Accounts of cults, high-control groups, and sects comprise a unique sub-genre and offer insight into some of the darker corners of the human experience. While I would never hope to share these experiences, I’m drawn to memoirs and accounts of those who’ve spent time in these groups for what they reveal about human behavior and communities. Exploring these events on the page is also intellectually engaging, as I ponder the circumstances that led to each individual’s involvement and how they tried to overcome social, emotional, and practical barriers to break free.

What’s the dividing line between a cult or high-control group, and a commune or intentional community? What makes groups that started out with good intentions devolve into harmful, high-control organizations? For those who join cults and sects as adults, influenced by a charismatic leader or idea only to end up in abusive, violent, or even fatal scenarios, I’m always curious about the first few steps that lead them past the point of no return. These are the types of questions that are often explored in the pages of books, histories, and documentaries of groups from the Manson Family to the Heaven’s Gate cult and from Twin Flames Universe to offshoots of established religious denominations. 

Much like the true crime genre, reading cult memoirs can sometimes feel a bit voyeuristic. Yet I think there is a lot to learn in these stories. While I’ve never found myself in what I’d consider a cult, I’ve had chapters in my life where specific groups or ideas have had an outsized influence on my life and choices. Reading these memoirs helps me to think more critically about the ideas placed before me while also building my empathy for those who’ve walked these dark roads themselves. I commend all of the survivors who have chosen to speak out about their experiences. 

I’m not alone in finding these accounts and memoirs uniquely thought-provoking and satisfying: there are hundreds of cult memoirs, documentaries, and podcasts exploring so many stories of high-control groups, how people fell into these patterns, and what went wrong along the way. Personally, I’ve leaned into books or documentaries, rather than podcasts, as I find that these longer-format presentations allow more time and space for sensitivity for the survivor’s experience. Today I’m sharing a selection of books I’ve especially enjoyed that explore both groups you may be familiar with, and others that are less well known. I’d love to hear your recommendations of other titles that would shelve well with the ones I’ve included below. Please share those suggestions in the comments section below!

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Daniella Mestyanek Young grew up in Brazil, not just a member of The Children of God but a child of the leadership. In this memoir, she recounts her abuse as a child, leading up to her escape at fifteen years old. Young’s journey was not over yet: she pursues a long-denied education and joins the Army as a way to build a new future for herself. Yet Young struggles in this move from one high control group to another (albeit of a very different type), and questions how the hierarchies and regimentation of the military are impacting her on her healing journey. I’ve found many cult memoirs end shortly after the victim’s escape; Young’s stands apart in offering a close look at what her journey out looked like and the struggles she encountered along the way. I listened to this memoir on audio, as narrated by the author, and recommend this format. Content warnings apply. More info →

Jill Duggar, one of the eponymous children of the popular TV show 19 Kids and Counting, tells her story (alongside her husband Derick) in this memoir. Growing up within a large family that followed the teachings of the high control religious organization Institute in Basic Life Principles, Duggar was subject to legalistic expectations rooted in patriarchal systems of control and strict gender roles. But the control went further than that, from financial manipulation to the now well-documented abuse by her older brother (which she touches on, but does not explore in detail in this memoir). As someone who was entertained by this show in my younger years, I really enjoyed Duggar’s accounting and applaud her choice to speak out and make different choices from her family and church, as well as her honest conversations about pursuing therapy and learning to advocate for herself and set boundaries with family members who had harmed her in the past. Content warnings apply. More info →

Megan Phelps-Roper grew up in the Westboro Baptist Church, which made headlines for picketing funerals of soldiers during the wars of the early 2000s and for their violently homophobic rhetoric. Phelps-Roper grew up holding those picket signs and explaining to others how God’s truth aligned with these hateful statements. As a member of a loving family, she never questioned her beliefs….until one day, she did. I appreciated Phelps-Roper’s ability to capture the nuance of loving her family while knowing she needed to leave them and start a new life. I also found her stories of reconciliation with some of the people she’d hurt along the way to be quite powerful. I discovered this memoir while listening to a podcast hosted by the author, and it offered an interesting insight into a group that I distinctly recall from the headlines. Content warnings apply. More info →

A striking memoir illustrating the power of knowledge, Tara Westover shares about growing up in a Mormon survivalist family. She was isolated, abused, and prevented from receiving an education. When one of her brothers broke away and was accepted to college, Westover saw a possible pathway out and started on a journey that would ultimately take her all the way to Harvard and beyond. I was fascinated by her story yet found myself wanting to know more about what happened next; I hope she returns to writing and shares more of her experiences in another book someday. Content warnings apply. More info →

This 2023 title exploring the raid on the Branch Davidians’s compound draws on survivor accounts and recollections from law enforcement officials who were on the scene. Cook’s history is a can’t-put-it-down, detailed account of what happened at the Waco, Texas compound in 1993. Like many of my generation, I have a general recollection of Waco on the news, but knew few of the details until watching the Netflix documentary a few years back. Cook’s release added additional context and nuance to my understanding of this tragedy. Content warnings apply. More info →

In this deep dive behind the scenes of the Church of Scientology, Wright draws from hundreds of personal interviews with former members, as well as those still involved with the Church. He paints a complicated, maddening, and fascinating picture of its founder L. Ron Hubbard and his successor, David Miscavige. If you’re curious about Scientology, this work of investigative nonfiction is a great place to begin. It was also turned into a Netflix documentary about a decade ago. Content warnings apply. More info →

This memoir explores one woman’s experiences with Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual leader who taught yoga, advocated celibacy, and became a widely followed teacher of meditation in New York before his organization and leadership were plagued by accusations of sexual misconduct and other abuses. Tamm shares her account of time spent with the man who counted among his fans Sting, Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, and others. From her birth into the organization, when Chinmoy claimed she would become the “perfect disciple,” to her banishment from the group at the age of 25, she takes the reader through her realization of Chinmoy’s hypocrisy. After observing his failure to abide by harsh restrictions required of group members, such as abstaining from sex, alcohol, caffeine, meat, and owning pets, as well as emotional and social abuse toward members of the group, Tamm was banned. I learned a lot about a group that I’d never heard of before, and appreciated Tamm’s willingness to share her story. Content warnings apply. More info →

With a unique blend of wit, humor, and deep research, Montell explores the idea of cults and how they captivate us as individuals, members, or societal observers. From Scientology to SoulCycle, social media to true crime documentary obsession, Montell asks the question of what makes a cult, how and why people join, and whether truly anyone is susceptible to their appeal. This was a fresh take on the concept of cults, while also exploring some of the most notorious examples. I found it entertaining and educational. Content warnings apply. More info →

Drawing on firsthand accounts, Lifton explores the inner workings of Aum Shinrikyo, the Japanese cult that attacked Tokyo subways with sarin nerve gas, before turning a lens to other cults and high control groups across the years and around the world. So many books on cults and sects are narrowly focused on American experiences; I appreciated this broader take and opportunity to learn more about the Aum Shinrikyo cult, of which I knew nearly nothing before reading. While a bit dated—it was published in 2000—Lifton’s history is a solid addition to the shelf of any curious reader. Content warnings apply. More info →

Actress and musician Bethany Joy Lenz shares how she found herself wrapped up with a small high control group while in search of love, community, and confidence in this recent memoir. Over time, she gave away her autonomy, was convinced to marry someone she didn’t love, and lost most of her hard-earned money due to the manipulations of the group’s leadership. Many of the cult accounts I’ve read follow those born into a community; Lenz’s account of how she was slowly brought in as a young adult and subsequently convinced that her situation was normal offered unique insight into how people can be influenced by strong personalities and group pressure. I listened to it on audio, as narrated by the author, which enhanced my experience. Content warnings apply. More info →

Tia Levings was newly married when she and her husband were recruited into the fundamentalist “Quiverfull” movement, which advocates for large families and is guided by a long list of strict principles of behavior. What Levings initially saw as an encouraging community of fellow mothers and families soon became a secretive world of pain and abuse. This memoir shows how she came to recognize the threat to her and her children and she leveraged the new technology of the internet—and the communities of support it offered her—to make her escape. I first discovered Levings through her educational and entertaining videos on social media; you may also recognize her from her appearance in the Amazon documentary Shiny Happy People. Content warnings apply. More info →

In this memoir, which was originally published under a pseudonym, Rachel King tells the harrowing story of her family’s move to the Centrepoint Community north of Auckland. Originally a hippie commune built founded by ‘spiritual leader’ Bert Potter, the Community became something much darker, featuring strict hierarchies of control, sexual abuse and assault, and drug use. I appreciated King’s inclusion of not only her years of trauma within the Community, but her efforts to fight back. The book follows King’s court battle against her abusers and the ultimate action that shut down the Centerpoint Community. I saw this book on the shelf in a New Zealand bookstore and it sparked my curiosity; it’s a difficult read but gives a unique perspective about a cult many of us in North America may not have heard of. Content warnings apply. More info →

In this nonfiction account, King explores the rise and fall of the Cult of Bhagwan—also known as Osho—and the compound built in Oregon in the mid-1980s. Through interviews, personal accounts, and other historical sources, King takes a close look at Bhagwan (Osho), his second-in-command Sheela, and the devastated community left in their wake. While nonfiction, in places this reads almost as a thriller, detailing an idea gone terribly wrong, high-control relationships, election fraud and financial abuse, and a bioterrorism attack. I first learned of Rajneeshpuram from the 2018 Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country. I appreciated the chance to experience a more detailed exploration of all that happened with the Cult of Bhagwan through this book. Content warnings apply. More info →

This investigation of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) communities in North America features the meticulous research and storytelling aplomb of Krakauer’s outdoor adventure works. Framing his story around a double murder committed by two FLDS brothers, Krakauer highlights the isolated communities across the west who have rejected the mainstream LDS Church, choosing to practice polygamy, child marriage, and other abusive actions. I read this nearly twenty years ago when it was first published, and it still sticks in my mind as one of the most fascinating and insightful books in this category that I’ve read. I also find it works well in conversation with the personal memoirs from women who have escaped these communities. Content warnings apply. More info →

Do you have any favorite books about cults or high control religious groups? Please share in the comments.

About the author

Holly Wielkoszewski is our What Should I Read Next Media Production Specialist. Her go-to genres are Fantasy and Sci-Fi. You can follow Holly on her Substack: A Liminal Life.