Reality, Rewritten: How cults shape belief, identity and behaviour
Why do people join cults, stay in them, and sometimes defend beliefs that seem extraordinary from the outside? This talk explores the psychology behind high-control groups, focusing on how belonging, conformity, charismatic authority, social identity, cognitive dissonance and information control can gradually reshape how people understand themselves and the world around them. Drawing on psychological research and well-known cases, ‘Reality, Rewritten’ moves beyond the idea of “brainwashing” to examine how ordinary social and cognitive processes can produce extraordinary levels of commitment, loyalty and control — and why leaving can be far more difficult than it appears.
Authors: Dr Jennifer O Mahoney and Dr Lorraine Bowman Grieve
Free event, required required.