Cults. If you don’t know what a cult is, a cult is a group with an often tight-knit community, making people feel loved and giving them a sense of belonging, with the cult leader having hidden intentions, often sinister. These organizations were most common in the 1960s-70s, but there are still thriving cults among us, some you may have even heard of. The most famous modern group considered a cult is the church of Scientology. The cult-ish tactics they use to earn this designation are entry prices, auditing (interviews on personal information and using it to blackmail members who want to leave), psychological conditioning, and others.
The church of Scientology is a good example of the first of the three main types of cults this article will go over: a religious cult. A religious cult ensnares people with the power of faith. Some other famous religious cults include The Manson Family, The People’s Temple (Jonestown), and Heaven’s Gate. Religious cults are the standard type of cult that most people think of when they’re trying to see if something is a cult.
The second type of cult this article will go over is a political cult. This kind of cult doesn’t focus on spirituality, but instead focuses on a politician or political group. There is actually a group considered by the media to be a political cult in America right now: the Cult of Trump. Our current president, Donald Trump, has accumulated a following resembling a cult. I won’t explain much further on the Cult of Trump, since I don’t want to offend anyone or get too political in an article meant to be about something else. If you want to learn more about how Trump’s following is starting to resemble a cult, look it up in your free time. I’m not gonna force that on you.
The third and final cult type this article will cover is commercial cults. Commercial cults are focused on business and profits, while still retaining the cult feel: taking over your life, absolute obedience, etc. A good example of a commercial cult is WeWork, a company known for an intense, cult-ish culture centered around its founder, Adam Neumann.
Before I end this article, I’ll clarify a few things. Cults aren’t always in the news headlines, nor at your door. I’m not saying that you should check around the corner for cults and live in fear all the time, but instead be observant whenever you get a bad feeling about a group you’re included in, and if you find it to be a cult, try to get as far away from that group as possible. Remember that most people live their entire lives and never get invited into a cult. Have a good rest of your day, and make sure to check the Campus Courier for new stories or polls regularly.
