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What first comes to mind when you hear the terms "cult" or "sect"?
The word "sect" always elicits a response in any situation.
It's a strong term with a rich history and significance.
"Cults" are a challenging topic because the definition is quite subjective and up for debate. Sometimes, it can be challenging to distinguish between a cult and a religion due to their similarities.
Cult members who argue that they are participating voluntarily and leading happy lives may further complicate the consensus.
Some definitions define a cult as a small group under the control of a self-styled leader who wields unsettling power over his followers.
An authoritarian structure, isolation from the outside world, and strange or unconventional beliefs distinguish a cult as a type of religious or quasi-religious organization.
Cults are often highly structured, cohesive, secretive, and antagonistic toward outsiders.
Many people mistakenly believe that there are only a few cults, like the Manson Family or NXIVM, but in reality, there are far more than they are willing to acknowledge. However, the reality is that many people are still quite active.
Some of your favourite celebrities have been cult members over the years.
Numerous celebrities have talked about their experiences in these groups.
Some have survived well into their twenties, while others have recounted how they had to flee at night to avoid the sect.
Many well-known individuals exclusively belong to specific sects. Some have ties to former members, while others were born into these sects.
Hollywood and cults seem to collaborate more frequently than most people realize.
Whether it's through social media, newsgroups, community clubs, events, or other similar venues, cults actively recruit new members. Especially nowadays through social networks.
These situations are often public, non-threatening, and unlikely to raise suspicions.
Cult recruiters aim to gather as much information as possible about potential candidates to meet their group of friends at a social gathering, such as a dinner party or other event.
Even though the chosen targets are largely ignorant, these seemingly harmless actions are the first steps towards recruitment into the cult.
Most cults share the following characteristics:
Target groups: vulnerable groups of people
People who belong to this group typically want to escape from unfortunate life situations and find the saddest sense of belonging and acceptance—the meaning of life, if I may say so.
And cults target exactly this group of people, such as:
those who have lost someone close to them through death or breakup, those who suffer from insecurities or mental health issues, or anyone who feels disconnected from society.
When the "recruit" first joins the cult, he is typically unaware of the group's plans and is showered with attention, love, and validation.
This tactic is called "love bombing." She makes the recruit think he found what he wanted and will return to the group.
This is crucial in the initial stages of the cult's strategy, as the recruit is not yet under their control and requires a sense of safety.
In the beginning, many cults separate "recruits" from their families, friends, and jobs, slowly reshaping their identities to fit the group.
They can force the recruit to hand over their money, belongings, and bodies to the cult leader and other members. Sometimes they force new members to marry people they have just met.
They can also employ tactics such as punishment and deprivation to gradually wear them down.
At times, they use threats to intimidate new members, making them dependent and fearful of leaving the group.
Their behaviour becomes unrecognizable to both the environment and themselves.
These days, California and Hollywood come to mind when we think of a cult or sect. But do cults only want what California and Hollywood have to offer?
Why do we all hold these opinions?
Among the most well-known cults or sects in America are The SoCal Home—Children of God, Heaven's Gate, People's Temple, the Manson Family NKSIVM, and, depending on how one defines the term cult, Scientology.
Since cults and sects are widespread throughout the world, I don't think so. There isn't a possible cult member profile. A charismatic leader can influence anyone, offering alluring promises that ultimately result in actual harm.
Why, then, does the myth still exist? Is there a connection between cults and California or Hollywood? It's a question that's challenging to answer.
However, what cults and cults have to provide is actually what California and Hollywood have to offer.
Hollywood has always been a dream. Especially for us from communist nations.
And if you wanted to market something new to a group of wealthy people, you went to the United States or California.
By the turn of the twentieth century, the gold rush and Hollywood had made the country synonymous with wealth.
Founders of new religious movements found California particularly appealing because it was essentially "unchurched" in its early days, unlike other countries where established religions held power.
Those who founded sects and cults initially sought to coerce followers into giving them money and sex.
However, as the thirst for money grows, as it does in all megalomaniacs, sects and cults require extremely forceful tactics to gain new believers.
And who is the best for it? Of course, famous people.
Celebrities with public power, like Tom Cruise and John Travolta, are excellent ways to promote a cult.
Recruiting from the entertainment business and targeting wealthy individuals linked with it is an effective growth strategy. Most cults and sects establish branches in Los Angeles after growing in other cities and countries.
Many cult groups and sects begin relatively benignly, regardless of where they originate.
Everything appears innocent at first, but as the leaders' power-hungry tendencies grow, they become increasingly dangerous. For them, it's simply a job.
Today, in the age of technology and digital media, film directors rely on shots, editing, lighting, and other visual elements to compensate for evident problems in the script.
Such films do not prioritize quality but instead aim to gain as much money as possible at the box office by promoting major Hollywood celebrities.
Some films may not intend to convey the message as clearly as the first impression. Their filmmakers are continuously "playing with you" and attempting to "push" things you may not grasp at first glance.
Many of them use metaphors to attempt to convey "something completely different" from what you are currently seeing and hearing, while remaining virtually undetected. On the other hand, others use a variety of subversive themes that are often overlooked.
All of this is impacting moviegoers, and celebrities are becoming more involved in these ventures, sending messages and recruiting new cult members.
It's the same with fortune tellers. I believe you have at least once encountered or witnessed fortune tellers, primarily gipsies, who wish to practice palmistry.
They read your hand for a small fee, uncovering sinister, unsettling omens that require a second, costly session to decipher.
As a result, Scientology establishes a complex network of courses and processes.
First, talk in a calm setting.
This cult or sect aims to inspire individuals to explore their potential, enhance their IQ, and take control of their destiny. He provides a well-balanced blend of psychological tactics, promises of salvation, and spirituality.
The 1950s and 1960s saw a shift away from subcultures in the pursuit of meaning through contemporary technologies and exotic religions.
What began with the spiritual travels of some hipsters quickly evolved into a wave of spiritual fads, culminating in many cults in the 1960s and, eventually, the esoteric movement.
Psychology poses a threat to cults and sects. Free thought poses a serious risk. Any belief system is, in theory, a means of putting out the pure mind.
Jehovah's Witnesses deny blood transfusions, macrobiotics allow their children to starve, and Scientology's complete prohibition on the use of psychotherapy or psychiatric medications has already resulted in avoidable suicides.
Almost all cults and sects use similar strategies. They frequently involve indoctrination.
During my research on this topic, I discovered that psychiatrist Robert J. Lifton characterized this pattern in his 1961 essay "Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism."
He identifies eight parameters for this technology.
Control over interactions with the outside world, the idea that the group has greater goals than the rest of the world is prevalent.
The group doctrine emphasizes the importance of the group over the individual.
The promise of salvation.
This is strictly business. Since religion is a billion-dollar industry, sects operate similarly to corporations.
In the United States, it is also tax-free with the appearance of a church.
Stars, like advertising personalities, receive preferential treatment.
The Celebrity Centre, located at the foot of the Hollywood Hills, is vital for this. Stars can retreat in a lavish setting from the world that is constantly demanding something from them: autographs, press conferences, photos, and contracts.
Here they find tranquillity, assistance, and encouragement.
Organizations outside of science now use this method.
Madonna, Britney Spears, David Beckham, and Victoria Beckham have all embraced the Kabbalah Centre’s tactics, which are based on Jewish mysticism.
They are two of the most well-known cults, possibly because of the celebrities.
Of course, with so much money, there are risks involved.
Sects, cults, and power are all cantered around money.
And what are your thoughts and opinions on this topic?
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