Would you join a cult?

Introduction

Have you ever experienced someone trying to convince you that an ideology is correct? Or that if you follow a specific system of beliefs, something amazing will happen to you (think to get wealthy)?

Weird things keep happening to me. Several times in my life, I have been confronted by people trying to pedal a system of ideas that a group they belonged to believes. I felt compelled to write an article about my experiences in hopes that if you read this and are faced with a similar situation, you can recognize it and steer clear.

In this article, I would first like to explore some literature about why we fall victim to cults in the first place. Then I would like to discuss some of the manipulation techniques these groups utilize. In the third part of this article, I will briefly touch upon some of the strange experiences that I have had. I will conclude with some of the critical points I have derived from the writing of this article.

Why do we fall victim to cults?

Psychological studies suggest that humans are predisposed to believe because of the portion of our brain devoted to belief functions for all types of credences. If we think a piece of grass is rustling because there is an animal there, it is the same part of our brain that believes in a god. Our minds have become hard-wired to think that there is some entity behind the scenes so that we could survive. [3]

We have also been programmed to be led by an authoritative figure. This notion would make sense from the standpoint of tribes. If the tribe was to survive, they had to trust and obey their leader. It has been shown that the same area in our brain lights up when we think about a “god” and when we think about an authoritative figure (a parent, or cult leader). [3]

Believing is not inherently a bad thing. There is a gap between reality and perception. So we’ll always have to think that there is an apple on the table as we cannot confirm without moving toward it and touching. However, when we have a break down of our belief structure, it can have disconcerting consequences.

“Dr. Stanley H. Cath, a psychoanalyst and psychology professor at Tufts University, has ...noticed an interesting trend: many people who join cults have experienced religion at some point in their lives, and rejected it... Dr. Cath asserts that this trend is a sign of something deeper. Many of those who join cults are intelligent young people from sheltered environments… [This] often means that “many have a history of failing to achieve intimacy, of blaming others for their failures, and of constantly striving for perfectionistic goals.” [1]

It takes a tremendous amount of cognitive effort and capacity to think about life in such a way that we can face all of its complexity and uncertainty. It makes sense that we, as humans prefer familiar and straightforward things so that our mental burden will be reduced. This concept seems like an evolutionary advantage. Our brain is our body’s largest consumer of calories, so if we are running on overdrive, that can take its toll on our energy consumption. Therefore, it makes sense that we can fall victim to simple answers to life’s vast array of complex problems.

“Adrian Furnham describes in Psychology Today, humans crave clarity. Many people join cults because they believe they’re being offered solid, absolute answers for questions such as good vs. evil, religion, the meaning of life, politics, etc. Many cult leaders promote messages that are simple and seem to make sense, the exact opposite of what we’re often provided within typical, everyday life.” [1]

Folks who have low self-esteem look toward other people for positive emotional feedback. Because cults frequently bombard people with positive affirmations as part of their intrigue technique, it makes sense that folks with low self-esteem could be lured.

“But research done in the past two decades has found an interesting pattern: many people successfully recruited by cults are said to have low self-esteem.... [P]eople with low self-esteem are easier to break down, then build back up in an effort to teach them that the cult is the supportive environment they’re looking for.” [1]

Combining all of these attributes creates a perfect storm for recruitment and manipulation.

How Cults Manipulate

Initially, the way the cult leader projects their intentions comes across as benevolent. However, deep down, that is not true. They are manipulative, evil, and ill-intentioned. They promise their followers things that are not attainable. This idea is like placing a hamster on a wheel with a reward that remains forever out of its reach.

“Jon-Patrik Pedersen, a psychologist at CalTech, has pointed out that cult leaders often make promises that are ...unattainable but also offered by no other group in society. Such things might include financial security, total health, constant peace of mind, and eternal life — the things every human desires at the deepest level.” [1]

Tribalism is, unfortunately, not an unfamiliar phenomenon in society. We see many folks divided on issues. Some people will decide to take the stance of “if you’re not with me, you are against me,” and that is what cults do.

“Cults prove powerful because they can successfully isolate members from their former, non-cult lives. One of the ways cult leaders achieve this is to convince their followers that they are superior to those not in the cult. This “us vs. them” mentality ultimately leads to cult members isolating themselves socially from friends and family. They replace those relationships with new ones inside the cult.” [1]

It also makes sense to me that if we are not aware of or familiar with what we are facing, it is unlikely we will recognize it as a threat. I think that if we do not know what a cult looks like based on the experience, we may fall victim and be unaware. Cognitive blindness seems to play a role here, and that is why I have produced this article. “Cognitive blindness is the inability to understand something due to the lack of a precept of knowledge, understanding, or belief in a necessary fundamental concept.” [2]

“Psychologist Dr. Margaret Thaler Singer spent most of her career studying the psychology of cults and brainwashing. She found that most people enter a cult willingly, without realizing the power it is bound to have over them. Singer theorizes that this is partly because some people are more willing to see the perceived benefits than they are the potential dangers. She also mentions that many people assume cults are only religious, though, in truth, cults can also be political groups, lifestyle groups, or business groups.” [1]

Shortcomings and Negative Impacts

There are many aspects of cults that should probably make us uncomfortable. A cult is a group that is looked at as having bizarre or extreme views as compared to the rest of society. Here, the best-case scenario is that cult members are ostracised due to their odd behavior. This notion makes them even more dependent on the group. The worst-case has been suggested as psychological trauma that takes years to repair.

“Dr. John G. Clark, Jr. is a Harvard psychiatry professor and the co-founder of a non-profit group which treats former members and their families. He specifically mentions that the “symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy are similar to those seen or reported as resulted from cult conversions: increased irritability, loss of libido or altered sexual interest, ritualism, compulsive attention to detail, mystical states, humorlessness, and sobriety, heightened paranoia.” [1]

Additionally, when we take advice from a single source, it is, by definition, one-sided. If our “mentor” or “teacher” is telling us that we are only able to listen to them, maybe it’s time to reconsider immediately. This approach seems to come in conjunction with oversimplified thinking. These people have a relatively black and white view of the world. What they are doing is either right or wrong. This concept is another tactic for getting members to not think on their own.

My Anecdote

I’m not sure if I look like I belong in a cult, but I’ve been approached by several different groups, all of which have turned out to be some form of a scam. I can identify several of the aspects mentioned above of a cult in the experiences that I have had. These groups indeed prayed upon people who have low-self esteem and came from chaotic at best backgrounds. My experiences range from groups like Scientology to “Men’s Groups” to financial pyramid schemes. There is one experience that I would like to share with you that inspired this article. I want to label this experience “Mentors for money.”

The place was a small Starbucks shop situated in an outlet mall in Tustin, California. The time was about 4:30 pm on August the 16th of 2017. I only remember that because I took a bunch of notes after this experience because it was so mind-blowing to me.

I was sitting at a table working on an article on my Chromebook. I heard someone ask out of the corner of my vision, “How do you like that, Chromebook?” I told him that I had carried it through Europe with me and that I liked it. I told him it was not a hardcore laptop, but it served its purpose. I mentioned that I used it for web browsing and working on my website. He asked about the focus of my site. I told him it was some blogs and that I was trying to promote a book that I was writing. Then I explained the text. After some time of telling him what it is that I was doing, I asked Trevor and his wife Alison, “what their story was?” This question blew Trevor’s mind. Alison, however, just dismissed herself as an Orange County girl who is now married and pregnant. She mentioned a few things about going to concerts and such but stayed pretty quiet.

When it was Trevor’s turn to talk, I could see by the grin on his face; his story was not so simple. He told me how his parents left him with his grandparents when he was young. He got into drinking and doing drugs when he was only 11. He then told tales of years and years of doing drugs. He spoke of meth in particular, along with many stories about running from the police. He was arrested multiple times and tried his hand at rehab. At one point, he was smoking meth for almost two years straight. He had voices in his head and thoughts of suicide from the drug use. These voices made him intensely paranoid. One of the voices told him to do some pretty extreme things. An example (which he indicated he did) was to put a bullet into a gun that had no firing pin, and then place the barrel into his mouth and pull the trigger. He was still a young boy when this was all happening.

Finally, one day, he had had enough of the voices. He could not even hear the people in the room that were talking to him. He could not focus on them. So he decided to walk outside and kneeled and said: “God, if you are out there, I need you.” Within 24 hours, he was checked into another rehabilitation center by his mother and childhood best friend. He knew this time that he would never do drugs again. He slept for three days when he got there. He met someone that he became quick friends with, and together they plotted to create a business. As soon as they were released, this business partner turned back to heroin. Trevor went to work for his Dad, who owns his own business. He then proceeded to tell me that his wife is 21 and she is retired! He told me he is 28 and he is soon to retire!

At this point, I was interested in their scheme for retirement but already skeptical. They mentioned we could meet again. So we did, and they “cut to the chase.” They began to explain their business model. It was a scheme where they created an Amazon storefront with products that people would typically purchase at a store, but on their site, they could provide the products for a discount. This storefront was only available to members of their group. They would then recruit people to purchase products exclusively from their store. This idea is what we would call a pyramid scheme. Each person purchases products from their “sponsor.” As each person sponsors more people, there is more revenue generated through their storefront. It took them some time to explain all of this. After our meeting, they asked me if I was “in.” I said that I was interested. They said, “that’s great; why don’t you walk to the car with us?” I said sure, and when we got there, they offered me a book by Robert Kiyosaki. They mentioned that if I were serious, I would read the book by Monday (this being Friday). That was simple for me as it was a short book.

When we met again, the couple started to suggest that I meet with their mentors since they could not tell me more than what I had already been described (classic technique of secrecy). They were trying to apply a powerful sales technique to me by saying that there was a meeting the very next night and that I should attend. They said if I did, I would need a business suit. I told them that I would think about it and be in touch. They said that was fine, but they needed to know within the next several hours so that they could tell their mentors. We parted ways, and eventually, I texted them, showing my disinterest. I mentioned that I would like to remain friends. Trevor replied with something along the lines of not being able to interact with folks outside of this group. From there, the relationship immediately died.

The real reason that I wanted to bring this particular story up is due to something that happened the other day. As mentioned, the previous experience occurred in southern California some two years ago. However, several days ago, I was bringing in my groceries when a man in the parking lot of my apartment complex began to talk with me. He seemed pretty friendly. He was also into personal growth and “building wealth”. He went onto mention the side gig he had going in hopes of becoming financially independent. He mentioned several mentors of his were engineers (after learning that I was one as well). He asked me if I had mentors, and I said that I did. He also started speaking of building an asset. At this point, I was thinking to myself; I’ve had a similar experience to this almost two years ago.

In conclusion, he mentioned a book by Robert Kiyosaki. At first, I did not remember that was the same author Trevor had provided me a book from two years prior. Once I recollected this (which was after our conversation ended), I knew for sure that this was the same group but only about 2,000 miles away from where I first experienced this phenomenon. This coincidence astounded me as I think it shows the power of a group like this that preys on the weak, and low-status individuals of our society.

Conclusions

I have generally observed that these groups seem to prey on weak (low self-esteem), uninformed, and unintelligent people. They play to our human desire to belong and believe. They also take advantage of our inclination to want to be led, especially by someone who “knows” something that we do not. We have been trending toward a time where we place the group ahead of the self. Many people, especially non-well-differentiated folks, can easily fall victim to this group-think ideology.

In my opinion, it is essential to keep ourselves well informed, educated, curious, and eager to apply reason. If someone approaches us and they seem a lot more friendly than anyone else we have ever interacted with, perhaps they have an ulterior motive. If an interaction with a person sticks out from average, we should pay attention to it, at least. If we continue to ask questions, it is not too challenging to begin to unravel the story and find logical fallacies in their reasoning. Simple gut checks like, “Does this seem too good to be true?” will most likely go a long way in scenarios like this. In the end, if you feel uncomfortable or pressured, there is no shame in walking away.

Citations:

[1] https://www.onlinepsychologydegree.info/what-to-know-about-the-psychology-of-cults/

[2] https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/cognitive-blindness

[3] https://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/12/believe