Gerrard Kaonga
A former cult member has revealed just how cults continue to be successful and how their leaders manage to win so many people over.
Thankfully, most of us will only deal with cults through popular media like TV and films - and even in the headlines, with the recent news surrounding Smallville actress Allison Mack - but some people have much closer encounters with them.
Sociologist Dr. Janja Lalich used to be a cult member, and has answered many of the burning questions people on social media have had about these types of organizations.
Dr Lalich spoke to Wired and addressed one of the most common ones: How do cult leaders so frequently get so many followers?
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From the outside looking in, it often seems bizarre that the most ludicrous groups or cults have any members at all, but the expert highlighted the important psychology behind it all.
In the YouTube video, she was asked: “Why do cult leaders always have to be weirdo freaks that abuse their members? When will we see a cult leader who’s really just a chill guy.”
Dr Lalich clarified there isn’t such a thing as a ‘chill guy’ cult leader as these individuals do not become heads of cults.
She said: “Cult leaders are not going to be chill, cult leaders are power-hungry individuals who are typically narcists who believe that the world revolves around them.
“They aren’t necessarily weirdo freaks, some of them may look like a classy businessman.”
Dr Lalich emphasized that cult leaders might look like any other individual and that when they attempt to recruit followers, they likely won’t look as ‘weird’ as they are eventually depicted.
Using cult leader Marshall Applewhite of the Heaven's Gate cult as an example, she said: “When Applewhite was recruiting followers he kind of had that professorial look or like your nice uncle.
“The cult leader might become a little demented, might start using too many drugs, might start looking really weird but they certainly don’t start out that way.”
Speaking of Charles Manson, she pointed out that he would use drugs to ensnare his followers, which is actually quite rare for cult leaders.
She pointed out that many don’t and are instead charismatic and form power imbalances that results in a following.
She added: “Charles could come along, and he had a very Svengali, charismatic appeal. He would look in your eyes and draw you in and also what is important with what Manson did is he would use drugs.
“Most cults do not use drugs, they are using basic social psychology.”