This blog article is addressed to college students, parents, grandparents, guardians, college professors, and college administrators: Beware of cults operating on or near college campuses!
These cults can be religious/spiritual, political, self-help/improvement, and sex cults/sex trafficking cults. And no, warning about the ubiquitous presence of cults on college campuses isn’t anything new, and it is certainly not some wild conspiracy theory. There are dozens of websites devoted to warning people about the reality of cults on campus and, in too many cases, the lifelong damage cults do to people. Here are just three examples of websites:
https://www.theskylineview.com/opinions/2024/04/14/religious-cults-stalk-college-campuses-i-was-in-one/
https://archive.attn.com/stories/1176/are-colleges-doing-enough-protect-students-campus-cults
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freedom-of-mind/202308/navigating-college-life-cult-free
For especially freshman or transfer students, college can be a lonely place. Many young people come from unstable, unsupportive families, and they never had good moral examples; consequently they lack a moral compass and feel anchorless. Cult leaders and their followers know how to scope out, track down, and prey upon lonely, vulnerable, insecure, and indecisive people on college campuses (and in other parts of society). Cultists are literally hunters, and they know how to read people fairly well.
Here are some ways students can guard themselves against cultists:
- Beware of overly friendly strangers and love-bombing by individuals and groups — and this includes by college/university faculty members! Remember, cultists are predatory and very manipulative. They hit on our instinctual need for social interactions and sense of belonging — perfectly normal needs, but which can be twisted and used as a weapon by control freak cultists. Beware of ANY group or types of people who think they are “special” and better than others, even if they cloak those sentiments in fake humility. Also, cultists know how to make people feel guilt and shame for saying “no” to increasingly more aggressive and intrusive demands — such as putting aside college studies, avoiding family and friends, quitting jobs — all for a “greater mission” for the cult. Cultists often portray themselves as the victim while bullying and accusing their actual victims of being insensitive, stupid, “fascists,” “racists,” “uncommitted to the cause”, “sinning”, and “missing out on blessings” and the such.
- Cult leaders, and some of their followers, especially the cult leaders’ immediate inner circle of sycophants, can be funny, witty, physically attractive, decisive, and charismatic. Again, this description includes narcissistic college professors who are propagandists and disdain debating opposite opinions. Charismatic cultic figures can seemingly exemplify what an insecure person wishes they had, and therein lies the danger. As with all of our interactions with other people, look beyond the superficial and NEVER put anyone on a pedestal. Everyone puts their pants on the same way and everyone has bowel movements. There are no gods and goddesses among us, although there are some mentally unstable people who think they are deities.
- Cultists HATE pin-pointed questions about precise beliefs, behaviors (“Who are you to judge?!”), and especially financial accountability. They often waffle, gaslight, and outright lie about their actual beliefs and practices. Cultists put pressure on people to “stop being so distrustful. We’re your friends! We’re on your side! Trust us, we know what’s best for you!” Worse, since they can’t defend their beliefs they’ll resort to bullying and extreme defamation against anyone even slightly disagreeing with them. Any belief — religious, political, what-have-you — is not worth having if it cannot withstand reasonable, probing questions, and any group that shows instantaneous defensiveness toward and deflection of reasonable questions not presented in a snarky rude manner is not worth further involvement. Ask wisely, and take the higher road by not sinking to the same rude, disdainful level as the cultist leaders and their followers.
- Keep in mind that cultic manipulative leaders and their followers can be found in “mainstream” religious denominations and associations, as well as in “mainstream” political organizations, and, of course, as “professional” college professors. Simply put, anyone, regardless of title or affiliation, who acts like a rude, overbearing, pompous self-righteous jackass who has no respect for personal boundaries should be avoided. There are religious and political groups on and off college campuses which are healthy and safe in that they are not run by those who are manipulative, all-controlling, and deceitful. Their leaders and others in the group (with some exceptions) will not get offended at someone simply asking about who and what they are. Healthy groups will not hound, dox, stalk, or defame anyone who decides not to join or associate with them. Cultists are infamous for using these tactics to “punish” those who have left them, those who warn other people about them, and those who simply disagree with them. Cultists often use these psychopath tactics to intimidate others from exposing them for the dangerous predators they are. Students, and the general population, interested in religious or political issues need to be discerning in figuring out which groups are healthy and which groups are all-controlling and deceitful.
- Loneliness, insecurity, depression, withdrawal into oneself, anger and grief, and other overwhelming feelings can be addressed through mental health services on or off campus. And yes, discernment is needed there too! Sometimes reading reputable authors’ books and websites which address certain difficult personal issues can be of better help than trying to find a counselor. Or, a skilled counselor and reputable books and websites may be the right combination to help people work through difficult feelings and situations.
These helpful tips are not exclusive; these and other tips can be found in many websites warning about the characteristics and dangers of cults/high demand groups on college campuses, and in our general communities.
College life can offer a world of experiences and opportunities that can greatly benefit oneself and other people. We’re on this earth for however long to do as much good as humanly possible. We cannot prevent earthquakes, hurricanes, other natural disasters, or bad people bent on making other people’s lives miserable, but we can be an influence for good and practice basic kindness toward ourselves, other people, and creation in general. Doing truly good, kind things includes warning other people with FACTS about dangerous people and groups! Remember the old Golden Rule: “Do to others what you want them to do to you,” and its corollary — “Don’t do to someone what you wouldn’t want them to do to you.” Whether on college campuses or throughout life in general, it’s important to develop a healthy curiosity about the world around us and seek out healthy-minded people, being sure to give ourselves the benefit of time to truly get to know our own selves and other people. And from a heart of true concern and care for others, we must use our voices to speak up when people or groups have proven that they are harmful so as to do all we can to prevent other people from becoming their next victim.
