Our aim in this paper is to argue that individuals join religious cults as persons, but lose their personhood as their position in the group is solidified, becoming simply humans. 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. Do people who start cults desire to control other people? potential members who are most likely to join and commit to cult ideals (Singer, 2003; Coates, 2011). (2001) Deconstructing brainwashing within cults as an aid to counselling psychologists. Strengthening protective factors plays an important role in reducing youth gang involvement. Although there is conflicting evidence in the current literature, some research indicates that factors such as familial dysfunctional patterns (Almendros et al., 2007), preexisting sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal 2007 Aug 15-21;21(49):20-2. doi: 10.7748/ns.21.49.20.s23. <><>395 0 R]/P 534 0 R/Pg 532 0 R/S/Link>> <><>379 0 R]/P 524 0 R/Pg 516 0 R/S/Link>> 461 0 obj 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). Continue to learn about cults and how they work. Not Everybody Agrees, Illegal Missionary Work Lawsuits and Exit Counseling for Unification Church Members, The Reliability of Apostate Testimony About New Religious Movements, CULTS and PUBLIC POLICY PROTECTING the VICTIMS of CULTIC ABUSE in AUSTRALIA Stephen Mutch, CONCLUSION Seventh-Day Adventism in Tanzania Experienced. The fewer opportunities a woman has in her life, the more likely she is to follow a charismatic cult leader. Norwood was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole. Rousselet, Duretete, Hardouin, & Grall-Bronnec (2017) interviewed 31 former cult members using self-report questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. endobj 0000045440 00000 n Discover Why and What It Requires, 10 Ways Childhood Trauma Can Manifest in Adult Relationships, Violent Media and Aggressive Behavior in Children, Unloved Daughters and the Elusive Nature of Friendship, Spoiler Alert: Why Some People Need to Know How It Ends, The Benefits of In-Person School vs Remote Learning, Cultivating a Lifelong Love of Learning in the 21st Century. It gives them license to do anything . 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? Counselling psychology quarterly. 0000114142 00000 n maintenance of cult commitment, and that protective factors could help to stop cult involvement. 0000010356 00000 n 2023-02-21T08:12:45-08:00 <>76 0 R]/P 566 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> 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. <>126 0 R]/P 514 0 R/Pg 481 0 R/S/Link>> Psychiatry. Whether it is attaining eternal life in a spiritual realm, or working day and night to change a political issue, a cult can give a purpose in life to people who did not have their own strong goals. Finding ones identity and purpose in life can sometimes be a struggle, and a cult often gives people a cause that they can fight for. If a cult member considers leaving the group--this may become a vitally important and pivotal point. Unlike most people who find . 0000005958 00000 n The .gov means its official. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.07.018, 0165-1781/ 2017 The Authors. An individual's personality and life goals aren't the only things that make them vulnerable to cults, according to Bernstein. 476 0 obj By capitalizing on this proclivity, cults can be that much more insidious. Given that the definition of a cult is a little blurry, one could suggest that certain religions, such as Catholicism, appear cultic. 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. <>399 0 R]/P 536 0 R/Pg 532 0 R/S/Link>> He intends to find out the contributing factors of joining and leaving cults. <>413 0 R]/P 546 0 R/Pg 543 0 R/S/Link>> 0000006652 00000 n Would you like email updates of new search results? 0000000016 00000 n <> 6. 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? 0000018327 00000 n The Unique Motives of Female Serial Killers, Forensic Psychology, Criminology, or Criminal Psych: A Guide, 10 Factors That Influence Your Purchase Decisions, The Pros and Cons of Social Media for Youth. These people want the protection of a parental figure who will save them from the outside world. Certain personality disorders can increase a leaders sphere of influence over followers. No one joins a cult; they are recruited by systematic social influence processes. 2021 Aug 13;12(1):1954776. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2021.1954776. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help endobj 0000010434 00000 n 2017; 257:27-33 (ISSN: 1872-7123). endobj 5 0 obj 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. 450 0 obj IEEE Engineering Management Review, 36(1), 36. There is a difference between due and undue influence. endobj People join cults because they're looking for love and acceptance and because they want answers to the personal problems in their lives. Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. 2011;65(4):381-91. doi: 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.2011.65.4.381. An object relations approach to cult membership. 0000116153 00000 n According to Bernstein, community is a hallmark of any cult because it allows the leader to create a pack mentality, building peer pressure. 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. Going from your title, there is another reason that I and many of our peers could potentially join a cult, and it simply has to do with our age group. Copyright 2017 The Authors. 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. As we know, addiction is complicated, and there are many theories that attempt to explain this phenomenon. endobj 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. 0000113494 00000 n According to Dr. Stanley H. Cath of Tufts University School of Medicine, many people who join cults were raised in a family that attempted to teach them Christianity, Judaism, or another formal religion, and yet they rejected it. 1 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). Introduction. A sample of 75 ex-members of cults or new religious movements completed two personality inventories: the short form of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the Beck Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale. Jones explains that after the horrible injustices her father witnessed during the Vietnam War, he felt as though he did not want to be a part of society anymore. endobj endobj 0000112375 00000 n Though this is a loose term, which is unliked by many, due to fixed connotations. 0000003792 00000 n endobj Why then, do people stay once it is clear what the community is about? Additionally, certain personality disorders and characteristics, such as Antisocial Personality Disorder and Dependent Personality Disorder, can increase ones vulnerability to joining and staying in a cult. Dr. Alexandra Stein points out that one common thread is that people are in a transition period in their lives. Sally is an educational psychologist. We signed up for the personality test and began filling out a questionnaire. This is a really interesting topic! "Timing plays a big part of people's susceptibility," she said. The site is secure. 477 0 obj endobj 28 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). That being said, I had my own preconceived impressions before even walking through the doors. 0000006305 00000 n 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. 0000112482 00000 n Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/nxivm-raniere-cult-1.518179 <>382 0 R]/P 526 0 R/Pg 516 0 R/S/Link>> uuid:ae634148-b657-11b2-0a00-b0f99f7efc7f Behavior modification techniques are employed, such as rewards/punishments, thought-stopping, and control of environment (isolation or restriction of access to others). Why do people start cults? The vast majority of cults teach their followers that they are superior to non-cult members. The answer is simple enough. 0000007740 00000 n Have a friend or family member caught up in a black-and-white, all-or-nothing conspiracy cult, multi-level marketing, religious or political group? 0000046135 00000 n Cult members who find their way out are usually the ones who grow motivated to deprogram themselves. Personally, I find it very apt. endobj NXIVM leader Keith Raniere found guilty on all sex-cult charges | CBC News. The other attribute that makes. Welcome to White Rose eTheses Online - White Rose eTheses Online That's why people who are on a mission to improve themselves in a person or professional sense could be susceptible to joining a cult, according to Bernstein. Push factors are internal to the gang and often suggest a negative actionsuch as getting shot or injured . Plus, there are many reputable resources available including websites, books, online courses, and cult experts, that can help. In an interview with Playboy Magazine, he explains that their family fled the cult in 1977. 3 0 obj Isolation, lack of touch, social distancing, Recruitment into extreme conspiracy theories and cults/scams, Relationships: friends, family, community, Psychosomatic symptoms (headaches, backaches, asthma, skin problems). > Bookshelf PostedJune 5, 2021 When reading your post, I could not help but think of the psychological phenomenom called Group Think. Which for those who do not know, Janis (1989, p.60) was the first to desrcibe it as a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action. Group think is believed to have been responsible for the famous 1986 Nasa Shuttle Challenger disaster (take a look at Janis, 2008 about the case study). 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