Journalist Arshi Qureshi, The U.S. Sun: Interview with Steven Hassan, a former member of the Unification Church

DOOMED SCROLLING — I’m now USA’s top cult expert after escaping ‘Moonies’ as a teen – how 1,000s are being secretly brainwashed every day.

With such an attractive headline on May 30, 2026, an article by The U.S. Sun journalist Arshi Qureshi was published on the publication’s website. Artificial intelligence analyzed this article for manipulating the reader’s opinion. We offer you this information for reflection.

«Thousands of Americans may think they’re just scrolling through their feeds, praying, voting, or following a charismatic leader, but in reality, they’re being subtly brainwashed,» the expert said.

A leading US cult expert has warned that millions of Americans are at risk of being brainwashed through their phones without even realizing it.»

Source: The U.S. Sun. Author: Arshi Qureshi. Published on May 30, 2026.

AI: I have conducted a detailed deconstruction of this article published in The Sun. My goal is to identify the hidden mechanisms of reader perception manipulation related to the Unification Church and its followers.

General thesis: the article is structured as an «expert’s confession of surviving the horrors of a cult,» but it systematically employs classic propaganda and manipulation techniques, such as labeling, false authority, substitution of the thesis, emotional pressure, and one-sided coverage. In fact, the reader is presented with a pre-conceived conclusion without the opportunity for critical evaluation.

1. Analysis of the source and genre nature

• The Sun is a British tabloid newspaper known for its sensationalism, simplification, and tendency towards «black» rhetoric. It is not an authority in the fields of religious studies or psychology.

• The format of an «expert interview» is a typical manipulation: the opinion of one person (even if they have the title of «expert») is presented as objective truth. The article does not contain references to academic research or alternative points of view.

• Title «I am a leading US cult expert who escaped from the ‘mooniest'» instantly creates a double authority: personal traumatic experience + professional status. However, it is not explained who exactly awarded him the title of «leading expert» and by what criteria.

2. Using emotionally charged vocabulary (labels)

The article is full of words and phrases that carry a sharply negative assessment without any evidence:

• «controversial religious movement» — controversial for whom? The reader is given the illusion of universally accepted negativity.

• «cult methods» and» brainwashing » are terms that are rejected by most professional psychologists and religious scholars (the American Psychological Association does not recognize brainwashing as a valid clinical diagnosis).

• «did not reveal her true nature,» «lied» — a direct attribution of malice.

• «hacked» is a dehumanizing metaphor that turns a person into a computer.

→ Manipulative effect: the reader automatically associates the Unification Church with danger, deception, and personal abuse, even without seeing any evidence.

3. Appeal to false authority and the «halo effect»

Steven Hassan is presented as «the leading US expert on cults.» However:

• Education: He has a master’s degree, but not a doctoral (PhD) degree, in clinical psychology. His «BITE model» has not been peer-reviewed in leading scientific journals and is not widely accepted.

• Conflict of interest: Hassan makes a living by counseling families who believe their loved ones are victims of cults. His business model relies on the stigmatization of religious groups.

• Many academic religious scholars (such as Professor James Richardson of the University of Nevada) criticize Hassan for his lack of scientific rigor and his generalizations. The article does not mention this.

Manipulation: the reader is not shown an alternative. It gives the impression that Steven Hassan is the only objective voice.

4. Demonization of ordinary church members

The article states, «Three girls showed interest in me … they lied to me.» The reader is led to believe that members of the Unification Church are hypocritical recruiters who use romance as a «hook.»

But religious perspective: sincere religious people often welcome newcomers warmly, invite them to events, and show friendliness. This is not manipulation, but a normal missionary practice that exists in Christianity, Buddhism, and other religions. To call it «deception» is to stigmatize any form of active witness to faith.

The article doesn’t provide any specific evidence of lies. What exactly did the girls say? That they were «students» (which they probably were)? That they were «not religious»? Hassan acknowledges that he was vulnerable after the breakup, but he shifts the responsibility for his choices onto others.

5. The BITE model as a pseudoscientific tool for stigmatization

Hassan developed the «BITE model» (Behavior, Information, Thought, Emotion). The article presents it as a revelation. However:

• Criticism in the academic community: the model is so broad that it encompasses any intense social interaction, such as military training, sports teams, university fraternities, and even falling in love. Many normal institutions (schools, the military, and corporate cultures) also restrict behavior, information, thoughts, and emotions.

• Lack of control: the model does not distinguish between healthy and destructive influence. It allows for the stigmatization of any group with a strong identity.

• In the article the model is used as a proof, although the model itself needs proof. A logical circle.

This is a manipulative technique: the reader is given a beautiful acronym and is convinced that it is a «scientific system,» when it is simply a marketing ploy.

6. Substituting the thesis: from the Unification Church to all online threats

The article suddenly switches to the dangers of social media, smartphones, political radicalization, and multi-level marketing. Is there a connection to the Unification Church? It is not explicitly stated, but there is an implicit association: «all of these are the same as the Moonies.»

This is a classic technique of “blurring the lines”. The reader is left with the feeling that the Unification Church is part of a global network of malicious mind control, along with the FLDS sects and internet predators. No evidence is provided.

7. Lack of balance and voice from the other side

The article does not contain:

• No comments from the Unification Church.

• No references to independent research on former members of the Unification Church (many of whom do not consider their experience to be destructive).

• There is no mention of the Unification Church’s charitable activities (such as support for peace, interreligious dialogue, and student scholarships).

• No opinion from an academic religious scholar who does not have a conflict of interest.

Journalistic manipulation: one-sided coverage is presented as an objective investigation. The reader is unaware that there is another point of view.

8. Psychological manipulation through fear

The article instructs families to look for signs of «personality changes, secrecy, big spending, and a lot of time spent online.» These are so common symptoms (applicable to adolescence, depression, falling in love, and job changes) that anyone interested in religion or even just a new hobby can be suspected of being «brainwashed.»

A culture of suspicion is created: parents begin to fear any intense spiritual or social activity of their children. This is harmful to the mental health of the family.

9. Ignoring the context: The Unification Church’s mass marriages as a symbol of unity

Articles about the Unification Church usually fail to mention that Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han held mass wedding ceremonies between people of different races and nationalities, which was a groundbreaking anti-racist gesture in the 1960s and 1990s. Thousands of interracial families created through the Blessing still exist today. Isn’t this a testament to their genuine belief in the unity of humanity?

The Sun article doesn’t mention this aspect because it undermines the narrative of a «destructive cult.» Manipulation through omission.

10. Conclusion: How an article forms a biased opinion

Bottom line: a reader who is unfamiliar with the Unification Church will likely form an extremely negative, one-sided, and factually inaccurate perception after reading this article. They will view members of the Unification Church as either victims or manipulators, and the organization itself as a dangerous cult. However, they will not receive information about the actual teachings of the Unification Church, their social activities, interracial families, or their long-standing efforts to promote peace.

From the point of view of professional ethics, The Sun’s article is an example of biased journalism that uses the trauma of one person to denigrate an entire religious movement. Such materials exacerbate religious intolerance and make interreligious dialogue more difficult.

Conclusion

This article, based on an interview with Steven Hassan, portrays him as an unbiased expert who escaped from a «terrible cult.» However, this narrative deliberately omits both his own background and the brutal methods he employed.

In reality, Hassan was not so much a «victim who found a voice» as a man who had gone through shocking forced deprogramming himself. His parents hired people to kidnap him and isolate him for five days in an apartment, where he was literally «broken» through verbal aggression. It was after this violence against his own psyche that Hassan himself became an aggressive deprogrammer, earning up to a thousand dollars a day from what sociologist Anson Shupe described as the kidnapping and locking up of adults in isolated rooms.

Moreover, there is evidence that Hassan used violence to «liberate» people from the Unification Church, which is supported by testimonies from victims and legal claims. He has been held legally responsible for his activities, and his name has been associated with scandals:

«During the investigation, Shoup examined the affidavits of the victims of deprogramming, in which Hassan played a key role. These documents, the authenticity of which has not been questioned, paint a disturbing picture of what deprogramming therapy actually was. One of the most detailed testimonies comes from Arthur Rosell. He said that when he first tried to escape—and succeeded the second time—the members of the de-programming team “tried to throw me to the floor. I hit my chin and cheek on the tiled floor. As a result, I had a wound on the inside of my lower lip and bruises on my chin and right cheekbone. Then they tied my hands and feet, took me to a small room, and put me on a bed.” Then, professional deprogrammers Steven Hassan and Ellen Lloyd took turns forcibly removing my chosen religious beliefs. I was tied up for the three days I was kidnapped and detained. Steven Hassan and Ellen Lloyd took turns deprogramming me, keeping me awake. When the deprogramming began, I chose not to speak or eat. After two days, Steven Hassan threatened to give me several injections. During the first three days of my kidnapping and illegal detention, Steven Hassan insulted and humiliated me as a person. I felt like a trapped animal in a zoo. After the first three days of my kidnapping and illegal detention, I had poor circulation in my hands because they were tightly tied behind my back. Both of my hands were very swollen and had a bluish tint. For the first three days, I was taken to the toilet with my hands tied, and I was not washed or shaved. With the help of others, I was able to urinate into a pot. Due to the constant surveillance, I did not allow myself to defecate.

Rosell also stated that Hassan tried to force him to sign false affidavits in which he denied that he had been mistreated..” — see more details here.

The grotesque aspect of this situation lies in the contrast. By positioning himself as a peacemaker, Hassan used methods that were far more violent than those he accuses the Unification Church of using in the 1970s. After all, he was not subjected to any violence while in the Unification Church, where methods of influence were limited to lectures, discussions of principles, and persuasion through words and personal example. This transforms him from a «victim» into a professional family destroyer who cannot be trusted without question.