Michael Langone, in his article "Cults, Violence, and the Millennium," suggests the following three characteristics as essential in
the definition of a cultic group: 1. centralized control by a charismatic leader 2. an us vs. them mentality that isolates 3. a lack of tolerance for dissent > > LNI cult-test: > > Identifying Traits of Abusive Groups > > Control-oriented leadership leader claims to be an all-knowing, > liberated being. > > Hierarchical structure with an elite inner circle including > leader's assistants. > > Group leader not accountable to any authorities, as are, for example: > military commanders, ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of > mainstream denominations. > > Polarized us vs. them or black and white mentality causing conflict > with wider society. > > Manipulation of members by alternating guilt/anxiety/fear/ostracism > and attention. > > Group perception of being spiritually unique/elite and separate from > normal culture. > > Denunciation of other spiritual/religious leaders and groups. > > Mind-numbing techniques (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in > tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are > used to suppress doubts about group and leader. > > Spiritual practices emphasize experience rather than rationality. > > Sexual abuse - leader uses power to sexually exploit members. > > Economic exploitation of members by leader and assistants. > > Confidentiality of members private affairs (legal, medical) violated > by leader and assistants. > > Members' subservience to group causes them to cut or weaken ties with > family, friends, and personal goals and activities that were of > interest before joining group. > > Reliance on outside professional help, doctors, therapists, etc., > discouraged. > > Leader poses as self-sacrificing divine agent who only promotes > members' well-being. > > Service is inner directed toward the group not the surrounding > community. > > Revamping of members' cultural/moral values to suit leader's > lifestyle and program. > > Conformity to group's/leader's values, life style, mode of dress, > diet, esthetics, and so on. > > Promotion of dependence on group/leader often disguised. > Important personal decisions must be approved by leader members > seek his blessing. > > Phobia induction vis-à-vis leaving the group/leader. > > Painful exit process ex-members ridiculed, threatened, and dumped. > > LNI Note: If you check any of these items as characteristics of the > group you are concerned about, and particularly if you check many of > them, you should reexamine the group and your relationship to it. > Such reexamination usually runs against the dictates of the group > leaders and will be difficult for the member to do. Begin by speaking > to outside health and legal professionals and ex-members. If your > group is indeed healthy and non-abusive, there is nothing to fear > from taking these cautionary steps. > > > > > > Rick posted "Features of Healthy and Unhealthy Religious Cults" just > > one week after founding this group (FFL). Check out message 11: > > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/11 > > > > A few highlights: > > > > "No expensive entry fees or initiations." > > > > "No obsessive scheduling, such that every moment of one's waking > > life is controlled by the group." > > > > "No flat affect (zombie-like absence of emotions). No excessively > > auto--matic, robot-like behavior." > > > > "No crusading agenda to "save the world" or "convert all > > souls to the true way." Rather, an emphasis on becoming > > individually > > transformed so that one is better aligned with the God-Self and > > involved in a simple, non-grandiose form of service to one's > > fellow beings." > > > > "No turning cult members into watched objects who have no privacy in > > their solitary behavior or relationships with others. No > > manipulative system of rewards and punishments. No totalitarian > > structure of per-mission and non-permission regarding basic > > behaviors including personal hygiene, interpersonal communication, > > etc. No Orwellian system of in--formers who convey information to > > leaders about persons behind their back. No Machiavellian techniques > > of setting members against each other or against outsiders. No > > ganging up on individual members to criticize or humiliate or coerce > > them; no "working on them" to violate their own sense of > > conscience or autonomy. No brainwashing or mind-control." > > > > "No suppression of dissent, doubt, critical thinking, sincere > > questions, discussion or independent judgment. No regarding of > > leader's or sacred text's teachings as infallible. No > > attachment to doctrinal certainty." > > > > Just some highlights, there's plenty more. > > > > om >
