Re-Post: Cults and Mind Control

In Summer of 2023, we’re re-posting some of the most popular blogs from the site. Enjoy reviewing this content! This article on cults was originally published in June of 2020.

By Haley Rasmussen

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Do you feel the need to belong somewhere? A cult might be the place for you! That exact feeling is what gets people into cults in the first place. They feel they do not belong and go searching for somewhere to fit in, and in many cases, unknowingly end up joining a cult. A cult consists of a group of followers that are completely devoted to a leader. Cult leaders have a way of preying upon vulnerable people and roping them into situations they do not fully understand. Many times, it looks like a kind of church they are joining. The leaders provide comfort and answers, and gain the trust of individuals, which is when they start controlling their minds.

Behavior modification is a tool that cults often use on their followers. This technique uses different kinds of positive and negative punishment and reinforcements, to reach the desired behavior. Members are taught to stop the doubts about the cult that enter their minds and replace them with good thoughts about the cult or with a key phrase that they repeat over and over. Some cults use techniques that prey on the phobias or fears of the members. They often threaten that bad things will happen to them, such as developing cancer or going insane, if they ever leave the group. Some groups take it to the extreme levels of mass suicide. A woman who was part of a cult named the Peoples Temple joined because she needed a sense of belonging. She recalled it feeling like she was joining the Peace Corps. A few years into it, she went to a compound of the group in a different country and explained it as feeling like a concentration camp. She was able to escape and go to the authorities. She reported that they were holding people against their will and running mass suicide drills. A few months after she escaped, the group’s drills became a reality, and 913 people died after drinking cyanide punch or being shot to death (Dittman, 2002, para. 13). The amount of brain washing that must occur to convince people to do something like that is extreme. These techniques and experiences leave lasting damage on the individuals who are a part of these groups. It takes hard work for cult members to recover after leaving the group; that is, if they ever do leave the group.

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If a person is strong enough to escape a cult, they will need to go through a lot of treatment to recover from the experience. However, many people do not see brainwashing as a legitimate area of study. They say there is not enough scientific evidence to support this topic. While there may not be a ton of scientific research, history has shown these practices being used. Things such as hypnotism being used to implant false memories, interrogation techniques that inflict pain, and brainwashing techniques during war, have all been used in history and leave a lasting impact on a person and their mental well-being. Therapies need to be available to help victims of these techniques and situations, because they deserve to recover as much as anyone else. More research into and awareness of these topics needs to be made available because it is a lot more common than anyone thinks. If you suspect someone may be involved in a cult, do not try to forcibly remove them. Persuasion is an effective technique to try and get them to leave. Keeping contact is important, as well as making sure they know you are there to support them. 

Cults and the mind control techniques they use on their members can be extremely damaging and, in some cases, may cost some people their lives. It is important to bring awareness to the effects of brainwashing and conduct further research as to how to help people who have experienced this kind of trauma.

ThinkingKarla Lassonde