Eight Features and Seven Phases within a Cult

the closed world of spiritual/religious cults

Cults have distinguishing features that bind members of the cult together. Eight features often include most or all of the following:

1.  Attachment to a teacher, book or belief system.

2. Regular displays of intolerance or arrogance towards others.

3. Humiliation of those who ask questions that could make the leader or group feel insecure.

4. Feelings of superiority born from comparison with others.

5. An inability to support, endorse and appreciate the wisdom and compassion of others.

6. A desire to expand their spiritual empire.

7. Eviction of those who show doubt.

8. ‘Forgiveness’ for those who beg to be allowed to rejoin the group

Unsatisfactory situations occur within spiritual/religious groups. The seeker forms a relationship with a particular teacher while the voice of authority matters only with the followers. Spiritual authority can show the way to seekers gain depths of experience, insight and revelation. Depth also includes that transcends of forms and relinquish dependency upon authority.

Devotees to the spiritual life must hold their authorities accountable otherwise, critical perceptions are left in the hands of the cynics.

The wish to have access to spiritual teachings necessitates a commitment to discernment. The ability to discern safeguards those committed to the spiritual life from going overboard or drowning in lavish praise of a teacher or teachings. You know the benefits and the limits of teachings/practices.

Those who listen to spiritual teachings confirm the teacher. The one who offers the teachings confirms the listeners. It is the devotee who makes the teacher substantial. The voices of authority and the ears of the devotees are co-dependent, but authoritarian person reject a co-dependent truth.

Followers acknowledge the teacher but forget their own part in a co-dependent situation. Elevation of the teacher is at the expense of an understanding of co-dependency. Teachers only have existence through the listeners' presence.

This awareness serves to protect the heart from the naivety of becoming beholden to another in the disguise of spiritual surrender. We do not serve love, justice or truth by becoming enmeshed with gods or teachers-with the corresponding neglect of understanding co-dependency.

The affirmation of self, either of another or ourselves, perpetuates a blind spot that only clears through direct insight into things. Members of cults, including teachers and devotees, exploit this blindness; they claim fulfilment while alleging the delusion of others. This conviction makes seekers vulnerable to persuasive voices. Followers of charismatic leaders need to remain mindful of not becoming beholden to anyone anywhere. The realization of joyful liberation is close.

Enlightenment dissolves the relative truth of the teacher, the teachings and the faithful.

This book does not exist independent of its reader and their perceptions of the content of the book. The reader determines the meaning of this book. This principle applies to every book, religious, spiritual, scientific,  non-fiction or fiction.

A book has neither inherent meaning nor ultimate existence of itself. What you think of the book is what you think of it.

Cults experience a static situation.

For example:

"l am in this religion."

"l am in this group."

"l am in this practice."

"I am in this relationship."

"l am in this position."

"l am isolated in this exploration."

"l am looking into myself."

"l am into meditation."

"l am in touch with God."

Much happiness and unhappiness occur around the notion of being "in"

something or "out" of something. Throughout our lives it matters

whether we are "in" or "out" of a relationship, a job, or money.

Rather than question our assumptions about ‘in’ and ‘out,’ we

hold to our views despite the associated pleasure, fears and pains.

The cult is a danger to spiritual awareness. A central characteristic of a cult is its aura of exclusivity. A cult exhibits addiction to the presence of and surrender to the leader. Cults may pass through several phases, but each phase has credibility at the time.

Since members of the group may pass through different phases at different times it is frequently not possible for followers to understand each other.

The cult regards devotion to the leader and the cause as commitment to Truth, enlightenment or God. Those with strong convictions treat with suspicion those who critisise, waver or pass into the final stage. They regard them as deviants who have fallen by the wayside.

Seven Phases of A Cult

First phase is exposure to various spiritual experiences. The

leader is granted central authority. Cult members come to believe in the

historical significance of the leader, and that the Truth lies exclusively

through this person. Regarded as enlightened, one with God or a

prophet, the leader is a source of refuge.

Second phase is pursuing contact with the leader and followers.

Being with the lender is blissful. Followers will discuss among themselves with awe and admiration the qualities of the leader.

Third phase shows the cult becoming like a family; closely knit,

with conversations focused on personal experiences of contact with

the leader. Followers refuse to engage in keen exploration of other spiritual practices. Leader and followers do not tolerate doubts, and they demand total commitment from the individual.

Fourth phase deals with whispers of dissatisfaction occur-

ring among some followers. Voices from outside the cult and a small

minority from within raise difficult questions. The leader's behaviour,

including abuse of powe1 sex, money or obsessive arrogance disturbs

certain followers. The leader and majority of followers order out those

who express doubts or find some pretext for their exclusion or demotion in the hierarchy.

Fifth phase is disillusionment. After weeks, months or years, the

leader's promises of enlightenment or salvation, and the repetition of

claims, sound monotonous. Devotees show disenchantment.

Sixth phase is a growing awareness of the outside world and the

possibility for a meaningful spiritual existence outside of the influence of

the cult. This is often u distraught period and much unhappiness or

depression can emerge following loss of identification with the leader

and followers. The leader loses his or her power of control and charisma as the projections diminish.

Seventh phase is a period of change. There is a greater capacity to

make one's own decisions and take responsibility for them. Reflecting on

his or her relationship to the cult, the follower acknowledges past phases

of hero worship, narrowness of view and emotional dependency. Authentic spiritual experiences and insights deserve recogniti0n. There is a greater sense of freedom and relief at being out of the cult's shadow.

Not all those identified with a cult will pass through the final three phases. There is no choice for those with emotional addiction. It matters a great deal to remain "in" the belief structure. Excommunication out may devastate the follower and bring intense feelings of lack of self worth. Mesmerized by power and projected spiritual authority, the cult tolerates arrogance and bullying from the leader.

Expelling a follower renews the sense of self worth of the remaining cult members. They believe they are among the chosen ones, the truly committed. The cult may also take the leader's decision to expel a follower as proof of his or her non-attachment to building up numbers. It is common for cult leaders to condemn cults.

Some people leave voluntarily and some do not. Both may experience feelings of disillusionment. To some, the world seems an even more disillusioning place to abide in, so they return. They have become addicted to the group experience. Humbly and apologetically, they confess their ego had got in the way. They return with devotion and gifts. The followers then hear the teacher readmit those who are repentant back into the fold.

They feel joy at the "compassion" of the teacher. The rebellious disciple has learnt his or her lesson and will never question the teacher's authority again. There is a restoration of order. Control is back in the hands of the teacher and contentment suffuses the hearts and minds of the followers.

This scenario repeats itself among the countless sects, cults and religious organizations around the world. Obedience has frequently mattered more than wisdom and freedom. And, without being too simplistic, we might say that what matters is the feeling of being ‘in’ rather than ‘out.’

The followers want to achieve something profound from their commitment. They assume initial benefits will lead to greater spiritual gains. Follower can't imagine elsewhere offers profound experiences free from joining a cult. Hating to rejection

from the intimacy of the group, the follower behaves in a submissive way.

The irony of existence is that no matter how far you explore, how deep you probe, you can never posit a final statement on the way things are. To do so is to restrict the

vast to a framework of language. You finally realize that religious, philosophical and scientific concepts say nothing about anything. Yet if you don't explore, don't go into things, you will waste your existence because you opted instead for the mediocrity of mind's conditioned thoughts.

To find an answer to understanding life misses the point. To find no answer to understanding life is equally missing the point. To impress upon others the "don't know mind" as the answer provides an enormous disservice to others and ourselves. The champions of the knowing mind and the don't know mind uncannily unite in their opposing views.

Ultimately, the packaging of words blinds you to infinite realisations of the vast, inexpressible and uncreated.

Edited section from The Profound and The Profane, Chapter Eight, The Narrow Heart. by Christopher Titmuss (published 1993).