Greetings,
The following is a
discussion of cults, as the title suggests, it is intended both to be useful as
an identifying mechanism for highlighting elements, or even groups, where there
are similarities to cults. There is also the intent to show that there are both
positive and negative attributes which need to be noted, the positive which
should be embraced, the negative which should be removed. There is a lot which
has been said in the media about cults, most of it is misleading, it is hoped
that the reader will peruse the following with open eyes.
Definition
“In modern
English, a cult is a social group that is defined by its unusual religious,
spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or by its common interest in a particular
personality, object, or goal. This sense of the term is controversial, having
divergent definitions both in popular culture and academia, and has also been
an ongoing source of contention among scholars across several fields of study.”[1]
The definition given above comes from the
Wikipedia, on the page entitled “Cult” and as noted there is contention about
the definition. There is different emphasis on what a cult is depending on who
is talking about it. Some have a specific religious focus, some have a more
general focus, historically the focus has been more religious, so that is where
most of the definitions tend to lie. For the purposes of this investigation,
the definition above is sufficient as it covers more interest groups.
Types
Now we need to have a
look at some types of cults to realise that not all cults are the Branch
Davidian, People’s Temple, Aum examples. These are destructive cults and made
headlines due to their destructive effects upon people’s lives, primarily the
deaths of many people. Another that can be added to that list is Charles
Manson’s family. These are not the only cults out there. We don’t hear about
the quiet ones, with their different views of the world, who go along with
everyone else, or sequester themselves away quietly, or the approximately 3,000
cults which are currently operating in Australia,[2]
and that was ten years ago. The restriction of cults simply to the religious
version limits our understanding of them.
According to the
definition, any group which has a common interest in a particular object or
goal can be classified as a cult. Fencing clubs have a common interest in the
goal of learning how to fence, according to that definition, they can be
classified as cults, and it is exactly why this discussion is being made. We
unfortunately believe that cults are all like the ones seen in the media, but
they are not.
Historically, cults
have been around for millennia, they can be traced back at least as far as the
Ancient Greeks and the cults of Gods who were not in the mainstream. Again,
this is primarily religious veneration for a holy representative. Later in the
ancient era we have the Imperial Cults, the cult of the emperor, a
state-sanctioned cult, one that was supported by the empire because it venerated
and deified the status of the leader. We see the same sort of thing if we
examine the Kim dynasty in Korea, or the veneration of Mao Zedong in China; not
so unoriginal. Not destructive for the people and state, but positive.
Identification
There are four
recognised, identifying features of a cult, which can be seen in cults around
the world, and in all the ones that we hear about. These four features are the
four structural features to find first.
1. Charismatic Leader
This individual is
likely the originator of the idea that created the group. They are the
individual who leads the group to their goal. Being charismatic, they can talk
the group around into doing things for them, because it is good for the group.
They convince members of the group that their way is the best way, and all the
real power resides with them, they make the final decisions.[3]
2. Belief
There is a belief
system of some kind which the group follows believing that it will lead them to
a better place. In a religious group this is obvious, even in a political group
this can be their political agenda. For others it is what they believe in,
where they are all striving to be in the end their goal.
3. System of Control
There are ways that
the group can control its members to bring them further and further into the
fold. There are further study sessions required, more practice at a particular
thing. The group requires more and more time, and the view of the group is
adopted over previous views. The new worldview is used to cut people off from
the past. More activity required to remain a member, less and less of the old
life remains.
4. System of Influence
Mechanisms in place in
the group where an older member takes a newer member under their wing to show
them how things are, and how to behave. They change the reality, show them that
there is no achievement beyond what is found within the group. There are no
other explanations beside what can be found within the group. The belief system
of the group is the individual’s belief system there are no other answers.
These are the four
recognised identifying markers of a cult. You may read some of these and find
them familiar, you may find them eerily familiar in their description. If this
is the case, you may have found yourself within an organisation which could be
called a cult.
Through these
mechanisms there are expectations of sacrifice and donation. The individual is
expected to sacrifice time they would have spent doing other things to do it
with the group, they will have to donate in some form or another, whether it is
time, expertise, or actual money. This is also a characteristic, which falls
under one of the systems of control, highlighted above.
The organisations that
a person should truly watch out for oppose critical thinking, penalise members
for leaving and having periods away for any reason, and deliberately separate
them from their original communities. These actions are so the cult is the only
answer. There is a list of other violations which may be present in such
organisations, if you find these, leave.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
There is a long list
of attributes of cults, and they need to be examined honestly without any sort
of bias to colour a person’s impression. Without this all a person will see is,
how cults abuse their members and keep them contained within them, how they
recruit new members, how they are a threat to society. There are good elements
which can be found in this sort of group organisation, but there are also the
bad and the ugly.
The Ugly
First the ugly, there
is the clear chance for an extreme abuse of power by a leader of such an
organisation. If they have the power to control such a group and get them to do
what they want them to do, then there is very little limit to what they can
convince them to do, especially with the correct belief system to follow. Here
we highlight evidence from every destructive cult there has ever been. Their
ends have been the result of an abuse of power, and extreme delusions of
grandeur.
The same abuses can be
committed by the people who the leader puts in charge with their “will” due to
the power bestowed upon them. They can act with the “will of the leader” and
perform acts which may not actually be what the leader wants, but in his name,
the same has been seen throughout history where many have acted with God’s
blessing.
The Bad
If this is the ugly,
what can the bad be? The bad are those things which will cause the group to
fail, or to fail in achievement of their goal. In such a situation, power is not
the problem, the problem is a lack of critical thinking. A dynamic group which
is working toward a goal does not need mindless obedience, it needs individuals
who can think for themselves. It needs individuals who can look at a problem
and think creatively to solve the problem.
Likewise, the
death-knell of the dynamism of such a group is sounded at the appearance of
groupthink, where everyone agrees with everything, with no reason to do so.
People should have their own opinions about things, they should disagree,
argue, but also present alternatives to what has been presented. Groupthink has
been the cause of some of history’s greatest disasters and moving past it has
been the cause of some of its greatest achievements.
The Good
What can be found
within the concept of a cult which is good, and useful? What can we use from
the concept of a cult to make us stronger? For some, especially with the ugly
and bad highlighted, it would seem that there is little left, especially with
the highlighted identifiable attributes of a cult which have been presented.
There is something to be found, you just have to look at things from the
correct perspective.
Look inside to how the
cult works, see how they turn their members toward a single project and focus
them on it, this can be used to advantage. Think about a school which could
focus its members on the training and education of its students, to the
exclusion of everything else, wouldn’t this school be powerful, would they not
gain a great advantage? The structure of the cult can be advantageous, if not
some of the other overtones, or religious zealotry. The same is used in some
small businesses.
Conclusion
You need to look
within the structure, pull the emotion away, remove what the cult does, and see
how they do what they do. They are effective at attracting a group of
individuals they want. They are effective at convincing the individuals they
want to remain with the group. They are effective at convincing that staying
with the group will be to the advantage of the individuals they have attracted.
If a school could harness these skills, they could gain the students and grow
to become effective and powerful.
Part of this process
is understanding how cults do what they do, how they gain and keep their
members. It requires honest research, research to educate yourself on what’s
going on really. Do some research on cults and their methods, it is well worth
the effort to identify their techniques and methods.
If you suspect that
your school is a cult, think whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. If it
is a bad thing, then you should be making directions toward exiting. Ask
yourself whether the school is giving as much as it is taking, whether it is
destructive or not. These are the real questions that need to be answered.
These are the questions that decide whether it matters if it is a cult
or not.
This has been the
briefest discussion on this subject, one that I hope provokes some thought in
some people. Go do some research about cults. Do it with open eyes. Find out
some real information. Go past the media and look deeper. There is information
out there.
Cheers,
Henry.
[1] Wikipedia “Cult” Wikipedia,
Wikimedia Foundation Inc., 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult,
17 January 2021
[2] McKenny, L. “Economic climate a breeding ground for cults.” The
Sydney Morning Herald, 2 November 2011,
https://www.smh.com.au/national/economic-climate-a-breeding-ground-for-cults-20111101-1mu6i.html,
29 August 2022
[3] Meyer, H. “What makes a cult a cult?” Tennessean, 2016,
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2016/09/15/what-makes-cult-cult/90377532/.
17 January 2021.
All four of the identifying elements come from Meyer, but are paraphrased, and
somewhat changed to suit the current circumstances.
