EPISODE 5: THE PRACTICES ## PART ONE: THE CONSULTATION ### CHAPTER 1: THE EXPERT Dr. Margaret Sullivan had studied cults for thirty years. She had been a research psychologist at Stanford, authored the definitive textbook on coercive control, consulted with law enforcement agencies worldwide. She had testified in more than fifty prosecutions, helped hundreds of survivors understand what had been done to them. When Maya reached out after the trial, Margaret agreed to help—not as a therapist, but as an educator. "Understanding the mechanisms doesn't excuse what happened to you," Margaret explained during their first meeting. "But it can help you see that what happened wasn't your fault. These techniques work on everyone. That's why they're so dangerous." They sat in Margaret's office at the university, surrounded by books and case files. Maya had brought recordings from Haven—teachings she had transcribed, documents she had kept, notes she had made during her recovery. "I need to understand how they did it," Maya said. "Not just to heal. I need to understand so I can help others recognize it before it happens to them." Margaret nodded slowly. "Then let's begin at the beginning." --- ### CHAPTER 2: THE APPROACH The first technique was targeting. "Cults don't recruit randomly," Margaret explained. "They identify vulnerable individuals—people experiencing grief, transition, isolation, or crisis. They...