Obviously it’s bad and if you don’t want to continue reading about some of the possible nonsense that is going on in a cult, I can understand too
And no, I did not join a cult, however, I did chat with some people who gave off a bit of a cultish vibe
Now of course, the idea of a cult can be considered a bit subjective
Kinda like “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”
So feel free to take this with a pinch of salt
But still, do be aware of certain things that I will be mentioning today~
Hopefully, this will allow you to better protect yourself if so happened one such person approaches you
What is a cult?
A typical cult will look like this – one cult leader with a group of extremely devoted followers
And they usually have an extreme belief system, which may or may not be unusual when seen by others outside, as well as a high level of trust and control given to the leader
They may or may not have certain rituals too
For the leader to have such a high level of control over the group, it isn’t natural
Usually it is a combination of manipulation, guilt tripping, fear etc masked as a form of charisma and influence
Bigthink shared how doomsday cults use these techniques to get unwavering loyalty, and also note how some of these traits can be seen in toxic and abusive relationships
Yes, cults can provide a certain message or ideal too, so a doomsday cult talks about the apocalypse while a sex cult promotes sex, etc
Usually their beliefs go towards an unhealthy level which the leader will further enforce that outsiders will not know or understand, they are not part of a group etc
Even if they do not isolate themselves, it is usually constructed into a negative loop for isolation and control
As if they can only depend on the leader or the group, not anyone else
Such extreme beliefs usually have no basis
Or are misinterpreted by the leader for the following to believe in
For example, this person who is in a group which apparently believes and prays in all the religions of the world, shared with me that Jesus Christ died on the cross to share with us where the soul resides and by knowing where the soul resides, they can break out of the reincarnation cycle and reach enlightenment like Gautama Buddha
I’m Catholic, and I know my history… Jesus Christ died on a T-shaped cross because that is how the Romans crucified ‘criminals’…
Also, Gautama Buddha took a long time to be enlightened, and enlightenment to me is about reaching a higher state of awareness, understanding and comprehension…
It doesn’t make sense to me that the Roman Empire will create a specific execution style to help Jesus Christ teach the future, nor can a simple knowing of where the soul reside in the head surpass what Gautama Buddha took to comprehend and be enlightened
Also, I think the soul isn’t just in a specific spot, but it is in the entire body
You can see how the cult leader misinterpreted, or created his own belief system for his followers to consume and believe in
And of course, if the followers don’t know their history, they will buy into the idea that all religions are the same, so this group that practices all religions is good
If I counter with my own thoughts, they will say I’m not one of them, or it isn’t the right time to convert, etc etc
Fear is a powerful way to control people
Obviously that is bad
Manipulative, fear, guilt tripping, gaslighting etc anything goes when the leader wants to control and grow his following
To continue the above example, they believe that if a person doesn’t know where their soul resides, they will die a horrible death
That’s one of their fears, and even if it wasn’t the person’s original fear, with frequent emphasis and repetition, they will develop such a fear
So this person will frequently go to attend their sessions, leaving the children alone at home
Which, can now be considered a form of emotional and physical neglect, and thus the children will develop other issues
Maybe you are starting to see the horror of it
If this person were to present a question to the leader, on why the children having issues, the leader will say they need to attend their sessions and be enlightened together (or whatever words they use)
Ironically it was the parent who believe in the leader’s teachings which cause the actions that resulted in the children developing issues
It is a negative loop that grows and spreads issues to grow the following
Another fear is about karma
Stating that past lives actions are causing their suffering in the present life, or what they do in the present will result in the suffering of their future lives
Thereby restricting them to a certain lifestyle, to do certain actions, controlling them within a certain means
Because the followers fear creating karma for their future lives
And yes, there is a contradiction, since if they can be enlightened so easily, they won’t have a future life anyway
They won’t or can’t see this, because they have been conditioned not to question the leader’s teachings
What are the effects on the followers?
I touched on it earlier, on how it can affect the children in negative ways, as well as briefly mentioning how it can create isolation from other people like friends and family
As stated above in the last sentence, there is a contradiction between what they do and what they believe in
Although I’m sharing about this specific group, I will not be surprised if other cults around the world have similar contradictions too
Especially if they need to keep to a certain lifestyle, then when they break a rule, they feel extreme shame and guilt, which can cause anxiety and depression or even anger issues as well
In fact, research has found that within the first year, people who join cults start to exhibit psychiatric issues
Will it shock you to hear that 52% have anxiety and 45.2% have mood disorders?
And of course, even if the truth were to be revealed to them, it is possible that they will deny the truth and rather continue to believe in their leader
Each cult might have their own specific ritual
And if they have such a ritual, there may be specific negative side effects on the followers who partake of that ritual too
For example, a doomsday cult might go for vices and enjoy what they can, since they believe the world is ending soon, thus developing addictions, depravity, etc
While a sex cult might have sexual abuse, thus developing depression, substance abuse etc
There is one group which believes that young female children are great hosts or mediums for any god or Buddha to possess, and so in that group, they will gather such children from the followers to be possessed
Apparently, they will be mediums until their first puberty where they are considered ‘unclean’
Whether it be true or not, it sounds like the children are being led into it without fully comprehending or consenting, and it’s just horrible!
In addition, I believe that The Buddha will not need to possess anyone at all, since he is enlightened, if he need to talk to you, he will just appear, there is no need for a possession
This specific ritual can cause a lot of trauma to the girls, causing them to potentially develop split personalities, shame, guilt, depression etc
Unfortunately, I don’t know if it is true or not and whether the police can do anything based on hearsay
At the same time, we can’t blame the followers
More often than not, the followers themselves have their own issues from their childhood or families
If a hypothetical family doesn’t express love with one another, there is neglect, the child might grow up searching for love in some form
However, since the parents do not express love or communicate with each other, the child might end up have toxic relationships too
Then coming across a group which promotes love and connection, community and belonging, sounds fascinating to them
And since everyone seems to wholesome, it is easy to get attached to the group
Wanting to belong to the group, they will also believe the words of the leader without much thought
That is how one might slip and fall deep into a cult
So besides doing proper research and having a truthful understanding in order to protect yourself, another way is to resolve any lingering issues about your childhood, your family, yourself
When you resolve those issues, you can truly love yourself and know what’s best for you
You will also learn how to love other people and form healthy relationships and connections
That to me, is the best form of protection for yourself
Not just against a cult, but also at what life throws at you
