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Check out my Cults page: http://www.terryslade.com/cults.htm

I don't have much specifically on Mormonism, but you might find some good info at some of the general cult sites listed. Also in my list of cults films, check out Sons of Perdition. And it occurs to me that there are a couple of other films touching on Mormonism that I don't have listed there since they are on my main Documentary Films page - Tabloid and Cleanflix (details below). Both are MIND-BLOWING! And you might want to check out the Southpark episode on Mormonism, which is hilarious (they also did one on Scientology). And look up Mormonism at Wikipedia - there are many extensive articles there.

Tabloid (2010 - 87min) Errol Morris

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabloid_(film)
  
• IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1704619/
  
• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B005HP2J7A
  
• Wikipedia (Mormon "Sex in Chains" Case): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_sex_in_chains_case
  
• Rotten Tomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tabloid_2010
  
• New York Times (Review): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/movies/tabloid-errol-morriss-take-on-manacled-mormon-review.html
  
• New York Times (Joyce McKinney Protests Film): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/movies/joyce-mckinney-protests-errol-morriss-tabloid.html
  
• Criterion Discussion Forum: http://criterionforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=362934
  
• Review by Amy Taubin at FilmComment: http://www.filmcomment.com/article/tabloid
  
  From Errol Morris, the king of true life is stranger than fiction. Here, he looks at the "Mormon sex-in-chains" case, which was heavily covered by British tabloids in 1977, when it occurred. Incredible story, very entertaining. Check it out.
  
  
  Cleanflix (2009 - 93min) Andrew James, Joshua Ligairi
  
  
• Official Site: http://www.cleanflixthemovie.com/
  
• IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007026/
  
• Amazon (DVD 06/12/12): http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B007PSY30S
  
• Rotten Tomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cleanflix/
  
  Looks at the practice of "editing" films to remove "offensive" content. I had not heard of this, but there has been a lot going on with this in the Mormon community in Utah, with various stores selling edited DVDs, various companies providing the edited versions, and ongoing lawsuits with Hollywood. This is a mind-blowing film which covers the subject thoroughly and presents a lot to think about. Also some interesting human elements. Special features include full-length commentary with both directors and 16 minutes of deleted scenes. Highly recommended.
  
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  EDIT - on first read of original post, I didn't sort out Fundamentalist vs. LDS. The film Sons of Perdition is about the hundreds of teenage boys apostacized from FLDS by Warren Jeffs in Colorado City, AZ and Hilldale, UT. Oprah distributed the film and showed it on her TV channel. Very interesting film, I watched it a few years ago. I'll paste in some details -
  
  Sons of Perdition (2010 - 85min) Tyler Measom, Jennilyn Merten
  
  
• Official Site: http://www.sonsofperditionthemovie.com/
  
• IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1296893/
  
• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_Perdition_(film)
  
• Amazon: http:/www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B005IAAQKQ
  
  Looks at young men exiled from the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saint), a radical polygamous sect of Mormonism.
  
  

I do not think that what you have said is ridiculous and I would be interested to find out more, but I honestly can't see how you are describing a cult by the established notions of what a cult is. The article you linked to is very interesting. It is certainly conceivable that cyber culture has led to new potential ways for cults to form.

You might be interested in the movie Heavenly Creatures (a true story). This immediately springs to my mind trying to comprehend Andrew Walker. Without comparisons to Scientology in the article (which are a bit fanciful since there is nothing to suggest he ever studied 'the tech') this is an elaborate sexual game among people who already preferred to substitute reality for fantasy. Walker was a scammer able to manipulate others by phantasmagorical delusions. He was not really able to run a cult, but find women that wanted to have a personal relationship with him and accept him as a fantasy version of himself. It is admitted multiple times that those who knew him understood what he was doing had no genuine basis but they went along with it anyway. When sex is involved it is no longer being a follower but an active participant. People are much less likely to talk about these aspects of cult involvement because they are embarrassed. It seems that very few, if any men were taken in by him. It is rude to say this, but honestly it is not that difficult to look at photos of Walker and his first serious follower and take a wild guess what was in it for her. She is the very stereotype of an unattractive nerd fangirl who met an attractive, interested in her fanboy who channeled the spirits of her sexual fantasies for kinky sexplay.

What it sounds like you are talking about in your other examples is women using the internet to meet other people, form personal relationships with them and then manipulate these relationships for gifts/money. As you say - "Somehow, for some reason, these people were giving money/time/services/items to these leaders for absolutely no gain. Not spiritual, not emotional, not physical or tangible. It's hard for me to fathom why, then, people would do that."

There are many women and men who form followings online for this reason. There are also various examples of 'catfishing' including perhaps most famously Talhotblond https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talhotblond and Mati Te'o's fake girlfriend http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3407600/Manti-Te-o-football-player-hoaxed-elaborate-catfish-finally-real-girlfriend.html

You mention people being 'brainwashed' but this is a popular misconception about cults and how they work. It is an unproven theory advanced by the early anti-cult movement that is not accepted by the vast majority of scholars as having any genuine scientific basis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwashing

How do you feel that brainwashing is happening? As you say methods were 'hit and miss (mostly miss)'. You say that you were almost indoctrinated, can you provide more details about this? You also say that you have witnessed people being manipulated to commit crimes 'nothing heinous' - what specific kind of crimes are you referring to? What is the 'leader' you refer to like personally?

You mention that people are drawn into online fandom under false pretenses but continue to have a relationship with this person once they realise she is not telling the truth. It is not clear what this person has to offer if their fandom is bogus but I am willing to guess she may be (or pretend to be) a young attractive woman? I am also wondering if most or all of the 'followers' you refer to are men?

When you say you saw the methods of the 'leader' what you describe is basic online scamming that predates the internet through Lonely Hearts Scammers. Bonnie Lee Bakley parlayed her life as such a scammer into marrying celebrity Robert Blake. https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Hollywood-Mysterious-Martins-Library/dp/0312982763 Besides this book you can find many examples of exactly what you describe in true crime including 411 scams and Nigerian begging scams - which people still do actually fall for despite how well known and documented they are.

Glad you were able to find a book that helps you. Here's a link to the one I mentioned as well: https://www.amazon.com/Cults-Our-Midst-Continuing-Against/dp/0787967416/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=cults+in+our+midst+singer&qid=1563070927&s=books&sr=1-1

The downhill process was a slow decline that happened the longer she was involved with them (it's been more than 8 yrs now I think). The last I talked to her, she was using one of their life coaches and was coaching people herself. She's also involved with another GT member so she's in it to win it, so to speak. I learned from Singer's book that telling someone they're in a cult will just drive them further into it, so I didn't express my concerns to her. I tried pointing out some inconsistencies in GT's teachings, but that made her hostile so I stopped. I cut off contact with her a few years back, I don't know how she's doing now.

I'm sorry to hear about your mom, I know how frustrating it can be. I wish I had more answers, I'd just suggest keep reading good-quality sources on cults and get as much info as you can. Also, if you have someone to talk to about it (like a counselor) that can make it easier too. Hope things start getting better for you all.

Look up "exposure therapy," which has been around for 40 years, at least and IS a "legitimate" form of psychotherapeutic processing.

BUT... what's described in the article is more like what R. J. Lifton wrote about (in exhaustive detail) in the 1961 classic, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism about the "re-education" process in Red China in the early 1950s.

(Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai & #2 man to Mao Zedong for almost 50 years was himself subjected to "the process" on several occasions from the 1920s in Paris to the 1970s in Beijing. And now, it looks like current ChiCom Party Chairman Xi Jinping is bringing it back.)

Does it appear that L. Ron Hubbard might have been hip to what was going on there at that time or perhaps even in the 1920s and 1930s in Leninist "rehabilitation" programs in the Soviet Union? And that later gurus like Werner Erhard and Keith Raniere have "borrowed" it from Hubbard?

To me, anyway, the answer to both questions is, "Yes, indeed." It's what the "true-believing" cult member runs into when he moves into the fifth to eighth levels of A 10-Level Pyramid Model & Psychodynamics of Cult Organization.

I forgot that part. I hope you get something helpful out of it.

ETA: since I was around acolytes of the EST founder for years, I did a fair amount of reading at the time. Mostly the information I see coming up about him looks heavily PR whitewashed. This book is at least one useful piece of nonfiction: https://www.amazon.com/Outrageous-Betrayal-Story-Werner-Erhard/dp/0312092962

I didn't forget about you and sorry it has taken me so long. All of my books turned out to be at my parents house... which I still havne't gotten over there to look. There was one in particular that I was trying to remember the name of.

I did however find two real base level introduction to new religious movements in America. It is like some others I read while studying religion awhile back.

• New Religious Movements: A Documentary Reader
  
• Cults and New Religions: A Brief History
  
  The second one seems to be more up your alley. I will also get you a list another list once I get to my parents house and look through all the old school books.
  
  Also, there are books that deal with some of the cult scares of the late 80s and early 90s. I can't remember the one I read and really enjoyed. But I do remember hearing this one was good- so I can't say from personal experience. However, despite it's title it is supposed to take a look at how satanist view themselves and debunk a few of the rumors on them.
  
  
• Satan Wants You: The Cult of Devil Worship in America
  
  Given the nature of what you are interested it may not be bad to go back to the beginnings of mystery cults(if only to give some perspective of how mystery cults began and how the psychology has changed):
  
  
• Greek Mysteries: The Archaeology of Ancient Greek Secret Cults
  
  I know it's not the list you were looking for, or the list I wanted to give, but maybe it will help. Again, I'll eventually get to look through my books and give you a more in-depth list.

You sure know your NoI history! Or should I say "true facts?" ;-) But here's the thing- I'm not sure they're a cult. Yes, they're in the sidebar, and yes they are indeed: high pressure, us -vs- them, insular, secretive, and have very eccentric theories about black supremacy and UFOs. But when you consider the Nation against Dr. Margaret T. Singer's 6 Conditions for Thought Reform, I'm not sure they quite fit.
 

Now if you don't ascribe to Singer's guidelines, fair enough. But perhaps we can still find common ground. Ever heard of the Death Angels? They were a FoI (Fruit of Islam) offshoot that absolutely terrorized San Francisco in the early-70's, and definitely a cult. Check out the book Zebra if you haven't already.

You might check out this book.
Captive Hearts, Captive Minds : Freedom and Recovery from Cults and Other Abusive Relationships https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0897931440/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xB2pDbGCF04ZG

I was in a cult called the Twelve Tribes Communities for almost eight years. I just finished writing a book about my experiences. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1980333513?ref_=pe_870760_150889320