrayed more through myth than historical fact. The true story of America, from its founding rebellion to the present day, is extraordinarily complex. The truth can sometimes seem almost unimaginable due to the numerous injustices and inequities throughout its history. Despite the ideals expressed by the nation’s founders in the Preamble to the Constitution—to form “a more perfect Union,” establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure liberty for future generations—America’s creation was rooted in systems of class and caste. As discussed in this episode of the Influence Continuum, the idea of a fair system initially created to be accessible to all is an aspect of that founding myth.
Charles Derber, a Professor of Sociology at Boston College and life-long activist has authored 28 books on topics such as politics, democracy, fascism, corporations, capitalism, climate change, war, culture wars, and social change. In this episode of the Influence Continuum, he helped us delve deeper into the historical dynamics of class and caste. His latest book, co-authored with Yale R. Magrass, Who Owns Democracy? The Real Deep State and the Struggle Over Class and Caste in America presents a candid discussion about the hard truths of power and who predominantly bears the burden or responsibility of the deep state. This was a fascinating hour with a true scholar.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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Heard about the Heritage Foundation Project 2025? Did you know it’s architect, President Kevin Roberts has ties to the far-right, secretive Roman Catholic group Opus Dei. Want to know more? I have been helping people involved with Opus Dei for decades and have read numerous books on them. I have a BITE Model of Authoritarian control on Opus day on my website. I am excited to share a brand new book, published by Simon and Schuster that breaks new ground and is vital to read. Join me on an interview with the financial journalist who spent 6 years researching this cult. Learn names of top officials who have been recruited to be involved with this cult group.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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This week on the Influence Continuum, I had the pleasure of sitting down with two-time Emmy winner Dan Partland, an extraordinary documentarian. He asked me to speak on the MAGA cult in his new film, #UNTRUTH: The Psychology of Trumpism, which will be streaming on virtually every platform. Dan’s new film highlights what I have been saying for years—Trumpism is not just a political movement; it operates as a destructive authoritarian cult and utilizes known mind-control techniques to disconnect Trump’s followers from reality, reinforce their loyalty to him, and silence dissenters and dissidents. In 2020, he released a film, #UNFIT: The Psychology of Donald Trump, during the 2020 election cycle. The film stars many top people: George Conway, Joe Walsh, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Malcolm Nance to mention just a few experts. It is really well done and well argued. Come listen to this fascinating interview.
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Have you ever learned from an expert in coercive control? Ever thought about the authoritarianism in a family structure? Maybe you or someone you know were married to a narcissist or knows of children being manipulated by an abusive parent. My latest guest, social worker Christine Cocchiola, is an expert on adult and child victims of coercive control. Dr. Christine Cocchiola has a doctorate in Social Welfare, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and is a tenured Social Work professor. Dr. Cocchiola also has a brand-new book with co-author Amy Polacko called Framed: Women in the Family Court Underworld. It consists of 22 stories from survivors of coercive control and narcissistic abuse and what it was like for them and their families dealing with the legal system. Dr. Cocchiola's work helps combat what I think is an unrealized epidemic, which is people who are harmful and toxic to others. During our talk, we focused on what I believe is vitally important in understanding authoritarian and coercive control when a parent acts like a cult leader. Join me in this fascinating conversation!
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When Kamala Harris was Attorney General for California she supported legislation to protect elderly people from undue influence. In this installment of The Influence Continuum, I sat down with Lisa Nerenberg, MSW, MPH, who has dedicated her career to ensuring dignity and justice for this vulnerable and growing population. Lisa is the founding executive director of The California Elder Justice Coalition. She now serves as the organization’s Director of Special Projects. She co-founded the San Francisco Consortium for Elder Abuse Prevention and the National Network for State Elder Justice Coalitions. Showcasing her passion and expertise, Lisa has authored two influential books: Elder Justice, Ageism, and Elder Abuse (2019) and Elder Abuse Prevention (2008). I believe that undue influence has reached a “tipping point” where most Americans agree that people can be harmed by psychological means. Join us for this fascinating discussion.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14-e5PZQ2T6tPU-KAIEOvFqaA_nEPrEfE/view?usp=drive_link
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This is one of the most important podcasts I've had the pleasure to do, as its focus is on free and fair election systems, the cornerstone of our Democracy. I spoke with Walt McKee and J. Larry Mayes, who co-chair the Braver Angels Trustworthy Elections Leadership Team, an organization I am also proud to be a member of. Braver Angels is a unique nonprofit, as it is one of the few organizations that actively brings people together from both sides of the aisle to listen to each other and develop friendships- whether they lean red or lean blue. This year they decided to do a project to determine what everyone could agree on as a fair and trustworthy election. The summary, available to all on the Braver Angels' website, is reported to consist of "23 specific solutions which address seven broad areas of concern," including:
Fair and Equal Access to Voting
Verifiable Voter Identity and Eligibility
Transparency and Accountability
Redistricting – Gerrymandering
Confidence in Vote Counting
Safety and Security in the Elections Process
Peaceful Transfer of Power
Please come learn about how these recommendations were developed and agreed to by all who lean left or lean right as a way to find common ground together. Come give a listen!
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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Come join me for a personal discussion with the man I credit for helping me to reconnect with my Jewish identity and faith. Reb Moshe Waldoks helped me find a practice of Judaism that spoke to my soul. Reb Moshe is the son of Holocaust survivors and an “advocate for joy.” Reb Moshe spent 12 years as a teacher, storyteller, and comedian. He co-edited The Big Book of Jewish Humor with William Novak. Reb Moshe helped establish a vibrant community at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, Massachusetts, where I have belonged for the past 26 years. In this time of increased anti-semitism, I wanted to do this important interview. Come check it out.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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In this episode of Influence Continuum, I spoke with my good friend and long-time colleague Joseph Szimhart. He is a cult and intervention expert and has an over 25-year history of working as a case worker in mental health. Want to understand the history of cult belief systems, including QAnon? Ascended Masters? Angles? Channelers? Mystics? Did you know Michael Flynn did a “decree”, just like the ones Joe did when he was involved with Church Universal and Triumphant. Joe is my go-to-man for anything “new age” or “new thought.” He is a lay scholar and has read countless books and helps me on cases as a content expert! His current work also includes a YouTube channel focusing on “Cults and the Occulture” as its central theme. I believe you will be gald you have listened to this podcast.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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The November 2024 election will determine the future of America and the free world. Donald Trump has chosen J.D. Vance as his vice president, and the pair continue to get increasingly “weird,” and lying seems to be ramping up if that is even possible. Conservative attorney George Conway has created the Anti-Psychopath PAC and has publicly called out the media’s failure to explain the dangers of having a psychopath in the White House. Conway wrote the Foreword to the rerelease of The Cult of Trump which is being rolled out asap. We did an Afterword. I wanted to reshare this 2023 interview with one of the leading experts who has been silenced is Bandy X. Lee, M.D., M.Div., a forensic psychiatrist, president of the World Mental Health Coalition, and an internationally recognized expert on violence. A brilliant and compassionate observer of the political landscape, she is the author of Profile of a Nation: Trump’s Mind, America’s Soul and editor of the best-selling book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President. She is assembling a team of authors to create a new, short book published by the World Mental Health Coalition and tentatively titled The More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Warn Anew. This is an important interview which goes into problems with the family courts as well.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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