On Wednesday Penn State Behrends Psychology department held a Colloquium featuring Behrends own Nicole Shoenberger Ph.D.

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Penn State Behrend Students crammed in to listen to Shoenbergers address on her studies entitled, “From Beginning to End: A Case Study of a North American Cult,”. The program was held in room 117 in the Reed building and started at 6 p.m. Students quickly filled the room eager to learn about cults in North America, leaving only standing room for several students. Shoenbergers program discussed a study she conducted based off of members who had abdicated the cult, which was established in the 1970’s as a New Religion movement.

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Shoenberger started her presentation by explaining how the term New Religious movements came about in the 70’s and 80’s. Saying, “You can thank a sociologist for that phrase, the reason being is historically from theology to psychology, using the phrase cult carries a lot of stigma.”  She then went on to explain how to tell the difference between cults and religions. She gave credit to Psychologist Margaret Singer who studied cults in the 1960’s. Shoenberger explained how Singer’s theory broke down the structure of cults. There are three basic points the first being the origin, often the organization is built around one charismatic person, who often claims they are some kind of masia. The second is the structure of the cult, they are often authoritative, and often appears as innovative and exclusive. Cults also often have a double standard when it comes to ethics where those inside the cult are expected to be 100% honest to each other, however when discussing the cult outside in the real world, there is an ability to lie in order to benefit the group. The third and final viewpoint of a cult involved convertment, recruitment, or “brainwashing”.

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Shoenbergers studies focused on one specific cult which she could not share the name of. In order to get those who had left the cult to trust her Shoenberger had to promise that their identities along with the identity of the cult would never be revealed. Shoenberger got involved in the study of cults after a student of hers approached her after class and started asking in depth questions, until finally opening up and confiding that she had grown up in a cult for most of her life. After providing Shoenberger with pamphlets and stories, Shoenberger knew she couldn’t let this opportunity slip through her hands. She asked the student if there were others who would be willing to discuss their experiences, to which the student assured her there would be and started connecting Shoenberger to other individuals who had left the cult in their past.

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The lengths Shoenberger went through to gather information and data, were brutal and extensive. One student Shyler Abbey a junior majoring in psychology and political science noted that she was surprised by, “The fact that it was all qualitative data that she did” and how impeccable and time consuming it must have been. Shoenberger shared with students that it took her and research assistants five years to sort through all the testimonials and  identify the data. Explaining how some participants were only comfortable communicating via letter sent through the mail.

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Shoenbergers talk was one of the largest the psychology department has seen in recent times. Junior psychology major Mitchell Webber explained the large turnout saying, “I think that it was a mix of the topic as well as the actual speaker. Dr. Shoenberger is very well like around here, and an excellent professor.” The event ended with many students pleased that they had attended and eager to attend the next colloquium which will be held April 5.