endobj Legitimating New Religions. 0000024474 00000 n As AI becomes more powerful, it is increasingly important to safeguard individual rights and the locus of control. It's a really small sample size but it starts to give you a good idea of . 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. 0000005357 00000 n 4 Strategies to Help You Halt Overthinking, Self-Acceptance: You Cannot Be Anyone Else. > I think it would make sense, given what you said about people who are dissatisfied with their life, spirituality, or personal development, and that they are in an arguably more vulnerable state. Stay up to date with what you want to know. The site is secure. Steven Hassan, Ph.D., is a mental health professional, cult and undue influence expert who has been working in the field of relationship, group, and political cults for over 40 years. 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 . eCollection 2021. Student Scholarship Why Do So Many Couples Divorce After 8 Years? Cult membership as a source of self-cohesion: forensic implications. "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. [9] Provide a predictable, friendly environment. PMC 0000006074 00000 n 0000038874 00000 n Certain personality disorders can increase a leaders sphere of influence over followers. > Jonestown, (November 18, 1978), location of the mass murder-suicide of members of the California-based Peoples Temple cult at the behest of their charismatic but paranoid leader, Jim Jones, in Jonestown agricultural commune, Guyana. endobj Due influence involves informed consent, your choice, right to question, listening to your inner voice, freedom to interact with anyone, free will, and the freedom to leave. Perhaps belonging to a cult is a little bit like being extremely addicted to heroinonce youre in, it is nearly impossible to get out. A new study suggests proactively contacting a friend and engaging in a quality social interaction is associated with a meaningful boost in mood. 0000045191 00000 n oX9 , The Making of Cults: The Factors that Contribute to Membership and the Leaders Influence. individual. <>100 0 R]/P 488 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> <>76 0 R]/P 566 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> However, it got strange quickly. uuid:ae634147-b657-11b2-0a00-b06b66010000 0000003345 00000 n 0000005841 00000 n 0000112482 00000 n From the three young women who were convinced to commit murder with Charles Manson, to the more recent three English High School girls who packed their bags to join ISIS, it would seem that women are more likely to join cults than men. 0000020771 00000 n "A lot of people will say, 'How could you have gotten involved?' <>stream The vast majority of cults teach their followers that they are superior to non-cult members. Alternatively he could sleep in one of the many small mosques, whether attached to big houses or not. But according to therapist Rachel Bernstein, who specializes in treating cult survivors from groups including NXIVM and Scientology, it's not that simple. 0000005478 00000 n Each one has its own lingo, Bernstein said. 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. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Compared to the norms, the sample exhibited elevated scores on neuroticism, sociotropy and autonomy. Beware of thinking that you are immune from cult . Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. He noticed that the adult members all had families and seemed distinctly normal (Lewis, 2003). There is tremendous research about how joining a cult is far more about manipulation of the leader towards vulnerable people rather than simply the individuals being mentally ill. One thing that could be further explored is the leader themselves. It is also a requirement for employees to purchase Lululemon clothing to wear as their work uniform. 29 0 obj endobj endobj intro to psychology how does the psychology of addiction influence community involvement? Cult membership as a form of addictive disorder. Factors that contribute to a youth's decision to join a gang fall into two categories: Youth may be "pulled" and/or "pushed" into gang membership (see FAQ number 13 at nationalgangcenter.ojp.gov , What are risk factors for gang membership? %PDF-1.7 % You mention that given how blurry the definition of a cult is, modern religions and other organizations could be considered cultic. Rather than living independently and being responsible for their own finances, housing, health care, and safety, cult leaders promise to take care of all adult responsibility in exchange for obedience. The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Critics of the athletic apparel company Lululemon Athletica have accused the corporation of being a cult. I am willing to bet if someone you know approached you at the right time and place, you just might. The founder, Chip Wilson, wanted to spread the ethics of the novel Atlas Shrugged, which teaches that self-interest should be the most important thing in society. 0000008155 00000 n What exactly is a cult? Lifelong learning is crucial in today's dynamic world, allowing children to adapt, innovate, and thrive. 0000005958 00000 n Commonly, there are many additional after-effects: In an era when cult mind control is ever present and growing, it is essential to better understand the basics of cults, in order to combat their influence. (2019, June 19). 0000045499 00000 n The use of hypnotic altered trance states, that can covertly make people as suggestable as a fully induced hypnosis patient, are not well understood, researched, peer viewed, etc, as of yet. 2023-02-21T08:12:45-08:00 A claim to offer the only path to salvation or possess unique powers . According to Bernstein, people who were recently diagnosed with terminal or chronic illnesses, are living on their own for the first time, experienced the death of a loved one, or had a serious career blunder tend to be in fragile states, and therefore might join a group they might not otherwise acknowledge. endobj Cult influence is designed to disrupt a person's authentic identity and replace it with a new identity. The author develops each threshold cult membership offers as a natural way of establishing protection and improving the social network (Whitehouse, 2018). B., & Grall-Bronnec, M. (2017). Many cults are rooted in a religion of some kind and build their practice around one, especially charismatic leader. It could also be a political group, business, or lifestyle cult. (2017, July 13). Brainwashing:: Cult leaders are known to repeat various lies and distortions until members find it difficult to distinguish between reality and cult life. Link to article . Sociodemographic characteristics that is, the cultic group. Plus, there are many reputable resources available including websites, books, online courses, and cult experts, that can help. They are manipulated by fear and guilt and may be stuck, with no way out! 0000116299 00000 n 2023-02-21T08:12:45-08:00 844, The Making of Cults: The Factors that Contribute to Membership and the Leaders Influence, Chloe Greenidge, Eastern Kentucky UniversityFollow. endobj 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. Cult leaders are desperate to trick you into joining. They usually do not take responsibility for their own faults, and they continue to move forward with their own goals of achieving perfection at all costs. Dr. Stein, who grew up protesting alongside her parents during the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, goes on to explain that breaking up with her boyfriend was the catalyst for her to unwittingly join a cult in the United States. . When they leave the group, former members may present severely impaired social adjustment, which could negatively affect their autonomy and self-efficacy, both of which are related to resilience. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. 458 0 obj The longer they stay, the more they receive promises for health, wealth, and well-being. They were offering free personality tests. Personal Visits. 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. 0000006769 00000 n 456 0 obj In relatively few cases is there a history of a pre-existing mental . Awareness on the factors that make up a cult is a crucial step in the prevention of cult membership. It is completely fascinating. They want to make a name and be regarded as powerful persons for reasons based on past negative experiences at the family levels. 460 0 obj <>126 0 R]/P 514 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> But influence can be enormously positive and helpful as well as detrimental. Examining the psychology behind cult membership can shed light on the many factors that influence human behavior, which may make it easier for the public to understand how cults can be appealing. Allison Mack, a former Smallville actress, leaves court in New York after a hearing related to . Adolf Hitler was very good at this. Cults are beautifully packaged to look like something quite different from the outside (Brown, 2019) 0000114600 00000 n 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. 1 Cults are usually headed by a powerful leader who isolates members from the rest of society. It is true that members of Scientology have provided vital disaster relief. 451 0 obj endobj This is a super interesting topic to have chosen. Accessibility For example a sociological definition of what constitutes as a cult is based on the authoritarian, manipulative, totalistic and communal aspects, where as a religious definition would consider terms of how far the group has departed from (primarily christian) orthodoxies (Freckelton, 1998). She was caught red-handed by one of her fellow co-workers Jayna Murray. Welcome to White Rose eTheses Online - White Rose eTheses Online Another interesting fact I came across was how sexuality plays into cults. | 473 0 obj (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY-NC-ND/4.0/). 444 0 obj 447 0 obj In her 20s, Dr. Stein began to seek out political organizations who claimed to improve the lives of Americans needing health care and other issues. 0000009252 00000 n Nurs Stand. 475 0 obj Greenidge, Chloe, "The Making of Cults: The Factors that Contribute to Membership and the Leaders Influence" (2021). 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. Some Youths joined secret cults for popularity. The case examples explored in this paper are Jonestown, The Kentucky Vampire Clan, The Manson Family, and The Source Family. National Library of Medicine 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. <> Sometimes, if it is a religious cult, members are promised that in addition to receiving love from the human beings in the group, they will also receive a spiritual love and acceptance from a higher being. 457 0 obj At 16 years old, she left her family, because she felt it was an exciting new way of life, compared to what society had to offer her. She felt that her only option was to steal yoga pants. 440 0 obj The reason I mention this is because studies have been conducted that show youth and adolescents are more susceptible to joining cults (Hunter, 1998). 31 0 obj endobj Pat Ryan, another former cult member-turned-deprogrammer or exit counselor, says when a family hires him to meet with a loved one, his first step is to do a kind of intervention on the family. The first step in keeping you and your loved ones safe is learning more about what a cult is, how they work, and the lasting serious after-effects of being involved with one. Required fields are marked *. <>413 0 R]/P 546 0 R/Pg 543 0 R/S/Link>> 5 0 obj An official website of the United States government. maintenance of cult commitment, and that protective factors could help to stop cult involvement. Of Health and Human Services ( HHS ), there are many reputable resources available including websites books... 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