History Analysis / Cult

* '''Any system of worship.''' This is a neutral sense in which academics like to use the word. For example, they might refer to the "cult of Osiris" in ancient Egypt or the "cult of Mary" in Catholicism, without implying it's a weird marginal group. It's more like an acknowledged subgroup or aspect of the main religion. You believe in the whole religion, but you mainly focus on devotion to one particular god, saint or aspect. The trope isn't about this; rather, it relates to variations of the next use:

* '''Any system of worship.''' This is a neutral sense in which academics like to use the word. For example, they might refer to the "cult of Osiris" in ancient Egypt or the "cult of Mary" in Catholicism, without implying it's a weird marginal group. It's more like an acknowledged subgroup of the main religion. You believe in the whole religion, but you mainly focus on devotion to one particular god, saint or aspect. The trope isn't about this; rather, it relates to variations of the next use:

** '''New Age cults:''' Has a ton of definitions of its own, but broadly speaking, instead of just the cult leader being God, ''you'' are God, too. It's a confidence game using New Age vocabulary and trappings. The leader presents himself (or herself) as a mystic who has discovered a way to [[AGodAmI attain godhood]] but is generously willing to share knowledge -- as long as you join his group and do exactly what you're told. The beliefs he (or she) uses tend to be quite outlandish, along the lines of [=UFOs=], [[WillingChanneler channeling]], faith healing, and a host of other supernatural powers. They'll use the trappings of other religions if they can get away with it (like the use of "chakras"). Among the best known examples are [[http://www.tyob.info/public/archived_sites/users.on.net/~thefirstbruce/Ballards/index.html The I AM Religious Activity]] ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22I_AM%22_Activity founded in the 1930s]]), [[http://www.tyob.info/public/archived_sites/www.lifeincut.com/ Elizabeth Clare Prophet's Church Universal & Triumphant]] and [[https://www.salon.com/2007/04/12/castaneda/ Carlos Castaneda]].

* '''Commercial cults:''' A bizarre type that's essentially a GetRichQuickScheme. The leader presents himself as having found a way to get real rich, real fast, and employs ConspicuousConsumption to prove the point. Unlike many TV cults, this type does ''not'' retreat from society; instead, it often mobilizes its members to go out and sell products to the public at large. There is often no source of funds from outside the cult; if the cult leader is genuinely rich, they probably got their money from their members. They're often structured like a {{Ponzi}} scheme or a pyramid scheme; indeed, they usually cannot work without a charismatic investor at the top of the pyramid. This type of cult usually draws more disdain for the rank-and-file than others, as outsiders see them as greedy suckers who got what was coming to them. (There's a lot of overlap with human potential and New Age cults; all varieties of the long con.)
* '''One-on-one or family cults:''' The cult doesn't go beyond you and your partner, your family, or your teacher; at most, a small family owned business. The leader is aiming for a small group of members, or even a single person, and leveraging an intimate relationship to manipulate and control them. They do this by convincing the victim that they have special knowledge or powers. It overlaps ''heavily'' with abusive behavior in general -- the leader will exploit the victim's insecurities, make them totally dependent on them, and harm them physically, sexually, and emotionally. When it's not an actual family (where devotion and loyalty are the main things keeping you), what makes this a "cult" is some fantastical element that separates the group from the outside world or convincing members that they are special or set apart in some way. It may be a matter of secret-keeping; someone is gay, or an alcoholic, or something else they don't want the whole world finding out about, but the leader knows and is "understanding", perhaps sharing the affliction or characteristic themselves. Or there's a certain goal to be reached (especially with small business cults). Sometimes the victim has an illness, drug addiction, etc., and the perpetrator will convince them that they have a secret way of treating it (and anything bad that happens to them is [[BlamingTheVictim their own fault for not listening to them]]). Illness can also be used to leverage the leader's power over the group; she may have, or claim, a physical illness (say, migraine headaches) as an excuse for restrictive rules and severe punishments. A leader may even exploit her own mental illness (anxiety, panic attacks, nervous breakdowns, OCD, etc) this way. While it's rarely seen in the media, one exception is its portrayal in ''Film/BiggerThanLife''.

** '''Heretical cults:''' These are derived from "mainstream" religions like Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or Buddhism. They have a very esoteric interpretation of said religions' holy texts, and those religions do not recognize them as genuinely following their doctrine. Since those religions often describe TheMessiah, this gives the leader an easy way to step into the role. Sometimes, the cult is based on a religion that's relatively uncommon in a certain region, like Buddhism or Hinduism in America, allowing the "guru" to get away with teaching TheThemeParkVersion and easier fit themselves into the mythology without anyone calling them on it. The ease with which a charismatic leader of a religious cult can get followers to do pretty much anything accounts for its high popularity on television.

* '''One-on-one or family cults:''' The cult doesn't go beyond you and your partner, your family, or your teacher; at most, a small family owned business. The leader is aiming for a small group of members, or even a single person, and leveraging an intimate relationship to manipulate and control them. They do this by convincing the victim that they have special knowledge or powers. It overlaps ''heavily'' with abusive behavior in general -- the leader will exploit the victim's insecurities, make them totally dependent on them, and harm them physically, sexually, and emotionally. What makes this a "cult", though, is some fantastical element that separates the group from the outside world; sometimes, the victim has an illness of some kind, and the perpetrator will convince them that they have a secret way of treating it (and anything bad that happens to them is [[BlamingTheVictim their own fault for not listening to them]]). Illness can also be used to leverage the leader's power over the group; she may have, or claim, a physical illness (say, migraine headaches) as an excuse for restrictive rules and severe punishments. A leader may even exploit her own mental illness (anxiety, panic attacks, nervous breakdowns, OCD, etc) this way. While it's rarely seen in the media, one exception is its portrayal in ''Film/BiggerThanLife''.

* '''Any system of worship.''' This is a neutral sense in which academics like to use the word. For example, they might refer to the "cult of Osiris" in ancient Egypt without implying it was a weird marginal group. The trope isn't about this; rather, it relates to variations of the next use:

** '''New Age cults:''' Has a ton of definitions of its own, but broadly speaking, instead of just the cult leader being God, ''you'' are God, too. The leader presents himself as a mystic who has discovered a way to [[AGodAmI attain godhood]] but is generously willing to share his knowledge -- as long as you join his group and do exactly what he says. The beliefs tend to be quite outlandish, along the lines of [=UFOs=], [[WillingChanneler channeling]], faith healing, and a host of other supernatural powers. They tend not to align with an established religion (hence "new age"), but they occasionally use the trappings of an old religion if it's not well-known among its audience (like the use of "chakras"). Among the best known examples are [[http://www.tyob.info/public/archived_sites/www.lifeincut.com/ Elizabeth Clare Prophet]] and [[https://www.salon.com/2007/04/12/castaneda/ Carlos Castaneda]].

* '''Human potential cults:''' A broad term for a movement that claims to have discovered a breakthrough that will make people ''better'' in some way. They emphasize personal transformation and improvement. The charismatic leader is essentially the world's most effective life coach. Because of this, their followers will become obsessed with being as close to the leader as possible, seeing them as the epitome of what a human could be and trying to emulate them in every way. Cults of this kind run a spectrum: On one end, they try to sound as scientific as possible and tie in with psychotherapy, often working with the subconscious and filling in the gaps in human knowledge of the brain and body. On the other end, they go deep into "new age" practices with emphasis on things like attaining superpowers and {{reincarnation}}. These cults often have a very sinister undercurrent that takes advantage of the therapist-patient relationship: since members are encouraged to reveal ''very'' personal information about themselves, the cult can then use it to {{blackmail}} them and keep them in line.
* '''Commercial cults:''' A bizarre type that's essentially a GetRichQuickScheme. The leader presents himself as having found a way to get real rich, real fast, and employs ConspicuousConsumption to prove the point. Unlike many TV cults, this type does ''not'' retreat from society; instead, it often mobilizes its members to go out and sell products to the public at large. There is often no source of funds from outside the cult; if the cult leader is genuinely rich, they probably got their money from their members. They're often structured like a {{Ponzi}} scheme or a pyramid scheme; indeed, they usually cannot work without a charismatic investor at the top of the pyramid. This type of cult usually draws more disdain for the rank-and-file than others, as outsiders see them as greedy suckers who got what was coming to them.
* '''One-on-one or family cults:''' The cult doesn't go beyond you and your partner, your family, or your teacher. The leader is aiming for a small group of members, or even a single person, and leveraging an intimate relationship to manipulate and control them. They do this by convincing the victim that they have special knowledge or powers. It overlaps ''heavily'' with abusive behavior in general -- the leader will exploit the victim's insecurities, make them totally dependent on them, and harm them physically, sexually, and emotionally. What makes this a "cult", though, is some fantastical element that separates the group from the outside world; sometimes, the victim has an illness of some kind,[[note]]And indeed, so might the perpetrator -- many cult leaders have, or claim, a physical illness (say, migraine headaches) that can be used as an excuse for restrictive rules and severe punishments, while mental illness can often lead to bizarre and paranoid behavior[[/note]] and the perpetrator will convince them that they have a secret way of treating it (and anything bad that happens to them is [[BlamingTheVictim their own fault for not listening to them]]). While it's rarely seen in the media, one exception is its portrayal in ''Film/BiggerThanLife''.

* '''One-on-one or family cults:''' The cult doesn't go beyond you and your partner, your family, or your teacher. The leader is aiming for a small group of members, or even a single person, and leveraging an intimate relationship to manipulate and control them. They do this by convincing the victim that they have special knowledge or powers. It overlaps ''heavily'' with abusive behavior in general -- the leader will exploit the victim's insecurities, make them totally dependent on them, and harm them physically, sexually, and emotionally. What makes this a "cult", though, is some fantastical element that separates the group from the outside world; sometimes, the victim has an illness of some kind,[[note]]And indeed, so might the perpetrator -- mental illness can often lead to bizarre and paranoid behavior[[/note]] and the perpetrator will convince them that they have a secret way of treating it (and anything bad that happens to them is [[BlamingTheVictim their own fault for not listening to them]]). While it's rarely seen in the media, one exception is its portrayal in ''Film/BiggerThanLife''.

* '''"Dangerous cult", "destructive cult", or "high-control group".''' Some experts prefer to qualify a "cult" as a "dangerous cult" or "destructive cult". This way, they aim for a more rigorous and narrower definition but mince no words beyond that. These "cults" fit the TV definition more closely -- an authoritarian group, led by a charismatic leader, often with total control of its members' thoughts and actions. Although this definition is narrower, it ''does'' include non-religious groups; indeed, even widespread political movements like [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany the Nazi party]] count as a "destructive cult" -- after all, there's a reason they call it a CultOfPersonality, and most such groups are political rather than religious. Although this usage is controversial, anti-cult activists will often insist on it as a means of educating the public on how dangerous these groups are (indeed, such education is [[UsefulNotes/{{Cult}} part of our Useful Notes article]]). The effectiveness of this usage is such that cults have been known to accuse ''other'', rival groups as "dangerous cults" (which makes it hard to discern whom to believe in this case). The term "high-control group" is increasingly used in response to many of the above issues and frequent confusion of the definition of "cult".

* '''"Dangerous" or "destructive cult".''' Some experts prefer to qualify a "cult" as a "dangerous cult" or "destructive cult". This way, they aim for a more rigorous and narrower definition but mince no words beyond that. These "cults" fit the TV definition more closely -- an authoritarian group, led by a charismatic leader, often with total control of its members' thoughts and actions. Although this definition is narrower, it ''does'' include non-religious groups; indeed, even widespread political movements like [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany the Nazi party]] count as a "destructive cult" -- after all, there's a reason they call it a CultOfPersonality, and most such groups are political rather than religious. Although this usage is controversial, anti-cult activists will often insist on it as a means of educating the public on how dangerous these groups are (indeed, such education is [[UsefulNotes/{{Cult}} part of our Useful Notes article]]). The effectiveness of this usage is such that cults have been known to accuse ''other'', rival groups as "dangerous cults" (which makes it hard to discern whom to believe in this case).

* '''Any system of worship'''. This is a neutral sense in which academics like to use the word. For example, they might refer to the "cult of Osiris" in ancient Egypt without implying it was a weird marginal group. The trope isn't about this; rather, it relates to variations of the next use --
* '''Pejorative way of referring to marginal groups'''. People can just call groups "cults" without a specific definition in mind but implying it means something negative, and probably assuming certain stereotypes. This kind of use is often regarded negatively for obvious reasons. Some suggest instead speaking of --
* '''New religious movements'''. Basically ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Another way is to look at the size and influence of the religious movements, where you get --
* '''Church vs. sect vs. cult'''. This division has been made in more than one way (sometimes with "denomination" thrown in for good measure), but this is one at least: "Church" is a large and mainstream religious movement; "sect" is a distinct fringe offshoot within a church; and "cult" is a movement that fails to be either, being small and not part of a church. (Relatedly, the term "cult" is sometimes applied by religious (e.g. Christian) countercultists to groups which self-identify as being that religion, but which they don't regard as being so.) However, the word "cult" has been used for other things besides religious groups, eg. "therapy cults". One such use not limited to religion is --
* '''"Dangerous" or "destructive cult"'''. Some experts wish to use the word "cult", or at least "dangerous/destructive cult", in a way that is not even claiming to be neutral but still aims to be rigorously defined. In these cases, "cult" refers to a charismatic, authoritarian group with certain characteristics such as extreme control of members' thoughts and actions. These groups are not necessarily religious. Totalitarian regimes such as the Nazi Party are very much cults in this sense, though the term is not usually directly applied to governments. Controlling, oppressive groups like this could also be sects within a larger church in the above sense. The idea is that such groups need to be recognized as such because they can be harmful and dangerous to members and/or outsiders. It's controversial whether this usage is acceptable. Regardless, it may always be problematic to label some particular group this way, because it denies legitimacy to the group and its beliefs. People trying to "deprogram" members of groups thought of as cults to remove the group's "brainwashing" have been accused of doing brainwashing in the other direction, and it can be hard to tell in such cases whom to believe. Still, this definition can be one of the most specific and informative ones, since some groups certainly have shown themselves to be dangerous. [[UsefulNotes/{{Cult}} The Useful Notes page]] for this trope has more information about this kind of cult. A more neutral term in the same lines also exists --
* '''Charismatic group'''. This one's basically taken from ''Cults: Faith, Healing, and Coercion'' by Marc Galanter. He seems to only have put "cult" in the title to make it sound more dramatic, because the text is actually built around the idea of a charismatic group. If we take the previous meaning of "cult", "charismatic group" here is a more general concept that includes it. Charismatic groups are similar to cults in the previous sense, but they're not all dangerous -- you could say a dangerous cult is a charismatic group gone bad.

Note that it's perfectly possible for any single group to fit more than one or even all of these definitions.[[note]]As long as it's a religious group worshipping a given figure, it goes under ''any system of worship''. A ''new religious movement'' is often a ''charismatic group''. A ''charismatic group'' (and we're not talking about the Charismatic Movement in Christianity here) is relatively often a ''dangerous cult'', and either way prone to getting stereotyped through the ''pejorative way of referring to marginal groups''. A ''charismatic group'' or ''new religious movement'' is often small and unaffiliated enough to be a cult in the ''church vs. sect vs. cult'' sense given here. And so on.[[/note]] This doesn't change the fact that all of them existing means that when something is called a "cult", you can't really know what is being said unless it's unusually clear from the context. Keep in mind that a charismatic ''person'' can form a type of cult around themselves with no religion involved.

So what does Hollywood do with all this? They of course take the simplest and most interesting stereotype, which is closest to the second or the second-to-last use of the word. At the same time, any and all of the other meanings may be mixed up with those ones. That's what the trope is about. The [[{{Cult}} main page]] has further detail on how this is done.

!!Types of cults found in America
* '''Eastern cults''': Eastern cults are usually characterized by their belief in spiritual enlightenment and reincarnation, attaining the Godhead, and nirvana. The leader of these types of cults draws inspiration from and distorts an Eastern-based philosophy or religion, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, or Sufism in order to fit their narrative. Practices and influence techniques include extensive meditation, repeated mantras, altered states of consciousness, celibacy or sexual restrictions, fasting and dietary restrictions, special dress or accoutrements, altars, and induced trance through chanting, spinning, or other techniques.
* '''Religious cults''': Religious cults are usually marked by the belief in a God or some higher being, salvation, and the afterlife, sometimes combined with an apocalyptic view. The leader of these types of cults reinterprets Scripture (from the Bible, Koran, Talmud, or Cabala) to fit their narrative and they often claim to be a prophet, if not the messiah of these beliefs. Practices and influence techniques include speaking in tongues, chanting, praying, isolation, lengthy study sessions, faith healing, self-flagellation, or many hours spent evangelizing, witnessing, or making public confessions. These cults are one the most popular choices when it comes to depicting cults in the media.
* '''Political, racist, or terrorist cults''': Political, racist, or terrorist cults are fueled by belief in changing society, revolution, overthrowing the perceived enemy or getting rid of evil forces. The leader of these cults professes to be all-knowing and all-powerful. In some cases, worshippers of these cults may be more drawn to an extreme ideology rather than a leader per se, as they just want to use the cult as an excuse to act on their urges or cravings. Practices and influence techniques include paramilitary training, reporting on one another, fear, struggle or criticism sessions, instilled paranoia, violent acts to prove loyalty, long hours of indoctrination, or enforced guilt based on race, class, or religion.
* '''Psychotherapy, human potential, mass transformational cults''': Psychotherapy, human potential, mass transformational cults are motivated by their belief in striving for the goal of personal transformation and personal improvement. The leader of these types of cults is self-proclaimed and omniscient, with unique insights, sometimes a “super-therapist” or “super-life coach.” Practices and techniques within these cults include group encounter sessions, intense probing into personal life and thoughts, altered states brought about by hypnosis and other trance-induction mechanisms, use of drugs, dream work, past-life or future-life therapy, rebirthing or regression, submersion tanks, shame and intimidation, verbal abuse, or humiliation in private or group settings.
* '''Commercial, multi-marketing cults''': Commercial, multi-marketing cults are upheld by the belief in attaining wealth and power, status, and quick earnings. The leader of these cults, who is often overtly lavish, asserts that he has found the “way.” Practices and influence techniques include deceptive sales techniques, guilt and shame, peer pressure, financial control, magical thinking, or guided imagery. These cults are often used to mock religion for being greedy and exploiting the vulnerable.
* '''New Age cults''': New Age cults are founded on the belief in the “You are God” philosophy, in power through internal knowledge, wanting to know the future, or find the quick fix. The leader of these types of cults presents themselves as a mystical, an ultra-spiritual being, a channeler, a medium, or a superhero. Practices and influence techniques within these types of cults involve magic tricks, altered states, peer pressure, channeling, UFO sightings, “chakra” adjustments, faith healing, or claiming to speak with or through ascended masters, spiritual entities, and the like. Perhaps the best known examples are [[http://www.tyob.info/public/archived_sites/www.lifeincut.com/ Elizabeth Clare Prophet]] and [[https://www.salon.com/2007/04/12/castaneda/ Carlos Castaneda]].
* '''Occult, satanic, or black-magic cults''': Occult, satanic, or black-magic cults are generated through belief in supernatural powers, and sometimes worship of Satan. The leader of these types of cults professes to being evil incarnate. Animal sacrifices and physical and sexual abuse are common within these groups; some claim they perform human sacrifice. Practices and influence techniques within these cults include exotic and bizarre rituals, secrecy, fear and intimidation, acts of violence, tattooing or scarring, cutting and blood rituals, sacrificial rituals, or altars. These cults are often used in media to criticise or parody Satanists.
* '''One-on-one or family cults''': One-on-one or family cults are based in the belief in one’s partner, parent, or teacher above all else; or some condition which requires complete subservience and service to that person. In these cults, an intimate relationship is used to manipulate and control the partner, children, or students, who believe the dominant one to have special knowledge or special powers. Often there is severe and prolonged psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Practices and influence techniques within these cults include pleasure/pain syndrome, promoting self-blame, induced dependency, induced fear and insecurity, enforced isolation, battering and other violent acts, incest, or deprivation. These cults are lesser-known to the media and aren't often portrayed.\\\\
Some family cults center around someone having a chronic illness or other special needs, using this to manipulate and coerce family members, or blaming all his/her abusive behavior on the illness. Sometimes an illness can ''make'' a person act this way where they wouldn't ordinarily (migraine headaches are notorious for this, as they can make a person's behavior extremely weird.) Or the very medicine that cures the condition ''causes'' this behavior. See ''Film/BiggerThanLife'' for a Hollywoodized, but essentially accurate example.

* '''Cults of personality''': Cults of personality are rooted in a belief that reflects the charismatic personality and interests and proclivities of the revered leader. These cults tend to revolve around a particular theme, interest, or goal-directed activity; martial arts, opera, film, music, dance, theater, any form of art, or a type of medicine or healing. Even newspapers, as in the takeover of the ''Avatar'' underground paper by [[http://www.trussel.com/f_mel.htm the Mel Lyman cult]]. Practices and influence techniques within these cults include intense training sessions, rituals, blatant egocentrism, or elitist attitudes and behaviors. These types of cults are the most popular in the depiction of cults due to their beliefs being centred around one person.
=

Some of the listed books are also recommended on [[UsefulNotes/{{Cult}} The Useful Notes page]]. This page covers other definitions too, and lists books pertaining to those as well.

* '''New Age cults''': New Age cults are founded on the belief in the “You are God” philosophy, in power through internal knowledge, wanting to know the future, or find the quick fix. The leader of these types of cults presents themselves as a mystical, an ultra-spiritual being, a channeler, a medium, or a superhero. Practices and influence techniques within these types of cults involve magic tricks, altered states, peer pressure, channeling, UFO sightings, “chakra” adjustments, faith healing, or claiming to speak with or through ascended masters, spiritual entities, and the like.

* '''One-on-one or family cults''': One-on-one or family cults are based in the belief in one’s partner, parent, or teacher above all else. In these cults, an intimate relationship is used to manipulate and control the partner, children, or students, who believe the dominant one to have special knowledge or special powers. Often there is severe and prolonged psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Practices and influence techniques within these cults include pleasure/pain syndrome, promoting self-blame, induced dependency, induced fear and insecurity, enforced isolation, battering and other violent acts, incest, or deprivation. These cults are lesser-known to the media and aren't often portrayed.
* '''Cults of personality''': Cults of personality are rooted in a belief that reflects the charismatic personality and interests and proclivities of the revered leader. These cults tend to revolve around a particular theme or interest, such as martial arts, opera, dance, theater, a certain form of art, or a type of medicine or healing. Practices and influence techniques within these cults include intense training sessions, rituals, blatant egocentrism, or elitist attitudes and behaviors. These types of cults are the most popular in the depiction of cults due to their beliefs being centred around one person.

!!Types of cults
* '''Eastern cults''': Eastern cults are characterized by belief in spiritual enlightenment and reincarnation, attaining the Godhead, and nirvana. Usually the leader draws from and distorts an Eastern-based philosophy or religion, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, or Sufism. Practices and influence techniques include extensive meditation, repeated mantras, altered states of consciousness, celibacy or sexual restrictions, fasting and dietary restrictions, special dress or accoutrements, altars, and induced trance through chanting, spinning, or other techniques.
* '''Religious cults''': Religious cults are marked by belief in a god or some higher being, salvation, and the afterlife, sometimes combined with an apocalyptic view. The leader reinterprets Scripture (from the Bible, Koran, Talmud, or Cabala) and often claims to be a prophet, if not the messiah. Practices and influence techniques include speaking in tongues, chanting, praying, isolation, lengthy study sessions, faith healing, self-flagellation, or many hours spent evangelizing, witnessing, or making public confessions.
* '''Political, racist, or terrorist cults''': Political, racist, or terrorist cults are fueled by belief in changing society, revolution, overthrowing the perceived enemy or getting rid of evil forces. The leader professes to be all knowing and all powerful. In some cases, adherents may be more drawn to an extreme ideology rather than a leader per se. Practices and influence techniques include paramilitary training, reporting on one another, fear, struggle or criticism sessions, instilled paranoia, violent acts to prove loyalty, long hours of indoctrination, or enforced guilt based on race, class, or religion.
* '''Psychotherapy, human potential, mass transformational cults''': Psychotherapy, human potential, mass transformational cults are motivated by belief in striving for the goal of personal transformation and personal improvement. The leader is self-proclaimed and omniscient, with unique insights, sometimes a “super-therapist” or “super-life coach.” Practices and techniques include group encounter sessions, intense probing into personal life and thoughts, altered states brought about by hypnosis and other trance-induction mechanisms, use of drugs, dream work, past-life or future-life therapy, rebirthing or regression, submersion tanks, shame and intimidation, verbal abuse, or humiliation in private or group settings.
* '''Commercial, multi-marketing cults''': Commercial, multi-marketing cults are sustained by belief in attaining wealth and power, status, and quick earnings. The leader, who is often overtly lavish, asserts that he has found the “way.” Practices and influence techniques include deceptive sales techniques, guilt and shame, peer pressure, financial control, magical thinking, or guided imagery.
* '''New Age cults''': New Age cults are founded on belief in the “You are God” philosophy, in power through internal knowledge, wanting to know the future, or find the quick fix. Often the leader presents herself or himself as mystical, an ultra-spiritual being, a channeler, a medium, or a superhero. Practices and influence techniques: magic tricks, altered states, peer pressure, channeling, UFO sightings, “chakra” adjustments, faith healing, or claiming to speak with or through ascended masters, spiritual entities, and the like.
* '''Occult, satanic, or black-magic cults''': Occult, satanic, or black-magic cults are generated through belief in supernatural powers, and sometimes worship of Satan. The leader professes to be evil incarnate. Animal sacrifice and physical and sexual abuse are common; some groups claim they perform human sacrifice. Practices and influence techniques include exotic and bizarre rituals, secrecy, fear and intimidation, acts of violence, tattooing or scarring, cutting and blood rituals, sacrificial rituals, or altars.
* '''One-on-one or family cults''': One-on-one or family cults are based in belief in one’s partner, parent, or teacher above all else. Generally an intimate relationship is used to manipulate and control the partner, children, or students, who believe the dominant one to have special knowledge or special powers. Often there is severe and prolonged psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Practices and influence techniques include pleasure/pain syndrome, promoting self-blame, induced dependency, induced fear and insecurity, enforced isolation, battering and other violent acts, incest, or deprivation.
* '''Cults of personality''': Cults of personality are rooted in a belief that reflects the charismatic personality and interests and proclivities of the revered leader. Such groups tend to revolve around a particular theme or interest, such as martial arts, opera, dance, theater, a certain form of art, or a type of medicine or healing. Practices and influence techniques include intense training sessions, rituals, blatant egocentrism, or elitist attitudes and behaviors

* '''"Dangerous" or "destructive cult"'''. Some experts wish to use the word "cult", or at least "dangerous/destructive cult", in a way that is not even claiming to be neutral but still aims to be rigorously defined. In these cases, "cult" refers to a charismatic, authoritarian group with certain characteristics such as extreme control of members' thoughts and actions. These groups are not necessarily religious. Totalitarian regimes such as the Nazi Party are very much cults in this sense, though the term is not usually directly applied to governments. Controlling, oppressive groups like this could also be sects within a larger church in the above sense. The idea is that such groups need to be recognized as such because they can be harmful and dangerous to members and/or outsiders. It's controversial whether this usage is acceptable. Regardless, it may always be problematic to label some particular group this way, because it denies legitimacy to the group and its beliefs. People trying to "deprogram" members of groups thought of as cults to remove the group's "brainwashing" have been accused of [[NotSoDifferent doing brainwashing in the other direction]], and it can be hard to tell in such cases whom to believe. Still, this definition can be one of the most specific and informative ones, since some groups certainly have shown themselves to be dangerous. [[UsefulNotes/{{Cult}} The Useful Notes page]] for this trope has more information about this kind of cult. A more neutral term in the same lines also exists --

* '''"Dangerous" or "destructive cult"'''. Some experts wish to use the word "cult", or at least "dangerous/destructive cult", in a way that is not even claiming to be neutral but still aims to be rigorously defined. In these cases, "cult" refers to a charismatic, authoritarian group with certain characteristics such as extreme control of members' thoughts and actions. These groups are not necessarily religious. The Party in ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'' is very much a cult in this sense, though the term is not usually directly applied to governments. Controlling, oppressive groups like this could also be sects within a larger church in the above sense. The idea is that such groups need to be recognized as such because they can be harmful and dangerous to members and/or outsiders. It's controversial whether this usage is acceptable. Regardless, it may always be problematic to label some particular group this way, because it denies legitimacy to the group and its beliefs. People trying to "deprogram" members of groups thought of as cults to remove the group's "brainwashing" have been accused of [[NotSoDifferent doing brainwashing in the other direction]], and it can be hard to tell in such cases whom to believe. Still, this definition can be one of the most specific and informative ones, since some groups certainly have shown themselves to be dangerous. [[UsefulNotes/{{Cult}} The Useful Notes page]] for this trope has more information about this kind of cult. A more neutral term in the same lines also exists --

Some of the listed books are also recommended on [[UsefulNotes/{{Cult}} The Useful Notes page]]. This page covers other definitions, too, and lists books pertaining to those as well.

* ''Cults in our midst''; Margaret Thaler Singer
* ''Bounded choice''; Janja Lalich

** ''The wrong way home''
** ''Them and us: Cult thinking and the terrorist threat''
* ''Cults: Faith, healing and coercion''; Marc Galanter
* ''The encyclopedic handbook of cults in America''; J. Gordon Melton
* ''Cults inside out: How people get in and can get out''; Rick Alan Ross
* ''Combatting cult mind control''; Steven Hassan
* ''Misunderstanding cults: Searching for objectivity in a controversial field''; ed. Benjamin Zablocki and Thomas Robbins

** ''Exploring new religions''
** ''A reader in new religious movements''
* ''Spiritual choices''; Richard Anthony, Bruce Ecker and Ken Wilber
* ''Cults, converts and charisma''; Thomas Robbins

** ''Cults and personality''
** ''Cults and terrorism''
* ''Cults, religion and violence''; ed. David Bromley and J. Gordon Melton
* ''Violence and new religious movements''; ed. James R. Lewis
* ''Revisionism and diversification in new religious movements''; ed. Eileen Barker

** ''Understanding cults and new age religions''
** ''New religions as global cultures''
* ''Minority religions and fraud: In good faith''; ed. Amanda van Eck Duymaer van Twist

** ''The future of religion: Secularization, revival and cult formation''
** ''Religion, deviance and social control''
* ''The Cambridge companion to new religious movements''; eds. Olav Hammer and Mikael Rothstein
* ''The cult experience''; Andrew J. Pavlos
* ''Religion in context: Cults and charisma''; I. M. Lewis
* ''Teaching new religious movements''; ed. David G. Bromley
* ''Cults wars in historical perspective''; ed. Eugene Gallagher

* '''Church vs. sect vs. cult'''. This division has been made in more than one way (sometimes with "denomination" thrown in for good measure), but this is one at least: "Church" is a large and mainstream religious movement; "sect" is a distinct fringe offshoot within a church; and "cult" is a movement that fails to be either, being small and not part of a church. However, the word "cult" has been used for other things besides religious groups, eg. "therapy cults". One such use not limited to religion is --

** Mostly in Italian, but also includes English texts

** [[http://countercultsearch.com/ CounterCult Search]], unlike the actual countercult movement focused on perceived theological heresies, returns results from a sociological perspective. Instead...

** [[http://countercultsearch.com/ CounterCult Search]], unlike the actual countercult movement focused on perceived theological heresies,
returns results from a sociological perspective. Instead...

* [[http://skepsis.nl/boeken/online-texts-about-cults-and-new-religions/ Online texts about cults and new religions]]

* '''"Dangerous" or "destructive cult"'''. Some experts wish to use the word "cult", or at least "dangerous/destructive cult", in a way that is not even claiming to be neutral but still aims to be rigorously defined. In these cases, "cult" refers to a charismatic, authoritarian group with certain characteristics such as extreme control of members' thoughts and actions. These groups are not necessarily religious. The Party in ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'' is very much a cult in this sense, though the term is not usually directly applied to governments. Controlling, oppressive groups like this could also be sects within a larger church in the above sense. The idea is that such groups need to be recognized as such because they can be harmful and dangerous to members and/or outsiders. It's controversial whether this usage is acceptable. Regardless it may always be problematic to label some particular group this way, because it denies legitimacy to the group and its beliefs. People trying to "deprogram" members of groups thought of as cults to remove the group's "brainwashing" have been accused of [[NotSoDifferent doing brainwashing in the other direction]], and it can be hard to tell in such cases whom to believe. Still, this definition can be one of the most specific and informative ones, since some groups certainly have shown themselves to be dangerous. [[UsefulNotes/{{Cult}} The Useful Notes page]] for this trope has more information about this kind of cult. A more neutral term in the same lines also exists --
* '''Charismatic group'''. This one's basically taken from ''Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion'' by Marc Galanter. He seems to only have put "cult" in the title to make it sound more dramatic, because the text is actually built around the idea of a charismatic group. If we take the previous meaning of "cult", "charismatic group" here is a more general concept that includes it. Charismatic groups are similar to cults in the previous sense, but they're not all dangerous -- you could say a dangerous cult is a charismatic group gone bad.

* '''"Dangerous" or "destructive cult"'''. Some experts wish to use the word "cult", or at least "dangerous/destructive cult", in a way that is not even claiming to be neutral but still aims to be rigorously defined. In these cases, "cult" refers to a charismatic, authoritarian group with certain characteristics such as extreme control of members' thoughts and actions. These groups are not necessarily religious -- the Party in ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'' is very much a cult in this sense, though the term is not usually directly applied to governments -- and they could also be sects within a larger church in the above sense. The idea is that such groups need to be recognised as such because they can be dangerous to members and/or outsiders. It's controversial whether this usage is acceptable, and regardless it may always be problematic to label some particular group this way, because it denies legitimacy to the group and its beliefs. People trying to "deprogram" members of groups thought of as cults to remove the group's "brainwashing" have been accused of [[NotSoDifferent doing brainwashing in the other direction]], and it can be hard to tell in such cases whom to believe. Still, this definition can be one of the most specific and informative ones, and certainly some groups have shown themselves to be dangerous. [[UsefulNotes/{{Cult}} The Useful Notes page]] for this trope has more information about this kind of cult. A more neutral term in the same lines also exists --

Note that it's perfectly possible for any single group to fit more than one or even all of these definitions.[[note]]As long as it's a religious group worshipping a given figure, it goes under ''any system of worship''. A ''new religious movement'' is often a ''charismatic group''. A ''charismatic group'' is relatively often a ''dangerous cult'', and either way prone to getting stereotyped through the ''pejorative way of referring to marginal groups''. A ''charismatic group'' or ''new religious movement'' is often small and unaffiliated enough to be a cult in the ''church vs. sect vs. cult'' sense given here. And so on.[[/note]] This doesn't change the fact that all of them existing means that when something is called a "cult", you can't really know what is being said unless it's unusually clear from the context.