I recently met a psychiatrist at a neighborhood event. There was food, drinking, music and lots of conversation. Somehow, (of course) the subject came up and she was a little surprised to hear me use the "C" word...She didn't seem to know much about Moism. She thought it was just another religion and perhaps started to analyze me when I mentioned cult psychology, brainwashing, magical thinking and the like....but who wants to talk shop at a party?

Anyway, I would like to send her the best available psychiatric study on the moexperience.

Suggestions oh learned ones?

I don't like anyone imposing their agenda on me and I would hesitate to do it others.

How about THE FOUR CULTS?

I would recommend Steve Hassans book.

For openings; use humor i.e. Brother Jake Mormon Cult.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnW0rkDnJ8c

This touches on just some of the subjects.

John Dehlin's TED talk is excellent to show how homeless GLBT and Suicide rates of Mormons is so high
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MxCXjfAunk

This is a great look at the Mormon Cult:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jORAciyGk4

I recently had a similar experience at a dinner party where a friend started telling me all the benefits she observed her neighbors enjoyed as members of the mormon church. Things like they learned to speak in front of groups and they were eagle scouts (the mormon way which is a whole different thread) etc. I didn't use the cult comparison but did say there was an inordinate amount of mind control used on mormon members. She seemed extremely surprised and I would have been thrilled to support my firm beliefs about what I said with some studies or whatever.

Will be watching this thread for links and supporting information. Thanks.

How about the recent book "Recovering Agency"? Richard Packham endorses it with 5 stars, I see, in his review of it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Agency-Lifting-Mormon-Control/dp/1489595937/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

Ironically, I don't think psychologists or psychiatrists in general understand coercively controlling groups at all (or even really believe they exist) unless they have specialized in that area for some reason (as has social psychologist Philip Zimbardo of Stanford, for example).

I have a couple of close friends who are PhD psychologists and I have finally been able to start to get them to understand over the course of a couple of years of casual discussion...and they seem to only just barely grasp the issues at this point. One of the inter-related topics (undue influence, fraudulant marketing, cult tactic groups, social influence etc) will just naturally come up in conversation every now and then, when something to do with one of these groups is in the news. For example, recently, the Islamic State's recruiting, or the "Prison of Belief" movie (Scientology) that just came out are opportunities to talk about the tactics used by coercively controlling groups, how many of them there are, in all areas, religious, business, self -help, political...and of course the power of social influence.

Unless she asked for the material I wouldn't send it to her .

If she's a psychiatrist , she's got ample access to all that

material.

Yes, this addresses a strange issue. After experiencing my struggles with my LDS neighbors, I’ve occasionally tried to commiserate with some of my nevermo acquaintances about my situation. They don’t really get it. They seem to assume Mormons are going to be devoutly religious, and this leads to the assumption that they will be kind and courteous, or at least benign.

It’s interesting that regular society has this perception of them, maybe assuming that they might be a little square, but not assuming they are going to be devious or rude, or be involved with aspects of cult mind control. It wasn’t until I came here that people really seemed to ‘get it’ about my situation.

Maybe society thinks that uber-religious will somehow automatically equal kind and courteous. They certainly don’t assume it’s going to be nasty, like my experience has been. Without some first hand conflict like I’ve had, I guess that’s just what people assume. Thanks RfM for ‘getting it.’ The world at large doesn’t pay enough attention to really know what’s going on with LDS. And it seems LDS people ‘keep to themselves’ about what it's really all about … so who would know? They seem to put up a good front, at least until you get in a tangle with them, and then you find out. But the general population doesn’t get that perspective, so I guess they just make positive assumptions.

They seem do a good job of hiding the culty aspects from the outer world. People just assume they are deeply christian, and like to knock on doors to do their preaching. Most people wouldn't realize they don't even focus on Christ, since that's the impression they give at the door when they come. The world needs to visit RfM.

I don't have any particular article or website to suggest but I think it would be a good idea to have a written (not lengthy) summary of psychological problems common in mormonism that could be referenced by non-mormon health & mental health professionals.

Prior to the internet, I was in a situation where I had exactly 5 minutes to explain to a non-mormon ER doctor why a 20 year old patient whom had recently returned home early from his LDS mission was having an emotional breakdown.

Oh my,where does one begin with that task?
I did my best to explain it all to him.
It was a lot for him to take in and he could hardly believe what I was telling him.

It is so hard to convey the cultish creepiness to an outsider because Mormons just come off as harmless, clean-cut, religious goofballs.

So I just point to Big Love and Dateline polygamy specials and Warren Jeffs, and say, "It's just as cult-y and creepy as all that, except they've suppressed their polygamous behavior, for now."

And when I go on to explain that everyone in the church I ever knew shuns and avoids me now for fear that I've been possessed by the spirit of satan, they seem to get a clue.