International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 9, 2018 9
The ultimate result of undue influence is that the
victim loses freedom of choice. The cult
member has a new identity.
110F
111
C. Five Types of Cults
A common misconception is that the term “cult”
refers only to religious organizations.
111F
112
Although religious cults are the most notorious,
there are also political, terrorist,
psychotherapy/educational, and commercial
cults.
112F
113
Before exploring the types of cults in depth,
however, it is worth considering why a person
would join any cult in the first place. Given the
abusive nature of cults, who joins them and
why? In the United States, there was a
noticeable boom of recruitment in the late 1970s
and early 1980s when many college-age adults
joined cultic groups.
113F
114 Perhaps the recruits’
vulnerability stemmed from being away from
home for the first time and, at that stage of their
lives, looking for identity. Since that time, cults
have expanded their target populations to the
elderly and business executives.
114F
115 Both of these
latter groups are attractive to cults for financial
reasons.
115F
116
Cults target young, generally college-age,
persons in systematic fashion.
116F
117 Typically the
cult recruiter initiates conversation, often with a
person of the opposite sex, perhaps with flattery
or finding a topic of common interest.
117F
118
Eventually, the potential-inductee is invited to a
gathering of other members.
118F
119 From there, the
inductee is typically encouraged to attend long
seminars in which he or she is separated from
the outside world.
119F
120
111 See HASSAN, supra note 55, at 108−10.
112 See id.
113 See HASSAN, supra note 55, at 85−87.
114 See Jihadism, supra note 78, at 272.
115 See Leland E. Shields &F. Jeri Carter, Healing from
Experiences with Unhealthy Spiritual Groups and Cults: Treatment
Using Myths and Folk Tales, 18 CULTIC STUD. J. 109, 114 (2001).
116 Id.
117 Richard Delgado, Cults and Conversion: The Case for
Informed Consent, 16 GA. L. REV. 533, 546−48 (1982).
118 Id.
119 See id.
120 Id.
Cult leaders’ influence over developing
adolescents and children is alarmingly
destructive.
120F
121 Marked differences exist in the
personality traits of those entering cults in
adolescence or early adulthood and those born
into cults.
121F
122 Those who enter cults during the
adolescent stage or later identify with the cult
leader and often form a new personality that is
superimposed over their own, but they never
completely forget their former personality.
122F
123 In
contrast, those born into cults (called “second
generation” members)
123F
124 display personalities
that are more fundamentally shaped by the
cult,
124F
125 reflecting the fact that they have been
more affected by it. In either case, the
charismatic leader often plays the role of the
parent.
125F
126 Rebellious behavior is squashed by
strict discipline, leading to passive personalities
in developing children.
126F
127
1. Religious Cults
Religious cults have, at their core, a religious
dogma.
127F
128 Some religious cults, often referred to
as “doomsday cults,” are focused on the end of
the world.
128F
129 As the 2000 calendar year
approached, adherents of these religious cults
focused on a possible apocalypse.
129F
130 For
instance, the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas,
led by David Koresh, preached that he was the
Lamb of God and that the end of time was
soon.
130F
131 In 1993, eighty members, including
twenty-two children, died in a blazing inferno in
a confrontation with authorities.
131F
132 Marshall
121 Id. at 540.
122 See Lorna Goldberg, Raised in Cultic Groups: The Impact on
the Development of Certain Aspects of Character, 5 CULTIC STUD.
REV. 1, 5 (2006).
123 See id.
124 Researchers use the following terms: “first generation” is used
to refer to adults who join cults. “Second generation” is used to
refer to children born while their mothers (or parents) are in cults,
or young children brought into cults when a parent(s) joins, and
these children are raised in cults.
125 See Goldberg, supra note 120.
126 Id.
127 See id. at 5.
128 See HASSAN, supra note 55, at 296.
129 See id.
130 See Violent Outcomes, supra note 1, at 287.
131 See Schwartz, supra note 13, at 92.
132 See Decoding the Past, supra note 77.
The ultimate result of undue influence is that the
victim loses freedom of choice. The cult
member has a new identity.
110F
111
C. Five Types of Cults
A common misconception is that the term “cult”
refers only to religious organizations.
111F
112
Although religious cults are the most notorious,
there are also political, terrorist,
psychotherapy/educational, and commercial
cults.
112F
113
Before exploring the types of cults in depth,
however, it is worth considering why a person
would join any cult in the first place. Given the
abusive nature of cults, who joins them and
why? In the United States, there was a
noticeable boom of recruitment in the late 1970s
and early 1980s when many college-age adults
joined cultic groups.
113F
114 Perhaps the recruits’
vulnerability stemmed from being away from
home for the first time and, at that stage of their
lives, looking for identity. Since that time, cults
have expanded their target populations to the
elderly and business executives.
114F
115 Both of these
latter groups are attractive to cults for financial
reasons.
115F
116
Cults target young, generally college-age,
persons in systematic fashion.
116F
117 Typically the
cult recruiter initiates conversation, often with a
person of the opposite sex, perhaps with flattery
or finding a topic of common interest.
117F
118
Eventually, the potential-inductee is invited to a
gathering of other members.
118F
119 From there, the
inductee is typically encouraged to attend long
seminars in which he or she is separated from
the outside world.
119F
120
111 See HASSAN, supra note 55, at 108−10.
112 See id.
113 See HASSAN, supra note 55, at 85−87.
114 See Jihadism, supra note 78, at 272.
115 See Leland E. Shields &F. Jeri Carter, Healing from
Experiences with Unhealthy Spiritual Groups and Cults: Treatment
Using Myths and Folk Tales, 18 CULTIC STUD. J. 109, 114 (2001).
116 Id.
117 Richard Delgado, Cults and Conversion: The Case for
Informed Consent, 16 GA. L. REV. 533, 546−48 (1982).
118 Id.
119 See id.
120 Id.
Cult leaders’ influence over developing
adolescents and children is alarmingly
destructive.
120F
121 Marked differences exist in the
personality traits of those entering cults in
adolescence or early adulthood and those born
into cults.
121F
122 Those who enter cults during the
adolescent stage or later identify with the cult
leader and often form a new personality that is
superimposed over their own, but they never
completely forget their former personality.
122F
123 In
contrast, those born into cults (called “second
generation” members)
123F
124 display personalities
that are more fundamentally shaped by the
cult,
124F
125 reflecting the fact that they have been
more affected by it. In either case, the
charismatic leader often plays the role of the
parent.
125F
126 Rebellious behavior is squashed by
strict discipline, leading to passive personalities
in developing children.
126F
127
1. Religious Cults
Religious cults have, at their core, a religious
dogma.
127F
128 Some religious cults, often referred to
as “doomsday cults,” are focused on the end of
the world.
128F
129 As the 2000 calendar year
approached, adherents of these religious cults
focused on a possible apocalypse.
129F
130 For
instance, the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas,
led by David Koresh, preached that he was the
Lamb of God and that the end of time was
soon.
130F
131 In 1993, eighty members, including
twenty-two children, died in a blazing inferno in
a confrontation with authorities.
131F
132 Marshall
121 Id. at 540.
122 See Lorna Goldberg, Raised in Cultic Groups: The Impact on
the Development of Certain Aspects of Character, 5 CULTIC STUD.
REV. 1, 5 (2006).
123 See id.
124 Researchers use the following terms: “first generation” is used
to refer to adults who join cults. “Second generation” is used to
refer to children born while their mothers (or parents) are in cults,
or young children brought into cults when a parent(s) joins, and
these children are raised in cults.
125 See Goldberg, supra note 120.
126 Id.
127 See id. at 5.
128 See HASSAN, supra note 55, at 296.
129 See id.
130 See Violent Outcomes, supra note 1, at 287.
131 See Schwartz, supra note 13, at 92.
132 See Decoding the Past, supra note 77.
