Author: iern (---.NoDak.edu)
Date: 03-15-2002 16:33
There is another great book out there dealing with cults: "Cults, Faith healing and Coercion" by Marc Gallanter, a psychiatrist that specialised in researching cults and their influence on members mental health and well being.
The cults are defined by him as charismatic leader-influenced cohesive groups, and he looks at the whole phenomena from two perspecitves: one is perspective of group-interaction theory, and the other one is from the medical (psychiatry) viewpoint.
Importantly enough, he takes a completely neutral stance in his investigations, and shows both the positive and negative effects of cults on their members and outside society, plus explains some of the mechanisms of why to they react the way they react. All together enlightening and interesting reading...
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