http://www.houstonpsychiatry.org/1148480479

Posted by Peter A. Olsson MD on Wednesday May 24, @09:21AM
from the dept.
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT
Charisma run amok among wannabe gods

MALIGNANT PIED PIPERS OF OUR TIME: A Psychological Study of Destructive Cult Leaders from the Rev. Jim Jones to Osama bin Laden PublishAmerica, Baltimore (2005) ISBN 1-4137-7668-X Amazon.com, B&N Peter A. Olsson MD In this book, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Dr. Peter A. Olsson examines the phenomena of destructive and apocalyptic cults, revealing the psychological roots of both leaders and cult members. Dr. Olsson calls the leaders — Rev. Jim Jones, David Koresh, Shoko Asahara, Osama bin Laden, and others — Malignant Pied Pipers for the way they lure followers to their deaths. He uses the tenets of psychology to analyze the lives of the cult leaders and the source of their powerful attraction to vulnerable converts. Most important in this age of global terrorism, Dr. Olsson offers his vision for the book: “It is my hope that this in-depth psychological study of destructive cult leaders of the last 30 years — Malignant Pied Pipers — illuminates the roots of their malevolence and their power, a condition that has invariably led to murder, mass suicide, the destruction of families, and to the terrorist acts that dominate our headlines. By understanding them and their appeal, we increase our chance of averting future disasters.”
As a psychoanalyst, Dr. Olsson has helped victims and relatives of cult members. As an experienced researcher, he has listened to and evaluated countless tapes of apocalyptic charismatics and read their literature.

The timeliness of the topic is evident on the front page of the daily newspaper, which explodes with descriptions of the latest terrorist victims, cult suicides, or bombings by religious fanatics. Throughout the world, people are eager for information on ways they can protect themselves, their children, and their friends from falling prey to extremists.

Peter Olsson MD is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School; Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry Baylor College of Medicine; Past President of the Houston Psychiatric Society; a graduate of the Houston-Galveston Psychoanalytic Institute; Fellow of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis; and Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. www.drpeterolsson.com

Table of Contents

Introduction. The author relates the medieval legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, whose rage at mistreatment by the citizens of Hamelin provoked him into a terrible act of revenge when he enticed the children of the town to follow him to their doom. Dr. Olsson uses the tale as a metaphor for the book. He describes his personal and professional motivations for his decades-long study of destructive cults, and gives a brief explanation of the psychological dynamics at work in both cult leaders and converts.

Chapter One. Understanding the Malignant Pied Piper

How do charismatic/messianic personalities like Jim Jones or Osama bin Laden develop? What enables them to play a godlike, parental role for their followers? Each of the Malignant Pied Pipers studied in this book has two key aspects to his aberrant personality development — a traumatic childhood characterized by neglect, humiliation, and rejection; and later experiences termed “dark epiphanies” that intensify an already malformed personality. All of the destructive cult leaders fit the diagnosis for Narcissistic Personality Disorder as well as Malignant Narcissism.

In addition to setting out the parameters for his discussion of the cult leaders, Dr. Olsson discusses his methodology for the book, defines both benign and destructive cults, and shows how the Malignant Pied Piper invariably exploits and abuses cult members and leads them toward a violent, apocalyptic end.

A case study of the RAMTHA cult and its leader J. Z. Knight demonstrates the allure of cults for people who are vulnerable, for one reason or another, to the promises and aggressive techniques of cult leaders.

Chapter Two: Rev. Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple of Jonestown

A natural leader, Jim Jones used his charisma as a preacher and social activist to attract a wide following of idealistic young people in the 1960s and 1970s. As he sank deeper into the grandiosity and paranoia of his self-appointed role, rumors of brutality, sexual and financial exploitation, and brainwashing caused the authorities to begin investigating the cult. The murders and mass suicides in Jonestown in 1978 were the culmination of Jones’s twisted apocalyptic vision. The once neglected, abused leader had become the all-powerful abuser and abandoner.

Chapter Three: David Koresh and the Branch Davidians of Waco, Texas

Like the section on Jim Jones, this biographical chapter will begin with a factual summary of Koresh’s life and the events that culminated in the mass deaths at Waco in 1993. Dr. Olsson’s psychological analysis of Koresh and his followers will focus on Koresh’s dark epiphanies and apocalyptic vision, and how they played out so tragically in the lives of his cult members. Koresh, like Jones, reenacted his boyhood pain and suffering by controlling, exploiting, and bullying others.

Chapter Four: Charles Manson, the Helter Skelter Killer; and Shoko Asahara, Bizarre Messiah of Aum Shinrikyo

Psychobiographies of these two destructive cult leaders will show how they fit the definition and pattern of Malignant Pied Pipers. (On February 27, 2004, Asahara was sentenced to death in Japan for directing the deadly sarin gas attacks in the Tokyo subway in 1995.)

Chapter Five: Marshal Applewhite of Heaven’s Gate; Luc Jouret and Joseph DeMambro of the Suicidal Solar Temple

Psychobiographies of two more Malignant Pied Pipers. Applewhite, an Elmer-Gantry-like guru, convinced cult members to commit suicide to that they could join extraterrestrials in the tail of the Halle-Bopp comet. Jouret and DeMambro, paranoid mystics, espoused group suicide to draw attention to urgent environmental issues, luring idealistic followers to their deaths.

Chapter Six: The Siren Song of Destructive Cults

Who is vulnerable to the call of a Malignant Pied Piper? The author describes the four core cult indoctrination techniques and how they affect the minds of followers and feed into the delusions of the Malignant Pied Piper in a deadly symbiosis. Through case histories and analysis, the author suggests who might be most vulnerable to the psychological coercion of cults. He lists the typical cult-leader tactics and tip-offs.

Chapter Seven: The Mind of Osama bin Laden — The Ultimate Malignant Pied Piper

In this chapter, Dr. Olsson applies his 20-plus years of research about destructive and apocalyptic cults and their leaders to studying bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terror cult. Bin Laden’s childhood psychological deformities and later “dark epiphany” experiences put him clearly in the mold of the other Malignant Pied Pipers. There are also uncanny similarities in “follower psychology” between Al Qaeda recruits and members of other destructive cults. The author shows how the humiliation and devastation of refugee camps, war zones, and religious strife in the Middle East has created a generation of “wounded sheep” who find bin Laden’s Pied Piper music profound and compelling.

Chapter Eight: Fighting Back

What to do if someone you know joins a destructive cult — what works, what doesn’t, what might be effective. Illustrated by case studies. What can we as a society do to change the conditions that make people more vulnerable to cults and apocalyptic scenarios? Can they be identified before they can hurt people or families?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And...a book, Malignant Pied Pipers of our Time

Editorial Reviews

Book Description
In this book, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Dr. Peter A. Olsson examines the phenomenon of destructive and apocalyptic cults, revealing the psychological roots of both cult leaders and cult members. Dr. Olsson calls the leaders (Rev. Jim Jones, David Koresh, Osama bin Laden, and others) malignant pied pipers for the way they lure followers to their deaths. Olsson uses concepts of psychology to analyze the lives of the cult leaders and the source of their powerful attraction to vulnerable converts. Dr. Olsson offers his vision for the book: “It is my hope that this in-depth psychological study of destructive cult leaders of the last 30 years illuminates the roots of their malevolence and their power, a condition that has invariably led to murder, mass suicide, the destruction of families, and to the terrorist acts that dominate our headlines. By understanding them and their appeal, we increase our chance of averting future disasters.” Dr. Olsson has been a psychiatrist for more than 30 years in Texas and New Hampshire. He is a professor of psychiatry and has published many scholarly papers and contributed chapters to eight books about psychology. He won the 1979 Judith Baskin Offer Prize for his paper “Adolescent Involvement with the Supernatural and Cults.”

excerpted from amazon dotcom, where they had the book featured and reviewed.

This sounds like an excellent book!.. Thanks for the info.

the more scientific articles get written about such groups, and the more local
agencies have incidents and responses, and
the more media attention, the sooner
these groups will be exposed.

Joe Sz, have you heard of this book?

Suggestion to EMF posters: Find out whether your library system carries this book. If they don't, request that they purchase it. Most libraries are happy to handle such patron requests (I've worked in several libraries). You'll need the book title, author, publisher, and date. This is all available on Amazon.com.

I just requested that the Timberland Library System (which serves Yelm, WA) carry this book, and I suggest that other local posters do the same. It is not easy to find the link where you can request that the library purchase a book, so here's what to do: Click on "Ask a Librarian." Under EMAIL, in the center column, click on #2: Interlibrary loan or purchase request. Fill out the form, including this information:

Malignant Pied Pipers of Our Time: A Psychological Study of Destructive Cult Leaders from Rev. Jim Jones to Osama bin Laden (Paperback), by Peter A. Olsson M.D. (Author); PublishAmerica (June 13, 2005)

Also, I looked up this book on Amazon.com and read the 5 reviews. Among them is one by the author giving a little more about his background. I'm sure the author would appreciate EMF posters adding our reviews.

that rocks onehand.
Great idea!

from a review on amazon.com :

One of the best chapters is entitled "The Siren Song of Destructive Cults". In it Olsson concisely describes the main characteristics of cult leaders and those who are falling under their spell. These key and practical points are spun off a compelling tale of a couple whom Olsson treated that fell under the spell of a "Malignant Pied Piper". In my opinion this chapter alone can help any parent, friend, or therapist to thwart the loss of a loved one or client into a destructive cult lifestyle. In the last sentence of the book Olsson states that it is his hope that the book will help the reader to recognize and stop a Malignant Pied Piper before it is too late. I believe this wonderful book will do just that.

I recently read this book and was shocked to read about JZ in a book which features Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charlie Manson, Shoko Asahara, Marshall Applewhite, Luc Jouet and Joe DiMambro, Osama bin Laden. Scary, really.

I read one particular chapter in the book, that is almost totally about JZ/R. Dr. Olsson has some very stong views, which he expresses. Really, it's more than that; it's his professional opinion.

The chapter includes details about a family that sued (and won, as I recall), JZ. There were two adult daughters involved, whom each had their own million dollar trust. When they got involved in RSE, and were "of age", guess who got the money from them, and then dropped them (distanced herself), when the well went dry ?

It's really a very good read. Yes, and scary. Especially, imo, the part about how these groups end up so far down a dark path, that a number of them involved mass suicide.

I just wonder about the "codes" to "get you out of here" .

I hope it isn't ever a tragedy on that level; it's been tragedy enough.

I just finished watching "Brainwashed" with Yvette Mimieux. The similarities between the character she played and JR are amazing (all in white, a 'goddess' and so on. My family watched it with me and was horrified, as was I. When the demoralizing and beatings began, the others, with the exception of one, did nothing. He and his wife would discuss the heinous occurrences at night. Then his wife was hit by a 'guard.' All the while, the others each began having their own "humiliating" experiences under the guise of "evolution." Each person, after "their" experience, was hugged by the others and said, "it was GREAT!" I felt as though I was watching an RSE 'truth' film. In the very end, the doubting guy and his wife wanted out, but the catch was they could leave only if the husband could cross the room; otherwise, his wife was to spend the night with the "red" guard holding her while she had her clothing taken off. Here's where it's very interesting. The only way the husband could cross the room was through ALL of the people who had already been "brainwashed" and he had to beat them off of him, because they were attacking him "for his own good." In the end, he got to his wife, and they left, but not before he staged his own "enlightenment" and then told the 'white lady' "it doesn't work" with some added drama. He and his wife leave - her response to the group? "He has 'graduated' into a leader' thereby rationalizing their leaving. It was so JR; no doubt she saw the film in her younger days.

It was terribly disturbing to watch, but having been at RSE and watching the crowd sit and rise and raise their 'blessed' water bottles "to life!" - I understood. I remember NOT wanting to stand so many times, and didn't - but people around me were so I did. The only time it felt 'okay' was the 'honeymoon' phase beginner's group. This is something people must know. The 'beginners' retreats are NOT what RSE IS. Far from it. So if your family member or loved one has only been to a beginner's group, and one not in Yelm, they have no clue, and continue to believe the great and wonderful woman with the hair extensions (odd she can't 'manifest' this). Going to a beginner's group, or repeated ones, is not the real deal. Combine this with the CD's and books, and the person involved is in no way getting the whole experience and picture. They are brainwashed, but haven't seen the 'ugly' side in most cases. I remember how impressed I was the first times I was taught by JZ. She is very down-to-earth in her teachings, and is funny and seems very 'real.' It's difficult to imagine her engaging in all of this if you've only seen her (not her as "R", just her, teaching. And her 'Gladys' IS funny. So these students who do only the beginners over and over rarely get a glimpse of the real deal - 'everybody out to the field now!" - even women with babies in carriages were reprimanded for being too slow. This was NOT a beginner's group or follow-up. It was a miserable situation and a very 'contagious' auditorium where many many people were sick and 'passed it around.' There was an ambulance out near the food vendors; of course, students were not permitted - I never did hear what occurred.

I would love to see a REAL case study of HER neuro'net' - how many personalities live there? Where is her conscience? How does she rationalize this all, and rationalize taking "James" from his fiance, just by having him tapped on the whatever by a red guard? She obviously feels no shame in her behavior, but of course, she doesn't believe in that, according to the teachings of "R".

I've been collecting the older books for awhile now, but haven't read them all. I'm planning on doing a comparison of what was said before, and what is said now. The "Ramtha UFO" book from the 80's mentions "the sign of the triad" is the sign of the "ET's." Not one teacher told us that. It was described as 'putting the brain on notice that something important is about to occur." Also, I'm working a way so that all can see some of the lovely photographs from "Scalamandre's" luxury home books. Such lovely houses..........ahem.......

Then there's her address to the women - is it still on the RSE site? Bizarre. "Women are the cause of war." Ah, you just contradicted yourself again, Jayzeek!........

More later. I have lots of reading to do.



As someone said above, pointing out what was predicted and didn't occur will provoke the response, "we changed timelines." I never bought that one- I mean, come on now!

G2G,

Yes, the film is creepy in its similarities.

"He and his wife leave - her response to the group? "He has 'graduated' into a leader' thereby rationalizing their leaving. It was so JR; no doubt she saw the film in her younger days."

"As someone said above, pointing out what was predicted and didn't occur will provoke the response, "we changed timelines."

These are good examples of one of the eason why one virtually always feels like they cannot win. No matter what happens, the leaders (and sometimes parroted by the folowers as a learned response) Re-invent reality.

Note, there is a big difference between re-inventing what really occured and "creating reality".

The reinventing is more like the child caught with their hand in the cookie jar saying they didn't eat the cookies, some imaginary friend did.

G2G-
I gave David all of my books, CD's , videos, etc. I want nothing to do with them.
And I can see the value in your trek.
Feel free to e-mail him.
I would love to keep abreast of your progress. Very eye opening.

I think Dr Olsson's book would be very educational for diplomats and dignitaries, heads of states, presidents, etc to see what they are actually dealing with.
It is highly unnerving that the very same thing Osama Bin Laden has experienced as a boy is similar to Jim Jones, JZ Knight, et al.
It seems once the leader starts, they cannot stop , even unto their own demise.
Already many people at RSE have taken their own lives, more than the american average.
I would just hate to see RSE spiral something akin to suicide bombers.
All because some little snotty kid got
the bad end of things as a child, and
never got the mental and emotional help
they needed. Instead, they choose
a very very destructive path, not only
for themselves, but for their followers
as well (who obviously had similar sufferings as children).
How to stop the madness??


READ articulate educated, scientific material!!!!

G2G-
Where did you get the movie?
I went to Blockbuster and they said it was
in "morartorium".

I ordered it from Amazon.com. There are still others, and it's in VHS form. I can send it to you, if you like.

Thanks for the offer of the books, tapes, etc. I'm interested in the 'stats,' but find I can only digest a bit of JR at a time, so it's taking awhile. I remember I found and started reading the "Ramtha" (TM) UFO book AFTER I left, and I was WHAT THE **** is THIS? Sign of the "triad" all different; the great and wonderful "R" has a "spaceship?" At the March dialogue this year, "R" stated the "grey" ones' bodies "morphed" to suit this environment, and that they wore "lenses" over their eyes to protect them. Okay, this is NOT what the old "Ramtha (TM) UFO book states.

I imagine that was 'another timeline.'

I need to get some pictures scanned in, as well. A lovely site with 'luxurious homes.' Ahem.