Purge, rinse, repeat! The cult cycle

I was musing on the sick cycle cults have whereby they have a Salem witch trial-style inquest, “find” the evil influence (even if it means making up stories), purge it, have a period of catharsis and renewed affinity to each other, then repeat the cycle. If you’ve ever been in a cult, you know exactly what I mean.

While searching for background material for this post, I came across this excellent list of cult behaviors which is, as the Brits say, “spot on”.

It is as though some of the adherents are not aware of the cycle, or prefer to blindly trust their leaders that there is an actual threat, agreeing with their decision to investigate and expunge it, and feeling a sense of relief and renewed bonds to their fellow cultists. They even appreciate the leaders for providing this opportunity to feel that satisfying “lull after the storm” along with the sense of superiority provided by the opportunity to shun the outcast.

Others—strategists—foresee an upcoming vacancy in the cult family tree which provides them an opportunity to move up a rung on the social ladder.

Others feel powerless to stop it—that was me. I tried to talk sense into a few people and that resulted in suspicion being cast upon me.

It’s a very sick social convention and one that can damage a person well after disaffiliation.