World-renowned cult expert, NYT Best Selling author, and creator of the BITE Model and Influence Continuum. Bsky is @cultexpert.freedomofmind.com
Newton, Massachusetts
Joined April 2010
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This isn’t about left versus right. It’s about the future of America and the principles that hold it together.
I agree with Bono that what we’re witnessing is a heist, an aggressive takeover that threatens the country’s foundations. But I also want to reach people who vote Republican or hold conservative values without pushing them away.
The GOP has been hijacked, and acknowledging that shouldn’t require abandoning every conservative belief or identity. We need to be able to talk about these issues without falling into the same partisan arguments that keep us divided.
This is about protecting the Constitution, the rule of law, the separation of church and state, human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the checks and balances that protect our democracy.
Moving forward requires us to see one another as human beings, rebuild trust, and work together toward a better future.
What do you think it would take for Americans across the political spectrum to put partisan labels aside and start working together to protect the country's future?
Video credit @theinterview_nyt
Steven Hassan, PhD retweeted
Another story impossible to imagine in any other administration: the president's son goes hunting with a Russian criminal who is part of Putin's security entourage
The trip highlights the remarkable relationship between a son of the US president and a tycoon with a criminal record who has close ties to Vladimir Putin’s personal security service. Intelligence experts say such connections are ripe for manipulation. ft.trib.al/p0LBRYI
Steven Hassan, PhD retweeted
In many ways they are, and anyone who votes with him is going to deserve what they get. The rest of us will just be punished. Don’t let that happen.
The Midterms Are a Referendum on Elon Musk trib.al/fkt2i5M
Steven Hassan, PhD retweeted
Breaking: Donald Trump was "an active participant in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of young women in the mid-to-late 1990s,” according to a report issued today by Dems on the House Judiciary Committee. The report includes one new rape allegation against Trump, and calls for a special investigation of the Trump administration's cover-up of Epstein's crimes.
Steven Hassan, PhD retweeted
Very glad to see the defeat of Vučić in Serbia. The defeat of Flávio Bolsonaro in Brazil is also good, but it’s difficult to praise Lula, as he is Kremlin-friendly, and Diet Russia to Bolsonaro’s Russia Classic. I prefer no Russia. Still, a strong day against right wing fascism.
Your insecurity is their sales strategy!
I spoke with marketing expert Dr. Mara Einstein about the cult-like tactics some brands use to turn our values and vulnerabilities into sales. The pitch starts by making us feel inadequate, then offering a product as the solution.
And it doesn’t end with the ads. Mara explains how rage bait and endless scrolling can keep us anxious and reacting automatically, leaving less room to question what we’re being sold and why we want it. Take a closer look at what’s influencing your next click – and your next purchase!
Full video here: youtu.be/K1h_1FPPIPk
When powerful people are involved, demanding accountability should never be controversial.
I really appreciate Alan Ritchson speaking out and asking why the Epstein files have not been released. I also deeply respect the courage of the survivors who have come forward to speak about the abuse they experienced.
What concerns me is the treatment of the Epstein survivors who have already endured so much. I am particularly troubled by the claim that the Trump administration is protecting powerful people while exposing survivors to public scrutiny.
Accountability must focus on those accused of abuse, NOT on further harming the people who have come forward.
This is why I believe celebrities have an important role to play. Too often, public figures avoid speaking out because the subject is politically sensitive or involves powerful people. But our values matter most when it is uncomfortable to defend them.
Thank you, Alan, for using your platform to demand answers. We need more public figures willing to speak up for transparency, accountability, and the survivors who deserve to be heard.
If you know a celebrity or public figure who cares about these issues, encourage them to speak out!
Video credit @celebsagainstdonald
Steven Hassan, PhD retweeted
This is not projection: Republicans, some say, are the ones planning to seize power. That misreads what is happening. This is not a coup plan turned around. It follows the playbook Moscow has used against its own opposition to investigate, prosecute and silence opposition, win or lose.
Steven Hassan, PhD retweeted
🟢 NO EVIDENCE: "Secret tapes!" "Color revolution!" "Arrest them!" Viral posts claim Democrats and ex-USAID officials plan a violent coup after the midterms. We reviewed the evidence and found nothing to support the accusations. Please read + share.
colorrevolution.america2.new…
When a leader portrays himself as a divine authority, followers can be vulnerable to all kinds of abuse while believing they are serving a higher purpose.
Jung Myung Seok, known as JMS, has been sentenced to an additional 33 years in prison for sexually assaulting 16 female followers. I have been aware of this group for a long time, and its connections to the Moonies and other Korean cults are part of a deeply troubling history.
It is heartbreaking when people give their power to another human being because they believe that person is spiritually superior or acting on God's behalf.
This is one of the dangers of authoritarian control, because a leader's claimed spiritual authority can make it difficult for followers to question their behavior, even when that behavior is abusive.
Healthy religious communities should empower people, uplift them, and be grounded in love.
Spiritual authority should NEVER be used as a justification for sexual abuse or predatory behavior.
Former cult members, if comfortable sharing, what abuse of power did you see within your former cult?
Steven Hassan, PhD retweeted
In Spain we can call them a destructive sect according to judgement 01/2024 @carlosbardavioa it was suing different members and delegates of @aevtj like Enrique Carmona for saying it had blood in its hands.
According to French Supreme Court 02/2026 it supports #Paedocriminal
Steven Hassan, PhD retweeted
The largest “Cult” ever known in America History is the White Christian Nationalist movement and it’s growing! This cult wants to abolish LGBTQ by making it illegal, and remove Woman’s right to vote and more! Believing the our constitution should be under their Christian beliefs!
Follow @CultExpert for more information on helping people get out of a cult!
youtu.be/AIkLi3AA2Nk
Of course! Don’t forget in Isaacson’s book on Musk, he reported as a child Musk hypnotized his sister to eat raw bacon!
“Could Elon Musk Use Our Data to Influence Elections?” youtube.com/shorts/hwTNuV5P2…
Always a valuable conversation. Dave. Thank you! Love your live trackers!
Had a great conversation this afternoon with my colleague @CultExpert Steve Hassan on his live stream. We had a wide-ranging fast-paced discussion with lots of good info, just in time for the midterms! Have a listen!
youtube.com/watch?v=CAoKl7EU…
Excellent livestream with me yesterday Dave! Thank you! These trackers are vital resource!
🛰️ What we're tracking today:
1. Musk: Ukraine says Starlink still capped
2. Russia's Wider War on the West
3. Ebola: Nigeria case never visited Congo
4. Anthropic: still no public S-1
5. Black Sea: 5th ship sunk; Romania blames Russia
6. Election: new 'color revolution' plot emerges
trackers.america2.news/?r=h-…
Makes sense to me!
Society and organizations invest heavily in selecting the best leaders, and existing research shows a positivity bias by focusing on the bright side of leadership.
Should we focus on finding the best leaders or avoiding the worst? Our new paper provides robust evidence for an “avoid-the-worst” principle in human leadership preferences.
We found that the top 100 business schools emphasize good leadership far more than the prevention of bad leadership.
But actual employee experiences from 9.9 million Glassdoor reviews show that people mentioned their leader 70% more often in the negative than positive section, and negative leader mentions predicted company ratings 1.5 times more strongly.
A bad-leader mention was also associated with 30% higher odds of leaving a company within the first year among former employees, whereas a good-leader mention is associated with only 5% lower odds of leaving.
We also have causal evidence across 40 countries (N = 51,433) revealing that people were more willing to sacrifice time and money to avoid a bad leader than obtain a good leader (across both morality and competence).
Our research suggests that people care more about avoiding the worst leaders than getting the best. But our leading schools are focused on the opposite issue.
The central question of institutional design may not be who should rule, but how to prevent bad leaders from doing too much damage.
This research was led by @H_Sjastad and @jareefbnmartuza
Read the full paper here:
osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/8g…
The “free speech” guy shows he is just a bullshitter! I watched the movie and everyone should watch it ! Censorship will make more people wish to see it
It seems Elon is successfully squashing the @alexgibneyfilm documentary about him.
We can confirm showtimes in the Nashville area have disappeared.
showbiz411.com/2026/10/23/co…
Steven Hassan, PhD retweeted
NEW: The man who organized Thursday’s Oval Office prayer with 12 Catholic bishops resigned as a university dean in 2022 after faculty accused him of misrepresenting his education and called him a “con artist.”
A senior Vatican official told me the gathering was “a highly inappropriate meeting and an insult to Pope Leo.”
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, was “deeply frustrated” by the meeting, a source close to him told The Pillar. thelettersfromleo.com/p/heri…
Steven Hassan, PhD retweeted
I agree. The allegations are so numerous and so specific, and the denials so broad, that they are startling to read.
If even a fraction of the allegations have a significant factual basis, this will be a scandal for the ages.
The questions the Vanity Fair journalist Matthew Cole asked Kushner's lawyer reveal that this scandal is huge, much bigger than today's article covers.
Matthew Cole has sure done his homework, and I can confirm some of it by following the Trump campaign and administration over the years. Now Kushner is trying to pretend he kept his head in the sand and knew nothing.