As you may have already realised, here at Future Conscience we are interested in taking a close look at many different areas of our modern lives in order to try and build a common thread of ethical behaviour and universal morality (if such a thing can exist at all!). Today, I will be taking a look at a rather controversial and tricky subject – religious ‘cults’. By highlighting some warning signs that I have seen in various spiritual bodies myself, I hope that somebody reading this may be able to avoid some internal turmoil and emotional, or even physical, pain in the future.
What are the warning signs to look out for?
The word ‘cult’ is always one that I don’t like to just throw around. Over the past few decades it has become synonymous with almost any New Religious Movement – many of which are actually quite benign and not in the slightest to be considered dangerous. ‘Cult’ brings up ideas of mass-suicides such as those conducted by the Peoples Temple (Jonestown) or Heaven’s Gate. It brings up connotations of fanatical religious leaders that end up in an apocalyptic clash with the government, with the Branch Davidians group at Waco being the typical example of this. But there are many New Religious Movements that can be useful to those on a spiritual path. As we move into the 21st century, we are seeing many people return from a world of pure secularism to one where they crave spirituality but do not want to return to organised, hierarchical, religion. This is both a blessing and a curse, as it can lead to wonderful personal liberation and insight but also into the arms of manipulative and charismatic leaders or groups that cause harm.
So, below you will find a short list of 5 of the main signs that you need to look for when joining any spiritual group or society. They are not in any particular order, and there are indeed many more signs then this – but this is a good start. If you are involved in a group that shows some of these signs you should become more aware of people’s motivations and movements, take a step back for a bit and use a more objective eye. The more of these signs that the group displays, the more certain you can be that they are not a useful spiritual organisation but rather a dangerous and destructive group that will almost certainly cause you more harm than good.
1. The group is controlled by a single interpretation of belief
The first, and usually most telling, sign to look out for is that the group has one single source of authority within it. This can manifest in many guises but the majority of the time it does so in one of two ways – it could be a single living leader or guru, or a deceased founder that is reverred above all else. Sometimes, this can also be a small inner group of individuals rather than one person; however the effect is the same. By creating a central authority on spiritual knowledge and truth one can be internally manipulated into agreeing with things that they would never have thought previously. This is a long process, but it unfortunately does work and has been well documented.
What happens in these situations is that the individual, or group, that controls the authoritative interpretation becomes increasingly worshipped and unable to do wrong. This uneven balance of power is truly a recipe for destructive group behaviour, as it is a very difficult position to be in without taking advantage of those who give you such power. The vast majority of groups that exist in this manner have some form of destructive behaviour within them.
Signs to look for: Can you ask questions about what you are told? Can you flatly disagree with something you are told and still be accepted by the group? Does the group try to hide or gloss over any leader/s faults and mistakes in life? Do you notice that other members tend to repeat what they have been told rather then come up with their own interpretations? Are others who speak out openly ostracised by the group for doing so?
2. The “Us vs. Them” mentality
Another very common element amongst dangerous organisations is that they overtly foster an ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality – it is the group against the world, against outsiders or oppressors. This can be in the form of government organisations such as the CIA or FBI; it can be against the mental health community in the form of psychiatrists; quite often it is simply a distinction between those ‘blessed’ individuals who belong to the group, and the ‘evil’ outsiders who are damned or tools of some evil force. By creating an environment such as this the group is creating a kind of cognitive dissonance between the life the group member used to lead and the one they do now. By even thinking about leaving the group you will feel guilty (or even worse), as if you are succumbing to evil external influences. The person that you used to be is often seen as shameful and something to be forgotten and discarded. The ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality creates a great deal of group cohesion and bonding – it is incredibly effective at doing so in fact – but it does this in a way that makes it impossible to interact with the opposing group, regardless of their true motives or identities. If that opposing group is literally everybody who does not agree with the teachings of the spiritual community you are a part of, then there is an obvious destructive component that will greatly impact your lifestyle.
Signs to look for: Do you notice that one particular group of people are constantly referred to in a negative light? Are those who leave spoken about as if they have been corrupted or damned? Is there a sense that the group is under attack by their supposed enemies? Are they stockpiling rations, weapons, or other forms of supplies that suggest some future cataclysm or disaster scenario?
3. Exploitation of group members by leaders
It is almost a universal aspect of dangerous spiritual organisations that the everyday members are exploited in one form or another, often for the ‘greater good’ of the cause at hand. In most instances this is from an economic point of view, having many volunteers who will work for free makes an organisation quite cheap to run; particularly if some form of commercial product is being created as a result of that work. In other instances this exploitation can take on a more nefarious nature, such as sexual exploitation. There are many many examples of group leaders taking sexual advantage of their members, and sometimes even their members children. This is usually couched in some kind of pseudo-spiritual language about ‘energy sharing’ or ‘divine love’, and when coupled with a single source of authority within the group can become a vicious cycle that is difficult to break out of. Other forms of exploitation are not as violently destructive in this manner, but can still have a long-term impact on the individual. One of the more common is when group members are expected to tithe a particular amount (or, quite often, all) of their personal income and material belongings to the organisation. Another, basic, form comes from the emotional exploitation of members in order to satiate the leader’s ego and need for control. Exploitation can take many forms, and it can sometimes be very subtle and difficult to identify, but all forms will have a common element – that those in control of the group are benefiting from the general membership in an unbalanced manner.
Signs to look for: Is work and labour within the group described as a form of meditation or penance? Does the group promote very particular ideas of sexuality and then proceed to criticise members who do not agree with these values? Is there a ‘divine/universal mission’ of some kind that they are striving towards at all costs? Does the group criticise the needs and wants of the individual, making one feel guilty for wanting anything that is not entirely in the group’s interest?