Signs of Cult influence

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A

Ariel82

Guest
#1
Thought it might help someone:

Cult Influence & Persuasion Defense Tactics


The Nine Symptoms of Cult Influence

In the same way that a doctor looks for symptoms to help detect a disease, the following symptoms warn us that a family member or friend may have come under the influence of a cult. Of course, not all of these show up in every case, but they provide a red flag that something may be wrong. No single symptom may be conclusive, but you should be suspicious if you see several of the following symptoms together--and remember that the more quickly cult influence is detected, the easier the rescue.

Personality changes:

1. Do you find yourself saying, "He's a different person," or, "I don't know her anymore"? Destructive cults successfully replace their members' personalities with new identities.

2 Dramatic shifts of values or beliefs: Of course, values and beliefs change gradually over a lifetime--but psychological research has shown that beliefs and values are highly resistant to dramatic short-term change. Such radical changes require extreme situational influences such as those provided by skilled cult leaders.

3 Changes in diet or sleep patterns: Cults will often restrict the diet and sleep of members, possibly in an effort to hamper normal, rational thought processing. In addition, the vegetarian diets commonly required by cult leaders allow the cults to feed members cheaply.

Refusal to attend important family events: Family members pose a strong threat to the influence of the cult. As such, many cults refuse to allow members to attend family events such as marriages, sick relatives, graduations, etc.

Inability to make decisions without consulting a cult leader or guru: One of the signs of dependency upon a cult leader is the loss of personal autonomy.

6 Sudden use of a new ideology to explain everything: Like a harpist playing an instrument with a single string, a cult member uses his or her new ideology to explain the entire world--even when it's wildly inappropriate.

Black and white, simplistic reasoning: Underneath all the complicated jargon, you'll find a cult recruit dividing his or her world into 'good' and 'bad'. The shades of grey in which we all live are usually intolerable to a cult member.

New vocabulary: Is the person suddenly using complex jargon to obscure irrational or simplistic thinking? (Although this could merely be a sign of attending graduate school!)

9 Insistence that you do what they are doing: Recruitment is one of the first duties a new cult member is given. It consolidates the recruits beliefs while it inflates the cult's ranks.
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
24,555
13,320
113
#2
The comment to number 8 is rather funny....

Consider the early church: how many of these would have applied? Does the world look at Christianity and see too many similarities between the Church and the cults? Can they see and difference at all? What defense would a Christian offer which would make sense to a non-religious person?

I'm not at all trying to attack your position, Ariel; I'm just taking a sideways look at your post. :)
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#3
It does say it could be a sign of attending graduate school...so having one or two doesn't mean it's a cult...but a bunch, may be time to check out the group and what they teach.
 
N

NoNameMcgee

Guest
#4
Thought it might help someone:

Cult Influence & Persuasion Defense Tactics


The Nine Symptoms of Cult Influence

In the same way that a doctor looks for symptoms to help detect a disease, the following symptoms warn us that a family member or friend may have come under the influence of a cult. Of course, not all of these show up in every case, but they provide a red flag that something may be wrong. No single symptom may be conclusive, but you should be suspicious if you see several of the following symptoms together--and remember that the more quickly cult influence is detected, the easier the rescue.

Personality changes:

1. Do you find yourself saying, "He's a different person," or, "I don't know her anymore"? Destructive cults successfully replace their members' personalities with new identities.

2 Dramatic shifts of values or beliefs: Of course, values and beliefs change gradually over a lifetime--but psychological research has shown that beliefs and values are highly resistant to dramatic short-term change. Such radical changes require extreme situational influences such as those provided by skilled cult leaders.

3 Changes in diet or sleep patterns: Cults will often restrict the diet and sleep of members, possibly in an effort to hamper normal, rational thought processing. In addition, the vegetarian diets commonly required by cult leaders allow the cults to feed members cheaply.

Refusal to attend important family events: Family members pose a strong threat to the influence of the cult. As such, many cults refuse to allow members to attend family events such as marriages, sick relatives, graduations, etc.

Inability to make decisions without consulting a cult leader or guru: One of the signs of dependency upon a cult leader is the loss of personal autonomy.

6 Sudden use of a new ideology to explain everything: Like a harpist playing an instrument with a single string, a cult member uses his or her new ideology to explain the entire world--even when it's wildly inappropriate.

Black and white, simplistic reasoning: Underneath all the complicated jargon, you'll find a cult recruit dividing his or her world into 'good' and 'bad'. The shades of grey in which we all live are usually intolerable to a cult member.

New vocabulary: Is the person suddenly using complex jargon to obscure irrational or simplistic thinking? (Although this could merely be a sign of attending graduate school!)

9 Insistence that you do what they are doing: Recruitment is one of the first duties a new cult member is given. It consolidates the recruits beliefs while it inflates the cult's ranks.
1 - i was violent in words and action as well as self destructive while still managing to be selfish

now my personality is the opposite after being given a new heart

2. my main values before were attracting femalesn making money and my image as,well as ability to cause harm to those i disagreed with

now none of these i value at all other than my image (only because i dont want to belittle what God can do)


3.diets always changed drastically almost every year based my own desires at first... now not so much

4. never been one for family events but i do try to see them here and there (aside from the few who claim to believe in Jesus and love God, i see more often)

5.i now pray, study and take more time making big decisions, so its not my flesh making them or me doing them on impulse (like i did before trying to conform to the Word)

6.


6. i used to just wing it when it came to words and my understanding now i try to reference the Bible every chance i get

7. i hate the idea of grey, the path is narrow, i try to avoid grey, and outright black... cling to the light of truth (white in this analogy)


8. hahha half of my old vocabulary is out of window... replaced with much less vile words


9. nah... ill make suggestions some times... but i cant be as the hypocrits so ill save harsher opinions till the log is out of my eye to tell them of the spec in theirs
 
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NoNameMcgee

Guest
#5
haha... ariel... youre awesome xD

i agree that those things are signs of bein in a cult

as well as turning from the world

also as well as conforming to any NEW way of life that is much different than your old way of life
 

Angela53510

Senior Member
Jan 24, 2011
11,780
2,938
113
#6
I thought it was against CC rules to post the same thing in more than one subforum?
 
Dec 3, 2016
1,674
25
0
#7
People in cults stay in the toilet longer than normal
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#8
I thought it was against CC rules to post the same thing in more than one subforum?
Only if you are spamming.

It's not against the rules to post the same topic in two different forums.

I posted this to talk to people from a family view point and personal relationships.

The other was to examine it in a Biblical view point.

They can overlap but folks from one forum don't always visit others.

Which is often a blessing from God.

Also the topic in each forum is introduced by two different articles in the OP.
 

jenniferand2

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2016
1,433
33
48
#9
haha... ariel... youre awesome xD

i agree that those things are signs of bein in a cult

as well as turning from the world

also as well as conforming to any NEW way of life that is much different than your old way of life
they could also mean your just a normal pre adult or young adult trying to figure out your place in the world. heck I did most of that stuff in my young adult years just because I had freedom and was testing waters of life.
 
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NoNameMcgee

Guest
#10
they could also mean your just a normal pre adult or young adult trying to figure out your place in the world. heck I did most of that stuff in my young adult years just because I had freedom and was testing waters of life.

when you say "they" what do you mean?
im not 100% sure through text i understand what you mean

but i appreciate it of youre trying to comfort me about who i was before the drastic changes God made in me


and if you did even 1 /100 of what i did
im glad God changed you too

i made r rated movies look tame
 

jenniferand2

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2016
1,433
33
48
#11
I was trying to put that instead of they sorry about that..