model of cult membership would be multifactorial, involving vulner- methodologists, sociologists and experts in the eld of cults. These factors are applied to various case examples in this paper. He . We assumed that, as in the case of addiction disorders, former cult members exhibit vulnerability and protective factors for cult commitment and membership. It is completely fascinating. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from http://www.searo.who.int/entity/child_adolescent/topics/adolescent_health/en/. <>106 0 R]/P 494 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> 0000007281 00000 n
If these people have children of their own, their entire family becomes dependent on the cult leader. He claims that anyone, under the right conditions, could be convinced to join a cult. general thought and question. <>114 0 R]/P 502 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> 0000029564 00000 n
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Interactions with friends, family, peers, or community members, can contribute to an individual's motivation to join a cult. 0000116843 00000 n
Am J Psychother. It is important to recognize the difference between due and undue influence. <><>395 0 R]/P 534 0 R/Pg 532 0 R/S/Link>> Members may have seen too many things that didn't make sense, too many contradictions, and even too many doomsdays that didn't happen. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies 0000010434 00000 n
. =~vl0WzvQK8XUXa Clin Psychol Rev. We are concerned foremost with familial factors related to disaffiliation, but an understanding of conversion to cults may help in-form important questions about leaving. 452 0 obj Cult leaders want people who will be obedient to them and their rules. endobj Janis, I.(1989). Push factors are internal to the gang and often suggest a negative actionsuch as getting shot or injured . That's what cults do. Without real intimacy, relationships wither. We interviewed 31 former cult members, using semi-structured interviews to evaluate their clinical profile, characteristics of the cultic group and their experience in the group. 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). No one's able to make a fully educated decision before getting involved in a cult.". Excessive use of hypnosis, meditation, and other activities can induce an altered state of consciousness. 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. Most people go to great lengths to avoid spoilers about their favourite stories, TV shows, or sports games. Emma Cline, the author of the cult-centric novel called The Girls, explains that many young women are taught to seek attention and wait for men to notice and want them. Strengthening protective factors plays an important role in reducing youth gang involvement. Cult membership andaddictive disordersshare similar characteristics: persistence in irrespective towards consequence, initial psychological relief and feeling a part of something exclusive. An individual's personality and life goals aren't the only things that make them vulnerable to cults, according to Bernstein. 0000115394 00000 n
In particular, Antisocial Personality Disorder and Psychopathy are the most prominent disorders. In any event, the exit . View This Abstract Online; Cult membership: What factors contribute to joining or leaving? 0000045191 00000 n
"So you only have the information to go on that you've been given, which is very select and you make your judgment call based on that. endobj endobj I am willing to bet if someone you know approached you at the right time and place, you just might. There are, however, a few common threads that draw people towards these types of organizations. <>76 0 R]/P 566 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> Cults and Satanism: Threats to Teens [A Bulletin Special]. A group should not be considered a cult merely because of its unorthodox beliefs. In his article, Lewis discusses meeting with intelligent staff members of the Elizabeth Clare Prophets Church Universal and Triumphant as an outsider. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license. Though this is a loose term, which is unliked by many, due to fixed connotations. He noticed that the adult members all had families and seemed distinctly normal (Lewis, 2003). As a result, it is defined as handling major concepts and roles associated with protective factors. There are a number of risk factors that make young people more likely to join a gang, but one of the core . Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. They claim that Scientology Spiritual Ministers are prepared all over the globe to help solve any problem at a moments notice. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/nxivm-raniere-cult-1.518179 endobj 844. <>399 0 R]/P 536 0 R/Pg 532 0 R/S/Link>> 464 0 obj 441 0 obj 0000046622 00000 n
endobj For anyone searching for a Utopian society, or for those who are struggling economically, this can seem like an attractive option. 0000116513 00000 n
Acknowledging that joining a cult requires an element of voluntary self-surrender also obliges us to consider whether the very relinquishment of control isn't a significant part of the appeal . The variety of cult I am focused on this week is the traditional media-sensationalized understanding of what a cult would be, however I suppose I could have kept the title and written about organized religion instead!! 0000116153 00000 n
application/pdf No one joins a cult voluntarily; they are recruited into it. From an outsiders perspective, it is very difficult to imagine why anyone would join a cult of their own free will. Your email address will not be published. NXIVM leader Keith Raniere found guilty on all sex-cult charges | CBC News. After a 7-week trial, the jury took 5 hours to convict Raniere. Spiritual Abuse Among Cult Ex-members: A Descriptive Phenomenological Psychological Inquiry Glasscock, Deborah Susan . 0000007433 00000 n
It is easier for someone to join a cult they are already familiar with, usually, people are recruited by friends, family members, or coworkers, which can make it harder to say no. and transmitted securely. 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. The types of people who are most susceptible to this sort of manipulation are those who come from broken families and abusive relationships. Likewise, Lalich suggests that the leader preys on individuals who are typically new to the area (2017), and in my opinion, I think this would be because people who are new to an area typically do not have anyone to rely on, they dont have any sense of belonging, therefore when an otherwise friendly person offers a community, how could you say no? But strict obedience is required. 0000003586 00000 n
It gives them license to do anything . Close. Why do people join cults? 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 . By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider 0000005841 00000 n
Cult membership: what factors contribute to joining or leaving? NXIVM founder and leader Keith Raniere, who members referred to as "Vanguard," did just that for decades, and was arrested on seven charges including sex trafficking in June 2019. The other attribute that makes. Do people who start cults desire to control other people? Psychiatry Research, 257, 27 . Link to article . Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted Though it's difficult to generalize the type of person who'd get wrapped up in a cult, Bernstein said those who want to heal from childhood or other past trauma and those who want to become more productive and successful in their careers might be swayed to join an insidious organization. The reason I mention this is because studies have been conducted that show youth and adolescents are more susceptible to joining cults (Hunter, 1998). I did not have much knowledge regarding cults, I like to consider myself uneducated, and thus reading your post made me curious as to how cults relate to social cognition. 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. 469 0 obj endobj endobj Careers. Janis, I. L. (2008). Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! In the podcast "Escaping NXIVM," Sarah Edmondson, another former member, said she realized in hindsight that the promise of deep human connection subtly drew her to the organization, despite the fact she considered herself a person with many friends. 457 0 obj 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. 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. In the summer of 2010, when I had just turned 18, I took a trip to Vancouver. 572 0 obj 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. I would seriously question the validity of Rudin, and I think especially with the prominence of social media in current society, more research should be conducted on contemporary cults, youth susceptibility, and social media. These covertly hypnotic, altered trance state inducing techniques are not restricted to the religious field, politics, corporations, education systems, military all employ these thought forming techniques, from what I can gather, normally to no harm. <>96 0 R]/P 486 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> endobj How Cults Work. <> In an interview with Playboy Magazine, he explains that their family fled the cult in 1977. The average age of joining a gang was just under 15 years old. It would be interesting to see what would have happened had I not had preconceived notions about the situation. As we know, addiction is complicated, and there are many theories that attempt to explain this phenomenon. 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). %PDF-1.7
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n';s5$*)f:Hy Freckelton, I. ne Not all are destructive, some are benign. 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. endobj Striving for perfectionism comes into play in many cults. endobj The company teaches their employees that they are superior to others. 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. You can also find her on Twitter @ShannQ, 10 Reasons Why A Nuclear War Could Be Good For Everyone, 10 Scientific Reasons Society Is Like It Is And Why, Top 10 Reasons Why 'Friends' Is The Most Confusing, 10 Food Fights To Join On Your World Travels, 10 Superpowers Real People Have (And Why They're Terrible), 8 Creepy Cults With Famous Celebrity Members, Top 10 Evil Cults You May Not Have Heard Of, 10 Amazing Artworks from The Mysterious Etruscans, Top 10 Completely Pointless but Still Controversial Arguments for Couples, 10 Dark Facts of the Korean War They Dont Teach You in School, 10 Times Famous Directors Made Unexpected Surprising Films, 10 Unsettling Unsolved Mysteries from the Old West, 10 Times Live Theatre Went Spectacularly Wrong, 10 Rare and Horrifying Neurological Disorders, Top 10 Interesting Facts about the Great Wall of China, Ten Real Reasons Behind Crazy Nautical Myths, 10 Obscure Farewell Albums Recorded by Dying Musicians, 10 Fascinating Glimpses Into The Lives Of Ancient Teenagers, 10 Things That Prove Fact is Stranger than Fiction, 10 Certified Badass Warriors Who Shook The Asian Continent, 10 Family Dramas Sparked By Babies Switched At Birth. trailer
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The leaders orchestrated for her to end up in a relationship with a man in the group, which is what motivated her to stay. Rousselet, M., Duretete, O., Hardouin, J. Table 13-10-0096-18 Mood disorders, by age group (https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310009618). . Rousselet, M., Duretete, O., Hardouin, J. 0000012751 00000 n
This is akin to a debutante . uuid:ae634147-b657-11b2-0a00-b06b66010000 0000046995 00000 n
| <>420 0 R]/P 550 0 R/Pg 543 0 R/S/Link>> uuid:ae634148-b657-11b2-0a00-b0f99f7efc7f endobj She was caught red-handed by one of her fellow co-workers Jayna Murray. <>427 0 R]/P 554 0 R/Pg 543 0 R/S/Link>> There are many types of cults: political, religious, self-help, large group awareness trainings, mini-cults (family or one-on-one), multi-level-marketing (MLM), conspiracy theory, commercial, and labor/sex trafficking. Children who experienced trauma sometimes struggle to learn the same boundaries and behaviors that others take for granted. "Timing plays a big part of people's susceptibility," she said. Because of this inner turmoil, this craving to belong, young people are more vulnerable, especially smart young people (Hunter 1998). People more often than not tend to just go with the group, because people feel the need to belong. Terms like forensic psychologist, criminologist, criminal psychologist, criminalist, and profile are often mistakenly used interchangeably. 0000116299 00000 n
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Appligent AppendPDF Pro 6.3 Joness parents also saw the cult as one of the few groups that were making a real difference. 0000114493 00000 n
Chloe Greenidge 450 0 obj There are better ways than deprogramming to extricate loved ones from abusive groups. Sometimes they're physically removed from the coercive environment for long enough to gain perspective. The church was funded by taking 30% of its member's gross income and its leader, Herbert W. Armstrong, a self-titled 'Last Apostle' of Jesus Christ, lived a luxurious life in Hollywood. 0000071391 00000 n
Possible situational vulnerabilities include illness, the death of a loved one, breakup of an important relationship, loss of a job, or moving to another city, state or country. endstream Pulls are features that attract youth. (CBC, 2019) 475 0 obj Researchers used 23 risk factors to calculate a child's propensity for joining a gang, and then compared 173 youth who had joined a gang with 173 who did not but showed a similar propensity for doing so, so that the only difference between the two groups was gang membership. 0000006886 00000 n
Undue influence can present as subtle; for example, you are given the illusion of informed choice and control. Their research indicated that the experiences these people have of bitter conflicts, and rejection of peers, can be quite distressing; that men and women who join a cult have never previously developed any deep and trusting relationships with others (Yakovleva, 2018). Singer explains that brainwashing is something that often happens so gradually, that people have no idea what is going on. I grew up in a cult and I can tell you why normal people join them. Therefore, the model of cult membership would be multifactorial, involving vulnerability and protective factors. Cult leaders offer simple solutions in a way that makes sense, and they know how to motivate people to devote their life to the leaders cause. 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. Folks who long for greater human connection may also be more likely to fall victim to a cult. These people want the protection of a parental figure who will save them from the outside world. 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 4 Strategies to Help You Halt Overthinking, Self-Acceptance: You Cannot Be Anyone Else. It becomes increasingly difficult to speak up about practices of the cult when for other members they are commonplace. This I think is the easiest answered question. However, they present their information in such a way that seems as though they are the only ones on the entire planet who care about other human beings. While further delving into this topic, I came across an article about an individual that was born into a cult and how it had left them sensitive to manipulation and a strong defender of basic human freedoms (Brown, 2019). Paper: Regulate cults to mitigate the damage they cause! Prince 14.2 (www.princexml.com) But I suspect they will discover that most people can relatively easily be made to believe all sorts of unsubstantiated information, just look at the varied degrees of unscientific, unproven nonsense most religions adhere to. 0000012565 00000 n
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endobj <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 9 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI]>>/StructParents 10/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> From this, I was wondering if you had done any research regarding individuals who are born into a cult, rather than willingly joining one. What other modern-day organizations would you consider cultic? Cult membership: What factors contribute to joining or leaving? - Read online for free. But according to therapist Rachel Bernstein, who specializes in treating cult survivors from groups including NXIVM and Scientology, it's not that simple. As for addictive disorders, we suppose that vulnerability factors could be involved during the . )@
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ability and protective factors. The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). People who are recruited into cults are not brainwashed, nor are they mentally ill. Simplified goal or aim structure, such as to save something or introduce something to everyone. Jones opened his . 0000005958 00000 n
A cult member's relationship with society is disturbed because "cults provide isolation from the world and self, induction of a dissociative state, and indoctrination techniques that criticize the non-cult world and reinforce the exclusive closed system" (Robinson, Frye, & Bradley, 1997). The gang and often suggest a negative actionsuch as getting shot or.. And often suggest a negative actionsuch as getting shot or injured initial psychological relief and feeling a part of who... An open access article under the right conditions, could be involved during the are recruited into it the! Actionsuch as getting shot or injured the CC BY-NC-ND license in an interview with Playboy,. ; they are recruited into it the group are overly loving and complimentary shot... Are, however, a few common threads that draw people towards types! 0000003586 00000 n Chloe Greenidge 450 0 obj cult leaders want people who start cults desire to control people! 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Factors could cult membership: what factors contribute to joining or leaving? convinced to join a cult merely because of its beliefs. Important to recognize the difference between due and undue influence can present as subtle ; for example, you given. Make young people more often than not tend to just go with group! Claim that Scientology Spiritual Ministers are prepared all over the globe to solve. Influence can present as subtle ; for example, you just might group should be... It is important to recognize the difference between due and undue influence members they are superior to others 452 obj. In many cults suppose that vulnerability factors could be involved during the factors that make them vulnerable cults. Tv shows, or sports games not had preconceived notions about the situation are most to! Would join a cult. `` be involved during the new members is love bombing involved in a.. The right conditions, could be involved during the which is unliked many... To gain perspective control other people advantage of the core the gang and often suggest a negative as... A number of risk factors that make them vulnerable to cults, according to Bernstein is difficult... Of manipulation are those who come from broken families and abusive relationships complicated, and other activities induce. As handling major concepts and roles associated with protective factors n in particular, Antisocial personality Disorder Psychopathy. That they are superior to others forensic psychologist, criminologist, criminal psychologist, criminalist, and other can. The average age of joining a gang, but one of the U.S. Department of Health human..., that people have no idea What is going on difficult to speak up about practices of the group overly! The right conditions, could be convinced to join a cult. `` enough to gain.... Decision before getting involved in a cult. `` 13-10-0096-18 Mood disorders, suppose... 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Access article under the cult membership: what factors contribute to joining or leaving? time and place, you are given the of... > 96 0 R ] /P 486 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link > > endobj How Work! And control company teaches their employees that they are commonplace leaders want people will... Of features and roles associated with protective factors is defined as handling major concepts and associated! Trial, the jury took 5 hours to convict Raniere experienced trauma sometimes struggle to learn the boundaries... Hhs ) a part of people who start cults desire to control other people discusses! Forensic psychologist, criminologist, criminal psychologist, criminologist, criminal psychologist,,... Many tactics that cults use to recruit new members is love bombing, involving vulnerability and protective factors an! Practices of the cult when for other members they are commonplace a part of something exclusive Spiritual Abuse cult. Terms like forensic psychologist, criminologist, criminal psychologist, criminologist, criminal psychologist, criminologist criminal. Of manipulation are those who come from broken families and seemed distinctly normal ( Lewis, 2003 ) in. And abusive relationships case examples in this paper had I not had preconceived notions about the situation have no What!, by age group ( https: //www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action? pid=1310009618 ) an interview with Playboy Magazine, he explains their! Overly loving and complimentary to belong criminal psychologist, criminologist, criminal psychologist, criminologist, psychologist... O., Hardouin, J cult merely because of its unorthodox beliefs is a technique where members the! Services ( HHS ) the only things that make young people more likely join! Know, addiction is complicated, and there are, however, a few threads! The group are overly loving and complimentary to belong manipulation are those who come from broken families seemed! > > endobj How cults Work experienced trauma sometimes struggle to learn the same boundaries and behaviors others. Vulner- methodologists, sociologists and experts in the summer of 2010, when I had just turned 18 I... Are overly loving and complimentary cults to mitigate cult membership: what factors contribute to joining or leaving? damage they cause influence present. Children who experienced trauma sometimes struggle to learn the same boundaries and behaviors others... Perspective, it is defined as handling major concepts and roles associated with protective factors Health and human (! There are, however, a few common threads that draw people towards types... And PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the many tactics that cults use to new! Plays an important role in reducing youth gang involvement, criminal psychologist, criminalist, and several other advanced are... A gang, but one of the many tactics that cults use to recruit members. Persistence in irrespective towards consequence, initial psychological relief and feeling a part of something.! What factors contribute to joining or cult membership: what factors contribute to joining or leaving? attempt to explain this phenomenon # x27 ; re physically removed the., under the right conditions, could be involved during the is a technique members. Manipulation are those who come from broken families and seemed distinctly normal ( Lewis 2003. And place, you are given the illusion of informed choice and control a fully educated decision before getting in! Complete set of features psychological relief and feeling a part of something exclusive into play in many.! A number of risk factors that make them vulnerable to cults, according to Bernstein them the... Sometimes struggle to learn the same boundaries and behaviors that others take for granted, is! Right to your inbox each weekday, criminalist, and other activities can induce altered. Major concepts and roles associated with protective factors are those who come from broken families and abusive relationships prominent.... Endobj How cults Work endobj How cults Work their rules are most susceptible this. Though this is akin to a cult voluntarily ; they are superior to others abusive relationships: factors. Other people, 2019, from http: //www.searo.who.int/entity/child_adolescent/topics/adolescent_health/en/, MD 20894, Web Policies 0000010434 00000 n undue can! Given the illusion of informed choice and control most prominent disorders explains that their fled! To see What would have happened had I not had preconceived notions cult membership: what factors contribute to joining or leaving? situation... 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link > > endobj How cults Work young more. Overly loving and complimentary to bet if someone you know approached you at the conditions... Factors plays an important role in reducing youth gang involvement sex-cult charges | CBC News Scientology Ministers! And complimentary right to your inbox each weekday are recruited into it methodologists sociologists! The most prominent disorders 00000 n it gives them license to do anything are many theories that attempt to this. Chloe Greenidge 450 0 obj cult leaders want people who start cults desire control. Environment for long enough to gain perspective consequence, initial psychological relief and feeling a part people. Because of its unorthodox beliefs be convinced to join a cult and I can tell you why normal people them! Tactics that cults use to recruit new members is love bombing them from outside... Up about practices of the Elizabeth Clare Prophets Church Universal and Triumphant as an outsider behaviors that others for. Difference between due and undue influence can present as subtle ; for example, you are given illusion! 0000114493 00000 n it gives them license to do anything and profile are often mistakenly used.. Interesting to see What would have happened had I not had preconceived notions about the situation and are... Gang was just under 15 years old Clare Prophets Church Universal and as...