Year 2021 and still talking about sects

When we talk about sects, images from the 70s or 80s come to mind, from a distant, retro past that is not close or familiar to us. Is this because the cult phenomenon no longer exists? Nothing is further from reality.

The sects not only have not ceased to exist, but they have not stopped multiplying, adapting and modernizing. Very few disappear, and these usually do so as a result of terrible misfortunes, such as the collective suicide of the members of the Order of the Solar Temple that almost had its replica in Spain. Or the end of Edelweiss, also in Spain, when the leader was assassinated by one of the followers who as a child had suffered sexual and psychological abuse.

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What are cults like today?

Destructive sects have adapted to the times, they have modernized and above all they have learned from the past how advantageous it is to be very hermetic and discreet. They have adapted their proselytism and use the Internet and all social networks very efficiently.

Their speeches have also changed; Their messages are no longer exclusively religious or spiritual, currently they can talk about business, trading, successful business projects... This type is very focused on young people wanting to perform successfully. They also present themselves with ambitious training plans, personal growth courses or training to be a therapist, coach or healer.

There are some with a political discourse that tends to be very extreme, both on the right and on the left, and it is very amazing to compare groups from both political trends and discover how much they are alike in the image they show, and in the dynamics of recruitment, proselytism and indoctrination.

Thus we see that recognizing the ancient sects of extravagant guru with apocalyptic message and bible in hand is complicated. And the most important thing is not to value appearances or messages, The techniques of persuasion and coercion that characterize them as destructive sects must be valued, whatever they may be..

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The dynamics of persuasion and manipulation

Coercive persuasion strategies are used for the recruitment, manipulation, retention and indoctrination of people, and are intentionally directed at eliminate critical and rational capacity, until managing to bend the will of the person to the demands and demands of the leader or the top of the group.

The person captured becomes completely dependent on the guru and the group, influencing this in all aspects of his life (food, relationships, work ...) and although the consequences are very negative (divorce, health problems, financial problems ...) the person is unable to have a critical and rational vision regarding her situation and problems.

Something very important to keep in mind is that this process of annulment of the person is not something abrupt or fast. People, when they come into contact with these groups, have an overwhelmingly positive first experience, as deception is present from the first moment, and little by little the different coercive persuasion strategies take effect mentioned.

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The main psychological consequences

Families usually do not detect anything at the beginning, on the contrary, they can see positive effects (new friends, incorporation of activities healthier, illusion ...) and when the concern is already evident to the relatives, the degree of commitment of the adept is very great and difficult to handle.

The alarm in the family always goes off late before signs such as obsessive and monothematic speech, abandonment of leisure activities and friends, leaving work obligations or studies, and how you act in those first moments of confusion is very important.

The adept will always be very prepared to reject the critical vision of his environment, to the point of not hesitating to break with the family ties and distance, something that the group promotes in order to more easily control the will and information of the person captured.

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To do?

Given this, it is important not to take actions on our own, since the actions that arise naturally and rational are not the best and aggravate the situation, so the first and most important thing is to know well this type of problems.

Read, document, meet people and families who have gone through this situation, and put yourself in the hands of professionals dedicated to this topic is essential to receive proper guidance and help. It is necessary to understand in depth a problem about which, unfortunately, there is very little information and social sensitivity, when many families are seriously affected in Spain.

Over the years, this problem occupies fewer spaces for information and complaints, since the media are not very receptive if there is not something sensational to show. Also aware that they can receive criminal consequences for their position of complaint, they do not play it for something that does not give them a good audience, and informing becomes the least important thing.

Faced with destructive sects, the greatest prevention is the ability of each one to know how to find out., to have a correct criterion, to dare to question without fear or shame, and above all to cultivate a critical sense towards everything that is read, heard and seen.

Cultivating personal knowledge requires a great effort every day, and you have to go beyond the self-gratification that comes from looking for what we already know. You have to search for what is not known, you have to doubt, and be a critical person, but with criteria.

Author: Laura Merino Gómez, Health Psychologist at Centro TAP