A public reference project

A compendium of cults, from the ancient world to today.

The Alliance Against Cult Abuse documents coercive and high-control groups across history — so the patterns are easier to recognize, name, and escape.

16+Groups documented
3,000 yrsTimeline coverage
WeeklyNew entries & reporting

From the compendium

A running timeline of documented cults and high-control groups — historical and active.

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21st Century

Samuel Bateman / The Samuelites

Samuel Rappylee Bateman was a member of the FLDS community in the Short Creek area — Colorado City,…

Recently Active
21st Century

Love Has Won

Amy Carlson began building an online following in the 2010s, eventually declaring herself a divine being — “Mother…

Recently Active
21st Century

Twin Flames Universe

Jeff and Shaleia Ayan (also known as Jeff and Shaleia Divine) built Twin Flames Universe into an online…

Active Today
21st Century

NXIVM

Keith Raniere founded NXIVM in 1998 as a personal- and professional-development company offering seminars (“Executive Success Programs”) that…

Recently Active
20th Century

Shincheonji Church of Jesus

Lee Man-hee founded Shincheonji Church of Jesus in South Korea in 1984, teaching that he is a messianic…

Active Today
20th Century

FLDS

The FLDS traces back to Mormon fundamentalists who continued practicing polygamy after the mainstream LDS Church officially renounced…

Active Today

Latest from the blog

Reporting, survivor perspectives, and analysis of coercive control.

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If you or someone you know is affected

Confidential support and exit resources for current and former members of high-control groups — available any time.

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Our mission

The Alliance Against Cult Abuse exists to document coercive and high-control groups across history — the cults of the day, and the cults of yesterday — as a public reference for researchers, journalists, families, and survivors.

We believe recognizing the patterns of undue influence is the first step toward preventing harm, and that survivors' stories deserve a permanent, careful record.

Document

Build a sourced, ongoing timeline of cults and high-control groups, past and present.

Educate

Explain the patterns of coercive control so they're easier to recognize early.

Support

Point people toward real exit resources and support communities.

Know a group that belongs in the compendium?

Submit a tip, a correction, or your own story. Every entry is reviewed before it's published.

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