A Story of Cult Indoctrination

CULT ASPECTS OD ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

To say that Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is a cult is not to say that it views itself as one, or even that it believes itself to be a system of religion. In fact, A.A. vehemently denies this aspect of its existence. Once the fact that A.A. is essentially a religious faith system is established, it becomes more and more clear that it is indeed justifiably call a cult.

A.A. is not the benevolent society of good will workers that they are portrayed as being in the media today. What A.A. really is a cult movement that is willing and able to use deceptive practices and brainwashing like techniques on its members and potential converts. Their philosophy is centered on the shaky belief that alcoholism is a disease, and by definition incurable. A.A. doctrine teaches that the only possible way to stop drinking and attain sobriety is to use the 12-Step process of addiction recovery first proposed by the founders of A.A., Dr. Bob and Bill W.

Opinions abound as to what is or is not to be deemed to be a “cult” in the eyes of government, society and individuals. Though sociologists, theologians and others have tried to pin down definitions, criteria and circumstances under which to deem a particular group a cult, the lowest common denominator generally (thought not always) turns out to be that a group is deemed a cult when an observer simply disagrees with the world view, the traditions, the beliefs and / or the basic philosophy of any given group. Cults are assumed to be religious in nature, with ideas and beliefs that run against the ideas and beliefs of those in power or those who are simply observing.

Most people would be surprised to learn that a cult is active in the area in which they live. Often, residents are not even aware that a cult exists in their own home town until the media picks up (and sensationalizes) the story of a group of five teenagers who where discovered mutilating cats in a barn, or when a nineteen-year-old woman reveals that she has undergone therapy, and “remembers” that when she was young her parents had allowed her to be ritually abused by members of the Cult of Red Masked Masons.

Conversely, Many communities believe that the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses located on a back road in their neighborhood, is the den of an evil cult bent on kidnapping their children and converting them to their hedonistic ways, or that the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints are prowling the neighborhood in an attempt to convert the masses.

Of course, these actions, memories and legitimate religious groups are not truly what society assumes them to be. The teenagers where simply being teenagers, with all of the inexperience and bad judgment that this implies. The young woman, as it turns out, may or may not have been sexually abused as a child, but likely, the idea of cult intervention in the abuse was implanted by a therapist who believes in recovered memory therapy. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not kidnap children, and Mormons do not come to a house uninvited. All of these are common misconceptions implanted in the American psyche by the news media, by Hollywood, and by urban legends, very little of it substantiated and even less of it true.

Realistically, there is no danger in inviting the Mormons to your house or in visiting a kingdom hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses unless you are confused as to your own beliefs and afraid that you may be susceptible to the suggestion that your current beliefs may be wrong. Kids experiment and explore various belief systems for those very reasons, with the added elements of rebelliousness injected for good measure. Therapists have been known to use questionable techniques and do make mistakes in the process.

Unbeknownst to many, there is a truly dangerous cult that actually does lurk in our back allies, churches, even our schools. This dangerous cult really does convert thousands of members each year, and has a membership that is composed of young and old, rich and poor, the famous and infamous. Unlike the misconception that is fostered of many cults, this one truly does forcibly convert members, using techniques that can be equated to brainwashing. This cult really does take an active role in society and is even sanctioned by local and regional governments. It is so misunderstood that and even mainstream religious groups, including the Catholic Church, support its existence.

This dangerous cult is much more pervasive and better established than the institutions and ideals that where the subject of the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980’s and early 1990’s. The danger of this cult is real, infectious, and in the end can be more detrimental than the “dangerous” cults that have been sensationalized in the media.

Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. Both had been struggling with alcoholism for years, in and out of sanitariums and hospitals. Together, they joined the Oxford Group, a religiously based support group that tried to help members to overcome addictions through spiritual means.

Out of the basic ideas of the Oxford Group grew the foundations of what would become A.A. A.A., as envisioned by Bill W. and Dr. Bob, (as they have come to be known) was a Christian based system of recovery wherein an individual gave up all responsibility for his actions and gave himself over to God in order to recover.

Revisions in the ideology and small textural changes in the literature of A.A. have, to a small extent, outwardly changed the Christian emphasis of A.A. over the years. For example, references to “God” have been changed to “God as we have come to understand him” or “Higher Power”, but changing the name of a concept does not change the concept itself. The 12-Step recovery program and the Twelve Traditions, are still clearly religious in nature, and aside from those small changes, have remained virtually unchanged since it’s inception in 1935.

A.A. is not seen by most people to be either dangerous or a cult. This is because much of the rituals and practices are not fully appreciated or even known by society as a whole. What society sees of A.A. is its public face, that A.A. is dedicated to a good purpose, that it succeeds, and that it has helped countless people overcome alcohol addiction for almost 70 years now.

However, there is another side to this cult that the public cannot see, and therefore cannot appreciate in full.

Membership in A.A. is voluntary, and there are no compulsory membership fees or dues. Members can leave the cult at any time they choose, and are allowed to hold whatever religious views they deem fit. If a member leaves the cult and begins to drink again, they will be welcomed back into the group, with somewhat diminished status. The only requirement for membership is a desire to quit drinking.

These are the first things that a new member learns about A.A. when they attend a meeting. In fact, these particular sentiments are a part of the “Twelve Traditions” of A.A., a kind of governing creed adopted by the group.

A.A. insists that it is autonomous group of individuals not affiliated with any religion, organization, government or business. All of these claims are half truths at best.

The assertion that A.A. is not affiliated with any religion is countered by the fact that in practice (if not in name) it uses the Christian concept of God as its guiding force in its ambiguous “higher power” concept. Though not actually affiliated with a particular religion, A.A. actually is a religion in and of itself.

Though A.A. does not allow the use of its name by outside organizations for the use of advertising, countless facilities designed to help individuals overcome addiction exclusively use A.A. as their path to sobriety. These facilities are almost universally staffed by employees who either are members of, or are trained by member of, A.A.

A.A. is autonomous in the sense that it is self governing and discourages influences outside of the literature conceived and produced by its founders and current members. It is fully supported by member donations, and accepts no donations from outside organizations, but this is not to say that donations and financial support from organizations that are affiliated with A.A., such as rehabilitation clinics and hospitals, are discouraged.

Viewed as a religion, many parallels can be drawn with contemporary belief systems. Their insistence on a higher power, (preferably called god) certainly reveals them to be religious in intent, even when this intent is masked by their insistence on calling them selves “spiritual” in nature instead of “religious”.

Questioning the philosophy of a higher power is tantamount to entering a Catholic church on a Sunday morning and proclaiming: “There is no God!” The book Alcoholics Anonymous (Referred to simply as “The Big Book”), addresses this phenomenon in its chapter “We Agnostics”.

We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. --"Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?" As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built. (Alcoholics Anonymous, Pg. 44)

A typifying characteristic of a religion is that it is an expression of spirituality. Another is the belief in a higher power. Because the philosophy taught by A.A. insists on both, it is clear that the group itself is a religious one at it core. When atheists (which A.A. Doctrine insists do not truly exist) or agnostics are confronted with this, the very basis of the recovery processes itself; they are forced to make a choice between their own beliefs and those of A.A.. In order to fully participate in the cult of A.A., those who do not recognize a higher power are essentially forced into conversion.

Forced conversions are characteristic of cults, at least in popular mythology. Coercion into conformity thorough humiliation, sharing ones experiences and other means are techniques that are more realistically used. These methods are common to both cults and A.A.

Another concept that is associated with cults is that its members are anonymous, and do not reveal themselves to the outside society. A.A. takes this characteristic one stop further with its policy of only identifying members by first name at meetings, and in other instances by first name and last initial. Members remain anonymous not only in outside society, but also within the cult itself. No membership lists are kept, thus making outside identification of members difficult. This policy is, just as in traditional cults, designed to protect the identity of individuals, thus allowing those individuals to keep their membership secret from those who could take advantage of this knowledge.

When one first joins A.A., they are not normally aware of the religious atmosphere associated with A.A. meetings and literature, because this aspect of A.A. is either masked or miscommunicated to outside society. It is often through outside influence that individuals attend their first meeting. Friends or family involved with A.A., or aware of the perceived success rate of the organization, may encourage attendance. Other times, attendance may be mandated by legal institutions. It is rare that an individual goes to their first A.A. Meeting of their own violation, though repeated attendance is normally of the individuals own violation.

A typical A.A. meeting, called a Speaker Meeting, is structured much like a religious ceremony. Ritual, a perceived characteristic of cult activity, is immediately apparent as the meeting opens. The first order of business is the reading of the 12-Step recovery process, followed by a reading of the 12 Traditions of A.A..

At this point new members are encouraged to introduce themselves. Even this introduction is ritualistic, the individual enticed into saying their first name only, followed by the phrase “and I’m an alcoholic”. Often the introduction is followed by a greeting, which in the A.A. community consists of a hug instead of a hand shake. This bit of ritual enforces from the beginning a strong social bond between members and begins to foster a reliance on the group as a means of support.

The next part of the ritual is the recitation of the Serenity Prayer, a Christian prayer used as a mantra by A.A. members around the world and comparable to counting to 10 under your breath to control your anger. Similar slogans and mantra abound within the A.A. cult such as “One day at a time”, and “It works if you work it”.

Shortly an A.A. member, usually but not always with a number of years of sobriety behind them, is introduced to tell the story of their addiction, what brought them to their “low point”, or the point in their life when they realized that A.A. was the only solution for recovery, and how their recovery process is progressing to date (always described as “one day at a time”).

The Low Point can be equated to an epiphany, or an experience of devout religious revelation. Members who experience their low point have come to the conclusion that alcohol, and thus their disease is slowly killing them, and in the process it is also hurting or destroying everything that the individual loves. After that realization, they then conclude that they can not save themselves, and must look to an outside agency in order to quit drinking. It is often expressed that one has not reached this low point until these two criteria have been met. These are actually the first two steps of the 12-Step process of recovery.

1. We admitted we where powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable

2. came to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 59)

These two steps begin to foster nothing but an enforced reliance on A.A. in order to quit drinking. Encouraged or enforced reliance on the group for support in all matters is an element of cult activity that has become a warning flag to researchers that a group may prove dangerous at some point.

The comparison to epiphany comes when you consider that A.A. assumes that no person can truly become devoted to the A.A. lifestyle and philosophy without having reached their own personal low point, in the same way that many truly devout people believe that a person can not be truly dedicated to God until and unless they experience epiphany. When the low point is reached, the member realizes that the only road to recovery is to give themselves and their lives over to their higher power. This experience is described in the A.A. cult as being almost mystical, and truly spiritual in origin. Many believe it is a personal revelation from their higher power. The spiritual element is also described throughout the Big Book. An example from appendix III reads:

With few exceptions, our members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource which they presently identify with their own conception of a power greater than themselves.

Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is the essence of spiritual experience. Our more religious members call it “God Consciousness” (Alcoholics Anonymous, pg 571)

Along with other more specific references to spiritual requirements in the Big Book, the religious nature of the cult becomes not only implied, but also required.

After the speaker finishes their story, there is sometimes a short session of question and answer. This part of the session if for the new member, and theoretically any question may be asked. However, specific questions about the nature of A.A. and its philosophy, as well as any questions or comments that question the validity of A.A. are not only frowned upon, but strongly discouraged. Generally these kinds of questions are answered with the same type of slogans that are used as mantras, such as “Let go, let God” or “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Seldom if ever are relevant questions, such as those pertaining to personal belief (or lack there of) in a higher power, or the logic behind giving up all responsibility for your own actions due to a disease of questionable nature, answered in anything approaching a satisfactory manor.

Questioning A.A. literature is particularly frowned upon. Much like other religious texts, A.A. members view the Big Book as containing the answers to all questions that pertain to addiction and recovery. In the eyes of dedicated A.A. members, it is holy writ, being complete and free of error as it is written. Like a devout Christian or Muslim, many can quote chapter and verse of specific passages that pertain to any given situation.

After the question and answer session, the meeting is adjourned following a reading of the Lord’s Prayer. As with the Serenity Prayer at the opening of the meeting, all present are expected to hold hands and recite the prayer together. Those who do not wish to do so are allowed to refrain, and are handedly ostracized for doing so.

The evident ritual elements present at A.A. meetings, as well as the group’s insistence on a higher power, and their self admitted spirituality easily combine to form what is essentially a coherent religion, including a sacred, possibly even divinely inspired, text. These are all trappings of an organized religious society, not unlike the Knights of Columbus or Masons.

Members are encouraged not to seek help outside of the cult because A.A. believes that there is no other form of therapy that can help a person to achieve sobriety, and that other recovery methods can only result in “dry drunks”. The only form of help comes from the individual giving themselves and their lives over to the control of their higher power. In doing this, the person can, if they are dedicated enough, achieve sobriety.

Another characteristic that is observed in cult groups is exclusivity. A cult will insist that there is no other form of truth than the one that has been revealed to their leader(s) and/or originator. This revealed truth can be spiritual, theological, or philosophical in nature, however the common denominator is that it is the exclusive truth, and all other claims by others to hold a different or opposing view are by their nature not only wrong, but possibly evil and dangerous as well.

As has already been said, A.A. fosters an exclusive reliance on the group for support, and there are numerous ways in which this is achieved.

A.A. Discourages the formation of new relationships during the first year of recovery. In context this means that new members are discouraged from entering into a new relationship with a sexual partner because real the possibility of said relationship breaking up, and thus leading to the individual seeking comfort in drink, is a danger. In practice, since no one can control their own emotions, this means that one is discouraged from social occasions where they are likely to meet and possibly grow attached to potential partners. Though this is in some respects good advice, it is also an unreasonable expectation.

The only exception to rule of thumb is the attendance of A.A. meetings, where the interaction between members of both sexes includes not only socializing, but also intimate physical contact in the form of the traditional A.A. greeting (A hug). The logic behind this reasoning is that that kind of a relationship between members of A.A. is highly discouraged. It is not uncommon at A.A. meetings to hear yet another mantra of the cult, “this is not a singles club” uttered in reference to those who would wish to pursue such a relationship.

In fact, these practices are designed simply as various ways of drawing the new member further and further into the cult, thus making them that much more dependant on the group for support. The deceptive side of all of this is that it also discourages social contact with non-A.A. members, leaving little time for social or family life. By secluding a new member in this way, A.A. fosters more and more dependence on the cult. The constant contact with members allows for continued indoctrination.

This segregation or sheltering of members from society as a whole is a tactic used by many cults, including Aum Shinrikyo, the Solar Temple and the followers of Jim Jones at Jonestown. By segregating members, cult leaders and administrators are able to subject their followers to their own unrefuted views, philosophies and propaganda. All information in and out of the cult is tightly controlled. Members learn only what the leaders want them to. Often, by the time that an individual is allowed contact with outside sources, their personal views are so intermeshed with those of the cult leaders that they are nearly undistinguishable.

The A.A. concept of sobriety is another aspect of the religious flavor of A.A... Sobriety is not seen as simply abstinence from alcohol, but a process in and of itself. A member is not considered “sober” until they have gone through an indoctrination period of 90 A.A. meetings in 90 days. Members are taught that they will always be alcoholics, and that in order to remain sober they will have to attend A.A. meetings for the remainder of their lives.

The policy of “90 in 90” is another way of solidifying the reliance of an individual on the group for support, and has the deceptively good intention of discouraging a person from associating with friends or family members at times when they would otherwise be drinking. What it instead achieved is simply tighter control over the individual as to whom they see and when they see them.

Sobriety for the A.A. member includes not only abstinence from alcohol, but also their attitude, appearance, conformity, and other aspect that individual A.A. groups may impose on members. Deviation from these guidelines constitutes a relapse, or a return to old, and perceived bad, behavior. Conceivably, an A.A. member with 20 years of A.A. style sobriety could relapse by having an adulterous affair, by starting a fist fight, or simply by engaging in an argument, and not once have touched a drop of alcohol.

Another aspect of sobriety is that when A.A. says abstinence that is what they expect. Enbiding in Non-alcoholic Beers, medications containing alcohol such as cough syrup, even alcohol based mouth wash can all be perceived as relapse. Some particularly “fundamentalist” A.A. members will refuse all over the counter medications, and have even been known to refuse antibiotics and pain killers after surgery.

Sobriety is viewed almost as an exalted state, with those who achieve it and keep it having a measure of seniority and even an amount of control over members of an individual group. The view of sobriety is not unlike that of the Buddhist Nirvana, or a mythical state of Golconda, or even in some views as a kind of heaven on earth.

Aside from introduction by friends or family, another way a person is introduced to the A.A. program is through rehabilitation facilities, vulgarly known as rehab centers or simply as “rehab”. These facilities are designed with the good intention of helping a person to over come addiction; however the process that is followed is simply a more intense version of the A.A. cult itself.

Also, though A.A. can still honestly say that it does not lend it’s name to any outside organization or business, these facilities are run, staffed, and otherwise occupied almost exclusively by members if A.A., or it’s sister organizations Narcotics Anonymous (NA), or Al-Anon . The affiliation is still present, though not in such a direct fashion.

Inside these rehab centers, individuals are subjected to what can effectively be called “All A.A., All the time”. Several common rules apply to most of these institutions, such as no music, no TV, no visits from friends or family except at proscribed times (and then only as a privilege that can be taken away), and most importantly, no literature outside of the A.A. and NA literature supplied by the facility, with one exception: The Bible.

Again, these are yet more examples of forced seclusion, information control and deceptive practices. Though these centers will, at the outset, proclaim full religious freedom to all patients, that freedom does not extend outside of the actual beliefs of the individual. Literature specific to a particular non-Christian religion is seldom allowed into these centers.

Patients in these facilities are subjected to A.A. and NA meetings, group therapy (with the only members of the group those same people that will be present at the A.A. or NA meetings), and in some cases, bible-study like sessions that focus on the Big Book instead of the bible. Classes on the individual 12 steps are also common, as is a daily accounting of wrongs, strong emotions and bad feelings.

Essentially, A.A., its philosophy, concepts, beliefs, ideals and reasoning are forced upon individuals of all races, creeds and beliefs. The central concept that is drilled into the heads of these individuals (a great number of who are under the age of 17) is that of a higher power, and how only that higher power can save them from themselves. These facilities teach these young people that they are not responsible for their bad habits, their incorrect reasoning, their wrongs or their mistakes; it was all the fault of their disease.

At the same time, these young people are also taught that they can not cope with the world on their own, which is why they subjected themselves to the ravages of their disease. Their only hope of survival is adherence to the beliefs and practices of A.A.

From the late 1970’s until the early 1990’s, a paranoid fear of cults was wide spread throughout North America and Britain. In order to combat the perceived spread of this threat to society, an occupation called “Deprogrammer” was invented. The job of a deprogrammer was to essentially “brainwash” teenagers and young adults out of their beliefs and practices. Deprogrammers where employed by schools, churches and parents when there was a perception that the child was falling under the influence of cult activities.

In some instances, Children where separated, sometimes by force, from their friends and families and installed in “Deprogramming centers” around the country. Eventually, it was discovered that the tactics used by deprogrammers to convince, sway or otherwise change the beliefs and practices of these children and young adults where more harmful than helpful, and very few “successes” where recorded.

The techniques used by these deprogrammers where based almost entirely on the methods used in rehabilitation clinics, (almost universally controlled by A.A. adherents) with a similar success rate. According to Marianne Gilliam, in her book How Alcoholics Anonymous Failed Me, there is a relapse rate of “over 70% of those seeking to obtain sobriety,” and a “low rate of long-term success”, which by Gilliam’s research is only between 2.4% to 4.8%. (Gilliam, introduction, pg xiv)

A.A.’s insistence that it is not religiously based, and is categorically not a cult are unfounded and deceptive, though perhaps the deception is self centered rather than an outwardly projected front.

Members of A.A. do not view themselves as cult members, and the organizers of meetings (there is no central governing body of A.A.) do not see themselves as leaders of a cult, let alone a dangerous one. The danger comes when A.A. not only allows, but insists that the individual not take the blame for anything he had done, that their disease drove them to do things that they would normally never contemplate.

“One of the drawbacks” says Gilliam, “of relying on [the methods used by A.A.] for guidance is the limitations they impose.”(Gilliam, pg. 46) According to Gilliam, these methods boil down to fear and dependency. Gilliam believes that the reason there is such a high relapse rate, and corresponding low successful recovery rate is that A.A.’s methods do not foster the qualities of self esteem and self reliance. This can be poisonous and even dangerous to a young mind. By relying on the group for support, and giving only negative assessments of self, the program is almost self defeating.

It is dangerous to teach individuals, especially young individuals, they are not at fault for their deeds. It teaches irresponsibility and in the long run often leads to relapse, or in some cases suicide. In many cases, it can also lead to severe disruption of families.

Jack Trimpey, cofounder of Rational Recovery, an alternative to the 12-Step program, and a vocal opponent of A.A, relates on his webpage (www.rational.org) several stories from x-members of AA. Stories of children turned against their parents, of siblings who can no longer communicate, otherwise happy marriages that have dissolved and other incidents.

Perhaps the most unnerving the following story is posted on Rational Recovery’s website:

One man, depressed and frightened but apparently sober, said, "I need help. They're coming for me." Believing police or paramedics had been summoned, Lois asked, "Did you threaten yourself or someone else?" He said, "No, they've been looking for me. I'm at my sister's house and they just called and they're on their way over." Lois asked, "Who are they?" He answered, "The AA people. They won't leave me alone. They're on the porch." Lois told the caller he could send them away, but he said, "It's no use. I can't go against them when they are here," and hung up. (www.Rational.org/cult)

Similar stories can be read at numerous websites, chat rooms and bulletin boards all over the internet

Another danger is that A.A. does not allow individuals to take credit for their accomplishments, especially for the immense act of willpower that it initially takes for a true alcoholic to take that first step towards a life free of alcohol. Where blame for wrongs and misdeeds is placed on the disease of alcoholism, credit for good deeds and merits is placed in the hands of a higher power.

Many anthropologists, sociologists, theologians and others have tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to set specific criteria to define what can be considered a cult. The dictionary definitions of “Cult” are open to interpretation, but theoretically could include any type of social or religious group. In a previous work, I myself have tried to define exactly what constitutes a cult. Every attempt has, to a lesser or greater degree, failed to encompass every possibility while excluding the obviously “Accepted” religions which we do not call cults.

Chaz Bufe sets forth in his book, AA: Cult or Cure?, seventeen academic criteria that have become widely accepted as good indications of cult activity (Bufe, Cult or Cure). His purpose, obviously, was to determine weather or not A.A. is indeed a cult.

By Bufe’s reckoning, A.A. is cult, even though he does not believe that A.A. fits all of these criteria. Others, such as Trimpey, disagree. Trimpey believes that A.A. does fit those academic criteria, and in his essay AA: Of Course it’s a Cult! (rational.org/cult.html) delves into each of the seventeen individual criteria, and one by one proves that A.A. does indeed fulfill each one.

A.A. is not a cult in the traditional sense of a cult. It is not a strictly theological cult, though it does operate and function as one in many respects. There is no danger of A.A. member’s committing mass suicide in order to be lifted up into a spaceship hiding in the tail of a comet. Its members will not flee persecution to South America, murder government representatives, and drink cyanide laced juice in order to escape prosecution. Its members will not even dance naked in the moonlight at the winter solstice to appease their higher power.

In closing, determining weather or not A.A., (or Druidic priesthood, or the individuals who, in a recent census taken in Great Britain, proclaimed their religion to be Jedi Knight) fit certain criteria to be assed as a cult is irrelevant. Trimpey sums it up best:

“AA is not a cult because it meets certain objective criteria established by academics; it is a cult because it appears to be one. [….] AA has thrived on account of everyone's hesitancy to say what it is that they see, i.e., the Emperor's New Clothes. Therefore, it is time to call AA a cult, and wait for the academicians to catch up.” (rational.org/cult.html)

Works Cited

1976, Alcoholics Anonymous. (AKA “the Big Book”) New York NY. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services INC.

Gilliam, Marianne. 1998. How Alcoholics Anonymous Failed Me. New York, NY. William Morrow and Company, INC.

Bufe, Chaz . AA: Cult or Cure? 1998. www.morerevealed.com. 19 Feb, 2004. <http://www.morerevealed.com/books/coc_index.htm>

Trimpey, Jack. Alcoholics Anonymous: Of Course It's a Cult! 1998. Rational Recovery. 28 Feb, 2003. <http://www.rational.org/cult>

(cashed copy available at: <http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:5O5_N4f9B1cJ:www.rational.org/Cult.html+is+AA+a+cult&hl=en&ie=UTF-8>)