10 Most Disturbing Ways Cults Recruit Members
These cult recruitment tactics will make you sick. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the strangest manipulative techniques used by cults and other extreme organizations to lure in new members and entrap them.
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00:00Have you ever heard a lie so unrealistic that it seems improbable someone would actually use it?
00:06So improbable that you start wondering maybe you're missing something.
00:10Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the strangest manipulative
00:15techniques used by cults and other extreme organizations to lure in new members and entrap
00:20them. You don't know about that when you're in Scientology until you reach a certain level,
00:25like you have to receive a certain amount of training and counseling and it can take years.
00:32Number 10. Deceptive recruitment. You didn't see anybody suffering from any of those things?
00:37Nobody collapsing? Nobody vomiting? No one having trouble breathing? Nobody hallucinating or foaming?
00:42I didn't see any of those things. Those things were happening outside the lodge and again as
00:46I've said. Cult leaders know that they won't get very far by asking potential recruits outright
00:51would you like to join a cult? For that reason they often use a more subtle approach,
00:55hiding their true intentions behind a more enticing facade. The cult may be presented
01:01as a multi-level marketing opportunity like Nixxiom, a spiritual awakening retreat such as
01:06the tragic one hosted by James Arthur Ray, or even just a friendly group of like-minded people.
01:12Newcomers only become aware of the true nature of such groups once they are already involved,
01:17but by then it's usually too late. Well I didn't know nor did anyone know that anyone was in
01:24in a death, a life or death situation. Number nine. Picking the right target. College students
01:31in particular are really good targets for abuse of the groups, for any kind of
01:40group that exercises coercive control. Many people might look at cult members with derision,
01:46convinced that they could never be so ensnared themselves. However research has shown that most
01:51individuals can be lured in under the right circumstances and the cult leaders know this as
01:56well. They often prey on those who are stressed, emotionally vulnerable, have low self-esteem or
02:02lack strong family ties and are seeking a sense of belonging. As a child I was raised to die,
02:09torture to death in the name of Jesus and I was one of the lucky ones and should be thankful for
02:13that. Sometimes even those who don't necessarily fit into these categories can be susceptible,
02:17like freshman college students who are still trying to find their own identity. When all of
02:22these factors align, even seemingly average individuals can be easily deceived and recruited
02:27by cults. People always think cult members are very gullible people, that they're stupid,
02:36like they're looking to fill a hole in their life and that's absolutely not the case. Number eight.
02:40Love bombing. I think what attracted India to the group was this sense of unified purpose.
02:48Once recruiters have identified a potential new convert, the next step typically involves
02:52bombarding that person with affection, flattery and attention. This process is known as love
02:57bombing, coined in the 1970s by members of the Unification Church, which itself has been
03:02described as a cult. This manipulative tool ensures that recruits feel welcome and immediately
03:07associate the group with love and acceptance. Whenever, you know, Sun Myung Moon needed my
03:12parents for some kind of mission or anything, they had to put the cult leader's needs before
03:18their children's. Like my father, he was gone most of the year when I was growing up. This affection
03:23flows freely at first, but once they've successfully lured in their targets, cult leaders begin to
03:28withhold it, attaching specific conditions to their love. The goal apparently is to reach a
03:33point where the leaders reward only those who follow orders precisely, using love and affection
03:38as their ultimate control tools. It's a process. She understands that it impacted her and that
03:44she's not broken, but she's not unscathed either. Number seven. Isolation and social conditioning.
03:51For example, in the Waco Davidians, the extreme demands of the group required David Koresh to
03:58create extreme isolation. One effective way to convince someone of your point of view is by
04:03preventing any chance for dissent or scrutiny. Cult leaders tend to achieve this by isolating
04:08new converts and encouraging them to completely sever ties with their friends and families.
04:12Sometimes this isolation is systemic, with all members being relocated to a completely new
04:18environment to live together, as seen in the case of the Branch Davidians. The members could not
04:22visit their families. They could not leave the compound alone. There were only two phones
04:30in the compound, both controlled by David Koresh. Once this is achieved, leaders then foster an
04:36us versus them mentality, convincing followers that they are superior to those outside the group.
04:42They also filter the information that reaches the group, ensuring that only the cult's teachings
04:47are accepted as truth. This creates a long-lasting dependence among their members. Over a period of
04:52time, they become so isolated and dependent upon the leader to determine what is real and what is
04:58not. This is the key to their control. Number six, paranoia. It's also important to talk about
05:07the sickness of the people. However it happened, there's a sickness. You know, Jim Jones by himself
05:16can't kill 913 people. This is another common tactic cult leaders use to instill irrational
05:23fear in new members. They start by painting the outside world as dangerous and hostile,
05:28suggesting that their families or the government pose significant threats.
05:31Then they present the cult as the only safe haven. If you believe in me, I will cause the kingdoms
05:37of this racist society to become the kingdoms of socialistic freedom. I will cause your desert
05:42to blossom as a rose. For example, Jim Jones of the People's Temple, who suffered from paranoia
05:48himself, convinced his followers that government persecution and societal collapse were imminent.
05:53Also, the leaders of the Heaven's Gate cult warned of an impending apocalypse and urged
05:58people to reject their human nature so they could make it into heaven. These tactics build
06:02confidence and trust in the leaders, making it difficult for members to leave the perceived
06:06safety of the cult. It's beautiful to see that all these divisions have been broken down.
06:11Just a warm fellowship and acceptance of all people. Number five, false sense of purpose and
06:16belonging. It's a natural human desire to want your life to have more meaning and to feel like
06:21you are part of a monumental cause. Cult leaders understand this all too well, and they take
06:25advantage of it by offering new members emotional support, community, and a sense of purpose. As
06:31earlier mentioned, they often prey on vulnerable people, especially those who feel isolated or
06:36unhappy with their current lives. These cults are then modeled as warm, welcoming environments,
06:41offering a family that truly understands and values these individuals. Of course, this is
06:45just a smokescreen, but it helps the cult leaders maintain their self-centered image while keeping
06:50the new members tethered to them. Number four, group dynamics and peer pressure. To further
06:55strengthen that family image as a tool to attract new members, cults organize certain group activities,
07:01rituals, and ceremonies. These include, but are not limited to, chanting, singing, and meditation
07:07sessions. Some cults also set up communal living arrangements, which to an outsider may appear to
07:12emphasize solidarity within the group. In these settings, new members may begin to feel pressured
07:17to conform to everyone else's behavior, so they can not only gain the approval of their peers,
07:22but also that of the top-ranking leaders. Additionally, in some cults, such as the
07:27Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints, members adopt identical clothes and hairstyles,
07:33causing their individual identities to blend even more into the group's collective image.
07:37Number three, gaslighting. Have you ever heard a lie so unrealistic that it seems improbable
07:44someone would actually use it? So improbable that you start wondering maybe you're missing
07:49something. Once cult leaders start attracting followers, they need a way to keep them under
07:54their control. One method by which they achieve this is feeding them with so much bogus and
07:58contradictory information that they begin to question their own reality. The leaders initially
08:03shower these recruits with love and attention. Gaslighting hasn't been studied extensively and
08:08we don't fully understand what drives this behavior. But we can take a look at its components,
08:14compulsive lying and intolerance for opposition. But if you know what red flags to look for,
08:38you can try to avoid falling into some traps. Number two, fear and shame. You're going to be
08:43left in a ditch. You said all these horrible things about what would happen to me if I left
08:48because the world was such an evil place. As soon as the initial love-bombing fades,
08:53cult members begin to instill fear in their members. At first, this may be a fear of being
08:58ostracized from the group, which has now become their safe haven. Gradually, it escalates to the
09:03threat of punishment. Many cult leaders have been known to physically and sexually assault
09:07erring members, using this as a powerful tool to discourage dissent. Another tactic they
09:12employ is public shaming. By humiliating members in front of a group, they're able to create an
09:17environment rife with guilt and submission. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to
09:22our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos. You have the option
09:27to be notified for occasional videos, or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go
09:31into settings and switch on your notifications. Number one, self-incrimination. As intolerable
09:39as that is, the case has also exposed the extraordinary tactics the church used to
09:44protect its star recruit, and how it cruelly attempted to silence his victims. Certain cults
09:51go beyond just emotional and psychological manipulation, seeking more tangible ways to
09:56wield control over their followers. As a result, they encourage members to reveal their deepest
10:01secrets and wrongdoings, which are then used against them if they try to exit the group.
10:05For instance, the Church of Scientology carries out a practice called auditing, where members
10:10share personal details, which are then permanently recorded and stored. Danny Masterson was preying
10:16on Scientologist women, in part because he knew the church would protect him. Similarly, Nixxiom
10:23had members write damaging letters about themselves and share compromising pictures,
10:28which they kept as collateral for their commitment. All of this information is
10:32ultimately used as leverage to ensure loyalty and keep members trapped within the cults.
10:37There's a really strong misogynistic undertone to Nixxiom, that people are taught about these
10:44inherent differences between men and women, and one of those elements is that men are naturally
10:51polyamorous. Have you ever had any experience with cult leaders and their recruiters?
10:55Share them with us in the comments below.