We MUST See These Cults* for What They Are
The anthropology, sociology and psychology of religious cults has revealed many things that are extremely relevant to our current political climate — and to those people who make money and amass power peddling conspiracy ‘theories’ to the susceptible.
My postgraduate research was on apocalyptic cults and, after 2012 came and went without the world ending or any god-like entities appearing, I applied the social scientific insights to politics and the growing mob of power-hungry podcast 'prophets' and greedy 'gurus’.
A key thing identified several decades ago, when a 'flying saucer cult’ was investigated psychosocially, was that observers raising questions and making rational critiques can, paradoxically, strengthen the adherence of followers.
As cult leaders tend to continually push the message that 'outsiders' can’t understand, as don't have the 'superior insights' of insiders, it is easy for scamming leaders to turn any criticism or questions into 'proof' that the outside world is against them and trying to destroy the movement.
Such 'evidence’, for primed adherents, reinforces the belief that the community is right — as why would the 'powers that be' or the 'mainstream media' be so alarmed unless the group was right and everybody else wrong? This can help leaders further isolate adherents from society and wring more money out of them — to help the community tackle encroachment.
Similarly, when prophecies fail, cult leaders can use the pre-installed narrative that the mainstream world is out to bring them down to spin the failure of prophecy into something else. For example, the ‘deep state’ stopped it, or the aliens didn’t come as the group’s ‘faith saved the world from disaster’.
When authorities actually intervene, for example when there’s evidence of exploitation, rape and child abuse, leaders can say "I told you so", before torching the place and / or murdering their followers.
The way in which psychologically susceptible people respond to criticism of their cult leaders is a real problem, as it makes dealing with wrongdoing very difficult. It was problematic in the 1950s and is even more problematic now.
That’s because the sort of people who fall for the glib, empty, manipulative words of self-proclaimed prophets and gurus (and political propagandists) still eat up that verbal effluent like chocolate — while the reach of the crap-peddlers is greater than ever. The internet has significantly amplified the voices of pseudo-prophets, garbage gurus and psychopathic propagandists. And they have learned lessons from the snake-oil peddlers of the past and honed their skills.
Some of those pictured above are facing serious criminal charges and so I’m not going to talk about the specifics of active cases. However, it is worth exploring the way in which certain men (and it is almost always men) have shifted from mainstream culture into shadowy areas of the web, where conspiracy ‘theories’ get consumed like opiates.
By harnessing that crap-swallowing audience, the peddlers of crap make a LOT of money and undermine society and rationality as their narratives get amplified. But, perhaps even more importantly, the abusers among them create fortresses around themselves to deflect allegations likely to come their way.
The fortress is the mob that believes every insincere word — but it’s also the carefully laid narrative that what they are saying is so incredibly important that the authorities will come for them.
And more sinister even than that narcissistic pseudo-Christ bullshit is the suggestion that the authorises are taking something important away from and are victimising the followers. Trump, who is facing a vast number of charges, has used that narrative very effectively. As have others pictured above.
The horrible irony is that the cult adherents are not being victimised by the authorities but by the malicious manipulators who they follow, fund and function as fortresses for.
*Correct spelling (almost)
