Cults 101
True or False: Many cult leaders are afraid of being left.
True!
What are the two main characteristics observed in cult leaders?
Charisma & authority!
According to attachment theory, which condition is best for observing attachment bonds in children?
Conditions that create fear!
This NRM encouraged women to engage in "Flirty Fishing"
Children of God - "The Family International"
Which cult included a leader who claimed he was the true reincarnation of Jesus Christ, adding that Jesus was actually a blue eyed, brunette from European ancestry?
*BONUS 100 points if you can tell me his first and last name
Part 2: Jeff Ayan or Jeff "Divine"
What is relationship zero?
You know this!
Among the various pathways into cults, which is the stereotypical pathway?
The Seeker
What are some other terms for brainwashing? List 2.
Coercive persuasion, thought reform, emotional control.
This cult encouraged males to receive vasectomies and ordered 280 couples to divorce.
Synanon!
This was arguably the most violent cult in Canada's history.
The Ant Hill Kids
What is cognitive collapse?
Be sure to explain!
These groups help recruit members, but they often hide the true agenda behind the cult and its beliefs.
Front groups
Main & Solomon postulated that there is disorganized attachment, too. What would this look like?
hmm..
According to the FBI, New Religious Movements (NRMs) can pose dangerous threats to society. List 4 to 5 of the risk factors associated with NRMs, per the FBI.
History of violence,
Researching violent methods,
Abrupt changes in philosophy or recruitment strategies,
Stockpiling weapons (Hello, Waco!),
Mental health issues among the leader - paranoia,
Training to use weapons or practicing for suicide,
Violence existing within the group
Which cult of the week has been the most dangerous in your opinion? Defend your stance with 2-3 pieces of evidence. :)
You pick!
How would you define a cult? Be sure to differentiate it from other groups using key terms and behaviors.
Hmm :)
According to Stein, what is the way out of a cult?
Bowlby famously created Attachment Theory.
1. What is the importance of this theory?
2. What is the monotropic bond?
3. Explain the three attachment types discussed in class as it relates to attachment theory.
You know this!
1. Explain
2. Explain again
3. Secure attachment, Preoccupied attachment, Dismissing attachment
Please explain the design and outcomes of Milgram's experiment. Why was he conducting this research?
Remember the video in class and our discussion!
Detail the origin story of Scientology!
*DOUBLE JEOPARDY
Hint: Xenu
According to Stein, there are five dimensions of a cult. List them and explain three!
• Leadership
• Structure
• Ideology
• Process: Brainwashing
• Outcomes
Explain three
List the five pathways into followership (according to Stein).
Explain 3 of them.
1. The Seeker
2. Pulled in
3. Born in or raised in
4. Kidnapped or "press-ganged"
5. Being part of a totalitarian state
Lifton lists eight conditions inherent in Thought Reform (i.e., another term for brainwashing). List them and briefly describe them in 4-6 words.
1. Milieu Control
2. Mystical Manipulation
3. The Demand for Purity
4. The Cult of Confession
5. The Sacred Science
6. Loading the Language
7. Doctrine over Person
8. The Dispensing of Existence
Explain who is vulnerable for joining a cult and in doing so, mention whether or not attachment status matters when one joins a cult.
Describe one cult of the week (of those covered in class) and note the following:
1. The leader - do they fit the criteria of most cult leaders?
2. The recruitment strategies
3. What are their beliefs?
4. Is brainwashing utilized? How so?
5. Were any crimes or exploitive measures committed by this cult? List.
:) You pick. Yay!