Truly a tell all of the horrors experienced under cult leader Natasha Lakaev's rule.
As a member who also witnessed a lot of these instances first hand, The Cult Effect has opened my eyes to things that I couldn't understand during my years living in this cult.
Carly's recollection is a bare-bones tell-all that I can definitely see helping people who have experienced similar situations, and also clarifying the repercussions for friends and loved ones to understand.
I will be recommending this book to my friends and family, overall it's a very interesting and heartfelt read for anybody interested in the inner workings of a cult. Carly has obviously meticulously put her experiences and feelings into this book. I'm proud of you Carly!

![The Cult Effect: A True Story of Mind Control in Australia 1996 - 2010 by [Carli McConkey]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51uVfQLVLVL._SY346_.jpg)
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The Cult Effect: A True Story of Mind Control in Australia 1996 - 2010 Kindle Edition
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Carli McConkey
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Format: Kindle Edition
Carli McConkey
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Product description
About the Author
Carli McConkey spent over 13 years in a destructive cult from the age of 21 to 35 and escaped in January, 2010. She says 'escape', because she was brainwashed into believing that she could not leave. If she did, either her three children would be taken from her, or she and her family would die in Armageddon, prophesised by the cult leader for December 2012. Carli is a normal, everyday person, who is intelligent and from a loving family, and yet she found herself in this situation. Carli wishes to help educate family and friends of current and former cult members so that they are better able to understand the process of mind control and support their loved ones through recovery. She also hopes that sharing her story, personal insights and triumphs, will help support fellow ex-cult members and prevent others from becoming involved in these dangerous groups. Carli completed a BA (Communication), majoring in Organisational Communication and Public Relations, at Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, in 1995. She has been rebuilding her career since leaving the cult, working as an Executive Assistant. Carli lives in Sydney with her three children.
--This text refers to the paperback edition.
Product details
- ASIN : B074DFJ3BH
- Language : English
- File size : 3934 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 345 pages
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Best Sellers Rank:
140,616 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 32 in Occult Cults & Demonism
- 46 in Religious Cults
- 51,705 in Textbooks & Study Guides
- Customer Reviews:
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Reviewed in Australia on 4 December 2017
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Reviewed in Australia on 22 January 2018
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The Cult Effect is a wrenching, heartbreaking read, an honest account of the cruelty and manipulation suffered at the hands of an egoistic and abusive cult leader. But it is also a story of hope: Carli’s incredible courage and tenacity allowed her not only to survive and escape, but also to provide encouragement to other cult survivors and their families.
Carli is a gifted writer, able to recreate scenes from memory so vividly the reader feels as though they are really there. Her candid, matter-of-fact voice, neither emotional nor detached, makes her account all the more harrowing. Carli does not just recount her own memories, but also, towards the end, examines the way cults work in general. From her story it is easy to see how magnetic personalities and promises of fulfilment can appeal to young people who are searching for meaning in life, and how cult leaders maintain power by preying on people’s insecurities.
The book also provides insight into the process of recovery, and could serve as a powerful resource for other cult survivors struggling to readjust after their trauma. Few books chronicle the degeneration of a cult over such a long period of time – because few would survive intact, and be able to record it in such detail. Carli should be applauded for her courage and for shining a light onto an issue that is far more prevalent than people think.
Carli is a gifted writer, able to recreate scenes from memory so vividly the reader feels as though they are really there. Her candid, matter-of-fact voice, neither emotional nor detached, makes her account all the more harrowing. Carli does not just recount her own memories, but also, towards the end, examines the way cults work in general. From her story it is easy to see how magnetic personalities and promises of fulfilment can appeal to young people who are searching for meaning in life, and how cult leaders maintain power by preying on people’s insecurities.
The book also provides insight into the process of recovery, and could serve as a powerful resource for other cult survivors struggling to readjust after their trauma. Few books chronicle the degeneration of a cult over such a long period of time – because few would survive intact, and be able to record it in such detail. Carli should be applauded for her courage and for shining a light onto an issue that is far more prevalent than people think.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in Australia on 21 January 2018
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The Cult Effect is an amazing story by a very brave woman, which really shows the mind control and tactics cult leaders use to lure you into their game. Having myself been in a cult I understand how they prey on the vulnerable and how their subtle control leads you into a situation you absolutely never signed up for.
Carli - you have done an amazing job in presenting the emotions, thoughts and feelings which are experienced when we are both recruited and trapped within a cult. Well done in telling it with such bravery! x
Carli - you have done an amazing job in presenting the emotions, thoughts and feelings which are experienced when we are both recruited and trapped within a cult. Well done in telling it with such bravery! x
Top reviews from other countries

Colleen Shorkey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 15 September 2017Verified Purchase
Excellent read...a real insight into the cult world.

Allen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ordinary people, extraordinary situation
Reviewed in the United States on 25 August 2017Verified Purchase
Carli describes a day-to-day existence in a cult. Year after year her autonomy and self worth are eroded by a cult-leader who exudes charm and enchantment. Gradually the leader is shown to be the manipulative and abusive woman who only cares about herself and the assets and work she can extract from her devotees.
This book is a rare insight from a skilled writer willing to reface the traumas to make the experience known. It is a forthright journey, how Carli gets involved, what happens in the cult, and how she manages to escape. Working over 20 hours a day with little food it is a travesty that the perpetrator is still at large.
A bright and readable style.
This book is a rare insight from a skilled writer willing to reface the traumas to make the experience known. It is a forthright journey, how Carli gets involved, what happens in the cult, and how she manages to escape. Working over 20 hours a day with little food it is a travesty that the perpetrator is still at large.
A bright and readable style.
2 people found this helpful
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Ros Hodgkins
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read to understand how the dynamics of undue coercion and control entrapped an intelligent courageous young woman.
Reviewed in the United States on 13 August 2017Verified Purchase
Carli McConkey has shared her journey into a New age cult with honesty and courage. This book will be invaluable in helping others who have been, or find themselves drawn into what appears to be a group offering courses to benefit their lives, often at a vulnerable time in their life.
Trapped for 13 years in a world of abuse and control Carli bravely tells her story of life in Universal Knowledge and her journey to freedom.
Ros Hodgkins
President
Cult Information and Family Support
Trapped for 13 years in a world of abuse and control Carli bravely tells her story of life in Universal Knowledge and her journey to freedom.
Ros Hodgkins
President
Cult Information and Family Support
2 people found this helpful
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