How to Identify you are in a cult

A few days back I saw a video discussing some weird cults around the world, I was shocked at how educated and intellectual people were engaged so badly in these cults that they give up their lives but could not survive the cult. Today we will have a look at what a cult is, How to survive it? And is there any cult we see around us?

What is a Cult?

A cult is a group of people gathered together by a common ideological system. They centre on a charismatic leader who claims to be the only one who can help them transcend life’s imperfections. It has a belief structure that has the solutions to all of life’s questions and offers a distinctive answer to be achieved only by following the leader’s rules. It requires a high level of commitment from at least some of the members.

How to identify you are in a Cult?

  • Cults usually begin with so-called religious centers, self-healing coaching, and self-helping centers.
  • If you are not born in one, initially you would feel like your soul is being healed and you get the self-satisfaction you were searching for all past years because your cult mentor is there to make you feel so.
  • Later on, you will notice all that peace is fading away which then you are made to realise is because of you running away from the cult’s responsibilities.
  • Your group feels they’re on an exceptional mission to save humankind.  They consider their pioneer to be an extraordinary being or an avatar.
  • There is always an us versus them mentality, there must be another group they find themselves being better from, a better version of pre-existing religion, culture, or belief.

How the cult controls you:

  • A leader or Leader’s subordinate directs where, how, and with whom you live, connects, or separates you from others.
  • They portray absolute/ unquestioning commitment to its leader, alive or dead?
  • They start distancing you from your relationships.
  • They exploit you financially. They practice monetary abuse, control, or reliance.
  • They force inflexible principles and guidelines.
  • They expect individuals to disguise the cult’s tenet as truth (to believe without asking).
  • They try to stop a person’s critical thoughts, they utilise stacked language and buzzwords which choke information and stop basic consideration.
  • They cause the individual to feel that issues and problems are forever their fault, never the pioneer’s or the group’s fault.
  • They implant dread, such as dread of the external world, rivals, leaving, or being rejected by the group.

Woah so many red flags!!! So if you find out being surrounded by a “community” with the above characteristics you need to find a way as soon as possible. Here are some techniques you could get yourself out of a cult:

How to Survive the Cult?

  • Research!! Research!! And Research!! Go through the internet, your cult’s library, and listen to the mentor who are not from your cult so that you could get to know another side of the story too.
  • Make notes for any future encounter with your former cult colleagues.
  • Find people whom you seek refuge in, who could help you get out of that pit, make a loss, and gather their contacts in case of emergency.
  •  Keep your documents safe!! Keep your passports, degrees, national ids, and ATMs, safe and sound in case you need to leave the town or the country you have all your belongings.
  • Boycott Cult meetings and services, this may be a difficult step but this will be the very first sign you would show to your group to be ready for counterattacks.
  • Seek emotional help you will be needing a lot of emotional support as you must be going through a roller coaster of emotions because leaving a group you have been a part of for a long time is very difficult and it becomes harder if your family is also a part of it.
  • Repair before you rescue, don’t run get people out of the cult unless you’re not completely stable. Try to cut all the ties for a suitable period and be a role model for others in case they would need help to get out. But don’t get yourself into it.
  • Stay strong in your choice to leave the cult. Remind yourself why you needed to move away, and tell any current individuals from the gathering that you would rather not converse with them. Work on settling on your own choices, and work on rediscovering your character.

In short, you need to stay strong, motivated, and focused. Find good company and a better cause to live in!!