Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1997, page 19
and optimistic as a way of maintaining a positive and cooperative stance in the world. For
the most part, this kind of education leads to collaborative, successful outcomes. But those
of us who value honesty, straightforwardness, and fairness have a kind of narcissism that
can get us into trouble --that is, many of us believe that others think just like us. Without
training in how to discern deception, many of us, like Pam, will believe the words of con
artists and manipulators.
Both men and women in our culture are thus susceptible to the manipulation of cult
recruiters and cult leaders. Once they are involved in cultic groups, people begin to have
reactions similar to Pam‟s. They become anxious, depressed, confused, dissociated. They
feel that something is not “right,” but they are unable to clarify for themselves what the
problem is. They continue to feel distressed --or, in psychiatric terminology, they are
“symptomatic.” In the following sections I will elucidate compelling cultural factors that
draw women to cults, how gender binds make it particularly difficult for women to see when
they are being manipulated, and how these gender binds contribute to women having
difficulty leaving destructive cults.
What Women Consciously Want and What Cults Advertise
Because of the rapid changes in our culture, modern women are in powerful, conflictual role
binds. Women want to be successful in their own right, while still valuing relationship and
nurturance. They want to be given guidance about how to manage in a rapidly changing
world, while still maintaining their independence. They want to have romantic relationships
with relative freedom from the pain of gender inequities. How do you succeed in a
competitive economy and maintain a feminine identity? Where can you get guidance on how
to live in a society so different from the one your mother grew up in? How can you cope
with maturing into womanhood in a culture with ubiquitous gender inequities?
What cults advertise as their missions and what they seem to embody are congruent with
these conflicting wishes. They are communities that appear to include values of cooperation
and nurturance while expressing power and success, and they appear to offer “the answers”
about how to cope in today‟s world.
Power and Relationship
In many cases, women are led to believe that they can join a powerful community without
the threat of social rejection or loss of femininity. Here‟s one example:
“Julia” was recruited into a small Hebrew-Christian group led by a charismatic woman
who successfully recruited people out of a large reform synagogue. Julia was interested
in the group because it offered more intimacy than the services she had been
attending. “Elizabeth,” the leader, also proclaimed grand goals for the group and its
impact on the Judeo-Christian tradition. Julia was particularly drawn to the group‟s
supposed democratic style. Elizabeth said they would all work together to change the
world, that it would be a joint project.
Years after leaving the cult, Julia rose to the top of a large corporation. Despite the fact
that she was a top manager of hundreds of employees, she still signed her name to
letters and memos without printing her title underneath her name. She ran meetings in
an ultrademocratic fashion and struggled over making final decisions and claiming them
as her own. She was in constant fear that she would appear too “bossy” or as a “power-
hungry bitch.” She actually liked being in charge, but was frightened of others‟
reactions to her taking that role. Julia still dreamed of a group situation where she
might feel and identify with the power of the group without standing out too much. She
had originally entered the cult with the conscious hope that the group would satisfy her
need for making an impact without feeling like a tyrant.
and optimistic as a way of maintaining a positive and cooperative stance in the world. For
the most part, this kind of education leads to collaborative, successful outcomes. But those
of us who value honesty, straightforwardness, and fairness have a kind of narcissism that
can get us into trouble --that is, many of us believe that others think just like us. Without
training in how to discern deception, many of us, like Pam, will believe the words of con
artists and manipulators.
Both men and women in our culture are thus susceptible to the manipulation of cult
recruiters and cult leaders. Once they are involved in cultic groups, people begin to have
reactions similar to Pam‟s. They become anxious, depressed, confused, dissociated. They
feel that something is not “right,” but they are unable to clarify for themselves what the
problem is. They continue to feel distressed --or, in psychiatric terminology, they are
“symptomatic.” In the following sections I will elucidate compelling cultural factors that
draw women to cults, how gender binds make it particularly difficult for women to see when
they are being manipulated, and how these gender binds contribute to women having
difficulty leaving destructive cults.
What Women Consciously Want and What Cults Advertise
Because of the rapid changes in our culture, modern women are in powerful, conflictual role
binds. Women want to be successful in their own right, while still valuing relationship and
nurturance. They want to be given guidance about how to manage in a rapidly changing
world, while still maintaining their independence. They want to have romantic relationships
with relative freedom from the pain of gender inequities. How do you succeed in a
competitive economy and maintain a feminine identity? Where can you get guidance on how
to live in a society so different from the one your mother grew up in? How can you cope
with maturing into womanhood in a culture with ubiquitous gender inequities?
What cults advertise as their missions and what they seem to embody are congruent with
these conflicting wishes. They are communities that appear to include values of cooperation
and nurturance while expressing power and success, and they appear to offer “the answers”
about how to cope in today‟s world.
Power and Relationship
In many cases, women are led to believe that they can join a powerful community without
the threat of social rejection or loss of femininity. Here‟s one example:
“Julia” was recruited into a small Hebrew-Christian group led by a charismatic woman
who successfully recruited people out of a large reform synagogue. Julia was interested
in the group because it offered more intimacy than the services she had been
attending. “Elizabeth,” the leader, also proclaimed grand goals for the group and its
impact on the Judeo-Christian tradition. Julia was particularly drawn to the group‟s
supposed democratic style. Elizabeth said they would all work together to change the
world, that it would be a joint project.
Years after leaving the cult, Julia rose to the top of a large corporation. Despite the fact
that she was a top manager of hundreds of employees, she still signed her name to
letters and memos without printing her title underneath her name. She ran meetings in
an ultrademocratic fashion and struggled over making final decisions and claiming them
as her own. She was in constant fear that she would appear too “bossy” or as a “power-
hungry bitch.” She actually liked being in charge, but was frightened of others‟
reactions to her taking that role. Julia still dreamed of a group situation where she
might feel and identify with the power of the group without standing out too much. She
had originally entered the cult with the conscious hope that the group would satisfy her
need for making an impact without feeling like a tyrant.
