The Psychology of Cults lands at Hamer Hall this December, with veteran investigator Mike King pulling apart how high-control groups operate.
The Psychology of Cults is heading to Melbourne in December, bringing veteran cult investigator Mike King to Hamer Hall.
King spent 28 years in US law enforcement before turning his focus to high-control groups, and The Psychology of Cults draws on cases including Jonestown, Heaven’s Gate and NXIVM. The show sets out how these organisations recruit, isolate and hold onto members, then widens the lens to the quieter forms of coercion that surface in relationships, workplaces, wellness communities and social movements.
The Psychology of Cults
- 1 December – Astor Theatre, Perth, WA
- 3 December – Hamer Hall, Melbourne, VIC
- 7 December – Norwood Concert Hall, Adelaide, SA
- 9 December – Tivoli, Brisbane, QLD
- 10 December – Playhouse Theatre, Canberra, ACT
- 14 December – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Before any of the podcasts, King worked as a street police officer in Ogden, Utah, eventually retiring as Chief of Staff at the Utah Attorney General’s Office, where he oversaw more than 400 attorneys and investigators. He was trained in behavioural analysis by FBI profilers, co-chaired the bureau’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program advisory board, and created UTAP, a collaborative approach to homicide and missing-persons investigations. His earlier career also took in national security work around the 2002 Winter Olympics.
He later shifted into public safety technology as an executive at Esri, shaping emergency response strategy across the United States, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. King is now better recognised for Profiling Evil and Mapping Evil, true-crime platforms with more than 245,000 subscribers and over 22 million downloads. He has also written several books on criminal behaviour, among them Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, Predators and Who Killed King Tut?, and holds a Master of Criminal Justice degree.
The Melbourne date is one stop on a six-city national run, with every performance built around real cases, expert analysis and an audience discussion designed to help people read the warning signs early. The show looks at why capable, clear-headed people can still find themselves inside a high-control group, and how they eventually get out.
General tickets go on sale from 13 August at 10am local time, following the reveal of the full national schedule. Presale details and venue-specific pricing will land through TEG Dainty and the individual box offices ahead of the on-sale.
For more information, head here.
