Cult or Community? The Line Between Control and Connection

Name: Cult or Community? The Line Between Control and Connection
Start: 2026-01-29T11:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-01-29T13:00:00-06:00

January 29 @ 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM CST

Cult or Community?

The Line Between Control and Connection

Thursday, January 29, 2026

Pacific: 9:00am-11:00am
Mountain: 10:00am-12:00pm
Central: 11:00am-1:00pm
Eastern: 12:00pm- 2:00pm

View your local time here.

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Renowned cult expert, Dr. Steve Hassan, and host of Cults I’d Join, Jesse Stone, join the FIC to discuss what differentiates healthy communities from coercive high-control groups. Explore the nuances and complexities that drive us toward belonging and how to practice discernment in the face of cults.

The word cult is thrown around constantly—often as a joke, sometimes as a warning, and occasionally as a smear. Yet beneath the sensational headlines lies a deep set of questions about human psychology, belonging, identity, and the structures that shape our lives in groups.

What makes some communities transformative and supportive, while others become manipulative or abusive? How can people tell the difference? And why, despite the risks, are so many of us still drawn to intense, visionary, or tightly bonded communities?

In this candid discussion, we bring together two influential voices approaching the topic from very different angles: Jesse Stone, whose podcast Cults I’d Join explores the appeal and benefits of tight-knit group life and Dr. Steve Hassan, founder of the Freedom of Mind Resource Center, who is one of the world’s leading experts on cults, undue influence, and ethical leadership.

Moderated by Daniel Greenberg (FIC’s Director of Partnerships and Networking), this session will challenge assumptions, unpack myths, and invite a sincere dialogue exploring the blurry line between cooperation and coercion.

In this session, you’ll learn:

How to distinguish between healthy group commitment and high-control dynamics
Common psychological mechanisms that make people vulnerable to influences of control
Why humans are wired for belonging—and how that impulse can be used for good or harm
Lessons ICs can learn from cult research to strengthen ethics and resilience
What makes certain cults attractive, meaningful, or even “worth joining”
Practical tools for critical thinking, empowerment, and safer group culture

About Your Presenters

Dr. Steve Hassan

Dr. Hassan is a licensed mental health professional, a recognized expert on cults and undue influence, and possesses professional experience both in the US and abroad.

With 49 years of experience, Dr. Hassan’s expertise extends to the realm of undue influence in a wide array of contexts, including destructive one-on-one relationships, family dynamics, parental alienation, small cult-like groups, religious cults, therapy and self-improvement groups, professional abuse, institutional abuse, corporate settings, multi-level marketing, political groups, human trafficking, hate and violent extremism, deconstructing colonialism, and other challenging situations.

Steve possesses a unique perspective, having experienced life as a former cult member who was successfully deprogrammed in 1976, and as a clinical professional who has dedicated his life to aiding others in similar situations.

Jesse Stone

Down in the Ozarks, Jesse Stone lives and loves with her young son Solace, two dogs, and two cats. Jesse is an artist, writer, and maker, and has lived her life immersed in the wide variety of subcultures. Sharing these experiences through art and storytelling is her passion.

Jesse has a long history of living in community, culty and otherwise, from her youngest years and at all points since. Through her podcast, Cults I’d Join, she asks important questions like: What draws us to community? What prompts us to leave? What is the depth of experience in between? What makes a group “good” or “bad,” and will anyone else join all these cults with her? (Spoiler alert: Jesse would join them all)…

Location

You’ll get a Zoom link after you register in your confirmation email. Please check the spam folder of the inbox you use to register for an email from orders@ic.org.

The Online Event Experience

Live Event

Nothing pre-recorded here! When you sign-up for an event with FIC, you’ll have the opportunity to view a live session on Zoom with the panelists.

Affordable and Accessible

All our events are run on a sliding scale basis. Generous donations cover the costs for low-income attendees. FIC is committed to making our programs accessible to people of all walks of life.

Watch the Recording

You’ll receive the recording of your event to view for 60 days. So don’t worry if you can’t attend a live session. Watch or listen whenever it is convenient for you. Transcripts available upon request.

Registration