CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/16/2026
Patrick Ryan
New PublicationsFox: 'Game of Thrones' star says she mistook psychiatric hospital for a palace after joining wellness cultHannah Murray writes in her new memoir, 'The Make-Believe,' out now, that she entered Gordon Hospital 'extremely psychotic'.
In her new memoir, The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness, Game of Thrones actress Hannah Murray opens up about her terrifying descent into a "wellness cult" that triggered a severe psychotic break. Struggling with the dark, violent themes of her 2017 film Detroit, Murray sought comfort from an on-set "energy healer" who ultimately introduced her to the group. She became so deeply indoctrinated by the cult's leader—whom she believed was God—that her mental health was shattered. This culminated in a 28-day stint at a London psychiatric facility, which her delusional state initially led her to mistake for a palace.
Legislative & Legal
Will New Child Protection Laws End Youth Worthiness Interviews in Australia
This video from Mormonish Podcast discusses new, comprehensive child protection laws enacted in Queensland, Australia, as of July 1, 2026, and the LDS Church's response to these legal changes.
Key takeaways from the discussion:
Compliance with Local Law: The LDS Church released a 42-page handbook for members in Queensland to ensure compliance with local safeguarding protocols. This includes mandatory government background checks for anyone interacting with youth.
Reporting Requirements: The Queensland laws require that abuse allegations be reported to authorities immediately, regardless of whether they occurred during church activities or were learned through confidential religious confession.
Conflict with Internal Policies: The participants analyze a church directive stating that leaders must contact the Priesthood Leaders Australia Child Protection helpline before other notifications, unless there is an urgent safety concern. Critics in the video argue this prioritizes institutional protection over child safety.
Ending One-on-One Interviews: The new guidelines explicitly prohibit one-on-one interactions, including teaching, transportation, and interviews. The hosts discuss whether this effectively signals the end of traditional "worthiness interviews" for youth, noting that the church's handbook may be attempting to "wiggle around" these requirements.
Broader Implications: The panel suggests that while these changes are forced by national law in Australia, the LDS Church may struggle to reconcile its standard operating procedures—specifically the nature of worthiness interviews—with modern legal standards regarding sexual innuendo and child safeguarding.
Research & AcademicExperiences of Recovery from Spiritual Abuse
Rayann Gordon is researching spiritual abuse and is conducting a study on how people reconstruct their spirituality after leaving an abusive situation. She is talking to people who were hurt in a variety of spiritual settings, including Buddhist, Christian, New Age, and others.
Looking for participants for: “Reconstructing the Sacred: A Mixed Methods Study of Recovery After Spiritual Abuse,” a research project exploring what recovery looks like after spiritual abuse, including the role of grief, ritual, finding new meaning, how your spirituality has changed, and what helped along the way.
You may be eligible if you:
Are aged 18 or over and fluent in English
Have experienced religious or spiritual abuse in the past
Have been out of the abusive situation for at least three years
Currently have a meaningful spiritual life
Feel that participation would not be distressing for you
What's involved: Two brief online questionnaires and a 60–90 minute Zoom interview about your recovery journey and spiritual life now.
Participation is entirely voluntary and confidential.
To find out more or to take part, start here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/reconstructingthesacred061026
Or contact Rayann Gordon (Researcher): r.go...@edu.salford.ac.uk
This study has been approved by the University of Salford Ethics Committee. Academic supervisor: Dr Linda Dubrow-Marshall.
AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.
News, Education, Intervention, Recovery
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