Tactics
Recruitment
Cults don’t advertise themselves as cults, because nobody would willinging join a cult. Instead they market themselves as having some sort of divine knowledge that can only be learned by joining. More than 2/3 of people who join cults are recruited by family members, friends, or coworkers. People are much more likely to trust people close to them, especially if they are in a more vulnerable state.
As most cults go after people in weakened mental states, recruitment tactics place an emphasis on loving and understanding the person, and that the solutions to their problems can be fixed within the cult.
One of the main tactics is known as “love bombing”. Essentially, it’s when they make the victim feel accepted and loved. It’s through this that the person can place their trust in the cult. They’ll be less likely to notice manipulation or even want to leave the cult if it feels like it’s the only place where they can be loved. For love bombing to yield the best results, it’s preferable if the person is socially isolated. That’s why cults reinforce the isolation that a person has. They make them feel paranoid about the outside world and everyone else around them. So even if someone else is trying to get a victim to leave a cult, the victim will feel like that person just doesn’t understand.
Cult Tactics
Cult members are usually highly controlled by the leader in almost all aspects of their life. What they eat, wear, who they speak to, even information, is all controlled by the leader. When everything is being so highly controlled, it can feel like everything you have and are is all tied to the cult. This makes it difficult to leave a cult, because it feels like without the cult they have nothing.
Surveillance is a way that cult leaders retain control while also making it hard for members to express a differing opinion. “In my cult, microphones and cameras were installed in people’s rooms. So even while you were in your room trying to relax, don’t say the wrong thing because it’ll come back to you later.” stated Dan Shaw, a former cult member.
Lastly, there’s the fear of being shunned or even chased down that stops people from leaving cults. If someone’s entire social circle is within the cult, then leaving could also mean leaving behind everyone important to them. You wouldn’t want to be shunned away from people you care about. Some cults even chase down members after they leave, so there’s an added fear of being caught after leaving.