Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 6, No. 2, 1989, Page 15
Quest for Transcendence – “part of the cure is the experience of transcendence…in that
experience of ecstasy, one may be ready to kill, or at least to sanction killing…Hitler became
an agent of this transcendence…”the will of the Fuhrer” [became] a “cosmic law” because
his message of revitalization could invoke the experience of transcendence and place that
experience within a structure of thought and a program of action” (p.474) (f) the
Continuous “High State” – romantic nationalism “combined with specific Nazi ideological
omnipotence to contribute to a sense of being those particular “children of the gods” who
had the right to kill, in a spirit described by one as “If you will not be my brother, your head
will be dropped off your shoulders” …that pattern was exemplified by the “oath-bound
community” entered into by SS members” (p.475).
Social-psychological Models
Social-psychological models of conversion range from those that attempt an integration with
other models of coercive persuasion (e.g., Cialdini, 1984 Galanti, 1984 Singer, 1982
Zimbardo, Ebbesen &Maslach, 1977) to those that deny coercive persuasion (e.g., Balch,
1980 Bromley &Shupe, 1979 Kim, 1979).
Balch (1980) studies a millennial UFO cult (admittedly not meeting the criteria of a
destructive cult) and suggested that role-taking theory provided a parsimonious explanation
for the behavior of cultists. He concluded that “when people join a religious cult they first
change their behavior by adopting a new role ...the boundless faith of the true believer
usually develops only after lengthy involvement in the cult‟s day-to-day activities” (p.143).
In contrast, Stanford psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues (Zimbardo, Ebbesen &
Maslach, 1977, pp. 1840185) place their social-psychological explanation of conversion
alongside the other models, seeking an integrated model of what they termed “persuasive
conversion.” In delineating the “Principles of Persuasive Conversion” they noted that cultists
are “submerged in the group and encouraged toward deindividuated actions and
feelings…the individual is made to feel the group‟s power, which he or she can share in.”
Recruits are told to listen uncritically with a “nonevaluative vulnerable mind-set of
acceptance” to repetitious lectures and other “information inputs” while “attractive, similar
peers model sincerity, happiness, vitality and the unconditional acceptance of the cult‟s
ideas.” Attitude and behavior change is aided by “potent social reinforcers” that “are
dispensed freely.” These reinforcers include “smiles, approval, acceptance, praise, physical
contact, and apparent love.” Non acceptable behaviors on a recruit‟s part, however, “elicit
an immediate uniform reaction from all members of the group they are all saddened, never
angered, by deviant acts or thoughts.” Cult indoctrination centers typically mimic a “guest-
host [i.e., cult member – cult recruit] role relationship,” and guilt – a powerful behavior
modifier – results when the recruit upsets his or her “host.”
Information Processing Models
Chris Edwards (1982), a former Unification Church member who has written both about his
own experiences as a Moonist and about cult conversion in general, stated that conversion
is accomplished through manipulation of information. The cult, as a group, presents a
unified set of interactions between group and initiates (the group “persona”). On a more
microscopic level, the cult controls or attempts to control all environmental inputs,
especially the flow of information (Edwards, 1982). Edwards described the techniques
employed by successful cult recruiters, which begin with the recruiter‟s soliciting self-
disclosures from the initiate (and providing self-disclosures of his or her own) in order to
establish rapport. The recruiter‟s own self-disclosures may not always be true to facilitate
rapport, for example, he or she may claim an interest in country-western music that is not
really there. Once an invitation to a cult function has been accepted and the initiate is
secured in a milieu engineered by the cult, the cult trainers proceed to manipulate the
initiate‟s attention, increasing suggestibility and inducing the initiate to modify or dismantle
Quest for Transcendence – “part of the cure is the experience of transcendence…in that
experience of ecstasy, one may be ready to kill, or at least to sanction killing…Hitler became
an agent of this transcendence…”the will of the Fuhrer” [became] a “cosmic law” because
his message of revitalization could invoke the experience of transcendence and place that
experience within a structure of thought and a program of action” (p.474) (f) the
Continuous “High State” – romantic nationalism “combined with specific Nazi ideological
omnipotence to contribute to a sense of being those particular “children of the gods” who
had the right to kill, in a spirit described by one as “If you will not be my brother, your head
will be dropped off your shoulders” …that pattern was exemplified by the “oath-bound
community” entered into by SS members” (p.475).
Social-psychological Models
Social-psychological models of conversion range from those that attempt an integration with
other models of coercive persuasion (e.g., Cialdini, 1984 Galanti, 1984 Singer, 1982
Zimbardo, Ebbesen &Maslach, 1977) to those that deny coercive persuasion (e.g., Balch,
1980 Bromley &Shupe, 1979 Kim, 1979).
Balch (1980) studies a millennial UFO cult (admittedly not meeting the criteria of a
destructive cult) and suggested that role-taking theory provided a parsimonious explanation
for the behavior of cultists. He concluded that “when people join a religious cult they first
change their behavior by adopting a new role ...the boundless faith of the true believer
usually develops only after lengthy involvement in the cult‟s day-to-day activities” (p.143).
In contrast, Stanford psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues (Zimbardo, Ebbesen &
Maslach, 1977, pp. 1840185) place their social-psychological explanation of conversion
alongside the other models, seeking an integrated model of what they termed “persuasive
conversion.” In delineating the “Principles of Persuasive Conversion” they noted that cultists
are “submerged in the group and encouraged toward deindividuated actions and
feelings…the individual is made to feel the group‟s power, which he or she can share in.”
Recruits are told to listen uncritically with a “nonevaluative vulnerable mind-set of
acceptance” to repetitious lectures and other “information inputs” while “attractive, similar
peers model sincerity, happiness, vitality and the unconditional acceptance of the cult‟s
ideas.” Attitude and behavior change is aided by “potent social reinforcers” that “are
dispensed freely.” These reinforcers include “smiles, approval, acceptance, praise, physical
contact, and apparent love.” Non acceptable behaviors on a recruit‟s part, however, “elicit
an immediate uniform reaction from all members of the group they are all saddened, never
angered, by deviant acts or thoughts.” Cult indoctrination centers typically mimic a “guest-
host [i.e., cult member – cult recruit] role relationship,” and guilt – a powerful behavior
modifier – results when the recruit upsets his or her “host.”
Information Processing Models
Chris Edwards (1982), a former Unification Church member who has written both about his
own experiences as a Moonist and about cult conversion in general, stated that conversion
is accomplished through manipulation of information. The cult, as a group, presents a
unified set of interactions between group and initiates (the group “persona”). On a more
microscopic level, the cult controls or attempts to control all environmental inputs,
especially the flow of information (Edwards, 1982). Edwards described the techniques
employed by successful cult recruiters, which begin with the recruiter‟s soliciting self-
disclosures from the initiate (and providing self-disclosures of his or her own) in order to
establish rapport. The recruiter‟s own self-disclosures may not always be true to facilitate
rapport, for example, he or she may claim an interest in country-western music that is not
really there. Once an invitation to a cult function has been accepted and the initiate is
secured in a milieu engineered by the cult, the cult trainers proceed to manipulate the
initiate‟s attention, increasing suggestibility and inducing the initiate to modify or dismantle
