yes.

Professionals in the field of cultic studies have also expressed concerns regarding Steven Hassan's use of hypnosis and Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).

Are there many other "professionals" besides Steven Hassan and Rick Ross? Just wondering...

whatevahs:

When you say "'professionals'" do you mean cult intervention professionals specifically or a wider range of professionals concerned about cults?

There are licensed counseling professionals that provide help to recovering cult victims.

For example see [www.culteducation.com]

There are also researchers in the fiels of psychology and sociology that have published papers about cults and are well-known for their work in the area of cultic studies.

And there are some professionals within these categories of that have been qualified as expert witnesses in court proceedings and have testified about groups called cults.

See also [www.icsahome.com]

The International Cultic Studies Association includes quite a few members and features links to other organizations concerned about destructive cults.

See [www.icsahome.com]

But aren't you going a bit off topic now?

Cult- noun (dictionary.com)
1. a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
7. the members of such a religion or sect.
Religion- noun
1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a super human agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.

A religion lets you believe what you believe. They don't shove it down your throat. Hopefully they should show Gods Love to you.
A cult is what my child is in. Where you believe what the Leader believes. They control your every movement.They go through your phone,give you a bedtime,tell you what to think & keep you from your family, put memories in your child's head & thoughts that NEVER Happened! Not all cults maybe like this. But my child is living in one. Religion lets you choose what you believe about God. It gently teaches you of Christ love & helps you along the way. Cult DOES NOT!

rrmoderator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> The driving force of a cult and its most salient
> single feature is an absolute authoritarian leader
> that becomes the defining element of the group.
>
> See [www.culteducation.com]
>
> Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton...defined a cult as having the
> following three characteristics:
>
> 1. A charismatic leader, who increasingly
> becomes an object of worship
>
> 2. A process [is in use] call[ed] coercive
> persuasion or thought reform.
>
> 3. Economic, sexual, and other exploitation of
> group members by the leader and the ruling
> coterie.

So you're saying that the truest followers of Jesus Christ are a cult.

Christian doctrine asserts:

1. Just as an image represents an object, Christ represents God. "He is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15, cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4). A word represents a thought. Christ, who is from everlasting to everlasting, is called "the Word of God" (Revelation 19:13) because He is the perfect expression of the will and mind of God. Analogies are representational. Symbols are representations. Radiance expresses glory in symbolic terms. Scripture says, "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature" (Hebrews 1:3).

2. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).

3. “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30).