Summary
All my previous "knowledge" of cults came from films and TV shows. I always thought "how terrifying, those people must be evil" or "poor people who got trapped in the cult, but, how or why did they join"? The idea of a cult seemed so foreign to me and difficult to grasp, and so the members seemed alien as well. I never really questioned who they were before being tied to such an organization, and it seemed kind of silly to even join such a thing when everyone knows the consequences that come from doing such a thing. My ignorance led me to read the article "Who Joins Cults, and Why?" from Cult Recovery 101.
What I learned was that there is no specific type of person that gets recruited into/ joins a cult. Your gender, race, age, occupation etc. don't matter. However, the people most likely to get targeted are those in vulnerable states of mind. This can be someone grieving a death or broken heart, someone fatigued over finances or study, or simply someone longing for belonging and connection. Recruiters take advantage of this vulnerability and manipulate the person, persuading them into joining when they know what to use against them. They might also take advantage of some who may be distracted at the time, in a rush, or gullible. Other people, though, might join willingly. They can be in search of knowledge, mental powers, or social utopia and the recruiters will pull them in with the promise of providing guidance and fulfilling these wishes.
It’s really interesting what I learned and it opened my eyes to just how sneaky cults can be. Even if they’re out in the public eye, they know how to conceal themselves and blend in, and know exactly who they can have success with in recruiting.
