The Institute

“Are You, or Is Someone You Know, Involved in a High-Demand Group or Movement (‘Cult’)?” by the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)

A list of the common characteristics of cults.

The Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgram Shock Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment and the Milgram Shock Experiment are two of the best-known studies on human behavior and its response to perceived authority. In the Stanford experiment, student volunteers were randomly assigned as either guards or prisoners in a mock prison. The “guards” became increasingly aggressive and sadistic, and the experiment had to be abandoned after only six days rather than the two weeks it was initially supposed to run.

In the Milgram experiment, participants were led to believe they were causing severe electrical shocks to another “participant” (an actor) under the direction of a perceived authority figure. Many participants continued to deliver shocks even to the point of inducing what they believed to be heart failure.

The participants of both experiments were traumatized by their own behavior.

“Project MKUltra, the CIA’s Program of Research in Behavioral Modification” (1977) by the CIA

The Institute was partly inspired by Project MKUltra—the CIA’s experimentation with LSD as a potential mind-control weapon. Stephen King’s earlier science fiction novel, Firestarter (1980), was also influenced by the project.

“Characteristics of a Sociopath” by Stanley C. Loewen (2020)

A list of common traits associated with sociology and psychopathy.

“The Empathetic Brain of Psychopaths: From Social Science to Neuroscience in Empathy” by Josanne D. M. van Dongen (2020)

A scholarly examination of the neurological underpinnings of psychopathy. Many of the Institute staff, including Mrs. Sigsby, exhibit characteristics of antisocial personality disorders.

The Science of Stephen King: The Truth Behind Pennywise, Jack Torrance, Carrie, Cujo, and More Iconic Characters from the Master of Horror by Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence (2020)

This book explores the science—real and speculative—behind Stephen King’s iconic characters and concepts via historical context, literary analyses, and interviews.