What is a Cult, anyway?

This question has mystified many people who throw the word “cult” around to explain groups of individuals they do not understand, or who have beliefs that seem “crazy.” But there’s something much more sinister happening under the surface of cults than can be seen.

There’s a really great show on Netflix called Explained, which dives into a whole host of topics, and one of the episodes deals with cults.

In the episode, the narrator (LaKeith Stanfield) explains that cults have three main characteristics:

1) A charismatic leader who wants to be a God-like figure
2) An indoctrination program known as “Thought Reform”
3) Some form of exploitation (sexual, financial, etc.)

The episode argues that the main reason individuals are drawn towards cults is because they’re at a crossroads in their life and are searching for alternative forms of meaning. Sometimes, people become so dissatisfied with their lives and lack the support system to deal with their issues that it seems preferable to reach out to groups of strangers, led by someone who claims they are able to heal whatever is ailing the individual.

For the individuals joining the cult, it’s all about the search for meaning and healing. For the cult leader, however, it’s all about exploitation and adoration. The leader desires to manipulate the vulnerability of his or her followers and cause them to act in a way that might seem antithetical to logic, but makes perfect sense to them. We’ll explore this element of cults more in-depth in another blog post.

Another major element of cults is that they are incredibly difficult to escape from. When people are vulnerable, they are susceptible to becoming enamoured with a cult’s leader and rituals. These elements become foundational pieces of their everyday lives, which become extremely difficult to detach from. This is compounded by the fact that cults encourage people to walk away from their families, friends and support systems, and demand absolute conformity to the orthodoxy of the cult. Therefore, escaping a cult can seem next to impossible for individuals who become disillusioned with their circumstances.

In the next post, we’ll take a closer look at what draws people to join a cult in the first place, and how cults keep their members hooked.

Cheers!

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