Page Last Updated: December 29, 2009.
We receive many questions on a daily basis on how do you determine if a group is a destructive cult versus an alternative religion or benign group. We thought we would list some of the more popular guidelines we have seen out there so you can determine for yourself if a particular group falls into the destructive range. We didn't go into detail of these guidelines, but did provide the references so can look them up for yourself.
Our center uses a simple classification: any organization that inhibits individual freedom of thought through the use of violence, deception and mind control. We don't evaluate a particular organization on what it's beliefs are, but rather how an organization operates.
The following system is one that is probably the most common out in use by agencies today. It is taken from a book called "Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism" by Dr. Robert Jay Lifton. Dr. Lifton has eight points of mind control. Those points are:
1. Milieu control
2. Mystical manipulation
3. The demand for purity
4. The cult of confession
5. Sacred science
6. Loading the language
7. Doctrine over person
8. Dispensing of existence.
These eight points are thoroughly discussed in chapter 22 of Lifton's book.
Another evaluation gauge that is in use is the Cult Danger Evaluation Frame developed by P. E. I. Bonewits. This evaluation frame uses a ten point scale, 1 being low and 10 being high. The scale ratings are subjective, but the author claims it can used as a practical guide. The areas rated are:
1. Internal control
2. Wisdom claimed
3. Wisdom credited
4. Dogma
5. Recruiting
6. Front groups
7. Wealth
8. Political power
9. Sexual manipulation
10. Censorship
11. Dropout control
12. Endorsement of violence
13. Paranoia
14. Grimness
15. Surrender of will.
For detailed explanation of these scales, P. E. I. Bonewits outlines them in his book "Real Magic".
There are several good books that have been published on the subject of mind control. One such book is "Combatting Cult Mind Control" by Steve Hassan. The book is currently out of print, however you can contact us if you want to get a copy. A current publication that has come out on the market is "The Guru Papers" by Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad. This book gives a detailed look at authoritarian groups. Another book available from the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles is "Cults and Consequences" edited by Racheal Andres and James Lane. This book also gives some definitions of destructive organizations. Other factors that many scales have in common are: looking at diet, fatigue, lack of privacy, elitism, alienation and others. Please notice we did not include looking at destructive cults from a religious point of view. Many would claim there is a spiritual part of this kind of evaluation. There may be indeed a valid point to that, however, it is not the job of this center to define what spiritual perspective people should take.
Page Last Updated: December 29, 2009.