Terror, Love and Brainwashing, Alexandra Stein
Terror, Love and Brainwashing, Alexandra Stein
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Terror, Love and Brainwashing
Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems

Author: Alexandra Stein

Narrator: Susan Ericksen

Unabridged: 12 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/27/2020

Synopsis

Written by a cult survivor and renowned expert on cults and totalitarianism, Terror, Love & Brainwashing draws on the author's twenty-five years of study and research to explain how almost anyone, given the right set of circumstances, can be radically manipulated to engage in otherwise incomprehensible and often dangerous acts.

Illustrated with compelling stories from a range of cults and totalitarian systems, from religious to political to commercial, the book defines and analyzes the common and identifiable traits that underlie almost all these groups. It focuses on how charismatic, authoritarian leaders control their followers' attachment relationships via manipulative social structures and ideologies so that, emotionally and cognitively isolated, they become unable to act in their own survival interests. Using the evolutionary theory of attachment to demonstrate the psychological impact of these environments, and incorporating the latest neuroscientific findings, Stein illustrates how the combined dynamic of terror and "love" works to break down people's ability to think and behave rationally.

This important book offers clarity and a unique perspective on the dynamics of these systems of control, and concludes with guidance to foster greater awareness and prevention.

About Alexandra Stein

Alexandra Stein is a social psychologist who lectures and writes on cults and totalitarianism. Formerly, she was an associate lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London, and has also taught at the University of Minnesota and the University of Westminster. As a young woman she was a member of a political cult, an experience she described in her first book, Inside Out.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Isabelle reads a book a day because she has no friends on April 30, 2021

Anyone else notice that this book is tagged under “cult classics?” Not going to make a comment on that. After reading multiple true crime books focused on cults, it is hard not to see all of the red flags beforehand and think “how could this happen?” This book aims to answer this question, and I beli......more

Goodreads review by ♥Milica♥ on May 01, 2023

This was a very heavy read, the audiobook definitely helped to process it, but even like that it still felt textbook-y. Which is fine, but because of that I think I'll need to reread this when I'm in a more academic mood. 3.5......more

Goodreads review by Justė on March 05, 2017

This book is to anyone who is interested in religious and/or totalitarian cults, and have ever asked the question of what draws people in and makes them do inexplicable, horrendous and nightmarish human acts. The namely examples are scientology, ISIS, Mao regime, moonies, and other political or reli......more

Goodreads review by Steven on November 14, 2019

I strongly endorse this book for people to read to help them better understand the forces of authoritarianism. This doctor of sociology has written a masterful work which brings to bear decades of not only personal experience in a left-wing cult- but as a scholar who wishes to help educate others. T......more

Goodreads review by Delphie on April 21, 2025

incredible non-fiction read as someone who has always been fascinated by cults. i learned so much about the psychology of cults and brainwashing. and it helps explain the rise of far right politics and fascism in the US and um arguably cult following of Trump. this book put all the words / science b......more

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