20 Ways Cults Entice New Recruits

20 Ways Cults Entice New Recruits

As they always say, cults are a psychological game and anyone can fall victim. All it takes is a bit of convincing especially when you are desperate and just want your life to have a but of a silver lining. Of course when you think about it, all of us are usually quick to say, “ I could never fall for that cult stuff.” However, according to various researches that have been done about cults, anyone and I mean anyone can be drawn into a cult regardless of how smart you think you are. This article will be exploring some of the methods cults use to lure in members.

1. They use charisma

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If there is one thing manipulative people have in huge quantity is charisma. In fact, charismatic people have the proverbial golden ticket to success right inside their pocket and thus getting what they want easily is never a problem. Dr. Stanley H. Cath of Tufts University has defined cultism as a group of people joined together by a common ideological system, usually fostered by a charismatic leader. If a person’s demeanor and persona is alluring, captivating and commanding, they tend to attract followers and admiration quite easily as they always look like they are dependable. Cults use the same technique and cult leaders have mastered this art perfectly. In fact, if you want to understand how cults work, always remember no average John can just lure someone in. It has to be someone with the kind of personality that fits the bill.

2. They tap into someone’s weakness

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Regardless of how they portray themselves, every human being has some weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Cult leaders know this very well and thus identifying and tapping into these weaknesses are part of their scheme. If you ever fell that there is a problem in your life or even with the world around you, chances of you being recruited into a cult that promises all these problems will go away and even provide a solution for you, are very high. However, you don’t need to be depressed to be subject to the will of a cult leader. Even a happy, normal and intelligent person can become a victim because all it takes is for a cult leader to figure out what people’s wants and desires are and exploit them for their own means. After all, hitting an area of interest is their main goal.

3. They always provide hope and solution

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As mentioned earlier, cult leaders prey in the vulnerable by promising solutions and hope to the many problem that they present. Typically, cults portray themselves as the best solution to whatever problems one is going through. They provide plan B’s such as, “ This person has hurt you, I can make them go away and make you feel better.” In other words, they offer comfort and ultimately persuade you to bend to their will. Within no time, you’ll find that the thought of having a solution to something really bothering you is seductive enough to follow someone, whether they are deranged or not.

4. They love bomb a lot

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Have you ever had someone shower you with so much compliment, affection and attention that it can make you swoon? It’s usually a good feeling and you feel like you’re on cloud nine but there are people who do this way early on and it’s usually because they’ve done their homework and they know exactly what it is you want to hear. Cults use the same psychology. They seduce potential recruits with love bombing, paying them so much attention and being affectionate towards them, even going ahead to dedicating their time for them. They have learnt the art of taking advantage of someone’s loneliness and isolation and using that to look like a savior who will swoop in and save the day.

5. They isolate you

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Cult leaders usually want total psychological control over their followers. Once they have someone fooled into believing that the cult was the best thing that could have happened to them, they now begin isolating someone from their old lives and before you know it, your only friends, family and social life revolves around the cult group. They become your everything and you are forced to forget about the ones you depended on before. To outsiders, of course this seem like a red flag and it’s hard to believe that one can just abondon those they cared about so easily. However, when presented with what you are convinced at the moment is an ideal life, filled with togetherness, comfort and purpose, it can be a pretty straightforward decision to make.

6. They use social manipulation as well

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The thing with cults is that they not only capitalize on exerting emotional manipulation over a new member, but also use social manipulation. At this point, it’s not just about the mind but also about the environment. Cult leaders know that when they disconnect you from the rest of the world and make the cult your new home, they are already immersing you into their system of lifestyle and belief and by the time you are fully indoctrinated, leaving will not be that easy.

7. Cults prey on one’s identity crisis

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After they have successfully thrown away your old life and replaced it with a new one, they shift their focus into reshaping an individual’s identity. They typically break down the conception you have of yourself and replace it with the group’s conception such that you are no longer the person you were in your old life. They take advantage of an identity crisis you may be facing and give you a while new identity with the conviction that that is what is best for you. For instance, you are no longer John the teacher but rather a disciple of the People’s temple. Your whole identity become kinked to the cult. Thus tactic has even been discussed in an article that was published by Dan Diego State University about the psychology behind Jones Town. It reads, “The cost for Jones’ followers was to further lose their independence of thought and opinion.” In other words, the cult’s identity becomes your own and in the long run there’s no difference between you and the rest of the group.

8. They indoctrinate people to only follow their cause

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This is why it’s possible to have a group of people following a cause that is so insane you wonder how they are not seeing how crazy it is. It’s because cult leaders are so convincing that they can easily indoctrinate someone to follow and grow their cause( whether or not it’s making sense; whether or not it’s perversed). A perfect example of this is Hitler. He was an outcast on the fringe of German society and was still able to persuade people to his very crazy, very evil cause. How did he do that? His charisma and incredible oratory skills is what happened. His fringe group started small and soon grew into an entire army simply because he presented them with a vision that made them feel hopeful and that they belonged to something much greater than themselves. Thus, cult leaders function the same way as totalitarian leaders and domestic abusers. They manipulate and coerce people to do their bidding.

9. They use the “Us” versus “them” tactic

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To completely manage in erasing your identity and replacing it with that of the group, cults always frame the world as an “us” versus “them” game. This puts the cult’s view of the world and all the other ideals against the outsiders and non- believers. To better understand this, former cult member, Diane Benscoter has explained this tactic in her Ted Talk show, about how she became a “moonie.” That is, a member of the cult that was started by Sun Myung Moon. She says, “ It becomes impenetrable and the most dangerous part of this is that is creates ‘us’ and ‘them,’ ‘right’ and ‘wrong,’ ‘good’ and evil’. And it makes anything possible.”

10. They use rituals to reinforce a belief system

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Once a cult leader succeeds in recruiting members, their work isn’t don’t per se. The next step is to ensure that the recruits’ faith doesn’t waver at all. Usually, the performance of rituals help with this task. This is kind of a tactic that is used, in order to keep the recruits in line and ensure that they never change their mind or are too afraid to change their mind. According to the American Psychological Association, “ members are taught to stop doubts from entering their consciousness about the cult, often with a key phrase they repeat.” This is also known as chanting a mantra and is a form of psychological ritual that works best in reinforcing a certain belief.

11. They manipulate people into thinking they have super powers

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As mentioned earlier, repeating mantras can do magic in changing one’s belief. Moreso in this context, they enhance people’s confidence in their abilities, motivated by greater effort that subsequently improves performance. This misguided notion that they can achieve anything I’d only they set their mind to it is what is weaponized by cult leaders and in the eyes of a cult leader, it is a perfect too to keep recruits obedient and passionate about the cult’s cause.

12. They use impenetrable logic

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The success of a cult depends on how it sets and reinforces it’s logic and ideals. For example, most cults employ the logic of, “We know the truth, and we know what is good. By complying with us, you know the truth and what is good. Anyone who doesn’t follow suit is lying to themselves and is bad.” So, even if it sounds like total crap to an outsider, it has achieved it’s own internal system of logic and rules such that if a person buys into the idea that the cult knows the truth and goodness, then the rest will make perfect sense.

13. They finesse the act of mind control

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Of course all cults control their followers and that’s why convincing a die hard follower of a cult to leave is very tricky. A cult typically teaches you what to believe ( as if you don’t have a mind of your own), how to demonstrate your belief and what to say to people who dare question that cult’s authority. Most followers are like robots, always parroting what their leader said and depending on this leader to think for them and make pertinent decisions on their behalf.

14. Cults also use force and coercion

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In some extreme cases, there are cults that have been known to use coercion and force into recruiting members. This include activities like kidnapping and trafficking unsuspecting victims. Many of the victims find their way out but some by the time they are rescued have already become brainwashed and convinced.

15. They also use “the chosen one” notion

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If there is anything that becomes the last nail to the coffin as far as cults go, is the idea that you gave been uniquely chosen for a greater cause and that you are a part of an important revolution or divine plan. To put it in context, a woman by the name Lisa Kerr shared her story with Huffington post about this and said, “almost immediately, the Master’s Commission disciples had me convinced that, by joining them, I would be joining an elite group of soldiers for Christ that would change the world by drawing people closer to God.” Of course if you are feeling utterly lost or you want to change the world, you will definitely fall for this lie. Afterall, that’s exactly what you’ll be wanting to hear at that point.

16. The cult leaders make people believe they are almost like God

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Cults have the tendency of relying on and believing on magical thinking. This reinforces the tendency to endow a cult leader with omnipotent and magical powers much like a child’s early representation of who a parent is. They insist on the idea of, “You are loved, you are valued, you are special and you are wanted. You are looked after and I will show you the way.” Who doesn’t want to hear such words especially when your life is in shambles?

17. They lie

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To put it plainly, cults lie. They lure someone in with the promise that they will fulfill your deepest desire and just a few weeks later, they send you on a crusade that you would never have participated in, in your right mind.

18. They brainwash

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Of course cults brainwash. That is why before you know it, they have convinced you to partake in a crusade that you didn’t think you would ever be a part of. For this to happen, someone has to convince you of something that is so crazy and not even ask question.

19. Some are born into it

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Some members of a cult are actually born into it and so many of them don’t even have a choice from the word go. They hence grow being indoctrinated into the cult right from when they are young and getting out from it becomes so hard since that is all they know.

20. They invite you to a non- threatening event

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Also, cult recruiters never give you a hard sell right from the start. If the pitch was something like, “Come be a part of our group, have it control most to all aspects of your life, possibly cut off ties with those you can’t recruit into the group, and make the group the focal point of your life until you die,” of course most of us would run the other way  screaming. So they have to be sweet and convincing and what they typically do is invite recruiters to a workshop, poetry reading, parties, a performance  of a kind or some other seemingly unsuspecting event.

When all is said and done, the topic of cultism is tricky because you cannot convince a follower otherwise. Thus, what you choose to do with your life is entirely up to you but it is important to always remember that there are paths that can utterly destroy you within a blink of an eye.