The following links will lead you to websites with information regarding cults, mind control, psychological coercion and manipulation. Inclusion on this list is NOT an endorsement by CISNEO of the group itself or the information contained on the group’s website. In the battle against the immoral groups and individuals that use mind control, CISNEO maintains that education, gathered from wide-ranging sources, is the most effective counter-measure. In the list of groups that provide information on cults, we first believe it is important to be aware of one group that purports to offer information to distraught families:

Cult Awareness Network WARNING!

On 23 October 1996, many assets of the Cult Awareness Network, Inc. (CAN) were sold at bankruptcy auction to Steven Hayes, of the law firm of Bowles & Hayes.  These assets included the CAN logo, service mark, phone number, and mailbox number.  It is proper to assume that any individual or organization currently using the CAN logo or any other assets sold on 23 October 1996 has obtained legal permission to do so from Mr. Hayes or from the subsequent owners of these assets.

One should also assume that any statements, publications, etc., identified as originating from CAN or the Cult Awareness Network are the product of an organization with no connection to the organization that existed prior to 23 October 1996.  Please be mindful of the 23 October 1996 transfer of assets when evaluating any material attributed to the Cult Awareness Network. For more information regarding the CAN bankruptcy and the current organization using the CAN name refer to the  following Rick Ross Institute Web page.

Rick Ross Institute

A database of information about cults, destructive cults, controversial groups and movements. The Rick A. Ross Institute of New Jersey (RRI) is a nonprofit public resource with a vast archive that contains thousands of individual documents. RRI on-line files include news stories, research papers, reports, court documents, book excerpts, personal testimonies and hundreds of links to additional relevant resources. This database is well-organized for easy access and reference and probably contains the most exhaustive collection of information on cults on the Internet.

ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association)

Formerly known as the American Family Foundation (AFF), ICSA was the nation's first research foundation dedicated to cults, cultic groups, and the problems they pose to individuals and society.  Publisher of the Cultic Studies Review, the ICSA Web site offers an excellent collection of articles on the prevalence, inner workings and danger of destructive cults.  The contents are drawn from ICSA's regular publications and should be consulted by all, serious scholars as well as those seeking personal insight.

The ex-Cult Resource Center site is a good starting point if you're overwhelmed by one of the more encyclopedic sites.  It also maintains copies of documents and Web sites originally created by others.  Groups wind up here because "criticism of their practices has been brought to the attention of the site sponsor."

FACTNet

Established in 1993, FACTNet was one of the first computerized repositories of information on cults, a "nonaligned electronic lending library and preservational archive" as it calls itself.  Today, FACTNet does not limit its encyclopedic Web site to information on cults.  One of its stated goals is to promote freedom of mind by providing information about "mind control and unethical influence commonly found in destructive cults" as well as in "governments, corporations, social organizations, advertising/marketing, political organizations, the military and family groups."

The Stanford Prison Experiment

Almost everyone, when first learning about destructive cults, has thought "That could never happen to me!  I'm too ______.  [Insert:  smart, strong in my faith, street wise, or any other term that describes your greatest strength.]  Well, this famous simulation of prison life, conducted at Stanford University in 1971, should make you seriously reconsider such confidence.  The unexpected answers to two questions "What happens when you put good people in an evil place?  Does humanity win over evil, or does evil triumph?" will help you understand how circumstance and environment affect how people act and how they treat each other.

Watchman Fellowship

This site is informed by a literate, evangelical Christian viewpoint and is carefully researched and informative.  The Watchman Fellowship, a "research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult and the New Age," believes that everyone has the right "to hold and practice divergent beliefs, . . . [but it] is compelled to exercise its freedoms (religious, speech and press) to expose questionable doctrines and abusive or manipulative practices, and to offer spiritual alternatives in the form of traditional Christian faith."

Wellspring Retreat & Resource Center

The Wellspring Retreat & Resource Center is "a residential treatment facility specializing in the rehabilitation of victims of cultic abuse in group settings, families, or relationships."  It provides a "two-week residential program for victims of cultic trauma . . . built around daily individual counseling, group workshops, and a caring, supportive atmosphere."  Their site is an inclusive set of discussions that explain Wellsprings' origins, operations, and goals.  A must read for anyone seeking help.

Opus Dei Awareness Network (ODAN) 

ODAN is an organization of people who "have had painful experiences as a result of their association with Opus Dei" (a personal prelature within the Catholic Church).  This site is a professional and literate source for those who need facts and insight into this highly publicized cult.  In addition to presenting ODAN's concerns and the evidence supporting them, this site also contains news articles, copies and translations of Opus Dei documents, testimonials of former Opus Dei members, and links to sites both supporting and opposing Opus Dei.

Reveal (Research, Examine, Verify, Educate, Assist, Liberate)

REVEAL is an organization of former members of the International Churches of Christ (ICC) and its predecessor religious movements, the Boston Church of Christ, and the Crossroads Church of Christ.  Its stated purpose is "to bring the ICC into the light of day -- to provide accurate, detailed and complete information about its beliefs and practices."

CSICOP (Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal)

In the Free Marketplace of Ideas, CSICOP's site is one of the best.  It prods the reader with reasonable grounds to question the statements made by and about many controversial groups.  CSICOP, publisher of the Skeptical Inquirer magazine, "promotes science and scientific inquiry, critical thinking, science education, and the use of reason in examining important issues."

The Religious Movement Resource Center

The Religious Movement Resource Center is a part of the United Campus Ministry at Colorado State University and Interfaith of Fort Collins.  The Center provides "information on destructive cults and provides services including counseling, legal referrals, an extensive library, workshops, and more."  It is an exceptional resource for information on hate groups including white supremacists, skin heads, neo-Nazis and Christian Identity churches.

False Memory Syndrome Foundation

This is a useful site for getting acquainted with the issues surrounding the issue of false memory syndrome (FMS).  The foundation was founded "to document and study the problem of families that were being shattered when adult children suddenly claimed to have recovered repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse."   Its stated goals are: 1)  "To seek the reasons for the spread of FMS that is so devastating [to] families," 2)  "To work for ways to prevent it," and 3)  "To aid those who were affected by it and to bring their families into reconciliation."

Skeptics Society

The Skeptics Society consists of "scholars, scientists, historians, magicians, professors and teachers, and anyone curious about controversial ideas, extraordinary claims, revolutionary ideas and the promotion of science."  This Web site is a good source for information on all things alternative (or skeptical, depending on your preference), including Skeptic Magazine.  It prods the reader's mind in a way synonymous with CSICOP's site.

A Web site for people "questioning their faith in the Mormon Church" (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).  Many links and stories of ex-members.

Ex-Mormon Foundation

The Exmormon Foundation provides "support to those who are leaving, or who have already left, the Mormon Church." (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)  They claim that they're not anti-Mormon; and "are not interested in hurting others or taking their faith from them."  Many links and stories of ex-members.

Free Minds

Free Minds promotes "awareness of the Watchtower and its authoritarian tactics."  A large site with many links to Jehovah Witness (JW) resources, both pro- and anti-JW.

TranceNet.org

A large site with many links to Transcendental Meditation (TM) resources.  The TranceNet Web site "focuses on material that is critical of the TM program" but also includes links to "resources maintained by the TM movement and enthusiastic supporters of the TM movement."

The Awareness Page

This Web site is a starting point for finding information on Large Group Awareness Trainings (LGATs) (Landmark Forum, est, Lifespring, etc.).  Its stated purpose is "to help build awareness of the various types of self awareness programs that are out in the marketplace."  Many links.