Master of Liberal Studies, University of Toledo, 2023, Liberal Studies

Historically, destructive cult groups have recruited members in-person, lived in communal spaces, and had strong in-person bonds. Developed in response to these groups is the BITE Model of undue influence, which models ways in which a group can be classified as a destructive cult. However, online-facilitated destructive groups have emerged since the beginning of the internet, and while the BITE model is the best method to determine if a group is a cult, the ways these groups operate in terms of recruitment, indoctrination, and mind control look different than historical cults. This paper explores the historical groups, the BITE model, the internet, policy and regulation, online-facilitated groups, along with suggestions for further research, and a cautionary word to those who hope to further the research of online-facilitated destructive cults.

Committee: Jerry Van Hoy (Committee Chair); Jeanine Diller (Committee Member); Sunday Griffith (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Cognitive Psychology; History; Mass Media; Religion; Social Research; Spirituality; Technology

Bachelor of Arts, Ohio University, 2024, History

Do extreme religious groups develop in a vacuum due to the leaders desire for power and the followers' ignorance? Or are there larger forces at play? The United States in the 1970s saw a rise in extreme religious groups characterized by charismatic leaders and catastrophe. Much of the American public believed these groups were formed because of their leader's desire for money and power. However leaders were often motivated by other forces, and followers were typically well educated and middle class, with no obvious reason to join these communities. If this is the case, what other explanation is there for the formation of extreme religious groups? In the case of the 1970s, this was due to the larger pressures of the “Me Decade.” The me decade was characterized by poor domestic conditions in the US, resulting from inflation, stagnation, fuel shortages and government scandal. As the quality of life for average Americans deteriorated, they lost faith in their government to solve these problems, and turned to other solutions. Oftentimes these were attempts at self improvement, hoping for personal improvement if the problems of society couldn't be solved. In other cases, new religious communities were formed, providing spiritual solutions as an alternative to political ones. An example of one such religious group was the Rajneesh, a spiritual community founded in central Oregon known for their 1984 bioterrorism attack. The “Me Decade,” as well as its impact on the Rajneesh can be seen through a number of sources, including the Rajneesh's newspaper, other local newspapers, and essays by writers of the time on the phenomenon of the me decade. In this way, extreme religious groups in the 1970s were not formed by the leader's desire for money and power, but due to larger political and cultural pressures, particularly in the case of the Rajneesh.

Committee: Kevin Mattson (Advisor) Subjects: American History; History; Religious History

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, English (Arts and Sciences)

In 1972, a distracted nurse accidentally switches two newborn baby girls on Long Island. The sharp financial, class, and ethnic disparities of these families offer both protection and disadvantages to each daughter. When the truth is discovered over twenty years later, the young women and their birth families must reckon with all that connects and divides them—and what choices and commitments to make (and not make) in the aftermath.

Committee: Patrick O'Keeffe (Advisor) Subjects: Glbt Studies; Literature; Modern Literature; Womens Studies

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Ohio University, 2020, Film

An exploration into the representation of sex and sexuality in film. Included is a feature-length screenplay involving a sexually repressive cult in which the protagonist must navigate his sexuality into adulthood, as well as a complimentary analysis examining my influences, research and process.

Committee: Lindsey Martin (Advisor) Subjects: Film Studies; Fine Arts

MA, Kent State University, 2018, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Anthropology

.

Committee: Richard Feinberg Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Evgenia Fotiou Ph.D. (Committee Member); Alice Kehoe Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Ancient Civilizations; Cultural Anthropology; Religion

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2017, History

This study examines the integration of the Branch Davidians into the Waco, Texas community during the years immediately preceding the BATF siege of 1993. An examination of media and biographical sources indicates that the Branch Davidians were better integrated in the community than is commonly suggested. Survivor accounts describe the Branch Davidians working and relaxing in Waco, rather than hiding in their compound. A survey of local newspaper coverage reveals that the press in Waco had a positive view of Koresh and the Branch Davidians in the late 1980s. In particular, coverage of a 1988 trial involving David Koresh and his followers in the Waco Tribune Herald was markedly more positive than the later and more famous coverage of the group in 1993.

Committee: Nancy Garner Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Ava Chamberlain Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jacob Dorn Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: American History; Religious History

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1978, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Sociology

Bachelor of Arts, Ohio University, 2014, Classics and World Religions

In the early 2nd century CE the Roman emperor Hadrian created one of the most unique Roman deities with one action on the Nile in Middle Egypt; he deified an imperial favorite- a youth from the Greek East called Antinous. While this action alone was uncommon enough to warrant the nearly 2000 year-long discussion of the emperor Hadrian and his boy lover Antinous, what makes the discussion so compelling is the survival of the god Antinous past Hadrian’s reign and lifetime. The ephebe’s image spread through the Roman Empire with Hadrian’s declaration of his apotheosis in Egypt, but the question is: Why, after the death of Hadrian, did a Greek boy deified without the consent of the Roman Senate keep his place in Rome’s pantheon of deities? An exploration of the evidence for the establishment of Antinous' cult and the subsequent responses of the cities of the East sheds light on how this unknown provincial teenager became one of the most iconic faces of Imperial Rome.

Committee: Lynn C. Lancaster (Advisor) Subjects: Classical Studies

MA, University of Cincinnati, 1999, Arts and Sciences : Classics

At some point in the fourth century B.C., anatomical votive terracottas began to be dedicated in sanctuaries in central Italy. Thousands of replicas of body parts have been found in votive deposits in these sanctuaries, left to deities as requests or thank offerings for healing. The spread of the anatomical votive terracotta phenomenon has been attributed to the colonisation of central Italy by the Romans. In addition, parallels have been drawn to the similar short-lived phenomenon at the Asklepieion at Corinth where models of body parts were also dedicated in the context of a healing cult. After a general introduction to the historical and physical context of the anatomical votive terracotta phenomenon, this thesis examines the link to Corinth and suggests how the practice was first transmitted to Italy. Votive evidence of early date and peculiar typology found in situ from the sanctuary at Gravisca on the south coast of Etruria suggests contact with Greeks who would have been familiar with the practice of dedicating anatomical votive terracottas at Corinth. From its point of introduction to central Italy in southern Etruria, the practice of dedicating anatomical votive terracottas spread to Rome along the communication arteries of the developing Roman road system. This thesis also examines why Asklepios, introduced to Rome in 293 B.C., had limited influence on healing cults in central Italy.

Committee: Dr. Charles Rose (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2009, Counselor Education (Education)

Cults are widespread throughout the world and many have been shown to have negative effects on individuals who have been members of these types of groups. There is a lack of research completed addressing career development and employment in the recovery of cult survivors. Because of the limited amount of research concerning the impact of cult membership on career development, other populations who have experienced similar types of coercive relationships were examined including those involved in intimate partner abuse. The literature review indicated that victims of cult membership and survivors of domestic violence might experience some of the same issues that negatively impact their career development and employment. This study examined the following research question: Are the career development and employment of former cult members impacted by the length of time they participated in a cult, their level of education, their perceived need for vocational rehabilitation services and their mental health symptoms? A non-random sample of 56 former cult members who underwent treatment at the Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center participated in the study. Data for this study were received from two sources: the Work and Cult Recovery Index, a non-standardized instrument developed for this study, and scores from the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) that were retrieved from the existing database at Wellspring. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the predictors. The results indicated a rejection of the null hypothesis indicating that as a set, the 4 independent variables were significantly related to the perceived impact that cult membership had on career development and employment. The perceived need for vocational rehabilitation services and the length of time spent in the cult demonstrated a significant relationship with the perceived impact of cult participation on career development and employment. These two variables were both negatively correlated (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jerry A. Olsheski PhD (Committee Chair) Subjects: Mental Health; Psychology; Rehabilitation; Social Work

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2008, Counselor Education (Education)

Little research has been done overall to explore the effects that cults have on individuals. Clinical observations noted in the literature have included a connection between contemplative techniques such as prolonged chanting and meditation and speaking in tongues that are used by some cults to disrupt critical thought processes, and symptoms such as trance-like dissociation and depression (Singer and Ofshe, 1990; West and Martin, 1994). Duration in a cult is thought to lead to transient and longer lasting effects (Singer and Ofshe). Using a two-way factorial MANOVA design and a two-way ANOVA design, pre-existing data from 477 former treatment seeking cultists was studied to examine the levels of depression and dissociation in former members of those who have been in contemplative-type cults compared to those who have been in cults where such techniques were not used. The variable of time spent in the group was also examined. Those who have been in contemplative-type cults were found to have higher levels of depression and dissociation. Time spent in a cult does not appear to have an effect on the level of depression and dissociation.

Committee: Dana Heller Levitt (Committee Chair); Jerry Olsheski PhD (Committee Member); George Johanson PhD (Committee Member); Timothy Anderson PhD (Other) Subjects: Education; Mental Health; Personal Relationships; Personality; Psychology; Public Health; Rehabilitation; Religion; Social Psychology