The Mysterious Allure of Cults: Why Do People Join Them?
There has been an influx of docuseries and podcasts focusing on various different cults. But how is a cult formed in the first place?
What do documentaries like Wild Wild Country, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, and The Vow have in common? They all chronicle the rise and fall of popular cults across the 20th and 21st centuries. The conversation over these and other cults have always intrigued me. I’ve always been curious about why people join them in the first place. The aim of the article is to explore what makes cults so very intriguing that individuals tend to give up their autonomy in favour of being part of a community.
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What Is a Cult?
Cults are social groups, whose identities are defined by religious, spiritual or philosophical beliefs or have a common interest towards a particular goal or interest. More often than not, cults are led by charismatic leaders and often reduce individuals to mindlessly follow, not allowing for the group’s actions to be questioned.
Examples of a Few Famous Cults
Before we consider the reasons for joining a cult let us have a look at some famous cults whose stories have left the world shaken in their wake.
a. The Manson Family
The Manson Family, probably one of the most infamous cults known, was founded by Charles Manson and included 100 members. The cult was formed during the hippie culture and hence moved around the country quite a lot. Behind this transient lifestyle and rejecting worldly possessions, there was also severe psychological and sexual manipulation as well as abuse, experienced by many members at the hands of Manson. The members were also being preached about an imminent war on race.
It all came to a head when in April of ‘69, a few of his followers broke into a home in Beverly Hills and murdered 5 people including Hollywood Actress Sharon Tate. Sharon was 8 and a half months pregnant at the time of her murder. To make the previous deaths appear to be a part of a race war Manson directed his followers to murder Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in their family home the following day. Manson was sentenced to life.
b. People's Temple
A religious organisation led by Jim Jones rose to international prominence after all of its 900 members were discovered dead as a result of a mass suicide in their Jonestown, Guyana compound. The deaths in Jonestown constitute the largest incident of intentional civilian death prior to 9/11. The People’s Temple founded by Jones was an independent congregation that inspired the idealism of a society that could rid racism and poverty similar to that of Marxist ideologies and was initially based out of California. Jones integrated these socio-cultural concerns and faith healing with an enthusiastic worship style often attributed to the Black Church.
However, in the press, the community garnered negative attention owing to allegations of fraud and abuse of their members. Shortly thereafter, the entire community was moved to Guyana. Family members of those living in Jonestown were not able to get in touch with them and as a result, they persuaded US Congressman, Leo Ryan to visit Jonestown. Although the visit was considered a success, all the visitors were shot dead including Ryan. Following this, all members got together to carry out a mass suicide. However, it was only after this tragedy in Jonestown was considered a cult.
c. Rajneeshpuram
Set in the rural landscapes of Oregon, USA, the religious sect of Rajneeshpuram is another iconic example of a cult. It was the result of the vision of Indian mystic and philosopher, Rajneesh (also known as Osho) and the primary population of the communal city was the Rajneeshis (followers of Rajneesh). Most of the followers were told to sell the entirety of their belongings prior to joining the closed society.
Between 1981 and 1984 the utopian community was thrust into the spotlight and later lost its appeal just as quickly. The latter was owing to the startling increase in criminal activities orchestrated by Rajneesh’s merciless personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela along with a few Rajneeshis. Some of their most heinous crimes include the largest bioterror attack in US history.
d. Moonies
The Unification Church was founded in 1954 by Reverend Sun Myung Moon in Pusan South Korea. The church’s teachings are based on a unique Christian Theology and are famous for its mass weddings. Its members are referred to as Unificationists or Moonies. The Church has been subject to many controversies that have further catapulted it to infamy.
Moon’s message on political idealism and intense spirituality as well as a focus on tackling racial, religious and national differences resonated with young individuals in Japan and the West. By the 70s, the Church was beginning to be identified as a cult. Critics of this sect highlight how the leaders of the Church exploit their followers’ work and money to build their own business empires.
The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe brought back the Unification Church to media attention when the alleged gunman confessed to shooting Abe due to his associations with the Church.
e. Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS)
This religious sect is a “white supremacist, homophobic, antigovernment, totalitarian cult”. In the late 19th century when mainstream Mormons abandoned the concept of Polygamy as a deal with the Federal government in order to gain statehood in the state of Utah, certain members of the group refused to accept this change leading to the establishment of FLDS. This splinter group is active to this day near the Arizona-Utah border.
When Warren Jeffs became the leader of this sect in 2002, he ruled with an iron fist. He cut off the community from the outside world prohibiting activities such as swimming and watching television. He also took sole responsibility for the “spiritual marriage”, central to FLDS, often allocating young girls to older men. He himself is said to have had 60 wives! Jeffs was imprisoned in 2011 on child abuse charges, yet to this day the cult remains active.
f. NXIVM
Pronounced ‘Nexium’, was established as a self-help organisation by Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman, a former psychiatric nurse. It has claimed more than 16,000 individuals enrolled in its workshops. Some individuals who took part in his workshops late went on to become some of Raniere’s ardent followers going as far as to consider him the most ethical man in the world.
However, by 2017 a few former members raised complaints against the organisation stating that there was a secret subgroup with the NXIVM called the Vow or D.O.S.; the latter is an acronym for a Latin phrase that loosely translates to “Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companions”. Individuals who were a part of this subgroup were branded, leading to some being selected to have sexual relations with Raniere. In 2019, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison for “sex trafficking of children, conspiracy and conspiracy to commit forced labour”.
Why Do People Join Cults?
As you were going through the examples, you would have tried to make sense of how one can rationalise joining any of these groups/communities. Trust me I thought so too while doing my research. As much as we would like to think of ourselves as rational individuals, we are very likely to be subjected to social pressures, oft swaying our decisions. This section looks closely at 3 reasons why people are more likely to join cults.
a. A Sense of Community
Humans are very social creatures. Individuals with relatively small support systems are much more likely to be lured into cults with the promise of providing them with a sense of belonging that will grant them many social relationships that they currently do not have. Moreover, some organisations provide accommodation which can add value to joining them.
b. Low Self-Esteem and Vulnerability
A strategy made use of by numerous cults is referred to as ‘love bombing’. This refers to the process of influencing others by providing them with extra attention and affection. For individuals with low self-esteem, this serves to boost their confidence and increase the appeal of being part of said group.
However, if at any point an individual starts to doubt or critique the actions of the group, the process of ‘love bombing’ ceases altogether. These individuals are instead punished for questioning the group’s beliefs often by being subjected to public humiliation and by extension social isolation. Thus in order to avoid feeling the loss of the new relationships formed, individuals, avoid speaking out against the leader or the group as a whole.
c. An Opportunity for Self-Improvement
In the above examples, a common theme that can be observed is that these cults are heavily marketed as communities or organizations that promote self-development. NXIVM providing courses that are considered to help you develop skills that make you a desirable working professional is one such example.
Rachel Berstein, a therapist whose expertise is in treating former cult members, suggests that individuals who seek to overcome or heal from childhood experiences or trauma and individuals who are passionate about growing themselves to be successful professionals have a higher likelihood of joining a cult.
Looking from the outside, the beliefs of any given cult can be outlandish and irrational. Yet when it comes to recruiting individuals these communities use well-developed marketing strategies and various forms of manipulation to gain more members. In fact, you are unlikely to know that you are joining a cult until after you have joined.
References Gomes, A. W. (1995). Unmasking the cults. Google Books. Zondervan Publishing House. Retrieved 2022, from https://books.google.ae/books?id=OATBz_RHIYYC&lpg=PA83&dq=love+bombing&pg=PA83&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=love%20bombing&f=false. |