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This is a picture of the cult leader "Mother God" from the cult "Love Has Won". What we see here actually is her corpse which had been left in her bed while her followers continued to smoke pot and raise donations for the cult just a few rooms away for several days. Her skin is blue not just from death, but also over consumption of silver to treat various ailments. Much like the famous blue man.
What leads people to join these sects? What even leads people to religion? I have a few theories, but I feel like a lot of it has to do with a sense of duty that is unfulfilled and a lack of trusting authority in their lives.
As human beings, we need a sense of direction and we need comfort. Cults tend to provide both in avant garde. Using techniques such as isolation, sleep deprivation, torture, mind manipulating drugs, and rewards as a cocktail for insatiable compliance.
Perhaps it is a combination of media, betrayal of those who are close, and delusion which draws people to these over-the-top figures. Our society tends to promote individualism instead of cooperation. Up until the last 50 or so years in the United States, families had a large focus of helping each other out. Communities bonded together to provide food and services at a reasonable rate. Today the idea of making fast cash from a rap album and having gaudy clothing with a high price tag is considered the bench mark of success - not skills or supplies that will provide nourishment. Idolizing celebrities instead of structure.
This is where the cult seems to come in - promises of the truth in a world filled with deception and empty promises. Feeling like for once, you are right, and you are loved. The embrace of brothers and sisters who feel the same about "The Truth" as opposed to your original family who forced their views upon you and never provided more. When thought of like this, it is easy to place blame not exactly on the cult leader, but the support unit of the individual. This is why I do my best to not let anyone down - it can be the final action that leads someone to a life change like joining a cult.
Strength is quite possibly the most important trait to an individual. If they have the willpower, nothing is impossible. Resources and skills mean nothing if the person cannot be bothered to apply them. This trait, strength, is what really draws people into these cult leaders in my opinion. They have the strength to push their vision - buying a cult house, making programs and forcing their will upon others. People respect strength, they feel stronger when around people with strength - even if they catch abuse themselves. I feel there is a common thread with cult leaders and women who tend to seek abusive partners. They do not necessarily want to be abused, but I do believe that they like the idea of being with a powerful figure because they can utilize their strength for their own protection. Female attraction is a topic I'd love to cover another day, but at the end of the day, I feel a lot of it has to do with power and being recognized.
The overwhelming majority of cult leaders are male, and the overwhelming number of followers tends to be female. I feel the reason these women tend to have this affinity is from not only the strength I mentioned earlier but also the gratification of being recognized. To some people, being isolated and ignored is worse than being abused. The current trends of today with instant gratification (tik tok etc) will only seem to bolster this I believe. Where people were once forced to be alone for periods of time without any sort of interaction with the world at large... It is now nearly impossible to not be reminded of it. I think this thirst for recognition makes people more susceptible to mind control, especially a young person has not had enough life experiences outside of dopamine rushes from likes/comments in social media. To actually have a strong, living God that makes decisions for you, and recognizes you as one of his own is a dream come true to someone that is aimless and abused.
To be continued/edited.
