brainwashing: Application, by force, of intense and prolonged techniques of psychological persuasion, designed to indoctrinate a person to a certain belief system.

celibate: Unmarried or abstaining from sexual relations, especially for religious reasons.

charismatic: Having to do with charisma, the magnetic power of a leader to attract and hold followers.

coercive: Serving or intended to control by force, threat, or other pressure.

commune: A group practicing communal living.

conservatorship: Legal status by which a person takes over and manages the interests of an adult who is considered incompetent to make decisions in his or her own best interest.

conversion: Change from one religion or belief system to another.

delayed stress syndrome: A collection of psychological symptoms, including depression and low self-confidence, that show up in a person after he or she has endured a stressful situation or problem and are attributed to that stress.

deprogrammer: One who works...