Danger of Cultism: Even Educated People Are Vulnerable.
In recent years, Kenya has witnessed a growing threat to society in the form of cultism. With reports of shocking scenes of shallow graves, emaciated people who don’t want to be rescued, and bodies being recovered from places like Shakahola Forest, it is clear that cults are taking advantage of vulnerable people.
One such example is Pastor Paul Mackenzie, who is being investigated over the deaths of his faithful. Reports indicate that the pastor, who anchored his sermons on end-time teachings, told his followers to fast to death to meet Jesus. Even intelligent and learned people followed him blindly without questioning his message.
Cults prey on vulnerabilities and manipulate their followers to their advantage. They use every technique to capture their target and prey. Cult leaders are very aware that people have distinct needs and come to them to offer psychosocial support, help, love, and care, which receivers could never dream of receiving anywhere.
Therefore, they prey on people’s vulnerabilities and manipulate them to their advantage. Misinterpretation of Scripture is the backbone of cultism fuelled by claims of new or deeper revelations. Regrettably, some people have gone too low to the extent of exploiting unsuspecting members left, right, and center for personal gain.
Differentiating between Religion and Cultism
The reason why people are not able to differentiate between religion and cultism is that some of these cultic groups are disguised as churches or faith organizations, which gives them a little credibility or trust with the people. By definition, a cult is a non-orthodox heretical religious group that often exercises social and mental control over its members.
One characteristic common with cults is that they are often started by strong dynamic leaders who easily sway unsuspecting members into following their heretical teachings and their manner of life. Many of the cults advocate for uniformity in practice, for example, in clothing, worship, among others.
Cultism is still a major challenge even in this century because the needs of humanity have not changed from time immemorial. Man is always in search of purpose and meaning in life. This drive has often led people to execute crazy ideas. Cults are cautiously designed by experts who have mastered human needs and preferences.
These professionals, with big titles and names, veraciously craft attractive, well-bundled products that the human eye cannot resist. Their bait comes across as solution-based, harmless, and prepared to immediately sort out an issue or tribulation when in actuality, they are sugar-coated poisons that individuals drink into their resulting damage.
Women are More Likely to Join a Cult
Available research shows that women are more likely than men to join a cult. The psychology behind cult suggests that the human need for comfort prompts people to seek out others or things to soothe their fears and anxieties. Women fall for this manipulation because there’s a lot of attraction, attentiveness, and flattery, and both cults and abusers will prey on this.
The psychology behind cults suggests that people are drawn to these groups because they provide comfort and a sense of belonging. However, cults can also be dangerous and harmful to their members. In this article, we will explore the psychology behind cults and why people are drawn to them.
The Human Need for Comfort
According to Nyambura Gathumbi, a psychotherapist, the human need for comfort is a major reason why people are drawn to cults. People seek out others or things to soothe their fears and anxieties. Cults offer a sense of belonging, which can be particularly appealing to individuals who come from dysfunctional families or have experienced childhood trauma. The need for comfort is so strong that individuals can be manipulated into joining a cult.
Unconditional Acceptance
One of the primary ways that cult leaders manipulate individuals is by offering unconditional acceptance. When someone joins a cult, they are told what they want to hear. This is particularly important because many cult members come from dysfunctional families and may have experienced emotional neglect or trauma. The cult leader offers acceptance and makes the individual feel special. This can be very seductive and can lead to a deep sense of loyalty to the cult.
Identity
Another way that cult leaders manipulate individuals is by offering them a new identity. Cult members gain a new individual identity and a collective identity. The individual realizes that the cult members love and accept them for all their weaknesses and failures. The collective identity is the perception and emotional experience that ‘we are all here together, we are broken, and we love each other’. This is particularly important for individuals who have not experienced this from their family of origin.
Once an individual has been offered unconditional acceptance and a new identity, they feel a sense of belonging. The emotional need has been met, and the individual does not perceive that there is anything better than what they are receiving from the cult. This sense of belonging is particularly strong in cults and can lead to a deep sense of loyalty to the group.
Reward
The promise of a reward is another way that cult leaders manipulate individuals. Cult members are willing to suffer as long as they believe that they will receive a reward at the end. From a psychological perspective, cults are classified as addiction, but unlike physical or drug addiction, which are relatively easy to treat, cult addiction is on another level.
Even those who are rescued from cults may not be willing to accept help until their ‘mission’ is done.
In conclusion, the psychology behind cults is complex and multi-faceted. Cult leaders manipulate individuals by offering them unconditional acceptance, a new identity, a sense of belonging, and the promise of a reward. Cults can be particularly appealing to individuals who come from dysfunctional families or have experienced childhood trauma.
The need for comfort and a sense of belonging is so strong that individuals can be drawn into cults despite the potential dangers and harm that they may experience. It is important for individuals to be aware of the psychology behind cults and to seek help if they or someone they know is involved in a cult.
Danger of Cultism: Even Educated People Are Vulnerable.
