Today, cults are much more open, and encourage openness about themselves
rather than secrecy. Unlike ancient traditions, they let themselves
be known, and encourage recruitment, sometimes they even force it on others.
The initial impression of the cult may be that of happiness or enlightenment
through fasting.
Even the most inicent looking cult can be destructive. Christianity,
a widely believed religion, was forced apon evryone for the few centuries.
The Spanish Inqusition tried and killed many disbelievers. Those
thought to be "unholy" were also hung or burned at the stake. These
horrible events seemed to be very long ago, and yet they have always existed,
and continue to exist.
If I were to say to you, that in the United Sates, there existed something
that you must do every day or you would become an outcast of society, and
most likely sent to jail, would you believe me? I'm not talking about
laws, I'm speaking of the pledge of allegiance. About 20 years ago,
if you didn't say it everyday, or refused to, you could be sent to prison.
It actually became a law that teachers make their students say it.
I'm not trying to say the United States is a destructive cult. I'm
trying to show that something that seems so inocent, can actually be a
brainwashing tool.
Recognizing and Understanding Cults
Many
people want to know how the cults create, manipulate, control members.
They may also want to know haw to recognize one, so theyt may avoid them.
For a detailed understang of this, we recommend the AFF
Cult Research site. We have accumulated theirs and others' fidings,
and have posted a brief summery.
Mind Control Techniques
1. extensive control of information
2. deception;
3. group pressure
4. denigration of independent critical thinking
5. The outside world threatening
6. anxiety and guilt subtly induced by the group
7. relieved only by conforming to the group
8. inadequate diet or fatigue;
9. trance-like states in which suggestibility is heightened
a. meditation,
b. chanting
c. speaking in tongues
10. alternation of harshness and leniency
11. isolation from social supports
12. pressured public confessions |
Who Joins Cults and Why?
1. dependency
2. unassertiveness
3. gullibility
4. low tolerance for ambiguity
5. cultural disillusionment
6. naive idealism
7. desire for spiritual meaning;
8. susceptibility to trance-like states.
9. ignorance of the ways in which groups can manipulate
individuals.
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Information aqurired from:
Langone, Michael. What Types of Cults Exist.
http://www.csj.org/studyindex/studycult/cultqa2.htm October 8, 1999
Langone, Michael. What What is Mind Control.
http://www.csj.org/studyindex/studycult/cultqa3.htm October 8, 1999
Langone, Michael. Who Joins Cults and Why.
http://www.csj.org/studyindex/studycult/cultqa4.htm October 8, 1999
Types of Cults today
Many systems for classifying cults have been advanced.
A straightforward breakdown has been suggested by Dr.
Margaret Singer, who observes the following types of cults:
eastern
religious
Christian
abberational
Satanic
occult/witchcraft/voodoo
spiritualist
racist
Zen and
Sino/Japanese philosophical-mystical
flying
saucer and outer space
psychotherapy
mass
therapy or transformational training
political
new
age
commercial
communal/self-help
Click on one of the links to see a description on that
type. Provided by:
Langone, Michael. What Types of Cults Exist.
http://www.csj.org/studyindex/studycult/cultqa2.htm October 8, 1999
Effects on Modern Society
At
a quick glance, cults seem to only affect areas away from ourselves.
They seem to be out of reach, and we consider ourselves "away from the
problem." But cults are everywhere. Religios institutions,
politics, school, gangs, they reach their fingures into everything.
they have started wars, kill hundreds of thousands every year, and force
people to back them up. Impressional children are often the victims.
Since they are the future, will violent cults become an accept culture?
In my opinion, there isn't just one man with his fingure on the
button. He has 50 million people to help him push it. This
comes from the fact that when people are scared, they will give up their
freedom to speak, act and think. I'm not trying to say that we shoud
acuse anyone, or say leaders in general are evil, manipulative, pupateers.
I think everyone should be weary of someone who employs the tactics listed
above, or says he knows the way to "freedom." |