CULTS/CONFORMITY/ BRAINWASHING

Cults  What distinguishes a harmful cult from a relatively harmless new religious movement or self-help group?

1) Characteristics of Cults:  A captivating and authoritarian leader who claims to have all the answers to life.  His or her beliefs cannot be questioned by group members, and these beliefs replace traditional religious social-political belief systems

 2) The group claims that only its members will be saved or given some higher understanding that makes its members superior to all people outside the group.  3) The friendship and “ family love” of the group replaces other relationships, and members are often isolated from old friends and members of their real families.

 4) Group members are psychologically manipulated or deceived using mind control, and elaborate frauds are often used to hide the real purpose of the group.  5) Group members are often taken advantage of financially with frequent or inappropriate demands for money or fund-raising, or they may be abused physically or mentally

2) Who is attracted to cults and why?  Cults attract almost every group in society: young, old, rich, poor, well adjusted, psychologically needy, crusaders, and cynics  Cults exploit the hopes, fears, doubts, and longings of people, and profess to offer them the answers to their dreams. They offer a loving group who seems to offer all of the answers for the future  People looking for a feeling of neighbourness that we don’t see today. This is because of technology and such.

3) How Cults recruit and control new members?  Some critics of cults call this brainwashing. Typically recruitment programs use a variety of methods that work together to influence the new recruit.  1) Love bombing: recruiters are very warm and loving, person is made to feel special  2) exploitation of personal weaknesses and hopes: under the lie that they are getting to know the person better, recruiters discover the hidden fears and doubts of the person.

 3) Group Pressure: surrounded by a group that has been coached to think the same way puts tremendous pressure on the recruit to conform to the group’s thinking.  4) Critical Questions are discouraged: When recruits attempt to ask questions, they are either sidetracked or told to wait till later.  5) Isolation and no privacy: Whenever possible recruits are kept away from family and friends

 6) Food and sleep deprivation: Recruits are kept busy with games from the early morning until late at night with little chance to eat or sleep.  7) Guilt, public confession, and group approval: if recruits express doubts about the cults activities or beliefs, they are made to feel selfish or arrogant.