Thread by @TaniaAMarshall

Cult recruitment: In order for ‘cults’ to be successful they rely on ‘recruiting’ others. They target ‘vulnerable’ isolated, alone, neglected children or adults. For vulnerable people, #cults are very tempting because the cult provides love-Bombing #stage1

A sense of safety, promises of rewards friends & actual rewards. Who could possibly refuse? They typically use becoming more joyful, happy, obtaining bliss as a #promise Who wouldn’t want that? A new family? #Acceptance? Love? It’s a nice loving supportive environment initially

#stage2 Cults are now online. Recruitees may be constantly bombarded by cult jargon new #language new wording The group expects recruitees to divulge everything about Themselves. Those recruited usually have #epiphany of some sort which drives them further into the cult #stage3

They may all of the sudden start believing they have found the reason for why they are different. They start believing what they have been told. Various forms of #psychological manipulation, extreme fear, #deception, propaganda, and a solution to this fear is provided. #stage4

Recruitees are grieving in unison and offered a solution for their #distress, pain or fears. Recruitees lose their sense of autonomy critical thinking skills, their ability for perspective taking (if they had it in the first place), and are forced to be dependent on the

group to guide them In their #perception of what it is that they are ‘seeing’ to groom them and reinforce them. They are separated, isolated and kept away from family members all loved ones and former friends. This is imperative for a cult. #stage5 #reality #ideology

Enter the US vs. THEM division where the outside group is the ‘enemy’. #stage6 This maybe family members, friends or entire world. Outsiders are not welcome. They have a single-mindedness and reinforce each other Recruitment is done by seduction #Charisma and for a better ‘cause’

Sex or #sexualisation is most often a part of the picture. As is a breaking down of #boundaries. What people see is crazy is the groups ‘reality’. The group members don’t have a sense of individual Identity and they merge, like@a hive mind often looking the same speaking the same

words & language. Social proof is #controlled by the group only. This maintains that it remains in its echo-chamber. The group is a full social group & they are extremely #powerful. No one outside the group is allowed to interfere and may be referred to as all

kinds of derogatory dehumanising names. Cults make it as difficult as possible for the members to leave. There is a deep commitment and #devotion to the cults way of life which makes it difficult for members to leave the cult due to lack of supports, money, friends, family

The strong sense of #shame and limited choices of what to do outside of the Cult reinforces them into staying. Before and after pictures of cult members are very different. That may act, think, behave look and/or speak very different from their former selves. #dramatic

What was formally their unique #personality has been pushed down or repressed by the #groupthink cult personality hence the dramatic change Their #feelings for their Guru are the objective proof for them they are doing the right thing.

With no other perspectives, alternative points of view or pushback recruitees are defenceless. Those who do manage to leave are ostracised demonised excommunicated and abused #cults #mindcontrol #manipulation #psychologicalwarfate #Psychology