Understanding Cults: Unveiling the Realities and Risks
Dive into the world of cults to learn their defining characteristics, recruitment tactics, and how they operate. Discover the differences between cults and religions, the manipulation techniques used by cult leaders, and the impact on members' lives. Reflect on your knowledge and explore the intriguing dynamics of these social groups.
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CULTS STUDENT HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE OF HUMAN RELATIONS, DIVERSITY & EQUITY JULY 2022
WOULD YOU RATHER... Ride in a self-driving plane Ride in a self-flying car
Learn what a cult is the difference between a cult and a religion Learn OBJECTIVES Identify How cults work Learn about how cults recruit
What do you think a cult is? TIME TO REFLECT Are there cults you have heard about?
WHAT IS A CULT? A cult is a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal.
HOW DO CULTS WORK? Cult leaders often consider themselves to be a religious leader, with gifts from God, therefore awarding them authority over the members. Cults often utilize brainwashing to control the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors of its members. Without outside influence this is much easier to do and can be very effective. They also use social pressure from other members to gain the behaviors and beliefs they want.
HOW DO CULTS WORK? Cults often set up a "we/they" philosophy. They believe that "we" (the cult members) have the answer or believe the right thing, and "they" (everyone else) do not have the answer and are wrong in their beliefs. This results in the cult members only associating with and often, even living with other cult members. They often leave their homes, families, and friends behind. This also keeps cult members away from people who may question their choices and beliefs.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CULT AND A RELIGION? At first, it may be difficult to differentiate between the two, because a cult often resembles a religion. However, they differ in many ways: 1. A Cult will rush you to join. A religion will not expect to see someone at every bible study, event, or church gathering. A cult will. 2. A cult's leader is their "higher power". A religious leader believes and their followers believe, in a being or entity higher than themselves.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CULT AND A RELIGION? 3. Cult leaders often consider themselves to be a religious leader, with gifts from God, therefore awarding him authority over the members. 4. Cults make it impossible to trust each other. Religions provide a safe haven of trust among their congregants. Cults often use public confession and shame as a way of controlling their members, resulting in a lack of trust.
HOW DO CULTS RECRUIT? 1. They pick the right target. This means that they pick the most susceptible people: those are stressed, emotionally vulnerable, have tenuous or no family connections, or are living in adverse socioeconomic conditions. New college students are especially vulnerable.
HOW DO CULTS RECRUIT? 2. Love bombing. They will flood the vulnerable person they have identified and flood them with affection, flattery, and validation. Providing these traits to vulnerable people helps to fulfill a need and makes it easier for them to buy into the cult.
HOW TO CULTS RECRUIT? 3. Isolation Often, this takes the form of a weekend retreat, where the recruit is immersed in the cult's ideology over the course of a few days. Not only are recruits physically isolated from friends and family members who might otherwise provide a reality check, but cults often isolate recruits from outside information. Newspapers, books, TV, and web access are all censured, ensuring that the only reality the recruit gets to experience is the one presented by the cult.
HOW DOES A CULT RECRUIT? 4. Keeping Control There's a variety of techniques they can use to accomplish this, but these usually involve iteratively subjecting the cult recruit to terror and love. By keeping cult members totally off- balance in this way, cults increase their members' dependency on the leader, ensuring they retain control. The exhausting, frozen state of "terror and avoidance" overwhelms cult members and their ability to think critically about the ideology they've suddenly committed themselves to.
WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN CULTS?
WHO ARE SOME OTHER VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT COULD BE RECRUITED BY CULTS? TIME TO REFLECT
HUMAN RELATIONS, DIVERSITY & EQUITY
TEACHER FEEDBACK
