Episode #9 What “THE VOW” Can Teach Us About The Safety Traps Of Self Improvement

In this week’s podcast I discuss the finale of HBO’s “THE VOW” which took an in-depth look at the NXIVM cult in upstate New York. The similarities between cults and religion (07:31); What master manipulators look for in their recruitment efforts (09:22); Who is most likely to join a cult (17:38); How sex is used to as a control measure (19:20); the likelihood of leaving a cult (22:02); three ways to define a cult (23:52), and ten things to keep in mind if you find yourself getting a little too-involved in any kind of organized society (26:26)   Run time: 34m 54s   Show Notes: Coursen’s Corner is a production of Coursen Security Group  This episode was sponsored by The Safety Trap which is now available for Pre-Order on Amazon   Music, courtesy of Ben Sound    Follow me on twitter and instagram for updates and interactions between shows.    Spencer Coursen LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/spencercoursen     Relavant Links: “Podcast: Escaping NXIVM” https://www.cbc.ca/radio/uncover/uncover-escaping-nxivm-1.4675949   “Why People Join Cults, and Why They Leave” https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-04-26-1993116210-story.html   “How Cult Leaders Use Sex To Control Their Sects” https://thoughtcatalog.com/jim-goad/2013/08/divine-pimpin-how-cult-leaders-use-sex-to-control-their-sects/   “Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of 'brainwashing' in China” by Robert J Lifton https://www.amazon.com/Thought-Reform-Psychology-Totalism-brainwashing/dp/0807842532   Mark Manson’s instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGhxlSljsJa/   “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life” by Mark Manson: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062457713/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_O7HJFbMNNH5NS