Gerette Buglion

I am fascinated by the psychology of cults, groupthink, and emotional manipulation. I'm especially intrigued by what we can learn from those who manage to break away. I had high hopes for "An Everyday Cult" but it did not deliver. Perhaps something was lost in Buglion's altering of people, events, and places to protect the privacy of others? Maybe those were the crucial details that gave meaning to the story? All I know is that after nearly 200 pages, I have no greater understanding of how the author (and others) fell victim to "CTL" nor what truly changed to make an escape possible. The tone deaf epilogue in which she links her own experience to that of George Floyd, Eric Garner, and countless other black men and women who have been murdered by police makes me question if Buglion herself possesses the necessary perspective to reveal cult life to her readers.… (altro)

I work with a lot of cult survivors and am very interested in the topic but I did not really like this book. I think it's important for people to realize that cults can be more than just religious groups - they can be financial, self-help, in this case therapeutic. But as a therapist I just felt like I couldn't understand people not seeing through this one. I couldn't relate to the characters; I understand why they got sucked in based on their own values and the communities they came from. I just couldn't relate.… (altro)