Review by Ruth Fuller -- The Cult Next Door

[Kathryn Collins]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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This is a review of The Cult Next Door: A Manhattan Memoir by Elizabeth R. Burchard, and Judith L Carlone. This engaging book is the fascinatingly insightful memoir of author Elizabeth Burchard which begins with her as a young woman finding herself trapped by a person she had gone to for help (encouraged by her mother) believing he could be trusted, namely because he was a therapist and psychologist. Little did she know at the time, the harrowing journey this would lead her through, which thankfully, in the end, only proved to make her a stronger person overall. The table of contents reads like a calendar of dates encompassing years from December 1971 through June 2008. Each of these time-frames incrementally details what she went through during that period in her life. At about the halfway point in the book, she begins her slow trek towards the freedom she only partly realized she did not already have. Eventually, this led her from subjective into absolute truth. This came partly through a newfound friend who was not within the cult she was a party to, coupled with her own financial problems which were unable to sustain her time at the cult’s meetings. The forward of the book alone contains a wealth of information from which any interested reader could use as a springboard for their own personal research and study. In it, the author explains that “Elizabeth’s memoir offers insight that helps to dispel some common myths about human vulnerability, seduction into the cultic world, techniques of control, and the agonizing struggle to break free. . . All that time, battling the mind control that suppressed and denied its pleas, my authentic self had been shouting “SOS.” She then adds that everyday interactions with others serve as a potential for various abuses in anyone’s life.


I was grateful and privileged to read of Burchard’s detailed experience in order to learn more about the inner workings and techniques of a cult. She teaches the reader just how easily one can be subtly enticed by their therapist or other authority figure and slowly seduced into forming beliefs and decisions which they would not otherwise make in normal everyday circumstances. I was intrigued by how these predators favored those of high intelligence for their victims. She unveils to the reader how such a person is capable of preying on an obvious weakness they perceive in another, through the skillful offering of dangerous and false yet logical sounding concepts which are perceived and accepted as positive by the victim. These concepts are fervently espoused by the predator as a series of negative truths but which in fact falsely describe the victim’s (otherwise realistic) paradigm. The predator then offers the “only known way” to overcome these newly realized problems along with a promise that following their advice would result in exponential growth, while also allowing them to contribute that same potential to the rest of the world in the process. The thrill of excitement of such shared and seemingly sacred knowledge both flatters and captivates the victim with a desire to gain more knowledge of such newly acquired ‘truth.’ For some, it also offers them a temporary pseudo escape from their otherwise tumultuous life.


I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in learning and understanding the shocking potential that virtually anyone has of being slowly manipulated into changing their long and firmly held world view and regular train of thought through the subtle, steady, and patient influence of another. If you want to learn the tactics these predators use in order to guard yourself against them on any level, this book is for you.


In my opinion, a book such as this one may be used as an edifying and preventable measure to virtually any adult who is alive and breathing. Those who do not feel the need to accumulate tried and true information on how to protect oneself from manipulative and controlling people within all daily walks of life, may not find this book to their liking.


I give this book 4 out of 4 stars for readability with no obvious mistakes in grammar. I was intrigued by the fact that a lot of what the guru said made sense to me. I know that offering partial-truths is one ploy of deception which leads to deeper deception. No doubt there are people in the world with similar experiences to the author, who may relate to such things as growing up with a single parent who continually paid quack doctors for false treatments which only served to drain their bank account and make them sicker while at the same time choosing not to listen to the reasoning of others. Perhaps, the author as a desperate 17-year-old looking for comfort and solace, was in a similar situation as other potential readers who also may have been diagnosed with social and emotional problems at a young age. I believe this book adds a lot of insight into the words, phrases, and actions used by predators on their victims. Anyone desiring to live an emotionally, mentally and physically healthy life, would gain a wealth of insightful knowledge from this book both towards preventative measures as well as an aid in healing from any type of trauma. I for one, am very grateful to have read and gained from this book and would love to see it made into a movie so that others who would not otherwise read this book, could potentially still be helped.

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The Cult Next Door
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[NatRose]

This sounds like a fascinating read. The manipulation of cult leaders is truly a scary thing. Thanks for the in-depth review!

[DBNJ]

"Elizabeth’s memoir offers insight that helps to dispel some common myths about human vulnerability, seduction into the cultic world, techniques of control, and the agonizing struggle to break free. . . All that time, battling the mind control that suppressed and denied its pleas, my authentic self had been shouting “SOS.”" You have summed up the book in great atyle. Kudos to an execellent review!

[Kathryn Collins]

Sorry guys, I just saw your posts. I am new here and still learning how this all works. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and to comment.
This book meant a lot to me because my daughter was involved in a sort of cult for 10 years (just a mother and son who manipulated and controlled her and more) and she was turned against us and everyone she knew. The author mentions the book I read which gave me insight into what she went through.
Very interesting and worthwhile read.