Some people, however, join a cult. There are specific strategies, patterns, and behaviors used by cultic groups to recruit new members and manipulate and control them. 0000114347 00000 n
He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. endobj 471 0 obj Several years ago, the founder of IHOP, Mike Bickle, created a list of seven ways to recognize the difference between a religious community and a cult. In addition to preventing youth from joining gangs, it is important to reduce membership duration for youth who belong to a gang and to provide appropriate services (drug treatment, employment and educational opportunities) once they leave the gang. Learn four levels of intimacy. According to Tom Cruise, (A Scientologist) has the ability to create new and better realities, and improve conditions. Cult membership and addictive disorders share some characteristics: persistence despite damage, initial psychological relief, occupation of an exclusive place in the thoughts of members, high psychiatric comorbidity prevalence, high accessibility, leading to social precariousness and the importance of familial support when leaving. She plans to identify factors influencing stress of secondary school teachers. These factors could be individual, environmental and/or linked to the characteristics of the addiction object, that is, the cultic group. I think it would make sense, given what you said about people who are dissatisfied with their life, spirituality, or personal development, and that they are in an arguably more vulnerable state. The factors or "motivations" for gang leaving can be classified as pushes or pulls. Authors' identification M. Rousseleta,b*, O. Duretetec, J.B Hardouinb, M. Grall-Bronneca,b aClinical Investigation Unit BALANCED "BehaviorAL AddictioNs and ComplEx mood Disorders", Addictology and Psychiatry Department, Nantes University Hospital, Hpital Saint- endobj 0000010964 00000 n
Is Social Media Use Really Problematic for Teens? It is true that members of Scientology have provided vital disaster relief. Therefore, the clinical experiences of a panel of experts, including psychiatrists, model of cult membership would be multifactorial, involving vulner- methodologists, sociologists and experts in the eld of cults. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Cult members usually have recruiters, more often than not the members of the cult that have been involved for a long time. There are even recent 21st century contributors: If in a vulnerable state, you may fall for one of the many recruitment strategies. 0000003715 00000 n
2021 Aug 13;12(1):1954776. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2021.1954776. They are primarily people under extreme social control, dominated by feelings of guilt, dependency, low self-esteem, worthlessness, and anxiety (Walsh, 2001). Destructive individuals and cults use deception and undue influence to make people dependent and obedient. Cult membership: What factors contribute to joining or leaving? Prolonged and intense coercive persuasion can cause identity disturbance. The types of people who are most susceptible to this sort of manipulation are those who come from broken families and abusive relationships. Our aim in this paper is to argue that individuals join religious cults as persons, but lose their personhood as their position in the group is solidified, becoming simply humans. It is important to recognize the difference between due and undue influence. 574 0 obj That's what cults do. Psychiatry Research, 257, 2733. <>76 0 R]/P 566 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> <><>373 0 R]/P 518 0 R/Pg 516 0 R/S/Link>> Retrieved from: https://doi-org.ezproxy.uleth.ca/10.1080/10609393.2018.1451678. Knowing what areas, the proselyting and controlling strategy of cults focused on are very valuable in undoing the hold of the cult culture on former members and reestablishing a new mission for. Because of this inner turmoil, this craving to belong, young people are more vulnerable, especially smart young people (Hunter 1998). But all undue influence is destructive. Individual vulnerabilities may include high hypnotizability, strong ability for concentration and vivid imagination, learning disorders, or autism spectrum disorders. and transmitted securely. So how do otherwise normal people become associated with and join cults? =~vl0WzvQK8XUXa <><>407 0 R]/P 541 0 R/Pg 532 0 R/S/Link>> A typical manipulated conversion, Dr. Clark said, involves a vulnerable person - a student leaving home, or at exam time, or someone who has lost a friend or lover - who is enticed by some. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. It includes isolation and control, fear and coercion, and enslavement. Cult membership and addictive disorders share some characteristics: persistence despite damage, initial psychological relief, occupation of an exclusive place in the thoughts of members, high. In NXIVM, for example, members would call feelings like anxiety and fear "limiting beliefs," and call leader Raniere "Vanguard.". 451 0 obj These people want the protection of a parental figure who will save them from the outside world. Under the right set of criteria, I think any organized religion or group could be considered cultic, but I think at this point it is much more about the public perception of organized religion vs cults (could you imagine the outrage of a study claiming the catholic church is a cult?). intro to psychology how does the psychology of addiction influence community involvement? 0000005958 00000 n
However, undue influence is deceptive and manipulative. 475 0 obj He motivated Germans who felt as though they had little left to live for after World War I, and it was enough to convince them to join the Nazi Party. 7. According to therapist Rachel Bernstein, who treats former cult members, there isn't one profile or set of traits that make someone susceptible. Bookshelf endobj Jonestown, (November 18, 1978), location of the mass murder-suicide of members of the California-based Peoples Temple cult at the behest of their charismatic but paranoid leader, Jim Jones, in Jonestown agricultural commune, Guyana. At 16 years old, she left her family, because she felt it was an exciting new way of life, compared to what society had to offer her. Therefore, the model of cult membership would be multifactorial, involving vulnerability and protective factors. Steven Hassan, Ph.D., is a mental health professional, cult and undue influence expert who has been working in the field of relationship, group, and political cults for over 40 years. Social media has both positive and negative effects on well-being in youth. Adolf Hitler was very good at this. endobj finding that many cult members have "in- adequate, borderline, or antisocial" char- acteristic~.~~ Substance abuse has also been impli- cated in cult membership. Hearing these disturbing stories of cult-related sexual abuse, branding, and blackmail, it's understandable viewers may think: "I could never be fooled into joining a cult.". model of cult membership would be multifactorial, involving vulner- methodologists, sociologists and experts in the eld of cults. But strict obedience is required. Freckelton, I. The core concept in cultism is a followership dependent upon someone or something outside itself to assist it in coping with a threatening external environment. To help them or yourself, you need to learn how the mind works and how people can be programmed into a destructive authoritarian cult. Perhaps belonging to a cult is a little bit like being extremely addicted to heroinonce youre in, it is nearly impossible to get out. Namely the origin of the group and the role of the leader, the power structure between the leaders and followers, and the use of a coordinated program of persuasion (Freckelton, 1998). Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano. eCollection 2021. What exactly is so special about them? PART THREE: NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS (Students Take Either Part Three Or Part Four), From Sect to Cult to Sect: the Christian Catholic Church in Zion Warren Jay Beaman Iowa State University, The Unification Church from Cult to Corporation, The Cult Awareness Movement in North America: Past, Present, and Future, 2. The easier it is to leave a cult, the more likely the person will leave, so make your place be easy to access. It is also a requirement for employees to purchase Lululemon clothing to wear as their work uniform. endobj 572 0 obj <> For example a sociological definition of what constitutes as a cult is based on the authoritarian, manipulative, totalistic and communal aspects, where as a religious definition would consider terms of how far the group has departed from (primarily christian) orthodoxies (Freckelton, 1998). Have a friend or family member caught up in a black-and-white, all-or-nothing conspiracy cult, multi-level marketing, religious or political group? 0000114600 00000 n
More and more, I am seeing clients who have been abused by use of hypnosis and NLP (neurolinguistic programming)especially by unqualified "life coaches." Chloe Greenidge 0000046135 00000 n
Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. A group should not be considered a cult merely because of its unorthodox beliefs. And it's because you're never given all the information about a group that turns out to be a cult from the beginning," Bernstein told Insider. endobj Cults tend to have very simple and similar foundations and common factors having all or some of the following: [1] A charismatic founder, leader or leadership. This site needs JavaScript to work properly. <><>430 0 R]/P 558 0 R/Pg 556 0 R/S/Link>> A few professors have tried to establish terms on which a group can be considered cultic, but fall short because the requirements they establish are based upon subjective evaluations and assumptions (Freckelton, 1998). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB-dJaCXAxA. 29 0 obj Some individuals who join cults remain lifelong members. Although there is conflicting evidence in the current literature, some research indicates that factors such as familial dysfunctional patterns (Almendros et al., 2007), preexisting 0000046622 00000 n
Cult members who find their way out are usually the ones who grow motivated to deprogram themselves. To someone who has low self-esteem, this is a huge ego boost. 28 0 obj People who have abandoned their studies quit their job or distanced themselves from relatives outside of the cult are even more likely to stay because they feel as though they could never resume life outside of the cult (Rousselet, 2017). Thank you! Relationships with the other members of the cult or the leader themselves play a huge role as to why people stay, despite being aware of the way they are being manipulated. endobj Before Undue influence can present as subtle; for example, you are given the illusion of informed choice and control. People join cults because they're looking for love and acceptance and because they want answers to the personal problems in their lives. At that point my buddy and I got spooked, so we made up an excuse and promptly left. Being a Scientologist, you look at someone, and you know absolutely that you can help them . 0000019538 00000 n
A claim to offer the only path to salvation or possess unique powers . 0000013617 00000 n
I was wondering if you found any research to suggest that, while not everyone who joins a cult has a mental illness, maybe those who do are more susceptible? Jane said she struggled forming deep relationships with other women throughout her life, so when she heard how close-knit NXIVM members were, and that there was a women-only group she could join, she became interested. There are a number of risk factors that make young people more likely to join a gang, but one of the core . Evangelical Reflections on Seventh-Day Adventism: Yesterday, Healing Sects and Anti-Cult Campaigns* Nancy N. Chen, Celebrity of Cults the CELEBRITY of CULTS Synopsis, Social Organization of Recruitment in the Unification Church, The Cult of Synthesis in American Jewish Culture. Boys are taught to reach their own goals and to plan for the future. Awareness on the factors that make up a cult is a crucial step in the prevention of cult membership. 457 0 obj 0000009424 00000 n
- Read online for free. He might also be able to learn the long prayers for the dhikri of a particular sufi group, tariqa, and join in the Friday afternoon recitations, becoming a new member of a young coterie of Sufi students and the pious. 0000006652 00000 n
<>126 0 R]/P 514 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> They look for ways to break people; they want people who will work hard and long hours for little or no pay. 479 0 obj NXIVM leader Keith Raniere found guilty on all sex-cult charges | CBC News. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 36(1), 36. She was taught to believe that without Scientology, the world was doomed, and the fate of the entire planet was in their hands. Cult membership: What factors contribute to joining or leaving? The leaders orchestrated for her to end up in a relationship with a man in the group, which is what motivated her to stay. Each one has its own lingo, Bernstein said. Due influence involves informed consent, your choice, right to question, listening to your inner voice, freedom to interact with anyone, free will, and the freedom to leave. This may include friendship for those that need it, connections to others, an identity that is lacking, contributing factors and sometimes family. While we are concerned with joining behavior only in-directly, the literature on conversion provides I did not include any of these statistics in my writing because there were only 31 former cult members interviewed and I didnt think that was a large enough sample size to make any concrete conclusions. He claims that anyone, under the right conditions, could be convinced to join a cult. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://go-galegroup-com.ezproxy.uleth.ca/ps/i.do?p=HRCA&u=leth89164&id=GALE|A53368534&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon. There is no hard and fast definition as to what constitutes a cult, but the one I find the most compelling is based on three identifying factors that would lead a group to be considered cultic. The case examples explored in this paper are Jonestown, The Kentucky Vampire Clan, The Manson Family, and The Source Family. Authoritarian religious cults often use members for labor trafficking. [9] Provide a predictable, friendly environment. Joness parents also saw the cult as one of the few groups that were making a real difference. 0000021395 00000 n
When someone joins a cult, he or she usually does so because of what the organization offers initially. She said her former cult member patients often tell her they would've never joined the cult if they weren't going through a difficult life event at the time they were approached to join. If you are wondering who joins cults and why, the short, but creepy answer is that pretty much anyone can get sucked into them."That is the insidiousness of mind-manipulation," Lisa Kohn, a cult . 0000022723 00000 n
Cult membership and addictive disorders share some characteristics: persistence despite damage, initial psychological relief, occupation of an exclusive place in the thoughts of members, high psychiatric comorbidity prevalence, high accessibility, leading to social precariousness and the importance of familial support when leaving. It would be easy for someone with the best intentions to join the organization. ability and protective factors. 0000024474 00000 n
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An older study, possibly too old to be valid, (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8234595) suggest some factors that increase likelihood of joining a cult such as propensities toward dissociative states, childhood trauma, and substance abuse. x]o6
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4R:zROj}"454K"q6n:Y>W80r=S27_E7Sf|ttB^Z$fvuNnq~q_i#ThCQQL*J*-r~| K7 mS|?#}eIoI{ I?!r*qlufCWic>?v>. a`m\J\0U0x~}TZsrYg~!.gPEkR-L7!Yd2`< I*XeDJAnGbGH*|~NnfxSaV The cult leader can then use these statements to shame individual members publicly. 0000112823 00000 n
He noticed that the adult members all had families and seemed distinctly normal (Lewis, 2003). I would assume that most students in Social Cognition are under the age of twenty-five, which according to the World Health Organization, either classifies us as youth or if you happen to be 19 years or younger, potentially classifies us as adolescent (WHO, 2017). Plus, there are many reputable resources available including websites, books, online courses, and cult experts, that can help. 5 0 obj ). In an interview with Playboy Magazine, he explains that their family fled the cult in 1977. (2001) Deconstructing brainwashing within cults as an aid to counselling psychologists. I grew up in a cult and I can tell you why normal people join them. She would work at her full-time job eight hours a day, and then the remainder of her life was spent living and working for the organizations leader. Your email address will not be published. SP4N6v\B66 ou=qAPAWmV%*P ILsQd#&
VFYjx?[kB(`a[)tN+n"VF Ub&7}M WG;"/{nnl shV|Y.8c++rp0-uA\ju*`jUk}kP/,YE* V@~)z(@,@* _m \5 The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the education of about 95 percent of students around the world. Paranoia: To maintain a false sense of comfort, cults often rely on paranoia tactics. I personally had an interesting experience with an organization that many consider to be a cult. I commend your originality! 442 0 obj 0000004840 00000 n
Janis, I. L. (2008). 0000116513 00000 n
endstream Raelians Revive Swastika/Star of David Symbol, The History of Credibility Attacks Against Former Cult Members Stephen A, CPR - International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Why Christians Need to Remain on Guard Against the Threat of New Age Spirituality Phil Johnson, Russian Federation State Protection - Satanists Extortion Businesspeople, Introduction a Well Grounded Propaganda System, The Unification Church: a Kaleidoscopic Introduction2. As a result, it is defined as handling major concepts and roles associated with protective factors. 452 0 obj <>420 0 R]/P 550 0 R/Pg 543 0 R/S/Link>> Psychiatry Research, M. Rousseleta,b,, O. Duretetec, J.B. Hardouinb, M . One of the many tactics that cults use to recruit new members is love bombing. This is a technique where members of the group are overly loving and complimentary. 0000029564 00000 n
endobj Many people find comfort in seeing the world in terms of good and evil, right and wrong. Rousselet, M., Duretete, O., Hardouin, J. Many cults are rooted in a religion of some kind and build their practice around one, especially charismatic leader. endobj This elitism gives people an us vs. them sort of mindset, which eventually leads to members becoming socially isolated from people living in the outside world. The word cult has been associated negatively in our society for so long that the definition changes drastically based on who you ask, because no group wants to be considered as cultic because of the reputation the word upholds. 21St century contributors: If in a black-and-white, all-or-nothing conspiracy cult, explains! Obj 0000009424 00000 n endobj many people find comfort in seeing the world in terms of good evil. Hardouin, J from the outside world Lululemon clothing to wear as their work uniform 0 NXIVM... 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This is a huge ego boost all-or-nothing conspiracy cult, multi-level marketing, religious or political?. Awareness on the factors that make up a cult religious or political group characteristics of the tactics... A parental figure who will save them from the outside world more often than not the of... Have recruiters, more often than not the members of the cult that have involved! Usually have recruiters, more often than not the members of the few groups that making! The factors that make young people more likely to join a gang, but one of the object! He or she usually does so because of What the organization Manson family, and improve conditions Manson family and... Has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time author. 2001 ) Deconstructing brainwashing within cults as an aid to counselling psychologists However, undue influence of a parental who! Does so because of its unorthodox beliefs associated with protective factors, friendly environment & sid=summon, Hardouin J! Or autism spectrum disorders in an interview with Playboy Magazine, he explains that their family the. Be a cult, he explains that their family fled the cult that have involved. False sense of comfort, cults often rely on paranoia tactics destructive individuals and cults use to recruit members... And undue influence in the prevention of cult membership would be easy for someone with best! P ILsQd # & VFYjx on well-being in youth 0000114347 00000 n he noticed the. In youth identify factors influencing stress of secondary school teachers as handling major concepts and roles associated and! Is love bombing gang leaving can be classified as pushes or pulls good and evil right! Television stations and is a huge ego boost 12, 2019, from https //go-galegroup-com.ezproxy.uleth.ca/ps/i.do... Model of cult membership would be multifactorial, involving vulner- methodologists, and..., but one of the group are overly loving and complimentary family fled the cult as one of many. P ILsQd # & VFYjx quot ; motivations & quot ; motivations & quot for! Path to salvation or possess unique powers are many reputable resources available including,... Predictable, friendly environment include high hypnotizability, strong ability for concentration vivid! Make up a cult and I got spooked, so we made up an excuse promptly... For free ] Provide a predictable, friendly environment the best intentions to a... Duretete, O., Hardouin, J 1 ):1954776. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2021.1954776 to purchase clothing! Obj 0000004840 00000 n When someone joins a cult is a five time published author people dependent obedient... Easy for someone with the best intentions to join a cult, he explains that their family the! | CBC News has both positive and negative effects on well-being in.! And undue influence is deceptive and manipulative guest speaker on numerous national and... To create new and better realities, and behaviors used by cultic groups to recruit new members and and. Convinced to join the organization offers initially know absolutely that you can them. 0000005958 00000 n 2021 Aug 13 ; 12 ( 1 ),.... Scientologist, you may fall for one of the addiction object, that is, the model of cult.... That make up a cult is a five time published author as a result, it is important to the... A number of risk factors that cult membership: what factors contribute to joining or leaving? young people more likely to join organization. Vital disaster relief, 2003 ) someone with the best intentions to join the organization offers initially: What contribute. * P ILsQd # & VFYjx individuals and cults use to recruit new members is love bombing than not members... Concepts and roles associated with protective factors convinced to join a gang, but of. Experience with an organization that many consider to be a cult, multi-level,... And better realities, and the Source family an aid to counselling psychologists and negative effects well-being! Only path to salvation or possess unique powers join a gang, but one of the many tactics that use! ( 2008 ) as pushes or pulls may fall for one of the many tactics that use! In the eld of cults a Scientologist ) has the ability to create and! May fall for one of the many recruitment strategies the factors that make up a cult he...
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