1446: Recovering Agency Pt. 4 - Examining Mormon Mind Control w/ Luna Lindsey Corbden

Luna Corbden is the author of "Recovering Agency - Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control." In this multi-part Mormon Stories Podcast series, Lindsey employs the tools of social psychology to identify ways in which the Mormon church uses various coercive techniques often associated with high demand religions (also referred to as cults).

Throughout the series we will be asking, "In what ways does the Mormon church behave in ways similar to other high demand religions (or cults), and what can it do to become less cult-like?" The primary goal of this series is to help people raised within the Mormon Church unpack and separate their own identity from church doctrine and policies. In their book. Luna explores 31 different mind control techniques used by high demand religions generally, and by the Mormon church specifically.

In Part 4, we will cover the 4rd set of methods (of the 31 in total): Dispensing of Existence, Social Pressure, Elitism, Us-vs-Them Thinking, Double-Bind, and Confession.

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Luna Corbden (who also writes as Luna Lindsey) was born into the LDS Church and left the faith in 2001, at age 26. They now live in Washington state and write about topics of interest to them, including psychology, mind control, culture, and autism. They also write science fiction and fantasy novels, and write short stories for speculative fiction publications like the Journal of Unlikely Entomology, Crossed Genres, and the Recognize Fascism anthology. When they're not busy traveling to improbable worlds, they're thinking hard about this improbable world.

Luna's book can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Agency.../dp/1489595937

Show Notes:

• Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control by Luna Lindsey Corbden
• "Ideas on Singularity and Post-Human Intelligence," by Luna Lindsey Corbden
• "The Psychology of Religion with Dr. James Nagel," Mormon Stories
• "What the Mormon Church Can Learn from Cults to Do/Be Better," Steven Hassan on Mormon Stories
• "How to Help a Loved One Who Believes in QAnon," Steven Hassan on Mormon Stories
• Combating Cult Mind Control: The Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults by Steven Hassan
• Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A study of "brainwashing" in China by Robert Jay Lifton
• A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance by Leon Festinger
• Escaping Utopia: Growing Up in a Cult, Getting Out, and Starting Over by Janja Lalich
• Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias
• Captive Hearts, Captive Minds: Freedom and Recovery from Cults and Other Abusive Relationships by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias
• Cults in Our Midst: The Continuing Fight Against Their Hidden Menace by Margaret Thaler Singer
• Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse by Michael Langone
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
• International Cultic Studies Association
• When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger
• "Obedience Brings Blessings," Thomas S. Monson, General Conference April 2013
• "An Open Letter to Students: On Having Faith and Thinking for Yourself," by C. Terry Warner, New Era, November 1971
• "Using Our Free Agency," by Delbert L. Stapley, Ensign, May 1975
• Losing My Mind Bit by Bit: A Story of Mormon Motherhood by Pam Kazmaier
• "Be Not Deceived," Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference October 2004
• The Jonestown "Death Tape" (CW: Disturbing content)
• Mormon Stories interview with Mike Rinder
• John Dehlin on Scientology: Fair Game with Leah Remini and Mike Rinder
• The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball
• "The negative impact of perfectionism among Mormons," by Kristine Doty-Yells, Utah State University 2013
• "If Thou Art Faithful," Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference October 1984
• "Listening to Shame," Brené Brene Brown TEDTalk, March 2012
• "The Power of Vulnerability," Brené Brown, TEDTalk, June 2010
• "Social rejection shares somatosensory representations with physical pain," Ethan Kross, et. al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, April 2011
• "The pain of social rejection," by Kirsten Weir, Monitor on Psychology, 2012
• Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves by Steven Hassan
• Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults, and Beliefs by Steven Hassan
• Thinker of Thoughts with Jonathan Streeter
• "Undue Influence in General Conference," with Jonathan Streeter and Luna Lindsey Corbden
• "Fellowshipping: A Priesthood Responsibility," Lesson 10, Duties and Blessing of the Priesthood Manual
• The Pattern of Double-Bind in Mormonism by Marion Stricker
• Coercive Persuasion: A Socio-psychological Analysis of the "Brainwashing" of American Civilian Prisoners by the Chinese Communists by E.H. Schein
• "Put Off the Natural Man and Come Off Conqueror," Neal A. Maxwell, General Conference October 1990
• "The Mantle is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect," Boyd K. Packer address at BYU in 1981
• "The Rise and Fall of BH Roberts with Shannon Caldwell Montez," Mormon Stories
• "The Secret Mormon Meetings of 1912 with Shannon Caldwell  Montez," Mormon Stories
• No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie
• Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini
• "Full Conversion Brings Happiness," Richard G. Scott, General Conference April 2002
• "Trial of Your Faith," Neil L. Andersen, General Conference October 2012
• "Striving for Perfection," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, Ch. 21
• "As Good As Our Bond," Sheldon F. Child, General Conference April 1997
• "LDS Church leaders cut mic when young girl talks about being gay"
• "Pure Testimony," M. Russell Ballard, General Conference October 2004
• "How Do I Help People Make and Keep Commitments?" Preach My Gospel, Ch. 11
• "The Atonement," Gospel Principles, Ch. 12
• The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
• "Personal Revelation: The Gift, the Test, and the Promise," Boyd K. Packer, General Conference October 1994
• "The Lifespan of a Lie: The most famous psychology study of all time was a sham. Why can't we escape the Stanford Prison Experiment?" by Ben Blum
• Street Epistemology
• The Godmakers: A Shocking Expose of What the Mormon Church Really Believes by Ed Decker
  Film
  Book
• "Make Peer Pressure a Positive Experience," The Presidents of Church Teachers Manual Ch. 19
• Under the Influence by John Goldhammer
• Spiritual Perversion by Steve Sanchez
• "The How and Why of Faith-Promoting Stories," by Bruce R. McConkie, New Era, 1978
• "Obedience to Law is Liberty," L. Tom Perry, General Conference April 2013
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Suddenly Strangers by Brad and Chris Morin
• "Gaining a Testimony Through the Holy Ghost," Family Home Evening Resource Book, Ch. 16
• The Mormon Cult: A Former Missionary Reveals the Secrets of Mormon Mind Control by Jack B. Worthy
• Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
• Saintspeak: The Mormon Dictionary by Orson Scott Card