M
mannysee
Guest
I would have to agree with AskMrR's response.
I think his criteria list is from Margaret Singer?
Cults do not have to be religious in nature.
You can have a 'cultic' relationship, say, between two people going on.
Have you ever hear the term "battered wife syndrome"?
The relationship going on there could be termed 'cultic'.
The cultic environment is one where a pattern of manipulation, deception, thought stopping and abuse (mental and/or physical) is present.
Here is one more list to think about:-
1. There is a unhealthy control of communication within the group.
e.g. what you can read, who you can talk to, what you can say.
2. A group language exists i.e. those outside the group haven't got a clue what the member is talking about. They speak in 'cultese'.
3. You have to find the truth of what the leader/system teaches, whether it is true to you or not.
4. There is an extremely high demand for confessional practices within the group. These can be one to one, or one to a number of persons.
Even if you cannot find anything to confess, you still have to confess to what the leader is accusing you of.
5. Everyday events come to be seen as a result of the leader's workings, rather than having other, more sensible, explanations.
6. If you leave the group or relationship, bad things are going to happen to you.
7. Those who are outside the group are seen as inferior, and not to be associated with.
I think his criteria list is from Margaret Singer?
Cults do not have to be religious in nature.
You can have a 'cultic' relationship, say, between two people going on.
Have you ever hear the term "battered wife syndrome"?
The relationship going on there could be termed 'cultic'.
The cultic environment is one where a pattern of manipulation, deception, thought stopping and abuse (mental and/or physical) is present.
Here is one more list to think about:-
1. There is a unhealthy control of communication within the group.
e.g. what you can read, who you can talk to, what you can say.
2. A group language exists i.e. those outside the group haven't got a clue what the member is talking about. They speak in 'cultese'.
3. You have to find the truth of what the leader/system teaches, whether it is true to you or not.
4. There is an extremely high demand for confessional practices within the group. These can be one to one, or one to a number of persons.
Even if you cannot find anything to confess, you still have to confess to what the leader is accusing you of.
5. Everyday events come to be seen as a result of the leader's workings, rather than having other, more sensible, explanations.
6. If you leave the group or relationship, bad things are going to happen to you.
7. Those who are outside the group are seen as inferior, and not to be associated with.
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