honestly the scariest thing for me about this is that this is literally step by step how to start a cult. i got really carried away writing this so i'm gonna say sorry in advance; this reply is going to be long as hell, but please if you have the time i beg you to read it ESPECIALLY if you're a young person. with the current climate of social media and the rise of propaganda it is absolutely necessary to know the signs of high-control groups / cults and how to get away from them. i've included a fuckton of sources, so even if you skim i recommend at least checking those out!
social media has completely changed the landscape of cult recruitment. influencers are in positions of power over large numbers of vulnerable young people, across multiple platforms where parasocial relationships are the norm. once they've gained trust it's shockingly easy to introduce their audience to concepts that alter their state of mind, and in this case make them believe they have literal powers; in the process they pull members away from anyone who says it's fake. imo they follow the mormon cycle nearly identically: they go out and talk about their beliefs, defend them against the (predictable) backlash, and when they are repeatedly rejected they return to the group to commiserate on all the perceived attacks against them. they will receive praise, love bombing, support, and validation from those around them; they are now emotionally reliant on the group, and collectively reinforce these beliefs which only deepens their delusions. it's interesting to me that they use these CIA documents as proof because they overlook what the documents were researching in the first place, which was literal mind control. the army also attempted astral projection / remote viewing in the 90s, and the project was discontinued because it never has and never will be real.
manufacturing a trance or hallucinatory state of mind allows for immense control over a large number of people with relatively minimal effort. contrary to popular belief, hallucinations and delusions can absolutely be induced, especially in groups where loyalty is built on 1. placing trust in the leader(s) and 2. bonding with other members who reinforce their doctrine.
many people (particularly vulnerable people) want to feel special. they want to feel included, like they're a part of something important, something the general population doesn't know about; they also desperately want to be told exactly what they want to hear. they're more likely to be drawn to groups that induce heightened emotional states and foster abnormally strong bonds based on those shared experiences. it doesn't matter that the experiences aren't real, because as a collective they will convince themselves of anything to make it feel real, and a charismatic leader feeds this even further. being taught something 'special' by someone they idolize, a person they are convinced they are personally and emotionally close to (someone whose job is literally called an influencer!!) can be a powerful, powerful drug.
a quick way to assess the likelihood of a group being a cult (or at least dangerously controlling) is by using the BITE model. examples include:
- major time spent with group indoctrination, rituals, and/or self indoctrination including over the internet
- financial exploitation, manipulation or dependence (parasocial relationships make people willing to spend significant amounts of money on the leader, and it's already normalized to donate/subscribe to an influencer)
- instill dependency and obedience
- discourage individualism, encourage group-think (many claim to preach individuality, but the deeper someone falls into the cult the more rigid group mentality becomes. they are told they're an independent thinker because their beliefs differ from non-cult members, but within the cult they follow the same rules and thought patterns)
- deliberately withhold information
- distort information to make it more acceptable
- systematically lie to the cult member
- minimize or discourage access to non-cult sources of information including internet, TV, books, media, and critical information
- compartmentalize information into outsider vs. insider doctrines
- extensive use of cult-generated information and propaganda including audio, video, youtube, movies, and other media
- manipulation of memory, possible false memories- misquoting statements or using them out of context from non-cult sources (the CIA documents are a perfect example)
- require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth and/or adopt the group’s ‘map of reality’ as reality
- hypnotic techniques are used to alter mental states, undermine critical thinking and even to age regress the member
- memories are manipulated and false memories are created
- teaching thought-stopping techniques which shut down reality testing by stopping negative thoughts and allowing only positive thoughts, including denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking
- rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism
- forbid critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy allowed / label alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil, or not useful
- Promote feelings of guilt or unworthiness such as identity guilt, not living up to your potential, unwise affiliations, and social guilt; thoughts, feelings, and actions are irrelevant or selfish
- extremes of emotional highs and lows
- instill fear, such as fear of thinking independently, the outside world, enemies, or being shunned by the group
- there is never a legitimate reason to leave; those who leave are weak, undisciplined, unspiritual, or brainwashed by outsiders
communities based around various experiences with 'alternate reality' fit sooo many aspects of this model. as far as i know they are primarily online, so there are some aspects that cannot be controlled (such as where they live, physical punishment, or requiring permission to go places), but these communities can easily move offline as people become further immersed. hell groups like QAnon don't even come close to inducing this level of emotional obedience, and yet it's influence has destroyed lives, minds, relationships, and significant parts of society after only a few years of activity. here is an article that mentions both online and offline signs of a cult, here's one with steps to figure out if you're already in a cult, and here are some relevant(ish) real life cults for reference:
∆ Heaven's Gate ∆ (tw for mass suicide)
- a classic, and in my opinion one of the most relevant to these emerging tiktok communities. includes indoctrination via the internet, spiritual enlightenment and astral projection, aliens, and other similar beliefs.
∆ Order of the Solar Temple ∆ (tw for mass suicide and child abuse)
- includes fake astral projection and spiritual travel, conspiracy theories, religion, fake magic and miracles, and reincarnation
∆ The Church of Scientology ∆
OK 100% SERIOUS TIME FOR THIS ONE
- people tend to joke around and not take this cult seriously, which makes it even more powerful and scary. it is real, it is pervasive, it ruins lives, and it will use any and all tactics to recruit you. research critically and carefully, but DO NOT ENGAGE; do not talk to them, do not take their personality tests, do not attend or interact with their groups even for a joke or out of curiosity. they are trained experts at brainwashing, never ever assume you're too smart to fall for it; there are people smarter and older and more experienced than you who've been pulled in, and once you're in it's literally dangerous to attempt to leave)
- this cult includes attempting to induce higher states of consciousness, spiritual awakenings, aliens, astral projection, a leader who channels deities, the works.)
∆ Universe People aka Cosmic People of Light Powers ∆
- includes fake telepathy and channeling, astral projection, UFO's, significant information control as doctrine, etc.)
∆ The Church of Euthanasia ∆ (MASSIVE tw for encouraging suicide, actual suicide, murder, abortion, eugenics, and abuse)
- i put this one in because it uses the tactic of advocating for good causes (abortion rights, environmental protection, etc) to do horrific things, and much of it was spread via the internet using activism as a smokescreen. this is VERY common in online spaces, tiktok is overrun with this shit; the worst part is that it's often targeted specifically at young and/or mentally ill people, and it works)
∆ Unrecognized Cults - MLMs ∆
- multi-level marketing schemes (aka pyramid schemes) are often considered harmless or at most annoying, but it's important to note that the BITE model guidelines also describe these very common high-control groups. examples of particularly extreme ones include Young Living Essential Oils, Younique, LuLaRoe, and DoTerra. they are dangerous, recruit almost entirely through the internet, and target people without a strong support system and who are often financially desperate. here's a video breaking down how they work, and here's one about the devastating aftermath of being in an MLM. Here is a very helpful website to check if a company is an MLM, and here is an awesome list.
i highly encourage everyone to do their own research and GET IN THE HABIT OF FACT CHECKING CONSISTENTLY. here are some guides laying out how to spot misinformation, fact check, and find reliable sources.
anyway, if you've made it this far after all of that then thank you so so much! cults and other high-control groups are a pretty personal topic for me; both my mother and grandmother were involved in various MLMs and pseudoscience / alternative medicine cults for well over a decade and lost absolutely everything in the process. literally all their money and savings, our house, our health, you name it; these groups destroy lives, and if even just one person can use this info to keep themself safe then this long ass bitch of a post will have been worth it 💕
(also i wrote this on mobile cause im a masochist i guess, if there's any spelling/grammar/source errors let me know!)
