Why do people join cults?

Strangely, there is a high incidence of extremely intelligent people, who become cult members. And like most have noticed, there is also a correlation of those with low self-esteem, and a history of abuse. My opinion of cults is that they are like abusive married relationships. Cults have to have an authority figure, akin to a dictatorial husband. Cults use the same isolation techniques, while slowly ramping up the abuse, and indoctrination.
 

No I haven't. My oldest brother is a Jehovah Witness. Jerk. And yes I think they are cultish. They get people who come from bleeped up families like mine. Cults, gangs, messed up people are targets for them. People want to belong and that can make them vulnerable.
 
I had an encounter with the Moonies in San Francisco. It was not good. Not good, at all. I was invited to a lunch with some supposedly "cool" people. At the time I was working as a prep cook in a restaurant...

So, the premise made sense.

Very slowly the story started to change.

And let me tell you, some of those folks had real blank stares on their faces.

It was more than a little creepy.

When I finally caught wind of what was going on, I ran to the door (because we had to take off our shoes), grabbed my sneakers and literally RAN out of there!

It is really hard to describe how creepy it was.

Years later, I read that the Moonies had a direct connection to the intelligence services of North Korea.

Now that may sound crazy...but from what I experienced there...I have to say that was the first explanation I ever heard that made sense.

If somebody had evidence that they were actually experimenting with military mind control experiments, like China was in the 1950s in Korea...I really would not doubt it.

It was a kind of horror show.
 
My take on cults?

Well, first of all..the modern movements against cults were started by a wacko.

So, there are huge problems on the other end.


This "gem" of a person was actually, in real life, a professional jewel thief! Can't make that up. The desk sergeant who witnessed him during the arrest clearly thought he was a deeply mentally ill person (this all came out years later, during a trial).

So, he decided to leave his life of crime and in a nutty sense, decided to be some kind of "hero" to stop cults.

Now, as I mentioned above, I had a direct experience with the Moonies and it was scary and horrible and also quite dangerous.

So, I fully believe that cults are a real phenomenon and dangerous.

However, the driving force of the movement against cults, was this lunatic.


To be clear, this guy had no college degree. No degree or background in sociology. No degree or background in therapy. No degree or background in theology. No expertise in anything, but some kind of juvenile, nutty desire to go after the "bad people."

The movement against cults should have been led my military professionals who were intimately familiar with actual brainwashing techniques, as used in the Korean War and other situations.

This is a highly specific kind of problem that desperately needs the intervention of very very advanced professionals not only in the military, but in the field of psychology.

Unfortunately, this has just not been the case.

When the anti-cult movement went after Scientology, Scientology had money and power and lawyers...and sued the anti-cult movement. And that is when all this history came out.

Again, I think cults are real...but the modern anti-cult movement was founded by a lunatic and its principles and ideas come from that lunatic.

By the way, the FBI used that guy at Waco...and he is basically the guy that got everyone killed.

Because, you know, you don't take a jewel thief as a psychological professional. But he had so scammed everyone, that they used him...and Waco was the result.

(by the way, I absolutely believe Scientology is also a cult).
 
Meditation and Hatha Yoga are recognized by the US NIH as having proven medical for a variety of medical conditions.

All the world's major religions, including Judaism and Christianity, actually use meditation techniques.

So, one of the problem with cults is very simple....

Cults will study actual religious history, teachings and paths. And they will just parrot ancient teachings, as if it is their own discovery.

So, L. Ron Hubbard and other cult leaders, pass along actual ancient techniques.

And, these techniques are, in fact, effective. So, someone sits down in meditation, gains some calm and concentration...and their life is benefited.

And they falsely assume that their cult is the source, rather than an actual spiritual / religious path.

And, of course, these frauds create a great deal of problems for real religious paths. Because there are so many frauds out there, people have less trust for real spiritual paths.
 
How to Tell the Difference Between and Cult and a Real Path?

It's not all that hard.

Cults break laws. Real paths don't.


And it really is that simple.

Real cults are run by con men. Con men have an agenda. That agenda is almost always money. More rarely it is some kind of quest for power.

But these are fraudulent people. This idea of evil geniuses is much more Hollywood, than reality. And so, fraudulent scammers break laws. They evade taxes. The run pyramid schemes that steal money from their students. They break labor laws. They break child labor laws. They are cruel and abusive and it shows. Evil outs. People's actual nature outs. It just can't hide forever.

Real paths not only don't break laws, but they are always involved in doing endless acts of kindness and charity. Not only do they not break laws, but the leaders and students are some of the most moral people folks would ever meet. They don't lie, they don't cheat, they don't steal, they don't drink, smoke, do drugs and they aren't promiscuous.

Not words, but actions. Words can all be scams. But you can't lie about your actions.

And this hysteria about cults, like they are taking over the world or something? Not true. These are still very rare and a very very small percentage of the population are in real cults.

Even Scientology, which boasts huge membership numbers is misleading. The vast, vast majority of people who call themselves members, only do a tiny bit of engagement with it. They just read a few books and practice a few techniques. Oh, maybe engage with it 30 minutes a week.
 

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