Cult Deprogrammer Breaks Down Cults In Movies & TV | Vanity Fair

So accurate. They use shaming a lot. You should say this, you shouldn't think that. You should be more obsessed with the thing we are all obsessed with.

Yup, as someone who has survived DV, the similarities are insane. It's like my abuser but 28374982 clones of him at the same time.

Amen to that! I recognize the same manipulation tactics my ex used on me, a cult of one. Glad I escaped!

Kind of like federal government...

@@snoozyq9576 kind of like everything else on media haha

seriusly ?

Didn't she leave it recently? Obviously that doesn't change that she was for most of the filming, or that it takes a long time to get out of that way of thinking, but still

@@CoRLex-jh5vx i didn't know that. i'll look into it, thanks. :)

@@tamhuy10 yes she was born into it.

@@CoRLex-jh5vx Where did you see that she left? Not doubting, just wanted to read more about it.

I'm so sorry to hear that, hope you got her back...

@@SylviaSanchez , thanks man. It's really crazy. It took two years, but a week after I wrote the above, she went crazy again.

What cult did she join

I think my mom is in a cult too under a religion.

Born again Christian church...they control your life basically, you can't have a lover if they don't approve and will judge you when you befriend someone they don't like.

I've done that to my daughter when she cried, hehehe it did not end well.

That’s exactly what I’ve always though about that scene! The fact that some people (and critics) actually thought this was them being welcoming and encouraging of her emotions, and showing sympathy for her, just proves to me how susceptible they’d be to getting inducted into a cult. I mean, it also speaks to Ari Aster’s skill as a writer/director in terms of how well he portrayed what a cult does, but it’s nevertheless super unsettling

I think her seeing that scene was done on purpose, a way to definitely cut her relationship with her boyfriend and leaving her vulnerable and alone

@@danaei3545 oh absolutely. Notice how the one lady doesn’t even try very hard to stop her at all

I remember Florence Pugh actually talked about how intense filming that scene was for her personally and how connected she really felt to those women because of that scene even though they were only on set briefly. I can't imagine how that could effect someone psychologically if that were to genuinely happen to them.

I think he views humans as essentially fragile to their needs of social acceptance as opposed to "evil" or something.
I'm pretty sure he's motivated by his want to help others who fall prey to cultist tactics. It probably drives him that he knows there'll always be more cults and more people wanting to belong.
He might be exhausted that it never ends, but not likely go insane.
Now, FBI agents that go undercover and live with white supremacists for 12 years ... there I'll believe a breakdown of initial values and sanity.

@@francookie9353 well said

He probably also feels great after deprogramming someone who was very deep on it or a really hard case, imagine doing such help

Have you ever seen a wounded animal or one stuck in a situation beyond their capabilities to correct or free themselves? That urge to help it take that feeling and compassion and put it towards another human being who can actually speak and communicate with you. Who you can relate to just by virtue of being human. I imagine that plays a big part in why he does what he does

How do you know he isn't completely bonkers inside?

I’ve read his books he’s very knowledgeable about cults and the damage they do

“Professional wombat exterminator reacts to wombat scenes in tv shows and movies.”

@@chumlee2114 professional wombat deprogrammer stuntman reviews stunts in wombat cult films.

@@chumlee2114 Sounds like a job someone would have on an episode of house hunters

I've known about cult deprogrammers since I was a kid in the '70s. Maybe it was all the hype after the Manson family murders, I dunno. Anyway, a deprogrammer is basically like a P.I. with some very specialized psychological training.

Good luck to you.

Best of luck and this internet stranger is proud of you!

999 likes? I'm doin' it.

I reluctantly joined an MLM, because going to the online group meetings was sooo joyful and felt like a high. They were so hooked on life, or so it seemed. The “friends” who recruited me ghosted me said when i wasn’t happy selling face wash. It was kind of a mini-trauma, to be honest.

NXIVM was both

There was an owner of a MLM named JR Ridinger and he looked so much like Jim Jones, it was genuinely disturbing.

Absolutely! Amway, LuLa Roe, etc. It’s sad.

I actually own some cutco knives cuz we bought them at the mall , but I also did a group interview years before, now that you mention it the guy was pretty creepy 😂 I like the part where they bring in the "top seller" so they try to neg you and make you feel bad for not selling enough knives lol

Why, she's working for a much larger cult of sterility, 50 shades of breed me for the cat lady should be the clue. The casts fertility is proof itself, near extinction, what's ironic is people watching this video thinking its exposing a cult, when it serves the one in control.

@@churblesfurbles this is a buzzword salad if I've ever seen one
is this a bot post?

@@churblesfurbles are you okay?

I find it comical that society hates scientology so much, it's no different to any other religion, they're ALL ridiculous and have nonsensical stories in them. Yet for some reason Christianity, Islam, Catholicism etc are all seen as perfectly fine to worship

@@GeneralG1810 average redditor

You have my respect for managing to break free!

Cant imqgine what thats like hope ur in a better place now

What cult were you with? What finally made you leave?

Good for you and your husband escaping. I really mean that, that's huge.

I was warned about him when I first joined the cult I was in. They’d had members go through deprogramming with him. Of course they framed him as a quack. It took awhile to realize that he was the one making sense.

It's almost the inverse honestly, because emotional mirroring is a very real tactic that abusers use to bond targets closer to them

Every time I look into cults, I feel relieved that I was never unfortunate enough to come across one. At the right time in my life, no doubt I would have been sucked in.

@@aw04tn58 It's never too late, join us!
This message was brought to you by The Society of Cults.

You could say they are empaths gone wrong.

I would hazard that the Cult Leader DOES NOT have to be a psychological genius to be able to manipulate these basic human needs and emotions (need for belonging and capacity for dissonance and all)...
It's all basic stuff you find in a high school level Psych' class, back when you're looking at the red and yellow flag so you can close your eyes and see the full red, white, and blue pattern... It doesn't take any kind of particular training or genius to get that much, and narcissists have been abusing people without training for centuries... much the same way cult leaders "industrialized" the process (also likely centuries ago)... ;o)

@@aw04tn58 Never came across one?! You been in a cave the last five years?

Unless he's creating a blank slate for the next programming. Dun dun dun...

That is so sad. So sorry for your family!

This is a stunning story, especially that it’s happening in northern California.
I live in California, and I’m truly shocked to hear such a thing happening in our midst.
Do you know the name of this group, or where they are located, more specifically?
This is worth researching and doing a documentary/exposé.

Does your state do search and rescues of cults? I know some states do

@@sillyun275 I honestly don’t know… I never knew that was a thing-I’ll have to look into it!❤️ But she’s in California, which is a different state than me, so I don’t know if they can/will cross state lines. 😬

Which is exactly how cryptocurrency/NFT groups act…

Pyramid schemes are cults imo 🤷🏼‍♀️

They are cults. The only difference is they worship money not a deity.

You've never met a covidiot? That's hard to believe.

w0w you must have big brain. such impressive

How do you know he met Charles Manson?

@@heresakissmuah He keeps calling him 'Charlie'. He's met him and thinks of him as a someone he personally knows, not 'Charles Manson' the infamous historic figure. Calling him 'Charlie' when referring to him is personal and casual - more than a passing acquaintance, he's spent time with him.

@@shayni99 oh ok, is there a video of him talking with him? I would love to watch it

Oh my Allah a person who met Chuck and didn't fall under his spell is a god let's all respect and adore this man let's buy his books and attack those loser downvoters lol

@@heresakissmuah yeah cuz reel to reel video wristwatches were as popular as cell phones back then

What are the most annoying cult tropes for you?

Well nice to meet ya can't say I've met a lot of cult members. Open minded thinkers gotta consider what it must be like to either be a cult leader or just in the cult.

I think that it having been stated to me as a system of control really reframed how I see cults. It's not a bunch of people in a compound, it's people who are under a lot of control and can't really leave.

@jose tapia Also similar to a lot of 'legitimate' religious organizations. When a person's entire personal life and their social relationships will be destroyed if they stop being part of their group, that's very much the mentality of cult, but it's also very much the reality of many religious programs.

@jose tapia You are right on. We have several cult-like extremist left groups here in Portland. The Blac Block and various anarchist groups here operate JUST like the video describes. They indoctrinate vulnerable people just as he describes with coded lingo, shun and demonize outsiders, and organize behind shadowy leaders that demand absolute and unquestioning adherence to their idealism. I've met several people that got out of the group when they realized how toxic and culty it was. They have nothing good to say about them.

That’s so sad :/

The schools are basically a cult at this point, where I live. All the kids have to believe and say the same things, they turn on their parents with the help of the staff... this is what is happening in all the public schools in the cities in blue states.

Yes many young people are becoming radicalized online

Like in a sociology or Social Studies class?

Schools are engaging in cult behavior these days.

Exactly what I was thinking

@@jennifermarlow. Talk about a lack of self-awareness.

One day we're going to start treating generational scientologists ad the victims they are

She's level 4 method.

Born into it, isn't she? I imagine that's quite different.

True dat. Isn’t it funny?

Yep and that’s exactly why they isolate you 😱 so no one can point it out

Yo the cult leader I met was actually a well dressed, average looking dude. So weird seeing and thinking he’s obviously the leader and everyone else denying it voluntarily

Totally agree with that. Default distrust for these charmers.

😂🤣😂🤣😂😅

o.o

that just shows how easily some people can be manipulated/how well the cult was manipulating the girl. if viewers of a CULT movie act as though the CULT has empathy for the VICTIM, the director must've done a great job of getting the message across.

Great point! I absolutely hated that movie. The director not only hates his characters, but absolutely DESPISES the audience.

100% agree....like someone causes you pain and you naturally react, and then they copy the pain you're displaying. What the heck!

empahty does'nt mean compassion, you conflating two concepts. Empathy can be negative. Sadistic people have negative empathy.

The military is certainly a form of programming.

Army basic was insane 😅 They find any reason to destroy your psyche so that they can "rebuild" you as a person.

@@ghostbuster_winchester Like rebuilding someone the same as before, or..?

@@ghostbuster_winchester rebuild you as a puppet*

@@theouthousepoet *rebuild you as a puppet of the US government, payed to invade other countries and kill innocent civilians. They don't even have the decency to deprogram former soldiers, so they get stuck with PTSD, and other things.

this. I still cannot fully understand how she can act in this series while being part of that.

Whoa, I didn’t know that… Now I have so many questions! Number one, HOW?!?! Crazy.

are you talking about Elizabeth Moss?

@@kate1618 She was raised in it, so she's basically trapped. Scientology collects dirt on famous people through "auditing" so that they can blackmail them (Lawrence Wright's Going Clear gives a thorough accounting of this). Even if they have no real ammunition to use against a given person, anyone who was raised in Scientology who leaves will lose their entire family, because defectors are treated like they're dead, or worse. Most would-be apostates can't bring themselves to leave, even if they want to, because they lose everything.

Which is obviously brain-bent thinking, considering they don't have anything in the cult, thats the point of a cult.
They only have ways up (beside maybe suicide, which is debatable).

Which cult were you part of?

I hope you're doing better now. And know that almost four million people watched this video and got education on the topic!

Precisely, I think he got it backwards.

@@dinospumoni5611 I think it is more likely he was correct, and that the makers of the movie took a real thing they heard about and tweaked it into a theatrical device they could use to tell a specific story.

There are a lot of connections he makes that I think miss the mark.

They're lovebombing her. They want her to believe what you said. In short, it's a TRAP. One you fell completely through, might I add.

@@dinospumoni5611 Nope, the cult is exactly doing that.

Yes! thank you for your posting. I recently rejected participating in a family drama .My abusive father who came looking for my mother. I told my other sisters that I would not participate in the insanity of this drama. The sad part is that my sisters haven’t clearly figured out that our covert narcissistic mother who plays the victim created this visit by our abuser. Good thing I’m now an adult and live on my own.

The whole world is made up with micro and macro examples of cults

I thought the same thing when watching the video. It reminded me of abusive relationships and gaslighting.

You're absolutely right! Some of the same patterns are involved: gaslighting, trauma bonding, dependency, isolation, grooming...

I was thinking the same thing. I was married to an abuser.

I wanna share with this comment-section great Cult-Coverage, so i will just comment-multiple-times,
cause why not. Seriously: Why not?
Try Emma Thorne, Telltale Atheist, Some More News and Prophet of Zod.
Oh, and GMS.

Which cult? Was it a big named one or a more localized one?

VJ, I think you demonstrated the essence of what a cult does to our thinking. You say the cult "wasn't particularly dangerous," and immediately follow that it "nearly drove me to suicide." Given that sharp shift, I don't see how you are to blame for any of these feelings.

I'm glad you said that. I was always having so much dread too. I didn't sleep anymore. I was losing grip on reality.

I wish you peace and real happiness in this extremely difficult world. You are very strong and brave!

Haha yeah I took one critical thinking class in college and ever since then can't listen to even 5 minutes of any political speech, no matter the political party.

Most people don’t understand the similarities between propaganda, church and cults. The establishment of a commonality with other members, the dehumanisation of the others and the hierarchy of loyalty are all hallmarks of a cult.

@@carlosdrfx I do understand it. And it terrifies me. Especially now that this kind of things are getting stronger all over the world. I believe that i will remain alone forever, and i live for the moment where i will have menopause. It will be less risky for me then. I mean, at least the religon that is prevalent in my country does not mandate pregancies. But one may never know.

Anyone who's trying to hide the truth will likely use deflection. The only difference is that some people use it spontaneously i.e. get asked a surprise question while under suspicion. Others use it deliberately. The end result is the same....avoiding telling the truth and/or avoid admitting to an accusation.

Politics is a cult. Religion is a cult. Nationalism is a cult. Military is a cult.

Hope you manage to get out of this cult. It seems that currently you are not aware or even actively denying, that christianity is just the most succesfulls because most corrupt cult ever.

Exactly, it's so similar.

In his book, there is a section about cults comprising of a single family--such as the Manson family, Marcus Wesson, Winnifred Everett Wright. These are extreme cases where the narcissistic person at the center has outright psychopathic qualities, but a narcissistic family system would probably fit, albeit lower, on the exact same spectrum of behaviors

Sounds like an interesting topic.

A cult of 2 (or 3). Yep. Same strategies - for the perp, and for the recipient in order to survive the setting.

They are cults, with a charismatic sociopathic leader propped-up by the rest of the family with at least one scapegoat. This black sheep figure suffers and serves as a cautionary tale for any family member who might threaten the image and narrative constructed by the leader (a matriarch or patriarch.) Cults are almost always modeled after and referred to as "families." They are just larger versions of a very common phenomenon, as prevalent as the cycle of abuse because that's what they perpetuate. If you are familiar with NPD based on personal experience, you are not alone.

Avon is NOT an MLM because you actually make money by distributing product. Mary Kay is an MLM because you make money by getting new people to invest in Mary Kay.
If you got a side hustle like Avon the last thing you'd want is to bring others into the side hustle.

@@Bacopa68 Why you being so defensive of an MLM?

@@Bacopa68 so you're saying Avon is strictly direct sales and reps don't recruit anyone?
Because if you as a rep recruit, it's litterally an MLM (that's what multi level marketing stands for). In a normal company only the owner/boss recruits new employees when needed.

I had to remember that not everyone is lgbt+ and was like "since when is men loving men a cult?".

@@darthkeyara LMAO SAME

And that makes sense since most cults were formed by narcissists. I only say “most” because in the beginning stages of a group, it might have been run by a well-meaning person but a narc craved the power and took over.

Can you tell what makes you realize that he has a personality of a cult leader, if you don’t mind? Because there’s no coverage on why it is a cult.

Doesn’t really sound like a cult

If their teachings can't hold up to scrutiny and you question they will kick you out.- Great sentence. If you cant give me evidence, or a rational explanation, why should I believe you.

@@GG-kn2se then you have no idea what a cult is. If you legitimately want to know about cults and not just troll, I highly recommend looking into the BITE model

They’re definitely a cult. It’s actually illegal in Russia now because kids died and former members reported that they were under extreme control. The same is with Scientology. It’s also illegal here now. Sharing their materials will end you up in jail for up to 10 years

@@sucyshi actually JW doesn’t actually qualify as a cult since they don’t have strict rules that you are required to follow and they don’t have a leader instead they have the people run the meetings

@@marioferreira7605 thank you for your concern. can you tell me what cult practices I am involved in currently or what people are doing to me that is cult related? Also, remember, simply being passionate and vocal about God doesn’t mean someone is in a cult. But I’m open to your thoughts.

I am glad you’re out. It’s not about inteligente It’s a sense of belonging, or emotional attachment. Thanks for sharing

​@@BoldFollower To anyone examining an organization they belong to or the beliefs that they hold, and wondering about anything related to cults, I always recommend checking out Robert Jay Lifton's 8 Criteria for Thought Reform. This is a model that is great for identifying any ideology or ideological group where undue influence may be taking place. I like it because it talks more about practices and beliefs than it does about organizational structure.

@@BoldFollower could not disagree more. ALL religion IS a cult. Its a belief in brainwashed content.

What was the moment that made you realize you were in a cult?

He did it in a podcast with Mikhaila Peterson.

Religion can mean a lot and not all religion is institutionalized or centralized. Religion, as a personal practice and system of belief and morality, can be beautiful and important, can connect us with others, and can help people find hope and meaning in places they otherwise may not. Institutionalized religion is... uh... a complicated subject I'm not fully qualified to discuss, but I was raised Catholic and my church wasn't a cult (agnostic now)? Cults are about control, abuse, and power structures, and so they can thrive in religious environments more easily but are not necessarily religious (mlms, the alt right, etc)

Churches are cults they just are. Being religious "okay" I guess I mean I personally think it's hilarious people believe in god, but faith is ok by itself

There is a way of assessing groups called the BITE model which stands for behaviour, information, thought and emotional control and basically you can look at and kind of score how high the level of control is in each of those categories to ascertain whether a group is a cult. Usually religions score quite low on the BITE model because people have access to information outside the group, they maintain a lot of personal autonomy and aren’t fearful to attend a different church service for example. This is obviously a very brief explanation and among the sociology and psychology fields there is no gold standard checklist, they all kind of boil down to a charismatic leader and strong elements of control though so I hope that gives you a place to start.

You can try to make a delineation but at the end of the day ALL religion is just cult nonsense based on gibberish and brainwashing.

I’m sorry to hear you had to deal with that, I hope you’re okay now

no therapists, no cops, no doctor in 1988 was equipped to handle the damage a cult can do. (Still aren’t)
Still aren't? Well that's not true.

I am sorry you had to go through that and wish you could have found him. Maybe he had to be in hiding at the time

Honestly to some extent there still aren't a lot of ppl that know what to do with that because it's such a singular experience and the effects of it are different than what most are dealing with on a more regular basis. You have to be SUPER careful with finding people actually qualified/certified to attempt deprogramming and the type of therapy that comes after (i was stuck in one too)

Watch this video and think about the cult of covid. What have you been brainwashed to believe?

When u get your jabby

Sure, there's overlap, but only because cult leaders use every social manipulation trick in the book to gain their followers' devotion. The real defining features of a cult: the deliberate isolation, devotion to a central figure, loss of self, etc., are things you hopefully do not have anyone do to you. Simply following social norms and trying to fit in is normal. I get what you're saying, though. Everybody thinks they wouldn't fall for a cult, or that they're not currently in a cult, and before you know it, the ATF is burning your compound down with you in it.

​@@woodwalker6025 "The cult of covid"? Are you worshipping a virus? I'm devoted to eradicating it, but maybe I'm in a weird 80% fringe group.

@@Ryan_Thompson he means people blindly follow what the government (cult leaders) tell them about it and follow all the ridiculous absurd mandates without allowing free thought or choice.

Yeah I kind of know what you mean. Even as a young teenager I was always very uncomfertable with the whole group thing and still am to this day 3 decades later. There is a dynamic with us humans if it involves more people. It can start out very good and optimistic even but then when time goes by it will almost always spiral out of the original intent there was at the beginning.

Not all cults are large groups and quite often the recruitment process they use is very one on one, they can actually be really good at weaponising your feelings of social anxiety to isolate you and give you validation for why you’ve never felt like you fit in before. A lot of cults are much more about the leaders individual and personal relationships with the members rather than group activities or ceremonies. Quite often a cult can feel like a group of friends when a person is in it, no ceremonies or rituals you’re just spending a lot of time with them and then you might all “decide” to get a place together. It’s a gradual process and cults are all different, different leaders exploit peoples vulnerabilities in different ways the Manson Family is very different to a spiritual cult like the Moonies for example.

All of those activities you describe have cult like qualities.

Have similar feelings and it is also super strange.
I don't know why but if enter a church I get an extremely uncomfortable feeling.
Like, as if something tries to either push me away or to try to creep in my mind and try to influence me.
The first one appears if I am near a church and the latter happens if I enter such a building.
It's a pretty weird feeling.
It's like as if the belief of the people try to get me.
I'm sorry, I don't know how to describe it better.
I have also a similar reaction to emotional speeches.
Because of this, I try to avoid such places where people get manipulated.
It's just uncomfortable.

Yeah this need to "belong" is a very powerful motivator, but social anxiety will negate that for me too 😂 like I want to socialize and belong buuut I'm also kind of a weirdo

I live among the amish. Honestly I have to defend them a little bit. It really comes down to “one mans religion is another mans cult”. The fact that there isn’t really systemic abuse (pretty much) and they can and do leave… yes of course there is cultish stuff going on. Their fear of witchcraft feels weird, their distancing of the “english” or normal people seems quite culty… but they are people who have choices and their own thoughts and at least some level of individuality. But they are only allowed certain clothes, certain haircuts, to speak certain words… it all absolutely feels like a cult but it’s really just people who (mostly) choose to follow a religion extremely strictly. It’s basically a cult, but in that respect so is almost any religion or culture. There will always be different people living up to different standards set by some almighty or another. That’s really all they are doing.
I do believe it is or can be quite unhealthy especially for the women in the amish, and shunning if they leave is definitely a tactic to make them stay, as when you go forward in life you need a safety net because you don’t always succeed right away… that’s definitely a manipulative tactic… but them being able to leave is huge and the fact that they can mingle among anyone and see things for themselves and read books outside of their “holy book” and generally have the ability to openly gain an insight beyond their religion helps it be a little bit more of a choice to be amish than most cults.
But otherwise, yes it is and seems a bit culty, but really… every religion does especially the more strictly followed… to any outsider. So it’s tough.

@@JimmyKlef you seem to be like "they look and sould like a cult but i don't wanna acknowledge it"

Richard Silva what I am saying is more nuanced than that. Sure, there is cultish things about them, but then again, there is cultish things about catholics and muslims. I neither said they weren’t a cult, nor did i say they were. Why anyone would assume i am, what, scared of making the outright claim about them being a cult is beyond me. I don’t believe they quite fit the description, though it’s close. And i merely showcased how “close” might not cut it… considering billions of people are within groups that are “close” to being cults.

@@JimmyKlef all religions are cults

The point being that the amish are a less harmful cult, and we have limited ressources to eradicate cults.
So we focus (rightfully so) on scientology, JW and other really abhorrent cults instead of the amish.
If those didn't exist, the amish of course would need to be taken apart.

I was thinking the same thing. It seems like a really hard job!

There’s a book called Combatting Cult Mind Control
by Steven Hassan. I read it in college for a paper. Really good

I would watch a entire series about that

I wonder if he is worried if he vocalizes those on the internet that cults will play with it and use it in such a way to trick more victims.

Being under influence certainly is something a court will pay attention to.
Going in some deprograming process is not a danger to the individual, it's away to get your life back.
It's a danger to the cult leaders, and the reason why they threaten people like him.

Same, to be perfectly honest. I think I'd be ridiculously easy to indoctrinate.

Everybody is different. Some people enjoy being part of a group while others naturally question authority. Some highly value harmony with others and dislike conflict. Others prefer independence and aren't bothered by disagreeing with another person or even a large majority. Some easily go along with group consensus, others are oppositional out of habit or personality.
Some people will be compliant in certain circumstances but not in others based on their level of knowledge, experience, or interest. Some are very perceptive, others not. So yes, some people will immediately recognize cult tactics and resist indoctrination, others will not. Cults, like criminals, will prey on people with certain characteristics and avoid people who lack those traits.

I'd be thoroughly fascinated for the first few months and then I'd get sick of people telling me what to do and I'd be kicked out. Probably be given a lifetime ban. 😂😂

@@Stopthisrightnow560 I’d be all for it until they ask for my money lol

I would notice it, but i will be in the cult already lol

It’s probably dependent on how it’s used and the individuals involved. When someone comes to you for grief support, that interaction is mediated by laws and contracts under governmental oversight. If that interaction is abused, the abused person has recourse. There is no such oversight in a cult interaction, except by the leader who wants such abuse to continue.

Mirroring in grief therapy provides 2 things: 1. The person in grief feels heard. 2. The person doing the mirroring can validate with the griever that they are hearing their emotions correctly.
The mirroring used by cults is intended to invalidate the person's feelings and get them into the group-think, to control them at an emotional level. Yeah, the similarities are concerning but they are very distinct.

The scene is clearly an extreme example, but we do have mirror neurons that makes us mimic each other. If a friend has a problem and comes to me crying, I cannot create rapport and engage in them if I do not to some extent copy their emotional state. Doing something totally different, like laughing in their face, is probably not a good idea on how to handle the situation. The insidiousness about cults could be that they take ordinary human traits and run them to the extreme. If not, we wouldn't fall as easily for their trick, would we? To juxtapose this, what would make a group healthy and not a cult? Our society seems to be a cult at the moment, too. "Take the vaccine, otherwise you will not have the right to eat and meet people." Even though our constitutions state that the government can't make decisions like that. So where should we draw the line of cultish behaviour? And to which hills do we run when society at large seems to have become the cult?

It could do both. Like doing a favour for someone can be a way to manipulate them into doing something for you... or it could just be a nice gesture with no alterior motive.

@@amemabastet9055 You were doing good, until you used the vaccines as an example of cult indoctrination. Calm down, that's different than someone empathizing or pretending to empathize to someone else's feelings for whatever good or bad reason.

You shouldn’t talk to your mom forever.

@@Cobra-yo7fx don't worry, I've cut all contact a while ago

What did you do to get kicked out? Was it the Jahovah's Witnesses?

@@Critiqu3 no it was some smaller kinda no-name cult and the wife of the leader didn't like my mum because she was head over heels into that man

@@Critiqu3 Just goona put it out there that Jehovah's Witnesses is not a cult. You might find some similarities you see in cults but you'll also find those in every other religion. The is a good example of why you should know the signs before you pass judgement. Cults and religious organizations can be similar but are absolutely NOT the same.

Off topic but the painting in your pic is awesome!

You know what? That's pretty enlightened of him. My own parents wouldn't have had the stones to teach me that without at least making themselves the exception.

Think for yourself. Question authority.
Question everything.

Keep the faith and understand Peter in Acts 10. I am not a Christian but every Christian who understands the open arms of Acts 10 is a brother.

Being a Christian and knowing that God and no one else has final authority on your soul, security, status etc. enables that kind of thought I think.

female cult member? you mean jane?

Nice

@@djpeterg4531
You mean Jonh

You have an independent streak that makes it very difficult for us to love you

Lol

That scene Is lovebombing, and It is a cult tactic.

The movie/director tricks the audience into even joining the cult and falsely believing it was good for Danni . Brilliant honestly.

I agree with you.
Yes, I know it's portraying a cult and that all the sympathetic crying here is more ritual/manipulation than actual sympathy.
But to those of us who have been deprived of real love/acceptance/empathy (and taught to internalize self-hatred at our "repellant" characteristics such as emotion or weakness and the inability to hide them), the idea of having even a clearly counterfeit mockery of love and belonging can be all too sweet a fantasy.

Even tho the group created the situation that made her cry and destroyed the last pieces of her in the end💕

Eh I’m isolated and neglected too and I think that’s just weird as heck…like if a mob of people are rushing to me while I’m crying and start mimicking me I’d immediately stop and be like nah y’all tweakin🤨

Was it Luluroe?

@@AKayfabe It was not. It was Polishop, a big one here in Brazil.

MLMs can certainly get culty!

Same. I have a personal vendetta against MLMs for that exact reason..

Men love men meeting

Honestly I think the ending is actually meant to be scary/tragic. Anyone who thinks that’s a happy ending doesn’t understand the film at all. It’s extremely artistic and metaphorical, but unfortunately “witchy” instagrammers who never even heard of Ásatrú go in already rooting for the boyfriend to burn. Such a shame an amazing story goes over their heads

I didn’t feel like the end was happy but by the end, I realized that they found a way to convince all of us that the friends were evil and she would be better with the cult. It was scary

godawful boyfriend - a bit harsh - imho the boyfriend did what many many people would do when he was obviously in a relationship with a person he didnt particularly care about much...that is to struggle to end the relationship.
I thought the dramatic arc of Midsommar was messed up with the most visceral and shocking scene being the suicides. Overall a pretty decent horror but more weird than scary

Perfect demonstration that anyone can be manipulated into a victim of a cult.

@@atomiccritter6492 Nah he was godawful.

Do you mean product placement etc? edit: which I get and agree is problematic btw

@@marzigeisha No, I thought they should do it because I want an ad expert to review Mad Men.

I think both of your ideas would be awesome

Or a propaganda expert to review action movies, marvel movies, maybe even war movies.

They'd lose a lot of ad revenue for that.

Cult members do not realize or believe they are in a cult. My 2 sisters were in a cult. One left when it was discovered that the "spiritual leader" was a pedophile. The other stayed and is still one of his biggest supporters. The one that left with half the group, started group therapy. First day she was given a book to read on cults. First page had like 30 traits, behaviors, or characteristics of cults. She did not believe any of the pointers. After one year of therapy she clicked off each pointer as being TOTALLY TRUE.

Pls explain how it's ironic??

@@fiveweenies4533 because on the handmaids tale she plays a victim of a cult.

Yeah I heard she walked out when Leah Remini won an award because Leah thanked and joked with her mother about being in Scientology, “ I forgive you for putting us in a cult,” when she accepted the award. It is beyond ironic she is on a show about a horrible cult and she is in a horrible cult that does horrible things to people.

@@foxibot is it worse than Christianity?

same with the military

It’s tribalism. It’s being used by brands (on a lesser extent) and politics. Xbox vs Playstation or Trumpers (closed facebook groups/communities, identification signs, bans, a common enemy, an idole, etc…)

@@kebbesan XBox vs PlayStation always surprised me. Since I am mostly a PC gamer, I don't see why people are arguing about essentially same consoles, the difference are a few exclusives that lock down, i.e. before recent Gran Turismo and Tekken were on PS, and Halo with Dead or Alive were on Xbox, but now almost everything gets ported so it's moot unless you're really about some specific exclusives (i.e. obscure Japanese mecha games).
But even then the console wars people are not arguing about GAMES on this or that platform but about things like power, or target demographics (this console is for KIDS/nerds/whatever)... and there's PC elitists who hold back tears when saying a PC with 2000$ graphics card can have same FPS as a $400 console.
Unfortunately, with PC gamers same cultism can be felt with Steam fans, who not only refuse to play on Epic or Origin on principle, but also try to actively campaign to rid Valve of competition, which is literally bad for consumers when monopolist doesn't have incentive to get better.

@@KasumiRINA I know initially it was the _type_ of games that were released that attracted people to it, while people trying to rationalize dropping the money on it. The famous add of "We do what Nintendon't" is a perfect example of what it used to be. It morphed into measuring performance in the later generations. There was the 'this console is for kids', but that was because Nintendo flat out censored the games on their system.
As a PC player now, most of the people that I know aren't cultish when it comes to the storefronts. Most people that I talked to were excited about Epic's storefront, but then the lack of features and scummy business practices pushed away people with morals. Origin wasn't that big of an upgrade to Steam since it has a much smaller selection of games than Steam does by design. I saw more people using GoG than any other competitor, but that's because it provides nearly the same functionality while also having a feature that Steam does not (no DRM). I would also take a lot for people to give up potentially thousands of dollars worth of games to migrate to another platform.
I do agree that the system wars and the PC Master Race used unironically all feel very cult like. I can't agree with the storefronts though.

​@@backrooms3907 Elon's mother now has 11 grand children, his father even more, Elizabeth Moss and co have none, the advancement isn't what people imagine, and the religious and tribal instinct never ends, group selection is at play, and those who don't play will end. The globalist/universalist types are tribalistic just the same, but not in a functional way, their genes will end. Its notable @Skulls Lace leaves out the most obvious cult today, the university system, the official priesthood training centers of the todays dysfunctional religious system.

I was just thinking as I watched this, "Man, this sounds like YoungLife"

That’s right they do this si well that you don’t see it until is late.

Well, to be fair almost everything uses some of these points. Sports teams, military, families, gangs, video games, conventions. Just because they match a couple things means nothing, it's when they match almost all of them or certain ones.

I mean, the only reason mainstream christianity isn't a cult is cause so many people follow it. And also the cult leader's been dead for like 2000 years.

@@lindenpeters2601 And there is is, folks, the "Who hurt you" argument.

If Amway worked there would be Amway storefronts and there would be Amway distribution centers moving soap into stores. If Amway worked, Amway brands would be sold at Kroger, Walmart, and Dollar General by now.

My brother tried to get me to join, and I said no, and he said “He told me even the smartest people in my life would be skeptical.”
Thank God he was able to leave

Yes, many (maybe most?) multi-level marketing (MLM) companies meet the definition of a non-religious cult! They encourage blind and zealous commitment to the company/your upline, squash dissent and have very strict hierarchies.

Who?

@@yuyutubee8435 even Amway often carry religious undertones, preying on the faithful

Scientology has programs for doctors and business owners where they offer help for praxis management etc. while hiding that they are actually Scientology.

A lot of followers of Shoko Asahara were highly intelligent and accomplished people like doctors and scientists. Makes you realise people who are so well-educated and intelligent can be sucked in, because that alone does not satiate you. You could be very successful but still feel very empty. When someone comes along and promises fulfillment, you will go with them to fill the void.

@@pamjones7426 I guess thinking about it, people that are so high level are working so hard, between education, trying to establish yourself, and trying to keep up. It is really hard to live in this world, being so overwhelmed by life & not having many people, or anyone, who truely understands you & can help you destress. So I can totally see this😞

@@pamjones7426 Yeah, a lot of accomplished people are also the anxious type. They feel the need to be successful otherwise they don't feel they deserve to be loved. Often they weren't loved enough as children. Maybe their parents were always comparing them to their peers and saying why can't you be more like so and so. Cults can give them a sense of acceptance and love they never had.

@@TheSimplyCooking
They are already preprogrammed through their education to be attracted to such "privileged knowledge" higher education, higher power, higher understanding, ect... If you peek at my other comment it's more detailed...

Lol same! Telling me I’m part of a family of group just makes me want to run in the opposite direction

Same for me.
Cult member: Would you like to come to our meeti-
Me: NO THANK YOU

@@PaigeTheFatFeministWitch Interesting. My social anxiety has caused me to be so incredibly lonely that I have fallen for many toxic people in the past. I would literally pay to be around people who really care about me. But of course I'm smart enough to know that cults just lovebomb and never truly mean it.

​@@Shirumoon Anyone who really cares about you, they wouldn't need to be paid to be around you. They'd be around you for free.

This is why universities are filled with cultists, in fact they are in dominant control of society today. Universities were originally religious institutions for a reason. Now we sterilize women by educational merit, and the very "smart" people think this is a good idea, in fact their entire belief system revolves around forms of sterility, the difference between cult and religion is cults do not last for exactly these reasons.

@@churblesfurbles What on earth are you babbling on about? I know a lot of women with kids going through universities.

Hyper intelligent people are also looking for solace. They know the world is probably not a great place and they probably usually do recognize cults, until they meet the one that suits them perfectly. And after decades of being alone, why not give it a try.

@@churblesfurbles this man is sterile

Same with narcissistic abuse. If you think you’re too smart to be manipulated. At your lowest, loneliest time there will come a charmer who doesnt have any good intentions but appears as if the kindest person around. All of these horrible people know how to read others and easily manipulate even the smartest of all.

So True! I felt really uncomfortable whenever i was invited and forced to engage in those kinds of workshops

I agree they are like abusive relationships

Definitely agree about the spectrum part. People like to argue about the semantics of what is a cult and what is not, but it's clear that a lot of these experiences have similarities like indoctrination and manipulation.

Abusive families are cults. And they are often centred around a narcissist who has a massive amount of power especially over children. The similarities are massive.

I left an abusive relationship. And the only stuff that helped me to help with my cognitive dissonance was cult deprogramming items. They prey on the same manipulations.

If you don't mind sharing, what was it called?

Same! I was born into a cult, but my parents left to other countey because of the crisis, 20 years later I found out by a family membet that "The school" (thats how they call it) was a cult, and my parents still dont see it

@@RosieMe5 i thought i replied to this already a few months ago but its not here? its called cateco menato, which is a common name for catholic communities in latin america, but obviously it’s a bit more intense than usual.

@@Carolina-wz2qo Is it part of the Neocatechumenate aka "The Way"?

@@charlottemackinnon4241 i dont think so, it's rly quite small

I’m so sorry for your loss. Give yourself time, that lost feeling is awful. You’re right about being vulnerable right now, I hope you have some good supportive people in your life.

@@becp488 thank you so much for saying that, I really appreciate your kind words. I'm lucky to have family close and a couple close friends.

Hope things are getting better now x

Stay outta large churches. I was mormon and I know many women who were sexually abused by the priesthood as children and into adulthood.

some but Im guessing the large proportion of cult followers are average or below educated

Most cults specifically target powerful people in order to gain power themselves.

Smart people are really good at rationalizing what they're doing, and tend to be the desired targets since they'll be able to provide for the cult, either provide money or fame or credibility

CEOs are surrounded by yes man and are not necessarily smart people.

@@claralima1967 all people are "really good" at rationalizing what they doing. A certain level of intelligence is not a requirement for someone to rationalize what their doing.

I wanna share with this comment-section
great Cult-Coverage, so i will just comment-multiple-times,
cause why not. Seriously: Why not?
Try Emma Thorne, Telltale Atheist, Some More News and Prophet of Zod.
Oh, and GMS.

I'm lucky my regular life kept interfering with my brief cult adventure too. It seemed annoying at the time but looking back wow thank God.

Ayahuasca ceremonies have nothing to do with cults

@@pho3nix- almost anything can be turned into a cult. I’m still interested in psychedelics, I have nothing against ayuhasca. But many groups that use it, at least where I live, develop cult like dynamics…

Ok so the fact you mentioned psychedelics and then a "gut feeling" instantly made me so happy for you not going because that cult could have done nearly irreversible damage (aka Midsommar)
You could have lost your entire self and everything you do/say is against your will and you probably wouldn't have realized it, I'm glad you are still sane and yourself.

No shes not. She is a scientology

Such a good movie

This is an incredible film. And Olsen kills it. Highly recommended.

@@princesssprinklesthecat4192 First, I think you’re thinking of Elizabeth Moss.
Second- Tom Cruise might be a tiny little megalomaniac, but he is also quite a fine actor. Scientology has nothing to do with how much talent he has. I mean I’m sure they tell him it does, but it doesn’t.

@Jonathan Randell Smith on you calling it a mini cult, I watched a video recently by another cult expert that said you only need 2 people to be a cult, a manipulator and their victim. I'm so sorry you went through this.

Historically... sometimes torture, repeated questioning and suggestion to make them think they're in a dangerous cult. Tbh most cults aren't dangerous, we only hear about the dangerous ones because of the media - if it bleeds it leads is the motto they follow. You'll never hear a story about a peaceful new religious movement that just minds its own business. Cult deprogrammers make their money on convincing society that cults are dangerous. Obviously there are examples of dangerous cults, but there are far more that simply practice their beliefs in a safe, respectful way, like any other religion.