30 Signs Someone Is Part Of A Cult

1. How to tell if you're in a cult

Image Source: Reddit

There are specific warning signs to be aware of when it comes to being part of a cult. It's good to be able to notice these signs, because they often ease you in with manipulative behavior, and you don't even fully realize it's happening until you're in too deep.

2. You can tell a lot by the leader

Image Source: Reddit

One of the biggest signs of a cult is if the person involved is obsessed with the group or its leader. Similar to an abusive relationship, this obsession often leads to excluding family and friends, disregarding work, education, and other parts of the person's life.

3. It doesn't have to be religious in nature

Image Source: Reddit

People often think that cults are religious extremist groups. But the reality is that cults can also be secular. There are groups that are identity-based or politically based. There are groups that simply claim to do good. Any time a philosophy is extorted and taken to an extreme manipulative state, it can result in a cult.

4. It starts with a big idea

Image Source: Reddit

A common sign that someone is involved in a cult is when the basis of the group is a leader who has a transcendent idea. This idea is often framed to be a solution for vulnerable people, to end loneliness or isolation, absolve people of guilt and bring salvation of some sort. The transcendent message can typically only be relayed through the charismatic leader.

5. Cults can grow very rapidly

Image Source: Reddit

When it's time for a cult to enter "expansion phase," it utilizes new recruits to look outwards. Love-bombing and promises target people who are looking for a change. Because of the zeal of new members, the cult often expands quickly. Rewards of spiritual, sexual, or political fulfillment are promised. There's a leaving in individual thought into a collective thinking.

6. The goal is to get you isolated

Image Source: Pinterest

Eventually, it's likely the cult will become too large to control all of the members. Thus, the leader will slowly deprive each person of their free will. The cult will push for isolation, but many will go without realizing how deep they are in, similar to a frog in boiling water. Repression will grow as cult leaders plant seeds of paranoia and control.

7. Paranoia is at an all-time high

Image Source: Quora

A tell-tale sign someone is in a cult is a deep-seated paranoia. Secrets from a cult are bound to start leaking at some point, which may lead to external investigations. This will increase paranoia which will likely be spun as persecution. Some cults may call for acts of violence against these forces.

8. There's a lot of love-bombing

Image Source: Reddit

You've probably been seeing this phrase a lot more frequently, as it's become more of a topic in current society. Cult leaders are experts at it. They recruit people into their group by promising a new start and creating a place of belonging and overwhelming love. They tell new members that they are chosen and special.

9. The leader of the group is above the law

Image Source: Wikipedia

One sign that a group is actually a cult is when a different set of standards apply to the leader compared to everyone else. Cult leaders often seem to see themselves above the law, divine. Because of this, it makes it easier for them to use their members to meet their needs without any sort of push back. They would never admit to any wrongdoing but rather provide justifications for their behavior.

10. There's a sense of elitism

Image Source: Reddit

Off of that, there's often a sense of elitism that comes with being part of a cult. If it's being framed that your group is the solution to every issue in your life and in the world, it's a strong sign! Elitism creates a unified purpose for the group, and it also pressures members to put themselves in unhealthy financial, sexual, and physical situations.

11. Have you heard of hate-bonding?

Image Source: Buzzfeed

Because the cult and its leader has made virtually impossible promises to its many members, eventually the cult must take a new course of action. Rather than admitting any errors, the group starts to collectively feed on hatred of the outside world. A narrative of persecution is often formed, which brings deeper unity amongst members.

12. Intimidation and fear are used frequently for control

Image Source: Reddit

Many cult leaders claim that the end of the world is near. This push of fear mongering causes members to come together, because the cult is considered the only safe space. If you are part of a group where a catastrophic event is imminent, then you are likely part of a cult. Cults thrive off of causing fear and trepidation amongst its followers.

13. Everyone who's left the group is "bad"

Image Source: Wikipedia

Because of the mental games and manipulation, it's often hard for someone in a cult to find a good reason to leave. If they do leave, they will be completely shunned and cut off from the community. If you only hear criticism of people who have chosen to move on from the group, then it's a sign that you might be in a cult.

14. You are not allowed to have an opinion

Image Source: Reddit

People who are in a cult are often loyal to the group to a fault. This means that any questioning of process or criticism of treatment is met with persecution. You are expected to go along with the herd mentality and not question what's being taught or the validity of the organization.

15. You get angry when other people question you about it

Image Source: Reddit

Off of that, because it's so ingrained in YOU to be loyal to the group, you also don't like it when friends or family ask questions about it. Unlike a normal church or club, you are not allowed to have negative thoughts about it, and therefore you don't allow anyone else in your world to have negative thoughts about it. There is an overwhelming and total positivity.

16. There's a false sense of comfort

Image Source: Reddit

Everyone wants to find a place of comfort and acceptance. Cults thrive off of this need for connection. Although cult leaders make promises that are impossible, they are also the only ones offering these types of "rewards," so there is a lot of appeal. Whether it's financial security or true peace, it's usually something every human has a deep desire for.

17. Blackmail might be involved

Image Source: Reddit

It's quite common in a cult to have members offer up some sort of "collateral." Essentially, by being coerced or bullied without even realizing it, members will offer up incriminating stories, photos, or documents about themselves that the cult holds onto to ensure climate loyalty and submission to the program.

18. There are often rites of passage

Image Source: Buzzfeed

Because loyalty to the cause is a huge part of a cult, members are often asked to swear their allegiance. This could be through renouncing your past life and support systems. It could also be through physical transformations (starvation, sleep deprivation) or sexual behaviors.

19. Intrusive and unspoken rules are present

Image Source: Wikipedia

If someone is part of a high-control group, there are likely unspoken rules that you must follow in order to not be punished. It could be something like seeking advice from a high up leader before making a personal decision, even if it's quite private. It could also include dressing or speaking a certain way.

20. Safety is stripped away

Image Source: Reddit

Aside from everyone coming together in their belief of oppression from the outside world, internal relationships are also unsafe. If you're in a cult, there will also be a "weeding out" of potential traitors from the inside. This means that people will be shamed and falsely accused. Those who remain will be forced to perform acts of allegiance, sometimes sexual in nature or self-mutilation.

21. You're not sure where your money is going

Image Source: Reddit

Perhaps you've joined a group where they've requested you contribute financially in some way. Perhaps this is framed as being imperative to your spiritual growth. However, if there's no transparency as to what is being done with this money, it's probably a cult! If a company or organization is ethical, financial transparency is part for the course.

22. There's no way to raise a formal complaint

Image Source: Reddit

If the group you're part of has no official method for you to submit a complaint or question, then you might be part of a cult! At its base, this shows a failure to allow critical thought or create space for criticism and growth. It also shows that its leader does not value or care about the perspective of the followers.

23. Your moral compass is determined by your leader

Image Source: Reddit

A cult leader often checks in incessantly with their members. There's often the need to clear any activities with said leader before participating. This is a pretty clear indicator. The driving force of a cult is dependency within the group. It doesn't allow for outside thinking and forces everyone to operate within the same moral perimeters.

24. You are caught in a shame cycle

Image Source: Reddit

If your only sense of worth or love is from the group, then this is a sign it's likely a cult. The leader tries to ensnare members in a cycle of shame by enforcing a code of conduct that no one can live up to when it comes to appearance, sex, diet and more. When they fail, they are guilted and made to believe that the only way to redeem themselves is to obey the cult leader.

25. Thought-reform is mandatory

Image Source: Reddit

While groupthink is standard for a cult, the way in which it comes about is quite distinctive. There is an indoctrination process where the cult will break down your ability to think rationally, which will cause you to lose a sense of identity. This could be through hypnosis, meditation, chanting, even drug usage.

26. They speak often of a new life

Image Source: Reddit

When someone joins a cult, it often has its own language or symbols (as any tight-knit group has its own culture). With a cult, members are often positioned as victims in the outside world, and thus, the group offers a place of new identity and rebirth. The world is positioned as black and white, with the group tied together by its "true belief."

27. Separation from the church and religion

Image Source: Wikipedia

Cults often disguise themselves as a devout religion of sorts. There may be elements of the cult that feel familiar, especially for those with a religious background. However, the cult will eventually separate itself from the Church, claiming that its leader alone can hear this special message and doctrine.

28. The terror heightens as time goes on

Image Source: Reddit

While many get swept up in a cult to feel a sense of belonging, there is no true safety. It's not unheard of for a respected member of the group to be tortured or killed. This becomes a new trauma bond for the group. It also encourages stronger allegiance for fear of the same fate.

29. Traitors are punished

Image Source: Wikipedia

If a member chooses to question a leader, they are often either thrown out (and shunned) or forced to receive penance for their offense. Similar to an abusive cycle, this phase causes the victims to contract and more freedoms are stripped from them. There's a lot of gaslighting and peer pressure from other members and especially the group leader.

30. There will be a final collapse

Image Source: Reddit

We've seen this time and time again where a cult self-sabotages to some extent. Often when a cult leader fears destruction, there's a final attack against "the world" to protect what they've built. If unsuccessful, there have been cults where group suicide takes place or law enforcement disbands and arrests its leaders.