Posted by Sobriquet Style on August 4, 2006, at 6:51:58
There is a number of elements that define a "cult", not listing all of them, here is some identifying characteristics outling the definition:
1) Recruiting work performed by all of the members (although they may deny that is what they are doing).
2) People not allowed to discuss criticism of the leader(s), the doctrine, or the organization, or read information that is critical of the religion.
3) Members spy on one another and report improper activities or comments to leaders.
4) Members taught to suppress anything which might reflect negatively to outsiders about the religion.
5) Usually, the doctrine is absolutist and the ideology is internalized as "the Truth."
6) Members told to avoid contact with ex-members or critics, even their relatives.
7) Members instilled with a deep fear about ever leaving the organization, and anyone who does depart is of the devil.
8) Emotional control - terror of being caught and punished by leaders.
9) Disciplinary action administered by group leaders, which may involve excommunication for such things as questioning organization policy or doctrine.
10) People foregoing education and career interests to perform recruiting and other organization endeavors.
11) Advocate socializing only with other members in the organization.
12) Fear of separation from the organization.
13) Members often isolating themselves from friends, family, and society
14) Use of deceptive and unethical recruiting techniques
15) Use of manipulative methods to control the minds of followers
I read an article recently on the subject of a "cults" then through seeing Dr Bob's new picture at the top the page and reading this question and answer, made me want to look further into this.
>Over time, I might withdrawl from real life and my only social interaction would be these boards, where I am sheltered.
>If someone gets their needs met online, is that a bad thing?
At first I took the question for example of someone saying "I might *withdraw* from real life and my *only* social interaction would be these boards" (So someone withdraws from real life, reality, and then their only social interaction is the boards at babble, their life before that has effectively disappeared.)
The leader answers, "If someone gets their *needs* (the *withdrawn* only social interaction from their previous healthy functioning) met online, is that a bad thing?" I took this at first as saying, "so now you *only* use my *boards* as your *only social interaction* because of mental distress, then following, oh thats not so bad?" (If someone does something not particularly good, its sometimes questioned by, "oh, you think thats a good thing?" subconsciously this makes you think, is it bad? Which follows if you ask someone, "is that a bad thing?", you will look at the good, not always, but think about it.) If someone withdraws from their life and use's a message board to support their emotional needs, instead of dealing with issues in real life, what with internet addiction and the complications of being able to easily avoid using real life methods to get back on track to a previous healthy functioning state, make me wonder about certain predicaments that may arise.
When someone is diagnosed with a mental illness a list of cluster symptoms are used to describe symptoms, which if a patient has a certain number, they are therefore diagnosed with that disorder. Using the same method for the list above (which does not include all characteristics) I have witnessed points 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,& 15, which is 11 out of 15 factors, in the previous years at babble to varying degrees.
Due to numbers 2, 3, 8, 9 & 12, I cannot paste where I got the information about "cults" from.
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poster:Sobriquet Style
thread:673565
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20060802/msgs/673565.html