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Outlook: The perilous world of a ‘cult deprogrammer’ – part one

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Man bearing a placard claiming 'the end of the world is nigh'

02/06/2021 GMT

The perilous world of a ‘cult deprogrammer’ – part one

BBC World Service - Outlook, The perilous world of a ‘cult deprogrammer’ – part one

Rick Alan Ross went from selling cars to trying to rescue people from cults

Rick Alan Ross used to sell and restore cars, but became a cult specialist after his grandmother’s Jewish nursing home was infiltrated by a controversial Christian group.

Rick Alan Ross was selling and restoring cars when his grandmother’s Jewish nursing home was secretly infiltrated by a Christian group that tried to convert her. Rick started investigating, which lead him to a career as a world-renowned cult intervention specialist, or cult deprogrammer. Now, he helps people leave destructive cults or controversial groups and movements. His work can be demanding, problematic and perilous. 

Örlygur Hnefill Örlygsson is an Icelandic space obsessive who was surprised to discover that American astronauts did their lunar training in Iceland in the 1960s. He began researching the history and created a museum dedicated to their stories. (This interview was first broadcast in 2017)

By day, Roberto Antezana works as a technician at an observatory in Santiago – processing data sent to him by eminent astronomers from around the world. But by night he indulges his other passion – astrophotography – taking images of the moon, stars and solar systems. He holds the South American world record for long distance photography and will go to some extreme lengths to get the right shot. (This interview was first broadcast in 2017)

The interview with Rick Alan Ross is part of Cult Behaviour, a mini-series from Outlook exploring how cults can manipulate a person’s sense of reality, and what it can take to break free. The next part of Rick’s interview will be available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct1k33. Or you can listen to both these episodes combined on the Outlook podcast.

Picture: Man with 'the end of the world is nigh' placard
Credit: Getty Images

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