The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steven Hassan MeidasTouch Network

Working with people in cults or who have escaped them requires much empathy, compassion, and knowledge. Rachel Bernstein has all those and more, which she’s used for the last 30 years in her work in cult intervention and re-acclimation. I have known and worked with Rachel for many decades now. Bernstein is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) from Los Angeles, California. She is the host of IndoctriNATION: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control, where she has interviewed hundreds of cult survivors, journalists, and experts. 
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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Rachel Maddow’s podcast, Ultra, is about Nazism in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. She based her podcast on the scholarly work of a Jesuit historian Professor Charles R. Gallagher, and his award-winning book. I was fascinated to learn more and discovered that he teaches at nearby Boston College. So we met for lunch, and he kindly consented to this fascinating interview. I learned that the Nazis sent agents such as Charles Scholtz to Boston to recruit and radicalize Americans. These agents wanted to prevent the United States from coming to the defense of the United Kingdom and other European countries. The Nazis did not want America to help Jews who were persecuted and exterminated. Father Charles Coughlin was a Roman Catholic priest and radio personality with a listenership of 30 million people. He was a vocal supporter of the Christian Front. He praised Hitler’s efforts to combat communism and advocated for a similar approach in the United States. Coughlin also used his radio broadcasts to spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and to attack Jewish people and Jewish-owned businesses. Coughlin also supported fascist regimes in Europe. In the 1940s, Coughlin and some of his followers began to plot a violent coup to overthrow the US government. The Nazis are still actively promoting violent fascism.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com

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An international researcher and author, Chloe Combi, is a leading authority on Generation Z (those born between 1999 and 2009). Having interviewed over 10,000 members of Gen Z, she provides invaluable insights into what the next decade and beyond will bring. The digital age has brought about a massive change in the way we think, feel, communicate, and behave. For young people born and raised in a digital world, being online for an average of eleven hours a day affects not only their brain development, such as shortened attention span, ability to concentrate, social skills, and mental well-being. As well as this, young people’s need for connection and belonging is being exploited by unhealthy ‘influencers’ online, who are using the internet to indoctrinate and radicalize them.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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Want to know more about the Moonies? This week, we talk with Elgen Strait, who was not only born into the Moonies but participated in an arranged mass marriage ceremony (the so-called “blessing”). His parents were active members when I was in the cult in the 1970s. He’s a fellow survivor. Strait hosts Falling Out with Elgen Strait, a podcast focused on the experiences of second-generation survivors of the Moonies. This episode goes into not only the abuse of children but also the trafficking of people. There are many “second generation” cult members now exiting and speaking up. This is a valuable episode.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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Wish to learn more about the psychology of Elon Musk and Aspergers Syndrome? In this episode, I am honored to interview Dr. Tony Attwood, one of the world’s foremost experts on Autism Spectrum Disorder. His first book, Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, is widely considered the foundational book on the subject. In past decades, I have had many clients who were on the spectrum and I long ago realized they are particularly vulnerable to authoritarian cults, as well as being radicalized online to do acts of terrorism. Years ago I taught an online webinar to warm folks and their families about their vulnerability to undue influence. Folks on the spectrum can be absolute geniuses and over the centuries have made major contributions. That said, these gifts can be manipulated and abused to harm or help others. Join me in this incredible learning experience.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
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Ever heard of the Council for National Policy? Wish to understand this alliance of far-right wealthy donors and operators (which includes my former cult, the Moonies)? For everyone who cares about America and democracy worldwide, this interview is vitally important. Anne Nelson talks to us about this and more, including her book Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right. Nelson is a prize-winning writer, contributing to the New Republic, the Washington Spectator, and the Times Literary Supplement. She is also a research scholar at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices