by Savannah Mayfield
Would You Fall for a Cult? “Absolutely not!” You would probably answer. “I’m too smart to fall for a cult! I’m not gullible!” Why do we have this gut reaction to cults? We assume they must be these obvious, looming threats that only ensnare the emotionally vulnerable and the mentally unstable.
However, cults have grown in number in recent years, making it even more likely that you will come into contact with a cult or even become a target for a cult recruiter. Contrary to popular belief, susceptibility to cults is not just dependent on your mental state. Those who need to feel validated, seek meaning for life, blame others, are always angry and have very low self-worth are often the most susceptible to cults.
“People who are desperate seekers of truth may be more likely to get caught up in a group that offers quick answers to their questions or promises a future that seems more meaningful and brighter,” author of Doomsday Cults Alan R. Warren said. Joining a cult helps those in need of validation to feel part of a group. Cults confirm peoples’ low self-worth, compelling them to stay in the cult.
“Blamers make the perfect cult members as they are great at following others and have no moral issues with doing so, regardless of the consequences,” Warren said. Cults sway those with anger issues by focusing their anger onto something that benefits the goals of the cult.
“If a cult comes along and plays into that anger in just the right way, they may be more likely to be a victim,” Warren said.
Cult recruiters target a wide variety of people, meaning that you could very easily become their next victim. They don’t merely pray on the gullible—they want intelligent people in their organization. Cult recruiters can also be found everywhere and could even be your coworkers, classmates or neighbors. It could even be one of your friends.
“Studies show that people who join cults have only a slightly higher incidence of psychiatric disorders than the population,” Warren said. Cult recruiters pinpoint the smallest weakness in your life and maximize it for their own gain.
“One common thread among cult recruits is heightened stress,” Warren said. “People undergoing significant stress can be more vulnerable, thereby susceptible when a person or group claims to have the answer to all of their problems.” Cult recruiters calculate where they can find people with one particular shared weakness. The answer is not difficult to find.
“Cult recruiters hang out in places where you might find people in a period of extreme stress with is truthfully everywhere,” Warren said. Cult recruiters tend to frequent college campuses, self-help groups, support groups, spirituality and social change conferences and religious gatherings. Once a cult recruiter latches onto a potential recruit, they do everything possible to keep them in their clutches. They play into your specific needs and desires. If you have just lost a loved one, a cult recruiter may claim that their program offers grief counseling.
“From day one it’s a process of manipulation and deception,” Warren said. “Potential recruits are not told the true nature or intention of the group. Instead, recruiters portray what they are selling as something mainstream, low pressure and harmless.” Cults begin the process of manipulation by separating cult recruits from their communities.
“Cults typically isolate recruits so they don’t have an opportunity to get a reality check from friends and family,” Warren said. “The only people they’re communicating with are the members of the cult they’re being invited to join.” Cults isolate and indoctrinate new recruits into the mindset of the club, often forcing them to undergo a brainwashing or thought reform process.
“For those who stick around, the recruiting process culminates in the submission of their personalities to the ‘will of the group,’” Warren said. Cults repress the personalities and beliefs of new recruits, transforming them into the other former individuals in the cult. Their old sense of self is buried deep in their subconscious and is painful to recover. Knowing that cults target a variety of personality types and that cult recruiters can appear when you least expect it, what are some warning signs of cults?
“A cult is a system of religious beliefs where usually the religion is regarded as unorthodox and its group of followers has a great devotion to a person or idea,” Warren said. Cults are characterized by three defining features. Charismatic, or god-like figures, spearhead the cult. Recruits undergo an indoctrination program that tries to institute some form of mind control over them. Cults exploit members for something—usually sex, money or labor.
Unlike religions, cults are small and not well-known. Cults practice dishonesty. Religions are honest about their beliefs from the start, but cults surprise recruits with the reality of the organization once they join. Cults make membership exclusive and maintain a hostile view of outsiders. Exit consequences such as shunning and punishment are enforced when leaving a cult. Cults feed off their members which means they need new recruits to stay alive. They will use all means possible to manipulate the innocent into joining their ranks. If you remember the characteristics and strategies of cult recruiters, you can prevent yourself from falling into one of the most damaging traps in today’s world.
