Essay on Why People Join Cults

In the essay, The Cult You’re In, Kalle Lasn not only used rhetoric devices and imagery to allow readers to come to a better understanding of who ‘you’ are and the role you play through the reality of the detrimental reality of life. Kalle used these devices to almost scare readers into a reality check insinuating that not everything is perfect or how we image them to be. Reality is described as only being a figment of one’s mind, by being a meager front. From birth to teenage year’s life was almost picture perfect being a “This is your life moment.” You would be living the life of a diligent and optimistic child, but you quickly realize like Lasn said, “Those big dreams of youth didn’t quite plan out.”

Manson sometimes referred to him self as the devil, " I am the devil, and the devil always had a bald head. " - Manson (Bugliosi). Last year in September 14th 2015, a suicide note supposedly discovered by the Corcoran State guard, claiming him self immortal and God at the same time. " I am immortal. My body may lay here right now , but in less than 24 hours I will rise from the dead just like the great lazarus, exactly like jesus- because I am God!"

A murderer is normally defined by the psychological attributes that define him or her. These killers often suffer from a psychotic delusion that forces them to commit their horrific crimes. However, those who are pronounced sane and rational have a moral conviction that drives them to kill. It is this principle that separates the average murder from the psychotic sadists that believes in what he or she does. Charles Manson, leader of the Manson Family, believed in the apocalyptic war of Helter Skelter, the uprising of blacks and the mass genocide of whites (Whitehead). Manson’s firm conviction about Helter Skelter separates him from other criminals who commit their crimes out of insanity. In Travels in New-England and New-York, author

Cults are the groups that exhibit intense and unquestioning devotion to a single cause. All the group members have a same goal or mission, and the group thinking helps the group members to stick on the same goal. For the Heaven Gate, their goal is to enter the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom level above human. The documentary of “Heaven Gate Cult” perfectly shows the four ways for the cult to promote their group thinking.

Sometimes it is far easier to do what is best for oneself rather than what is best for the group. This decision is usually motivated by fear. Fear is generally a destructive force in society, allowing the strong to take advantage of the weak.

Just another day at the office, sipping my hot coffee when my desk shakes and my coffee gets all over my new suit.

In Manson´s early years, he was a convicted car thief and pimp. Manson was inprisioned in 1960, and granted parole in 1967. Soon after he had been released he moved in with Mary Bronner in Berkeley, CA. Not long after he moves in with Bronner, he convinces her to let other women move in with them. After awhile he dubbed the group “The Family”. During the summer of 1967, Manson and his ‘family’ moved to San Francisco. Their, Manson was exposed to a virarity of beliefs

Since europeans have arrived in America women have been abused by various cults. Through the different cults women are abused and used in different ways. Cults are not only religious groups but are groups who have certain beliefs and dilemmas. Cults can rein from the religious groups like christianity to certain groups like the pueblos. Multiple cases have been found where history has proven that women have been abused in cults from the 1500’s all the way till today. This is a problem that we want to discuss and come up with a solution.

wanting to be envied by others because of what we have or can do. The need to do better, have prestige and more power than anyone else is a

The second factor is the outcome. People in cults often come out of the group in a worse position than when they first joined the cult. They could be worse off financially, psychologically, or relationally to give a few examples. More times than not, people in groups that are not considered cults do not produce the effects listed above. Instead, members of these groups report that they improve as a person in some way (Salande, and Perkins 382, 383). Cults can be differentiated from other groups because of the methods that cults use, and the effect that cults can have on its members.

Using the Cult of Personality posters as propaganda, Mao depicted himself as a “god-like” figure, but still made efforts to sustain the crucial ruler-subject relationship of Confucianism (Chinese Posters). Most of the images include Mao smiling, along with some of his subjects smiling or celebrating. This associates the socialist dictator with happiness in an attempt to form a deep emotional connection with him. Mao uses Filial Piety united with this happiness to demonstrate a need for the respect of his subjects. For example, in one poster, Mao is depicted next to naval soldiers, in which he is the focal point. The men he is speaking to are smiling, but gathered

destructive cult is a rigidly structured absolutist group usually under an authoritarian, charismatic leader which isolates itself from established societal

People feel a need to “fit in” or belong. Instead of espousing their true feelings and thoughts about an issue that they are already vacillating on they are swayed by their “groups” strong view. An example would be, a certain group splits down the middle and the individual members cluster in two big bunches on either end of the spectrum, pro or con, white and black, etc. The individual member’s actions and attitudes have become polarized around the issues involving ISIS – all refugees are a threat, or we should just let all refugees in because they are victims

Instead, Manson was able to manipulate his followers, known as The Manson Family, to murder on his behalf. While Manson is “a notorious inmate and arguably an American icon of evil but, according to experts, the aging convict is not a serial killer or a mass murderer, as he is typically described” (Lohr, 2012, para. 1). Nevertheless, Manson maintains a large cult following, with the appeal and fascination with both his life and crimes lingering on into modern American culture. What was it about Charles Manson’s personality that attracted so many of his followers? And what is it about his personality that maintains the public interest after all these years? While both psychologists and sociologists argue that the socio-political climate at the time was opportunistic for a person like Charles Manson to emerge (Hickey, 2003), it’s also probable that Manson’s magnetic personality was more to blame for his intuitive yet powerful persuasion over his followers, across both decades and

individuals have a motive in why and how they act. However, people often join groups because a