It is real good to hear Gregg’s son is recovering. Get well soon!

As I continue to explore the topic of choosing beliefs, I am now focusing on escaping ideologies.

I am collecting testimonials of people who were once captivated by some ideology, and then saw the light and escaped that ideology. I am considering ideology broadly to include any situation where a person abandons their own critical thinking skills and adopts some doctrine of beliefs as their own. This includes personal loyalties, continuing (limiting) beliefs in myths, legends, traditions, and taboos; caste systems (including racism and sexism), economic dogma, political ideologies, religions, quackery, pseudoscientific beliefs, commitment to conspiracy theories, and new religious movements. If you have a source of such stories, I will appreciate learning about it.

My primary request is this:

Please let me know of any reliable references on the general topic of escaping ideologies.

I have read several books on how we form beliefs, defending beliefs, holding onto beliefs, cognitive dissonance, self-justification, escapes from religion, and cults. What I don’t yet understand is the factors that differentiate those who leave from those who double down and stay. For example, if you could interview 100 cult members, what information would you seek, and what questions would you ask to predict who would leave and who would double down after a few years?

Thanks for your help on this.

Lee Beaumont