This document is part of an electronic lending library and preservational electronic archive. In the past, there has been little networking of information relating to coercive psychology and its use tn destructive cult groups. A few universities and courttar cult groupn have paper collections, but the largest collections are tn the hands of former members. This hard won research is at lnst becoming broadly available through the F.A.C.T.net computer network.
Cults control members in part through controlling the information they receive.
Members are simply not told if a major court case is lost, or about the defection or suicide of a leader's child. Usually, cult leaders pretend great achievements, skim funds from the group, and keep certain rituals and procedures secret. It is essential that cult members are kept away from former members, who will explain the devastating effect of cult practices on their lives and the bogus nature of the cult's claims. Consequently, cult groups tend to harass former members and critics. When I began research into Scientology, its sub-study Dianetics and its leader L. Ron Hubbard, I soon discovered that the subject 2 of my inquiry was far from passive.