Cult Definition:
Origins And Distinctions

Definition of a cult

What is a cult? A standard cult definition is:

1. A particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies
2. A group bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
3. An instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers.

The word 'cult' has its origin in the Latin 'cultus', which means habitation, refinement or worship.

It is also used as 'cult band' or 'cult film' which indicates that the band or film has a small group of devoted followers.

So far, so good! People have a right to be allowed to believe in whatever they like.

The difficulty arises when people are being manipulated/brainwashed to believe in an idea, a person, a religion etc. and they do not realize that they're decisions are being manipulated. This is what happens in destructive cults.

 

What's a destructive cult?

At a large International Cultic Studies Association conference in 1985, they first had to answer the question 'what is a cult?' and they settled on the following cult definition:

A group or movement exhibiting great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing, and employing unethical manipulative or coercive techniques of persuasion and control (for example, isolation from former friends and family, debilitation, use of special methods to heighten suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, suspension of individuality or critical judgment, the motion of total dependency on the group and fear of leaving it), designed to advance the goals of the group's leaders, to the actual or possible detriment of members, their families, or the community.

Note the difference here. This is a definition of a destructive cult. Whether a group is destructive or not depends on whether mind control is used or not.

People should have the freedom to believe in whatever they choose. So we do not examine the beliefs or ideology of a group to determine if is dangerous or not. We have to check out the behaviors and practices, i.e., are they using coercive persuasion (mind control/brainwashing) to affect members identities, their decision making etc. or not?

A destructive group will also present a facade to the world, in order to attract people. But this facade is simply a trick, a lure to draw people in and it's used to hide the real agenda of the cult, which is to recruit new members and make money off them.

Of course, it can be said that any business has this as an agenda, but with a business it's obvious that this is what is going on. A company selling a particular product advertises it's wares to those who want them. A customer buys the widget in a store, for example, knowing what he is buying, goes home, and may have no further contact with the company unless he wants another product.

In a destructive cult something else entirely happens. Let's say an individual is looking for something. This person happens to meet a cult member. The cult member then links up what the person is looking for with the ideas of the group, twisting and distorting what the group offers to make it seem like they have the perfect solution for the individual. The emotional manipulation starts from the first moment!

If the individual is convinced, they go along to the group. Pretty soon, the group is giving this individual advice on many aspects of life, not just what the individual was looking for. The individual is tricked into changing what he was looking for initially. The leader (and by extension, the group) lead the members to believe that the goals of the group are more important than anything else and the members give up their individual goals and take on those of the group. After all, they are going to change the world. What could be be more important than that?!

Our individual then starts bringing others to the group. The individual feels that this is the best thing to do in order to help others understand the benefits of the group. He thinks he is doing it for the benefit of others and for the world in general. The individual's life now revolves around the group and the leader. He is actually recruiting people into a cult. To cult members, this idea is completely hidden.

Robert Lifton also points out that in a destructive cult, there are three conditions present. He says that there is a totalistic or thought reform set of practices being used, there is a shift from worship of broad spiritual practices to worship of the leader, and thirdly, a genuine quest from below (the members are seeking something) is exploited from above (i.e., by the leadership).

 

Cult definition

Read a more comprehensive description of cults and more details of destructive cults and destructive sects as well as how to escape a cult.

Like this page?