Which Cult Do You Belong To?

6 (or more) examples of Modern Day Cults

Introduction

These days, everyone belongs to at least one cult. We each load much implied and individual meaning into the word “cult.” For purposes of this article, I need to establish a working definition of “cult.”

What is a cult?

What do we think of when we think of a cult? I think of a group of people brainwashed by a supreme leader to believe in the leader’s authority and infallibility. A leader endowed with supposed divine inspiration vesting him the authority to intervene in and run the members’ lives.

Miriam Webster’s Dictionary defines cult as:

1- A religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious.

2- A great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement or work (such as a film or book).

3- A system of religious beliefs and rituals.

Much controversy surrounds any definition of the word “cult.”

Googling in the hope of finding a consensus definition, which I recognize as a fools errand, I found contradictions when it comes to even the most basic elements of what defines a cult. In one statement, the post said that the term “cult” doesn’t refer to religion at all but to followers of a social movement. Unpopular social movements are identified as cults by “outsiders.”

Then, a few sentences later, the same post says that “cult” describes a group of people defined by their religious devotion to something.

Within just a few seconds, I was supposed to believe that cults are both “not necessarily involved with religion” and “are defined by their religious devotion”. Thanks for the gaslighting, Google.

Google is controlled by a cult — it has targeted me as a danger …

Several hours ago, when I started researching and writing about this topic, I went from wide awake and alert to feeling drained within a few minutes. I felt dissociative; hypnotized.

I had the sudden urge to take a nap as I began writing this. It seems that researching “cults” is verboten by those who have some control over our sleep/wake cycles. They didn’t like the topic, so they set their weapons on stun, putting me to sleep. Whoever they are. They are a cult.

I woke up three hours later. I would assume whatever information I am presenting here is possibly suspect. It is definitely incomplete. [See section on Software Engineers.]

The truth is that somewhere out there, there is someone who is using these cult-building techniques to manipulate the American population. Maybe I’m paranoid or maybe I’m just paying attention. Without or until conducting your own research, you should withhold your opinion on this topic.

I apologize if that insults you. I do not intend to belittle you. I’m sick of every lowlife, brainwashed, under-educated, inbred, malnourished person having an opinion which mainstream media would give equal time to my own on any topic.

Dr. Robert Jay Lifton

Robert Jay Lifton, Harvard professor, Psychiatrist and Psycho-historian has researched and written numerous psychoanalytical works about both historical and modern psychological manipulation techniques. He has authored 27 books on war and violence, brainwashing and cults.

His work includes studying manipulation and mind control methods used by Nazi Germany, revolutionary China and Korea, aka propaganda. He is considered one of the worlds foremost experts on brainwashing and cults.

In the 1980s he wrote a paper, Cult Formation, which outlined the three primary characteristics of destructive cults:

• A charismatic leader who is, or increasingly becomes the object of worship of cult members.
• A process of indoctrination, education, and/or persuasion which reforms or brainwashes the member to the point that the member starts to behave in a manner against their best interest if those actions will benefit the leader of the cult.
• Economic, financial, or other methods of exploitation which benefit the group leader(s).

In 1991, he expanded upon those three characteristics outlining 8 distinct markers:

• Milieu control: Control of communication and information.
• Mystical manipulation: A well-planned emotional manipulation which appears to be spontaneous to those uninvolved in the planning of the “mystical experience.” This can include fasting, sleep deprivation, extended engagements in prayer, and speaking in tongues. The idea is to cause a spontaneous “mystical experience” in someone which was actually carefully executed and manipulated behind the scenes.
• A demand for purity: Enforcing a strong belief in black vs. white, good vs. evil thinking. Everything inside the cult is good, everything on the outside could be tainted by evil influences. Individual members are shamed into confessing sinful thoughts. They are doomed from the beginning to not be able to live up to the expectations of the cult. Thus, their minds convince them that they must need saving from evil influences by the cult.
• Confession is good for the soul: It’s also helpful to know the enemy’s tactics and strategy. As a cult leader, it is of vital importance to keep yourself informed of the thoughts and actions of all cult members.
• Sacred science: Presents the cult as rational appealing to the logical center of the brain. The cult presents answers to eternal questions as scientifically rational “proving” the factual truth of the cults beliefs.
• Loading the language: Control someone’s capacity to express themselves through controlling the language available to do so. Used extensively by George Orwell in 1984. You cannot express thoughts that don’t have an associated vocabulary.
• Doctrine over person: The truth of the doctrine trumps the experience of a person. Doubting and negating personal experience if it conflicts with cult dogma.
• Dispensing of existence: Those who have not accepted the light of truth of the cults beliefs are tainted by evil, thus forfeiting their right to live.

Cult-like thinking in the American workplace

It almost goes without saying that this phenomenon is a direct result of the decline of traditional religious affiliation in America. Something had to fill the void created. Leave it to corporate America to take up that sacred mantle.

Apple is a cult

Apple is the most obvious example. Most everyone has heard this already. If you didn’t know, than perhaps you should brush up on your knowledge of cults with material on a lower level than this paper — or are you already a member and this it’s too late for you?.

Cultists in general are often portrayed as gullible, obscuring the idea that people of average and higher intelligence are just as susceptible to fall under the influence of cult-like manipulations. Apple stands out as the perfect example to dispel this arrogant and dangerously presumptive idea.

Apple training and repair sections of their stores are not called customer service departments, they are branded as genius bars. Apple customers, the true believers, don’t simply show up for help at these locations, they make reservations. Apple’s employees are not just employees, they are Geniuses. Apple has a history of rituals complete with their own lingo which applies only to Apple products.

Microsoft is a cult

Perhaps reacting to the cultish behavior of their main competitor, from whom it stole Windows in the first place (yes Gates is a crook as are many cult-leaders / alleged innovators). Microsoft is a cult. Even just now, logging into Microsoft Word (peace be upon them), Microsoft demanded my attention.

Yes, right there on the spot. I could not use Word for its intended purpose, what I bought it for, until I addressed the issue brought down to me from On High, His Holiness, Bill Gates. I was shut out from using the product I purchased until I acknowledged that the privacy terms had changed.

I thought that this was rather rude behavior. Why not just send an email? Why did Microsoft feel it was necessary, and how did they feel qualified to make the decision, that whatever I was doing at that moment in my life could wait, THEY had something to tell me.

This is typical behavior for a cult. They burst in unannounced into their members lives and seize control. It’s psychological warfare. It’s telling the person that they and whatever they are doing at that very moment is unimportant compared to the needs of the cult.

Software engineers are a cult

This is a very shadowy and sinister group. Since I’m using a computer to research and write about the topic, I don’t feel comfortable addressing the cult-like behavior of software engineers. This topic will have to wait for a different era in humanity’s history.

Many other major employers are cults

The warning signs to watch for:

• Encouragement of “Group-think.” The “group” always agrees with what Robert thinks.
• Their customers develop a cult like attitude. (Harley Davidson, Apple and Tesla are examples.)
• High levels of control sought over their employees beliefs, thoughts, and behavior.
• They isolate employees from the community often seeking to replace their families with their “work family.”
• They develop their own linguistic terms to describe aspects of the company. For example, Disney employees are cast members. This reinforces a sense of group unity with an inside group (the employee/cast members and the customer/guests) and an outside group (those who don’t even go to Disneyland).
• “U-C, U-C-L-A!”. Corporations that develop their own ritualistic chants or company songs is another red alert for cultish behavior from a company. As you can tell from my UCLA Bruins quote, sports teams are cults, albeit often healthy ones.
• The companies branding and marketing encourage “true believers” and a devotion to their products or services.

The more of your life that a company can take care of for you, the more you depend on a company for life’s basics, the more likely you may feel trapped if you want to leave. If your workplace provides your lunch, your friends, your social activities, the vocabulary you use, and your car wash, you may find it difficult to escape.

All political parties are cults

It is the intrinsic values of Fascism or Communism in the extremes that make them feel justified killing each other. Except for the elements of cult beliefs that the systems share, they are diametrically opposed systems.

It pains me to say that American media has been ENCOURAGING the development of these divisive beliefs. Watch the Presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John Kennedy from 1960. Then watch the debates from 2016 and 2020 involving Donald Trump, if you can withstand the pain. You’ll see exactly how far the level of political discourse in this country has fallen.

(Warning! The above activity may cause feelings defined as “un-American” by a certain segment of the population which strongly believes that the United States is perfect and cannot be improved. The United States is a cult.)

Other cult-like groups in everyday life

1. Psychiatry is a cult

There is a superior in-group with their own vocabulary. Just as I put Disneyland’s guests as part of the in-group above, there is a second in-group in the psychiatric system, the patients. The field of Psychiatry has its own Bible: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Currently in its fifth edition.

When you work in or are immersed in psychiatry and mental health it is difficult to recognize the existence of outside groups. Your mind starts to work in a way that essentially judges people on the outside as either sane or insane (psychiatrist or patient).

Getting out of the field of psychiatry is good for the mental health of mental health workers.

2. Some families behave like cults

The Trump family is most definitely a cult, most rich families are. I think it’s likely that all families exist on a spectrum somewhere between full-blown negative, toxic, destructive harmful cult-like behavior to selfless, positive, life- affirming healthy familial systems of support.

How dysfunctional is your family? Consider these elements from your experience:

• Trust/Distrust
• Dependence/Independence
• Respect for Individual boundaries within the family
• Boundaries between the family and the outer world

Family Rules

• Are rules healthy and respectful of individuals allowing for them to grow as people or are they enforced for the sake of control without regard for the individual family members?
• Does the family protect (long dead) family secrets or the individuals of the family?
• How much of yourself do you have to give up to be accepted as part of your family?

Humanity needs to create a new paradigm for the study of the mind

I found myself in a sudden onset of an episode of narcolepsy, falling asleep again at my keyboard. Every now and then I nod off nearly hitting “Select All” and “Delete” with my forehead. I better get this information out while I can.

(Someone really should look into the idea of hypnosis at a distance and the cult-like behavior of Software Engineers.)

Writing about cults seems to be a potentially dangerous activity in which for me to engage. Dark people are most definitely interested in studying cults. They always have been. Good people need to be just as aware and vigilant.

The more we all understand about cults, the less susceptible as a nation we should be to their manipulations.

Thanks to Marcus ([email protected]) for the editing!