Blogs About All Things Cultish And Coercive Control

CONTENT WARNING: THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES SEXUAL ASSAULT. Seek support if this blog causes distress. In April 2026, an investigation by CNN exposed what’s being described as a global online “rape academy”— digital communities where men share tactics, encouragement, and footage related to the drugging and assault of women, often their own partners. The scale is confronting, with some platforms drawing millions of views and entire forums dedicated to targeting women who are

I wish we could normalise something very simple: Acknowledging what it actually means to be human. Because somewhere along the way, we’ve taken core human experiences—things like strength, freedom, capability, emotional depth, purpose—and divided them into “masculine” and “feminine” traits. And once you really look at that move, it doesn’t make sense. It creates confusion at best, and at worst, it becomes a tool for control. Let’s start with the basics.

We tend to treat privacy, secrecy, and transparency as if they sit on the same spectrum. As if more transparency is always good, and anything hidden must be suspect. But these concepts are not interchangeable. And in coercive cults and high-control groups, the confusion between them is not accidental—it’s functional.

Any spiritual group that causes someone to fear for their safety—physically, mentally, or emotionally—cannot possibly be healthy. That might sound obvious at first, but in high control environments, what feels obvious from the outside becomes deeply confusing from within. In conversations about coercive control, we often compare high control groups to unhealthy intimate relationships. The parallels are not just helpful—they’re essential for understanding what’s really happ

I turned to ChatGBT which we all know can make mistakes but it seemed like a better option than trying to work it all out by myself. The advice I received broke down the options and highlighted key decision-making criteria—function, price, and supporting evidence. Chat GBT flagged one model as “suspect” because it relied on self-reported customer feedback rather than third-party data. It also noted that this model was on the cheaper end of the spectrum, that is $299.

How gender stereotypes in the manosphere and high-control groups impact mental health. A trauma-informed look at control, identity, and coercive dynamics.

You thought leaving would bring relief. More freedom. More space to breathe. Maybe even a sense of peace. Instead… there’s guilt. A constant, nagging, heavy feeling that you’ve done something wrong — even if you can’t logically explain why. If this is you, you’re not broken. And you’re definitely not alone. What you’re feeling makes sense when we understand how high-control or fear-based religious environments shape the brain, the nervous system, and your sense of self. L

Traditional news outlets are not perfect. They are influenced by commercial pressures, political access, time constraints, and sometimes genuine blind spots. Mistakes happen. Framing choices matter. And historically, there have been moments where media institutions failed the public. But recognising those failures is not the same as abandoning all standards of evidence.

In the days following the Bondi Beach attack, the internet became a mirror for both the best and worst of human behaviour. On one hand, there were stories of bravery, solidarity, and genuine mourning. On the other, a predictable — and deeply troubling — pattern reasserted itself: fake influencers, rumour-mongers and online opportunists flooding angry and grieving spaces with misinformation.