don's report archive

Throw us a bone

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Are You Cult Material?
Wednesday October 1, 2003

We think of a cult as a manipulative group zealous about a cause or ideology at odds with own ideas of what constitutes common sense. Cult members are considered zealots who give unquestioning commitment to their leader(s), the dogma, and/or the traditions of the group. Characteristics of cults include:

A preoccupation with finding new members and collecting money.
A strong aversion to critical thinking.
Intolerance, particularly of dissent.
Ritual practice on a daily basis of brain-deadening techniques such as chanting, speaking in tongues, recitation of verses, silence and meditation.
Debilitating work routines.
Requirements to obtain permission from group leaders for minor and major decisions (where to work, whom to marry, what to wear, etc.)
Belief that the group is superior, particularly its leaders.
An us versus them mentality.
The leaders promote guilt feelings as a control measure.
A requirement that members live, socialize and otherwise interact to the extent possible only with other group members.

Of course these qualities are seen in most religions, mainstream and fringe, but the former stronger discourages mention of this fact by promoting norms such as "blasphemy" that discourage such observations.

For these reasons, a person who seeks to live free and independent and practice an optimal wellness lifestyle will want to become quite skillful at critical thinking or effective decision making. This skill will enable you to separate fact from fiction, hokum from the real thing and in many other ways assess information in a fashion that tends to weed out group-think, fraud and trickery. An appreciation for evidence-based thinking is a learned skill, and some Americans get more exposure to it than others as they grow up. I have often extolled the benefits of an attitude of "bemused skepticism" with regard to varied doubtful cures, nostrums and quick fixes that are common in modern medicine and holistic alternatives. An ability to think critically is just as important in other areas of life beyond medicine and health care.

Remember the cult followers who committed suicide en masse in a demented effort to hook up with the tail of some comet, because their leader convinced them this was a really cool idea? Remember David Koresh and his unusual interpretation of Scriptures? Are you more or less immune to these kinds of self-styled messiahs, gurus or, if you prefer, crackpots fanatically loyal to their own opinions? Of course you are or you wouldn't be interested in wellness or visiting this site!

What about that odd Elmer Fudd person, though, who works down the hall from you, or the suspicious character who looks at you funny--like at the bowling alley, bingo parlor or other hangout you frequent that you don't want us to know about? Perhaps one or more of these people and others you could name if you were less charitable than you are, might constitute prime material for the next doomsday group. In light of the kinds of weird things these people might do, don't you think we ought to test for cult susceptibility? If an effective test could be written to measure vulnerability to this kind of thing, would it not be a splendid advance? We could identify potential cult victims and refer them to mental health services, or at least try to enroll them in a critical thinking course.

Here are a few questions I would ask if I were to construct such a test. Each can be answered with a simple yes or no. Each is prefaced with this phrase: "Do you consider yourself...?" Ready?

Do you consider yourself:

Largely immune to and free of superstitions? (Superstition is a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or false conception of causation. It applies to popular folklore that some take seriously about such things as black cats, ladders, rabbit's feet, owls and (professional athletes, including Michael Jordan--take note) lucky numbers. According to Webster's Ninth, it also applies to "an irrational attitude of mind toward the supernatural or nature."

Yes_____ No_____

Committed to freedom of thought and belief, for yourself as well as for others? (Practically, this means you are free of any need or inclination to urge others to think, feel or believe as you do.)

Yes_____ No_____

Open-minded, that is, willing to change positions if you encounter evidence at odds with your present ideas?

Yes_____ No_____

Skeptical of anything that seems cult-like? (A few characteristics of cults include mind control, group domination, exploitation of members, physical and mental abuse, long indoctrinations that wear down normal reactions and obedience to a charismatic leader.)

Yes_____ No_____

Predisposed to favor reason over accepting things on faith, meaning there is no evidence to support the assertions put forward?

Yes_____ No_____

Of the opinion that high standards of morality, family values and the like are not the exclusive province of any or all religions--that one can be ethical/fair/moral and otherwise a good citizen independent of a belief in one or more supernatural beings?

Yes_____ No_____

Convinced that democratic means are preferable to other forms of governance, including divine rights?

Yes_____ No_____

Suspicious of untested claims?

Yes_____ No_____

Oriented more to assessing information based on logic, science and experience (for starters) than delegating this responsibility to experts or other authorities?

Yes_____ No_____

Focused on making THIS life as fulfilling, purposeful and meaningful as possible for yourself and others?

Yes_____ No_____

Well, that's my cult immunity test. If you believe you had to answer "no" to any of these questions, added attention to the art of reasoning is in order. (If you answered "no" to several or all of them, please--hire a deprogrammer immediately, or seek an exorcism! Seriously, while this test has not been validated by double blind, crossover trials of a longitudinal nature, it's a pretty good guide, in my opinion. I would bet, however, that anyone who marked "yes" to all or most of the questions would be one mighty hard sell for the next cult leader who comes along.

Can you think of one or more questions that ought to be on this list, or do you have comments about those already on it? As always, I'd love to hear from you, pro or con, on any aspect of this or other "Don's Reports."

All the best. Stay well and look on the bright side of life.

. Note: Information regarding the qualities of cults are based in part on material found in the Cultic Studies Journal, edited by Michael Langone.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MENTAL DOMAIN under the skill area of effective decisions. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

Send e-mail to Don Ardell