This video should be shown in every high school around the world.

I work in customer services and if soneone is about to get angry I tell them what a lovely person they are, works everytime, you're suddenly their best mate. People are easily minipulated. .

The first and foremost thing that I appreciate about this video is that IT GETS TO THE POINT AT THE VERY BEGINNING!!!! Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!!!!!

My family is a cult. I have been kept brainwashed all my life. This is a family with very good reputation, money, administration from outside world and admiration from the members within towards the leader- my father. I was thinking that I go crazy because of the many years struggling in all areas of my life, struggling with depression, anxiety ect. I need to get good knowledge and clarity around that because otherwise I am lost.

Been there, done that! Self-love prevents cult recruitment and spiritual abuse. Aloha from Kauai.

I am going through alot of emotional distress and feeling raw as I realize that I have been in a cult following for the last 35 years. I can see what and why I was drawn in and attracted to the cult and leader...It was just what I needed at the time... BUT NOW FEEL ALITTLE LOST AS I LET GO AND REBUILD MYSELF!!

I attended a mormon service and was amazed at the programing

This is exactly the education needed right now. I had a relationship with a sociopathic covert narcissist who nearly ruined my professional and financial life. He actually had an elaborate trap set but his mask slipped right before he got to drop it over me and I escaped in the nick of time. I wouldn’t trade what I learned from that relationship for ANYTHING! One cannot be fully an adult without the ability to spot narcissists, especially the psychopaths and sociopaths. The fundamentals of this disorder need to be taught in junior high. It feels to me that there may be a purpose behind this rise to political power of these evil type individuals ... to educate the masses so that the would be Hitler’s of this world will no longer be able to get into positions of power. Thank you for such a great teaching!

JUST AMAZING TAPE. This woman is dead on. Tremendous information.

Susepability to cult attractions definitely begins in early childhood with inadequate or faulty parenting & damaging influences from significant others but, blaming, rather than understanding, ones parents & others may not undo the damages done by bad parenting & others whereas, psychotherapy & other forms of emotional help to understand & repair the damages done to one in early childhood might help the victims of early, mental abuse & neglect. Therapy, not revenge & blaming, helped me A LOT! Therapy gave me the tools to stay out of & never get lost in any cult. A faulty upbringing by faulty parenting made me a perfect candidate/sucker for any cult out there & I almost entered a few.

As a former jehovas witnesses I remember in a conversation where they were talking about recruiting the most vulnerable people that are in hospitals :(

Every single person in the world needs to dedicate an hour of their life to watch this. Although not guaranteed to awaken every person, it might help light a beacon for them to eventually make their way out.

When she talks about how cult leaders can talk in a slow, rythmic manner to hypnotize their followers and you realize she does that as well XD I've watched this video several times because I find it strangely relaxing.

Absolute LEGEND. Sadly much of what Singer helped expose and illuminate continues today and is fueled online. No longer does a cult member have to be among fellow disciples in a fixed location. Instead many participate in isolation.

My issue with this video is that "cultism" is throughout our lives; at work, in church, in our schools and clubs. Once we have escaped from a cult it is more plain that it is all around us.

How society can deal with cults: 1. Encourage survivors to take cult leaders and members to court to be held accountable for their conduct legally. 2. Educate people, especially children, young people and the elderly, on how to think critically and evaluate whether they're being manipulated more effectively. 3. Educate the mental health community on cult-specific trauma and how to best help victims and survivors heal. This all seems so relevant nowadays.

I had to repost this to my channel. As a former cult member this was so instrumental in understanding what the hell happened to me.

This happened to me and it wasn't until I spoke it outloud to a qualified therapist that I realized how ABSURD the ideas were and that is when I snapped out of it. I had been just going along with everything because they convinced me in the beginning that I was a chosen person on this spiritual path. They acted like they knew things about me and could help me "in this lifetime". Once I started working for them that is when things really changed. A lot of verbal abuse and put downs. Then misled me as to my role on a project. Had me convinced I was a bad person and that's why I was demoted after doing all of the legwork. They don't argue you to join, they make you feel special and chosen and promise you a lot, including healing and career advancement.

A cult can have several leaders. If they split into branches and change their names. Members are unaware they're following the "leader" by following the "group," so they might be in denial about following the leader.

My husband and I just exited a cultic type Christian group. Dr. Singer's descriptions are so accurate about the process. What she says at the end about counseling and professionals is spot on. I had a hard time finding a therapist knowledgeable about thought control.

Yes, they do a lot of "Love Bombing". Shower you with love, tell you how much they love you and how much you're going to love everyone in the group, how much you're going to love learning about all the self development techniques, etc

Every $cientologist should watch this.

I love it when she refers to cult leaders as, "management". LOL. Sorry, I've had horrible experiences with management so this amuses me greatly.

WOWW>... Elitest... I left a religious group..I learned a lot..they wanted to obey and follow the Bible which I loved...But, there was a lot of Control..And I couldn't make my own decisions..They had made me rely on them for everything rather than learn to make decisions on my own according to the Bible

@23:00 - Speech patterns as soft hypnosis @36:30 - Loaded language and its effects upon the followers' thinking abilities.

Outstandingly informative. #NPDAbuse #Trauma #BreakingFreeFromToxicPeople It's just like this. Narcissists and Sociopaths abuse their "victims" just like this.

Seventh Day Adventist’s, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons this is for you.

Institutions can be cults, too, with more than one leader. The only difference is that the cult gains cultural acceptance. She's focusing on only one extreme type of cult as if it's the only kind. Cults are extremely common. We just don't always recognize them because they are the established systems we've always known.

Cults are a very slippery topic, it can be very difficult to wrap your brain around the issue . This talk is gold. It is beautifully structured and incredibly clear. . This talk offers the best structure and set of insights that I have seen yet. This talk is from 1994 but even more relevant today than it was at the time, given modern use of social media to influence people and even just the use of Meetup to announce meetings of new groups where one can engage new followers.

This is so educative

Thank you DR this is a real eye opener I just wish we could get LOST people to listen. GOD BLESS YOU.RUDY.

the truth is they still use the same tactics now days...sad how many people are still affected...

Thank you to the Channel International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) for the open availability to this information.

This is gold.. GOLD !

Jehovah withnesses are a perfect example of this

this is really fascinating. im so glad to be made aware of the nefarious and common ways these behaviors intrude. the culture and overly tolerant positive only is a set up to those who would take advantage of the uninformed or unprepared.

When she mentioned being in a trance and driving down the road I thought of someone that was a specific type of main-stream religious preacher ( I want to name it but I chose not to) near where I live who had used that exact experience to validate his belief that joining the religion was the right choice. I almost got wrapped up in this sect due to having close friends that are involved. I went to one of their church services and saw people standing against the walls of the church with their eyes rolling back and mumbling. I understand that there are many people that believe this is from God. I do not. I think the behavior fits the description of this speaker to a T, and I also paid attention to the rhythmic music (same drum beats over and over; the same words over and over) they think they are praising and worshiping God, but to me it seems trance-like especially when newbies and non-members show up they really prolong this to intice them into joining in. The chant she mentions goes along with repeating the same prayer or praise over and over. Then some members end up on the floor as if asleep but all that is a trance state. It feels different, powerful and exhilarating. If you've never felt this before you believe that you've been touched by God and its a sealed deal you will continue to seek this "feeling" and want to continue to be involved in this type of religion. It takes real perception and I think down right honesty to acknowledge there isn't any supernatural God power coming on you its just your own hyped up emotions. Another thing to note about this particular church is they attend services more than any other church I know. There is always a reason they are having services and every service they take up offering. Well how else do they get their four daughters through college and pay for a new church all the while moving into a wealthy neighborhood? Recently several members have left this church and I'm not one bit surprised. A cult? I'm not sure, but they definitely do have very similar characteristics as what I just watched.

Excellent information. Thank you. I believe susceptibility to cults can start in childhood- think domestic violence(emotional or physical).Then cultic one on one as in romantic relationships. Work relationships..... Why are we not educating children repeatedly in childhood as to what healthy relationships are?

Very true of the Brahma Kumaris who use many of these tactics

I highly recommend Margaret Singer's book, Cults in Our Midst. Brilliant, so informative, and material not found elsewhere. Best book on deceptive mind control and cults I've ever read. My atheist parents were very concerned about us kids being influenced by peer pressure to get involved in religion when we started public school. So they started teaching us critical thinking skills every night at the dinner table, ~2 years before kindergarten, so I was age 3 then. Very young children really can learn critical thinking skills, and how to debunk myths such as in religions and in the bible. And how to spot psychological manipulations used in religions, etc., to recognize the influence they can have on oneself. For example, the peer pressure of physical rituals, such as being told by a priest to obey him, to stand up, sit down, kneel, pray, sing, etc., over and over again. You stand out like a sore thumb if not doing what everyone else is doing, so it's pressure to go along and obey. From there, it's only a short step from obeying the physical directions from the priest, to obeying the beliefs the priest is preaching and telling us to believe. Also, religions, etc. use awe-inspiring and beautiful art, architecture, music, pageantry, solemnity, and all kinds of rituals to influence us: all well-orchestrated to get someone to "look up to" the church or leaders. If we're taught to recognize these psychological manipulations, we can be less susceptible to them: even a little kid can learn and be more protected from psychological manipulations. Critical thinking training lasts a lifetime. (My parent's instruction about critical thinking and peer pressure worked for me, for which I'm grateful, 50+ years later.)

35:40 on the timeline -Cults often change members names - “Henceforth, you shall be known as Lord Darth Vader”

Thank you so much! This interview is opening my mind.

This is such a great video. AA has so many of these traits . Thank you for releasing this.

You are 100% correct! I just escaped 26 days ago from the most abusive cult any of the professionals here in Fort Myers, FL has ever heard about or seen in their lives. I was born into it, I didn’t know anything different and now my son is still there. Somehow they know I’m telling the truth but they say it’s so bizarre if it were a movie it would be considered some type of science fiction horror. I knew I hated my life and I wanted to spare my son the same torture as I have lived but I didn’t realize exactly how bad I had it. Now the family is trying to manipulate me into going back. Why would they give me two capsule pills everyday from the ages of 3-4 years old to 6 years old that afterwards I have no memories for 4, 5 sometimes 6 hours?

cults use people

Exelent video. More than needed 🙏❤️🤗

Love this analysis

Thank you for this really great resource.

Cults prey on the weak and worship the strong with envy.

this video deserves to be watched by millions of people

Jehonah withnesses are a perfect example of this m

Amazing. Very informative!

Wow! So familiar...the 6th condition for thought reform, "Maintaining a closed system of logic and restricting criticism."

Highly informative.

Great explanation!

very simple practical experience orientated explanation.:)

The bigger question that is never asked is why are there so many cults is it just for the leaders benefits and is it for the benefit of other social actors.

No wonder Thaler has a PhD...truly educated and knows wth she's talking about. Spot on..I wish everyone would watch this...especially Christians & Muslims.

Gratitude training

We see evidence of thought reform in Jehovah’s Witnesses. Also, guilt, fear, coercion from GB. They’re autocratic and have total power over the life of each member.

This entire video fits perfectly with how Oahspe Bible Cults UFO Doomsday Cults operate. 100% accurate.

Really found it informative, I was wondering about why people join cults and have my doubts about this modern fad for mindfulness? Missed my opportunity to study cults when studying sociology as the lecturer moved to another university.

Thnx. This is so sad

In my case, I remember the moment I was sucked in. While being taught their fundamental belief system (The Christian Life Series: A Handbook of Christian Doctrine by Norman James) I was rebuked Harshly for being late for my personal lesson. It didn't matter that I was working 40 hrs a wk and caring 24/7 for my disabled father-n-law all that mattered was I had wasted his precious time by being no more than 5 minutes late. At that moment I took the humiliation blaming myself for not doing better. Now I think about the strange moment I broke, crying like a baby, and then submitting to someone who less about the Bible than I did. I appreciate your total understanding of this insanity.

Wow, the conditioning/disconnecting phase was eye opening - acquiring new a name and speaking new jargon so members feels special and while wearing a pseudo identity mask. No wonder those cultish recruits sound weird/alien when you first encounter them. It’s a facade. It’s all fake! When Dr. Singer talked about keeping cult members “busy” and taking up their “thinking time” with the church activities for a greater purpose, I immediately thought of Scientology. IMHO, everything Dr. Singer says here also applies to (emotional and/or physical) abusive family dynamics and relationships. Instead of a cult of many, it is a cult of a few people ( mostly family and lovers.) I agree, this info has to be available for middle school, high school, higher education students, staff, employees, and parents. Moreover, yes, research a group/person before joining them. Also, trust your instincts. If it feels “off,” IT IS OFF! Say “No,” and never give them your contact information. That is how I managed to dodge them.

She is great and knows what she is talking about. They are predator's they hunt for the vulnerable. They love people pleasers anyone who likes attention and needs validation from others.

You say the former cult leader was surprised at how easy it was to manipulate people who had been rebellious in their youth. A lot of youth "rebel" by joining a rebellious group. Perhaps they see joining a cult as a similar act of rebellion against main-stream society. Perhaps their adherence to crazy rules is driven by their need to be seen in a good light by the person/people at the top and to raise their status in the group.

Idk how I got here or why but it's like helps me educate on a theory or hyphotesis I have discovered how for example a narcissist person that u have deal with in the west coast will have 90 percent similarities when you meet a narcissist person in the East coast.. I mean how can that be. This lady is knowledgeable thank you for this video

New age/self transformation ideas such as tarot, belief in magic/wicca are at high popularity lately, and are being linked to the higher rates of cultist behavior. It's almost as if human's natural socialization instincts to try to fit in makes them vulnerable to joining cults that will accept them. This is why cults prey on those who are most emotionally/psychologically vulnerable.

If I would have listened to this in the 1980's instead of falling for Scientology I would have saved a lot of time. In my opinion she describes what I went through exactly. Now after having left and processed much of my experience, I can similarities among all cultish groups. Including organized religion, sorry Christianity, you are in there too.

This is a fantastic and relevant breakdown of cultic dynamics. She really got it!

Margaret Thaler Singer's book, Cults in Our Midst is excellent. I woke up from the Jehovah's Witnesses cult.

Pure wisdom

I just started listening and was immediately struck by how simplistic her explanations seem to be. Cults are formed by interpersonal dynamics by which some subordinate others in self-reinforcing dependency. She mentions one way that some cults have used, and in fact it's an increasingly obsolete way, as followers slowly get more sophisticated and don't respond to some of the more transparent tactics that were used in the late 20th Century. When was this filmed?

Are a perfect example of this

I'm having no problem finding explanations as to how people get sucked in. What's hard to find is why cults form in the first place. Not all cult leaders set out to form cults. Jehovah's Witnesses didn't start out that way. But since 2014 the WatchTower organization has shown very rapidly its cultiness so even insiders are starting to see it. It's almost an organic process.

Thanks

Religion and government fit these descriptions. For example, reconciliation is used for spying. "Recon" in reconciliation is simply reconnaissance, just like the NSA.

Thank you for this video. I am writing down what not to do. 😁

400 people,in Grand Rapids home for veterans are in exactly this situationn.

Relieved to find this material that has obviously been studied extensively by the powers that be.

*I agree!*

jehowas witnesses match perfectly

You are right on, but left out one thing. I am no longer in the org. but are still in a spiritual cage where I am cut off not only from them but also the world as well. I would go to an event to mingle and be around others and when I get there its not a normal event and the people are few or if it is normal people will get directly in from of me face to face blocking me. this has happened lots of times even though I moved away from this organization the restrictions and influences that they've placed upon me still exist. my whole world is in shambles because of them.

"The mind gives meaning to anything, but the meaning it gives is meaningless." J. Krishnamurti

I think Cults fit into the difinition of what Christ warned about in Mathew 24 verse 24 that.."False prophets would show great signs and wonders to decieve many." Its a wonder people can be happy and live in a cult community setting with all the social benifits and security with numerous Wonders. It could be a wonderful vehicle to get people through the wilderness of Life.

Brought here because of Simon Crowder's interview with Alex Jones and I am glad because it is so obvious these tactics are being used today in America!!

It's a huge problem how people try to do you in this world

This type of manipulation can be done by anyone to a type of person that was described as being vulnerable. The separation from family and people who will advise you right is a gold medal usage.

Jehonah withnesses are a perfect example of this

A few years ago, I joined a hospice as volunteer. I had no idea it was run by a cult. I was at a Christmas party when I expressed interest in the names of several people there. Their leader gave them their names. One supplied me with the name of their organization. I googled it and quit on the spot.

I can't help but think of early Islam, when I listen to this...

I studied this is school.

Wow you are talking about the Catholics and the Pope.

Making decisions based on what will get you rewarded. Soft sell. You will carry out what management wants fine fir their goals

"Amway"

There seems to be quite a few cuts to the film that make it tricky to follow her talk.

sounds very much like the TB Joshua synagogue in Lagos in Nigeria. heard exactly same testimonies from those that left the church.all the points align with these theories

This video helped. Didn't quite understand. I was vulnerable. People some how pick up on that. Interesting psudo memories. Mix fact with fantasy discernment. Doubt your self. They are always right. I'm the sinner. Didn't pray enough. Wasn't obedient enough. Always wrong. Doubt your self. Blame. Shame. Therapy helped. Gently taught critical thinking. Caused me to question false belief and weird Bible interpretation. Took years. Still wounded. Destroyed family. But it is ok. They were abusive too. At one point councilors hypnotized me. Helped. Tormented by OCD type thought. Still hurts but ok

I'm losing my daughter and grandson to a Ayhuaskah cult. My heart is broken, don't know what to do, only staying in prayer and trying to keep a bridge available should she see the light and chooses to leave.