Cults… So much more than an empty insult

Cults are obviously real. Here’s how to deal with them.

What’s the difference between a religion and a cult? The glib answer that “a cult is someone else’s religion” may have truth in it, but of course that’s not the whole story. It’s easy to see the ‘cult’ in groups we’re not a part of, but what about in our own? Cults exist on a spectrum with the defining features appearing in varying degrees in organizations from religion and politics to business and entertainment. They’re all different, but they all have at least one thing in common. None of the members ever realize they’re in a cult at all…

It’s a politically polarized time, and as various groups retreat into their increasingly insular corners the word ‘cult’ is thrown around all too casually. We worry that ‘Trumpism’, and QAnon particularly, are becoming dangerous cults that threaten America on many levels. But is that an unfair evaluation from the outside looking in? Couldn’t the same accusation be made against ‘Bidenism’ or BLM? The answer is ‘no’ for a variety of reasons, and we’re sharing this article to explain why. No one likes to think of themselves as being in a cult, but some of us are wrong. ‘Cult’ isn’t just an insult; it’s a real and dangerous thing, and there are ways to know (or at least be suspicious) if cult techniques are in play.

One of the biggest voices in the world of Cults is Dr. Steven Hassan at the Freedom of Mind Resource Center. His BITE model (Behavior Control, Information Control, Thought Control, and Emotional Manipulation) has become one of the main yardsticks to identify cults. Like most phenomena, cults exist on a spectrum so there is not a definitive point when a group is ‘officially’ a cult. The BITE model gives guidance, and even the worst cults probably won’t meet every point. Importantly, the BITE model isn’t just about religion; it can be applied to any organization. We offer you Hassan’s complete BITE model, with several examples of application to the Mormon Church, Creationism, QAnon, Trotskyism, and Scientology. We’ll follow that with Cults in other areas, and though cults are notoriously difficult to fight, we’ll leave you with some information on how to fight back.

Hassan’s BITE Model

Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control, Freedom of Mind Resource Center

What is a Cult? Whiteboard Animation Explaining the BITE Model, Steven Hassan on Freedom of Mind, Nov 2018

Behavior Control

Regulate individual’s physical reality
Dictate where, how, and with whom the member lives and associates or isolates
When, how and with whom the member has sex
Control types of clothing and hairstyles
Regulate diet – food and drink, hunger and/or fasting
Manipulation and deprivation of sleep
Financial exploitation, manipulation or dependence
Restrict leisure, entertainment, vacation time
Major time spent with group indoctrination and rituals and/or self indoctrination including the Internet
Permission required for major decisions
Rewards and punishments used to modify behaviors, both positive and negative
Discourage individualism, encourage group-think
Impose rigid rules and regulations
Punish disobedience by beating, torture, burning, cutting, rape, or tattooing/branding
Threaten harm to family and friends
Force individual to rape or be raped
Encourage and engage in corporal punishment
Instill dependency and obedience
Kidnapping
Beating
Torture
Rape
Separation of Families
Imprisonment
Murder

Information Control

Deception:

1. Deliberately withhold information
2. Distort information to make it more acceptable
3. Systematically lie to the cult member

Minimize or discourage access to non-cult sources of information, including:

1. Internet, TV, radio, books, articles, newspapers, magazines, media
2. Critical information
3. Former members
4. Keep members busy so they don’t have time to think and investigate
5. Control through cell phone with texting, calls, internet tracking

Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs. Insider doctrines

1. Ensure that information is not freely accessible
2. Control information at different levels and missions within group
3. Allow only leadership to decide who needs to know what and when

Encourage spying on other members

1. Impose a buddy system to monitor and control member
2. Report deviant thoughts, feelings and actions to leadership
3. Ensure that individual behavior is monitored by group

Extensive use of cult-generated information and propaganda, including:

1. Newsletters, magazines, journals, audiotapes, videotapes, YouTube, movies and other media
2. Misquoting statements or using them out of context from non-cult sources

Unethical use of confession

1. Information about sins used to disrupt and/or dissolve identity boundaries
2. Withholding forgiveness or absolution
3. Manipulation of memory, possible false memories

Thought Control

Require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth

1. Adopting the group’s ‘map of reality’ as reality
2. Instill black and white thinking
3. Decide between good vs. evil
4. Organize people into us vs. them (insiders vs. outsiders)

Change person’s name and identity
Use of loaded language and clichés which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzz words
Encourage only ‘good and proper’ thoughts
Hypnotic techniques are used to alter mental states, undermine critical thinking and even to age regress the member
Memories are manipulated and false memories are created
Teaching thought-stopping techniques which shut down reality testing by stopping negative thoughts and allowing only positive thoughts, including:

1. Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking
2. Chanting
3. Meditating
4. Praying
5. Speaking in tongues
6. Singing or humming

Rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism
Forbid critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy allowed
Labeling alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil, or not useful
Instill new “map of reality”

Emotional Control

Manipulate and narrow the range of feelings – some emotions and/or needs are deemed as evil, wrong or selfish
Teach emotion-stopping techniques to block feelings of homesickness, anger, doubt
Make the person feel that problems are always their own fault, never the leader’s or the group’s fault
Promote feelings of guilt or unworthiness, such as:

1. Identity guilt
2. You are not living up to your potential
3. Your family is deficient
4. Your past is suspect
5. Your affiliations are unwise
6. Your thoughts, feelings, actions are irrelevant or selfish
7. Social guilt
8. Historical guilt

Instill fear, such as fear of:

1. Thinking independently
2. The outside world
3. Enemies
4. Losing one’s salvation
5. Leaving or being shunned by the group
6. Other’s disapproval
7. Historical guilt

Extremes of emotional highs and lows – love bombing and praise one moment and then declaring you are horrible sinner
Ritualistic and sometimes public confession of sins
Phobia indoctrination: inculcating irrational fears about leaving the group or questioning the leader’s authority

1. No happiness or fulfillment possible outside of the group
2. Terrible consequences if you leave: hell, demon possession, incurable diseases, accidents, suicide, insanity, 10,000 reincarnations, etc.
3. Shunning of those who leave; fear of being rejected by friends and family
4. Never a legitimate reason to leave; those who leave are weak, undisciplined, unspiritual, worldly, brainwashed by family or counselor, or seduced by money, sex, or rock and roll
5. Threats of harm to ex-member and family