Janja Lalich, Ph.D. is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups (including terrorist groups and ideological extremists) with a particular focus on charismatic relationships, political and other social control. She is Professor Emerita of Sociology at CaliforniaStateUniversity, Chico and has been studying the social psychology of controversial groups known as “cults” and exploitative and abusive relationships for thirty years. She has been a consultant to educational, mental health, business, media, and legal professionals, as well as having worked with current members, former members, and families of members of such groups. Her previous books include: Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships;and Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults.
“ESCAPING UTOPIA is a must read book for everyone concerned about the real nature of human nature. Authors Lalich and McLaren do a brilliant job in revealing the various psycho-social mechanisms by which recruits are attracted and bound into their “families” at great personal cost– and how to help them exit.”
Philip Zimbardo, Professor Emeritus, StanfordUniversity
Note: this event is free. Feel free to donate to our Charity. Thank you.
When & Where
Wednesday, 6 June 2018 from 18:00 to 20:30 (BST)
The University Women’s Club
2 Audley Square
W1K 1DB London
United Kingdom
Yves Messer is a former member of the destructive political cult of Lyndon LaRouche. He worked as a full time member for more than ten years in France and Germany, as a recruiter/fundraiser/author but also as part of their "intelligence/security" operations.
Some of his efforts to expose this cult are detailed in Steven Hassan’s “Combating Cult Mind Control”, second edition (2015).
In 2006 Yves joined to help Erica Duggan’s campaign for Truth and Justice. Erica's son Jeremiah was found dead in Germany in 2003 while being recruited by the political cult of LaRouche. In 2015 he was organiser with Erica Duggan of CULTS, RACISM, DOUBLESPEAK AND THE SEARCH FOR JUSTICE held in London; a one-day seminar exploring two important issues: 1/ extremist political cults such as Larouche's and 2/ how to combat them, including a discussion of possible legal remedies; and an update on the institutional barriers faced by the Jeremiah Duggan campaign.
In 2015 he was also an expert witness New Inquest to investigate further into Jeremiah Duggan’s suspicious death.
Yves Messer is also a portrait artist who was priviledged to paint Prof. Stephen Hawking's portraits since 2008 until his passing in 2018.
CULT BIO
• 1983-94: Full time member of the Lyndon LaRouche political cult in France and Germany.
• 2006: Joins Erica Duggan’s Justice for Jeremiah Campaign (suspicious 2003 death when being recruited by the LaRouche political cult).
• 2007: Laroucheplanet.info, domain name/website to expose LaRouche with the help of former members making public many documents (press, internal, audio etc.), testimonies, and two books published online. It helped to disorganise the cult’s youth movement in 2012.
• 2008-09: Justice for Jeremiah Campaign (JJC): conferences in Berlin, Germany Oct. 2008, Wiesbaden March 2009, Germany and University of Northampton, UK June 2009.
• May 2015: expert witness at a three-day inquest at North London Coroner’s Court about the Jeremiah Duggan’s suspicious death. Coroner Andrew Walker said he “totally rejected" the possibility that it was a suicide.
• 22 May 2015: Organised with Erica Duggan’s JJC and the Institute For Race Relations (IRR) a one-day seminar exploring two important issues: extremist political cults and how to combat them, including a discussion of possible legal remedies.
• 2015: My LaRouche cult and post cult experience published in Steven Hassan’s “Combating Cult Mind Control” (25th anniversary edition); pp 159-61.
• Adviser at “Open Minds Foundation” (Undue Influence).
View all posts by Yves Messer
Janja Lalich, Ph.D. is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups (including terrorist groups and ideological extremists) with a particular focus on charismatic relationships, political and other social control. She is Professor Emerita of Sociology at CaliforniaStateUniversity, Chico and has been studying the social psychology of controversial groups known as “cults” and exploitative and abusive relationships for thirty years. She has been a consultant to educational, mental health, business, media, and legal professionals, as well as having worked with current members, former members, and families of members of such groups. Her previous books include: Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships;and Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults.
