Manipulating Minds: The Use of Persuasion and Coercion in Cults, Authoritarianism, and Trumpism

We live in “interesting times.” Fascism is growing around the world, including here at home. Within these fascist elements are groups which seem to feed the fascist flame, authoritarian-type groups we might even think of as cults. Cults and fascists fit like hand and glove. Given the current trend, it makes sense to examine the relationship between cults and authoritarian regimes at this point in time.

I have a decades-long interest in cults and in particular the use of persuasion—I wrote an academic research paper about that very topic years ago—and that interest has intensified in recent years as a result of the rise of authoritarianism and fascism, which, in their insidious use of coercion, are in many ways similar to the way in which cults function.

When it became obvious to me about eight years ago that some were attempting to steer our government into an authoritarian direction, I was immediately struck by the similarity between cult followers and Trump followers of various stripes, and the correlation between the use of coercion by cult leaders and by Trump. I confess it took me a bit longer to realize that the Trump movement was quite possibly just that: a cult.

In fact, several groups which I believe qualify as cults have arisen in our country which support and contribute to the current rise in authoritarianism and fascism in our country, and, in an unusual turn, those groups have apparently joined forces in what we might refer to as Trumpism in an effort to enforce their brand of fascism on our country and its citizens.

As many in our country and others around the world now seem to be under the sway of a malignant authoritarian influence, becoming aware of the tactics used by these groups is a service both to those who might be vulnerable, as well as to those who might be unaware that they are already under the sway of these groups. And, of course, it is essential to the future of democracy in our country that we be aware of, and confront, these forces so that we can counter them.

Come along with me as I take a look at what a cult is, how it functions, and how it attracts and controls followers. We’ll see how people might be drawn into a cult, how we can help them, how we can avoid being drawn into a cult ourselves, and ultimately how we might disempower those organizations. Knowledge is power!

Most importantly, we’ll explore at their primary tool, persuasion, and its evil twin, coercion. Even the most accomplished and intelligent of people can be attracted to a cult. And after they’re enmeshed in the group, it is a very short step to being indoctrinated and immune to outside influence. And once that happens, it is very, very hard for them to receive information or logic that comes from outside the cult due to the nature of that programming, or to communicate authentically with those who are not in the cult.

And what about people we know who are in a cult, or in a cult-like organization? How do we communicate with them? How do we help them see the light? Is that even possible? Once someone is in the grasp of a cult, is it possible for them to see that they are, in fact, in a cult? If you’ve ever spoken to someone you know who is in a cult or a cultish organization, you know how difficult it is to reach them or to have a conversation with them, particularly about that organization or their participation in it.

Many of us are concerned about how we might help those who have come under the influence of these groups, when coercive tactics used by these groups by their very nature cripple the use of logic by the individuals involved. I would like to point out exactly how these tactics are used and why they are so effective. And why it does absolutely no good to use logic or normal persuasive arguments with those at the effect of them.

We’ll look at the negative forms of persuasion—coercion, mind control and brainwashing—and see what makes them different from benign persuasion. Also, we’ll gain some clarity regarding unhealthy persuasion: how to recognize it and avoid succumbing to it. And finally, we’ll take a look at our current situation in the US, specifically with regard to a certain extreme right-wing group (there is actually more than one!) that has infiltrated our government and see how it stacks up against the definition of cult with regard to the use of negative persuasion.

I. THE CULT

A. What is a cult?

What exactly is a cult? That’s an important question for our times, isn’t it? There are certainly groups in our country now that seem to fit that term. There are other organizations that might seem cultish, but they don’t fit our image of cults, which might look more like the Hare Krishnas chanting in airports, the mass weddings of Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church, or the unfortunate flaming demise of David Koresh’s followers. Since most cults are not quite so obvious in their public persona, how do we determine if a group is a cult?

(Please note that in Europe the word sect is often used to refer to what we in America think of as a cult, whereas the word sect in America is a benign reference to a subdivision of a religious group. I’m using the word cult in the American sense here.)

Simply put, a cult is a group or organization, typically led by a charismatic or self-appointed leader, a) which requires adherence to beliefs and actions that are different from those generally accepted in society, b) which requires devotion or loyalty to its leader, and c) which controls its members using coercive methods.

Cults can be found in productivity and awareness training (LGATs, or Large Group Awareness Trainings), new religious movements, meditation groups, spiritual groups, self-improvement groups, traditional or established religious groups, political groups and educational groups. In other words, they’re everywhere. Don’t assume that you can recognize a cult by the trappings; they often seem perfectly normal at first glance.

For our purposes here, cult will be used to indicate a group delineated by (1) an authoritarian structure, (2) leadership by a charismatic figure, and (3) use of coercive tactics to control, attract or keep followers. I’ll use the term cultish to refer to groups that have many cult factors but are not clearly cults.

B. How do you know it’s a cult?

People generally have strong feelings about cults, and that’s due in large part to a few sensational events which have been brought about by some very harmful cults. When people think of cult, the images that often come to mind are of dead Kool-Aid®-poisoned bodies in Jim Jones’ camp, flames and gunfire at the Branch Davidian’s compound in Waco, or the Charles Manson Family’s brutal murders of Sharon Tate and others. However, those groups represent the most negative and the most clearcut of cults. There are many organizations which have “cultish” qualities, and which are not as sensational, but still have negative consequences. What constitutes a cult is just not as clear-cut as we might hope. There are many shades of gray in the cult world.

While there are some organizations that most would agree are cults, having all or nearly all of the characteristics of cults—e.g., the Jim Jones Peoples Temple—there are many organizations that possess some of the characteristics of a cult, but have enough positive characteristics that there is not a clear-cut consensus on whether or not they are cults. In other words, it could be debated convincingly on either side.

It is these organizations in which I have the most interest, as I feel that their influence, and the potential for coercion of those who are not served by their participation in these groups, is the most insidious and unseen, and therefore the most dangerous.

I’m going to talk about the methods of coercion used in these groups, as I believe the understanding and awareness of these techniques renders them ineffective. In other words, if you know that wolves often wear sheep’s clothing, you are more apt to look at a sheep with a discerning eye and be on guard against wolf behavior.

And although the determination of whether a group is a cult is almost never black and white, I propose that it can determined subjectively by a preponderance of characteristics using a weighted system I devised, which I’ll share later on in this article.

C. Are they all bad? Can cults be beneficial?

To see a cult as all bad would be tempting, but most of them have positive traits, as well, or they would not be able to attract followers. Cults are often formed for the purpose of propagating a teaching that provides an apparently useful focus—regardless of what its true intent might be—and since people often need a sense of purpose, this can be very attractive. There are some positive qualities or practices in all of these groups, even the worst of them. Meditation, mantra repetition (focusing the mind intently on a word or phrase), and chanting, taken on their own, are often beneficial, and service is a wonderful thing, too. Being in a group surrounded by people who are committed to a higher purpose and who accept you can feel pleasant and uplifting, even when other aspects of the groups are unhealthy. Most of these groups have at least one positive or beneficial practice or characteristic that most people would enjoy or benefit from.

Also, many of the negative characteristics of cults could also be positive characteristics in a different setting. It is the context, i.e., an authoritarian structure in which coercion is present, that makes the groups negative rather than positive and categorizes them as cults. Simply having a few benign traits doesn’t render these organizations harmless, or non-cults. If they use deception, manipulation or coercion, if intend to they make people dependent and obedient, or if their purpose is to increase the size, wealth or power of the organization or leader, rather than to benefit the participating individual, they are still cults and therefore ultimately harmful.

What is unhealthy is the degree of coercion and the authoritarian structure of the groups that ultimately strips the participants of their innate power and stifles their healthy participation in life.

II. PERSUASION AND COERCION

Let’s start with the primary negative psychological element related to cults—coercion—to see how it’s used, how we can recognize it, and how we can determine whether its use signifies that an organization is or might be a cult.

Persuasion is rampant in our culture—in advertising, politics, education and everywhere we look online—but many of us are relatively unaware of how pervasive it is, how it affects our lives, and how skillfully it’s used by those who want to persuade us. Persuasion can be used in a benign or even helpful manner, or it can be used negatively.

Persuasion can appear in several forms. What is the difference in the persuasion used, for example, in advertising, compared with that used in cults? Is coercion different from benign persuasion, and how? Can we really be coerced against our will?

One arena in which persuasion plays an integral role is of course in the cult, and that is probably the easiest place to point out how it can be used effectively. So we’ll examine the role of persuasion in cults and how its use in cults differs from that in other organizations.

And if one of the characteristics of a cult is the use of coercion—i.e., unhealthy persuasion—how can we identify that that type of persuasion is being used so that we can be alert to being coerced and protect ourselves from this form of coercion?

A. What is persuasion?

Let’s start with the most benign form of influence or deliberate manipulation of another person, persuasion. The definition of persuasion given by Wikipedia.com (Persuasion) indicates that it’s a form of non-forceful influence that is meant to benefit one or more parties. The key word there is benefit.

Persuasion can be beneficial, for example when used helpfully in Alcoholics Anonymous, or when a parent persuades a child not to cross the street against the light, thereby ensuring its safety.

B. What is the distinction between persuasion and coercion?

There are forms of persuasion that might not be in our best interest, but which still would not be considered as negative as mind control or brainwashing, namely advertising. You might, though, consider these forms of persuasion to more accurately be deemed coercion. Because advertising is not really meant to benefit you, is it? It’s meant to coerce you into buying a product or idea.

Coercion deliberately influences someone to guide them toward something that is not in their best interest. Other negative forms of persuasion which are sometimes used in cults can be described as mind control, brainwashing or manipulation, but it really is a matter of interpretation in each instance whether what the negative persuasion should called. For our purposes, going forward I’ll refer to mind control, brainwashing and manipulation all as coercion rather than making a distinction.

Whether influence is considered persuasion or coercion is determined by whether the goal is to benefit the person being influenced or the influencer. Mind control, brainwashing and manipulation are always harmful, while persuasion is usually not harmful. Coercion might not be harmful in all cases, but it benefits the influencer and not the influenced individual.

The negative forms of persuasion—coercion, manipulation, brainwashing and mind control—all fit within this definition in that the benefit goes to the influencer and not the individual being influenced. The coercion used in cults shares something with the manipulation and coercion used by sociopaths, narcissists and authoritarians: they see people only as objects to be manipulated to their ends.

For our purposes here, influence with the intention of benefiting the influenced individual will be the definition of persuasion, and influence which is not in the best interest of the person influenced and/or can cause harm to them will be referred to as coercion. So, to put it simply, persuasion is helpful, while coercion is harmful.

C. How does persuasion work?

There are two methods of persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route. The central route is simply a convincing argument that involves our logical thinking. The peripheral route takes a more unconscious path; it allows someone to persuade us without involving our intellect in considering the argument. It convinces us without our being totally aware that we’re being convinced. The use of images or an appeal to our feelings uses the peripheral route. A beer commercial which shows beautiful, sexy women smiling at men who are drinking a particular brand of beer uses the peripheral route to woo us to their product. Advertisers more often take the peripheral route.

The central route, which involves our consciously engaging our logic, results in lasting change in our opinions or beliefs, whereas the peripheral route via the unconscious tends to be not as long-lasting.

Many factors determine whether a message will be persuasive. In effective persuasion, the credibility of the person delivering the message is important, and is validated by their expertise, trustworthiness, confidence and delivery style. Those who are attractive, likable, seem like us in some way, speak fast, and look directly into our eyes are perceived as more persuasive. People are perceived as much more persuasive when the listener believes that they are not trying to persuade them, or when they appear to have nothing to gain by persuading the listener.

If someone is alerted that they are about to be persuaded, they’re more difficult to persuade. Attorneys sometimes use this aspect of persuasion by warning juries about evidence they’re about to hear, knowing that telling them in advance will lessen the impact of the evidence.

How the listener feels while being persuaded affects whether they’re persuaded. Studies have shown that when people are in a happy mood, they make decisions more impulsively, relying on peripheral cues. People who are in an unhappy mood do not react as impulsively, but brood over their decision, and so are less easily persuaded.

It seems to be true, unfortunately, that making the listener fearful can render them more easily persuadable. For example, in an experiment, middle-aged women were shown a video about getting mammograms. One group was told that getting a mammogram could save their lives through prevention; the other group was given a fear-invoking message. Many more women in the fear-invoking group got mammograms after seeing the video.

Repeating something makes it more believable. Also, people are easier to persuade about something they’re not very familiar with. If the message is about an issue they know a lot about, persuading them won’t be as easy. In addition, using metaphor that relates to something the listener is fond of makes the message much more persuasive. For example, if the listener likes the beach, and the metaphor includes a beach, the message will be more likely to persuade the listener.

Personal contact with people is much more persuasive than media communication, something every politician knows. Being able to see the persuader in person is usually far more persuasive than reading something they have written. However, a persuasive message is understood and remembered better when written. So if you have a complex message, it can be more persuasive when written, but if the message is simple, video can be more persuasive.

D. What makes us vulnerable to persuasion?

Most of us believe that we are much less affected by persuasive advertising than other people are. In other words, we think we’re invulnerable to persuasion. However, it’s sometimes this very feeling of invulnerability that leads us to be vulnerable to persuasion because we let our guard down. In an experiment, when subjects were shown an advertisement with a bogus authority, then asked whether they were convinced by the ad, then revealing to them that they had been duped, the subjects were more resistant to persuasion in the future.

There are times when we are probably more vulnerable to coercion than others. Being aware of that factor at those times could help us resist coercion.

When we’re searching for meaning in our lives, are in a transitional period, or have lost someone or something important to us, we’re more vulnerable to coercion. It would seem that those of us who don’t have community, a circle of friends, or family connections in our lives—and that would include many people now—might be especially vulnerable. It’s also possible that those who have high susceptibility to hypnosis might be more susceptible to persuasion. I think that people who are in a state of questioning or of forming their own beliefs—e.g., young people or those going through a mid-life crisis—are more eager to find something to believe in or to give them a feeling of safety or control, and so are more open to persuasion. In addition, coming from a background of abuse can set us up to be more susceptible to cults, finding the authoritarian culture to be reminiscent of what we grew up with, and possibly because those who have been traumatized are often more suggestible or more prone to going into a dissociative state, both of which increase susceptibility to coercion. If any of these factors are present in our lives, we might observe more carefully any attempt to persuade us to see if we are being coerced, knowing that we might be more vulnerable at those times.

E. Common coercive tactics

Remember, coercion is negative persuasion. It is harmful or, at the very least, not beneficial to the one being influenced. The following is a composite I’ve constructed of characteristics and coercive methods used by cults and other unhealthy groups, including authoritarians and fascists, and various ways in which these coercive methods can be put into play. While not exhaustive, it provides a starting point. And we’ll use this list again in an upcoming segment.

1. Influence the person via the unconscious.
Working via the unconscious renders the person unable to resist by using their own logical thinking.
– Keep the person unaware that they are being changed or manipulated.
– Use the peripheral form of persuasion (via the senses or unconscious) or repetition of slogans, text or ideas.
– Control the environment—time, food, sleep, clothing, lighting.
– Double agenda: You think the goal is one thing; the group’s or leader’s real goal is instead to change you or your behavior, or to accomplish a very different goal.- You are asked to change or do small things, one at a time, successively so that you are unaware of the big picture or ultimate goal (“foot-in-the-door” technique).
– You’re encouraged to read and listen only to the cult-approved media, which you often do when in a relaxed state so that the propaganda seeps easily and deeply into your unconscious.

2. Make the person powerless and dependent.
This is so that the individual automatically discounts their own logic or experience.
– For example, if you have a problem with something that the group or members do, YOU are the one with a problem. Your concern is evidence of your ego, your lack of commitment, your impurity, that you are “on it,” you’re a “suppressive,” etc.
– Any questioning of the organization’s dogma or of the leader is automatically viewed as “disloyalty” or “ego” (the term varies) and therefore stifled. In short, if I, as a member, have a thought that questions something in the cult, I quickly learn to label that thought as “disloyalty” or “ego” (which is a flaw in me and to be shunned or “overcome”) so that I am trained to automatically discount my own logic.
– Experiences are created or manipulated so that they appear spontaneous or unearthly, but in actuality are orchestrated in order to demonstrate the power or divinity of the leader or group or its tenets.
– Practices are designed to destabilize a person’s sense of self. For example, if something fortunate happens to you, it is due to your participation in the group or of doing the group’s practices and NOT because of your own efforts. This takes away your power and gives it to them. When this is done incrementally over a period of time, you come to lose the ability to believe in yourself and your own abilities. This reduces the feeling that you are responsible for anything in your life, and increases the feeling that you owe everything to the group or leader.

3. Authoritarian structure.
The organization has an authoritarian structure with a living individual as the focal point.
– No discussion or decisions by individuals other than the leader or those directly under the leader is allowed.
– The leader is seen as a special being; or the group’s purpose or strategy is seen as exalted. Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
– The leader is not accountable to any authorities of group members. He or she has unlimited power and control over or within the group.
– The leader’s control and unaccountability is not always made evident to new recruits.

4. Absolutism.
The world is viewed in absolute terms.
– This is “right” and that is “wrong.”
– Us v. them; we’re right, they’re wrong. “They” threaten us in some way.
– We have the only answer; everyone else just hasn’t gotten it yet.
– Others aren’t as evolved/perfect/knowledgeable as we are. We are “special” or “correct” or “enlightened” and they are not. There are no shades of grey.

5. Use of Language.
Using language differently distinguishes members of the group and further affects how they view the world.
– The group uses language in a new way, creates new buzz words or phrases, uses foreign terms or restructures the language.
– This use of language in ways we’re unused to actually has an altering effect on thought processes, and also serves to stifle individuality.
– You must speak the group’s language, or you are not a “good” group member. This altered language also sets you apart from others who are not in the group, and makes it more difficult to communicate with them, making you even more dependent on the group.
– You must speak the group’s language, or you are not a “good” group member. Using the new language shows that you’re “one of them.”
– It also sets you apart from others who are not in the group, and makes it more difficult to communicate with them, making you more dependent on the group.
– Special terms: Existing terms are used with new meaning. Speaking in the old way is frowned upon.
– When required to repeat something verbally, our opinion will eventually change to match what we are asked to repeat in order to reduce cognitive dissonance.

6. Mind-altering practices.
Altered states are particularly good for coercion.
– Excessive practice of things like chanting slogans or mantras, repeating texts in a foreign language, meditation, or anything done repetitively can lead to altered states and can also be addictive.
– A cult leader can easily implant suggestions while the person is in a vulnerable or receptive state.
– Hypnosis, with or without consent or intent.
– Disinformation can lead to confusion, another means of coercion.
– Exhausting work schedules resulting in fatigue.
– Not enough food or protein.
– Standing or working in hot or uncomfortable circumstances for hours.

7. Recruiting.
The group is focused quite a lot on bringing in new members.
– This is so that the group grows, making the leader more powerful and/or giving the group more money.
– Recruiting is part of the group’s creed; i.e., the group is evangelical or works to “spread the word.” Recruiting is seen as “holy” or “spiritual” or a way of showing loyalty to the leader. The member cannot argue with whether recruiting is positive or ethical, because it is required by the group’s beliefs or authorities and, again, questioning anything in the group is discouraged by multiple means.
– “Love-bombing.” This is where the group, or individuals in the group, flatter you, show great interest or respect for you, or shower you with love or acceptance. When people pay attention to us and are kind to us, we tend to trust them and want to be part of their group.

8. Money.
The group is preoccupied with making money.
– Value is placed on enrollments, recruiting or donations. Those who do well in these areas assume that they will receive approval by the leader.
– The group repeatedly pressures the individual for donations or tithing, sometimes via the peripheral route so that their defenses or logic are not activated.
– Donating is promoted as a way to contribute to the greater good, to attain enlightenment or to show loyalty.
– Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to doing work for the group and participating in group-related activities; this is framed as a means to save themselves or the world. This provides the group with free labor.
– The group sells tchotchkes and “special” products, often at inflated prices and/or inferior quality, that support its brand and raise money for the group or its leader.
– The group promotes and offers special dinners, retreats, seminars, intensives and other large group events that offer the opportunity to meet the leader, obtain enlightenment, rub shoulders with important people, or other objectives the group pushes, at a high price.

9. Fear.
Fear is a great motivator!
– Those who are afraid—whether of exclusion, rejection, judgment, ridicule, retaliation, or bodily harm—do not question or leave the group.
– Fear of being ostracized by the group, friends or family members if you leave the group or stop supporting it is powerful.
– For those who need the group to counter their loneliness, for example, fear of losing the support of the group is highly motivating.
– Fear of displeasing the leader. Once you’ve succumbed to the leader’s total authority in your life, you are dependent upon their approval.
– Fear of physical or professional harm to yourself or relatives if you leave or speak the truth about your experience or knowledge of the group or its leader.
– Fear of not being “Self-Realized,” “getting into Heaven,” etc., if you leave the group.

III. HOW WE CAN PROTECT OURSELVES

A. How can we become alert to this type of coercion when it is being used?

Education is the primary key to recognizing and preventing ourselves from succumbing to the coercion of an unhealthy group. If we are unaware of how persuasion can be used to affect us negatively, we will likely not recognize it, since the very nature and purpose of this type of persuasion is to make us unaware of being persuaded. For example, in a more benign example of coercion, marketers don’t want us to be aware that the television commercial we are watching is attempting to change our mind through tactics of which we are totally unaware. Remember, they often approach us through the peripheral route in order to bypass logic and discrimination. However, if we study marketing just a little, we can become aware of these tactics so that we recognize them at once, and we’re then much less susceptible to that sort of advertising—and to coercion.

Although there’s not a clear-cut, instant test for determining whether an organization is a cult, it’s much easier to determine whether coercion is being used, and the use of coercion is a warning flag that the organization or group might be a cult. When the persuasion used is manipulative with an intention that is not in the individual’s best interest, but serves to further the organization or its leader, that could be a strong indication that coercion is being used, and that that group is a cult, or at least cultish.

I would suggest that if coercion is used by only one means, while there are also many aspects of the organization that could be beneficial for the individual, the organization is relatively low on the “cult-factor” scale and could be called “cultish,” while if coercion is used by multiple means and the organization is extremely authoritarian in structure, the organization is a good candidate to be called a cult. In other words, it’s a matter of the total number of cumulative factors rather than a definitive “yes” or “no” that determines whether an organization’s use of coercion indicates that it is a cult.

I propose that one way you might look at an organization to determine whether the organization has cult-like features or uses coercive tactics would be to use the list above in “III. E. Common coercive tactics” above, assigning values—for example, a scale of 1 to 5—to each of the characteristics for that particular group and totaling them. A total score that is high could indicate that the group has cultish characteristics and should be approached with caution, while a low score might indicate that the group is fairly low in cult-like or unhealthy characteristics.

While this is a totally subjective approach, and probably few people would rate the organizations in exactly in the same way, I believe that this, coupled with your own research, could be used a means for making a decision on how you might want to proceed with your participation in a group, thereby offering some protection against being coerced.

I don’t, however, believe that it’s prudent for governments or society as a whole to label organizations as cults or non-cults, as this could result in suppression of religious freedom or free speech. Also, as I mentioned, the determination is always subjective and should not be considered otherwise, unless there is concrete evidence of danger or criminality. But I think it would be beneficial on an individual level to have some basis for critically evaluating your experience of an organization in order not to succumb to cult-like tactics.

For example, if you find that other group members of an organization extend an unusual amount of interest or flattery toward you, you will see that this falls under “Recruiting” and it’s possible that they are engaged in recruiting using a technique sometimes called “love-bombing.” While you might not want to be overly cautious to the point of being jaded or suspicious, you could use that caution as a clue to stay alert and explore the situation critically.

By analyzing the coercive factors I listed above, and through an internet search for current information and peer-reviewed research on the particular group, we can look at an organization through logical analysis, thereby being less vulnerable to cultic coercive tactics. And by being aware of our own personal issues that might render us more vulnerable in general to coercion (see III. D. “What makes us vulnerable to persuasion?” above), we can further protect ourselves from it. Education and awareness can, I believe, go a long way in preventing recruitment or falling into a group with unhealthy tendencies.

B. What can we do if we see people around us taken in by these groups? How can we help them?

1) The most important thing to do when attempting to communicate with people in these groups is to reach out to them with kindness and without judgment. The last thing you want to do is make them feel that you think they’re stupid because you think they’re in a cult. Remember, anyone is vulnerable to being taken in by a cult, given the right circumstances. Being kind and non-judgmental will let them know that you’re a safe person for them to confide in. And you might be the only person outside of the group with whom they feel comfortable being themselves.

2) Don’t rush in your effort to help them. It took time for them to be indoctrinated and it will take time for them to emerge from the haze of the cult (or cultish group).

3) Don’t expect to change their minds in one meeting or conversation. Plant the seeds. Give them time.

4) Remember that leaving a cult or a cultish group often requires recovery time while the person reacclimates to a more normal life. They might feel fear, anxiety or sadness for some time after losing what to them was their stability or the most important part of their lives.

5) If you know what made them vulnerable to the cult—for example, they had suffered a loss just before they joined the cult—offer solace for that particular issue. Help them begin to recognize that solace and acceptance can come from outside the group.

6) Do your best to understand what they found in the group they drew them to it. That original pull is the wound in them that left them vulnerable. You can help them find other ways to heal it or to soothe themselves or feel accepted or good about themselves.

7) Recognize that they do get that solace from the group; that means that, to them, you’re trying to take away something that gives them comfort or meaning.

8) Let them know that you understand that they found something positive in the group and they’re not wrong about that. That is real to them.

9) Do your best to help them join others outside the group, maybe for a book club or dinner out with friends so that they begin to relate to other people again, or at least maintain ties outside the group

10) Don’t assume that they should drop all ritual and other things that remind them of the group. It might be helpful for them to discover that they can create the experience they’re craving from the group in their own homes for themselves or in a different way. For example, if meditation was, or is, a big part of their lives in the group, they can also meditate at home or find a comfortable secular group in which to meditate.

11) Help them think of the things they used to enjoy that they no longer do and people important to them that they no longer see as a result of being enmeshed in the group by bringing up these things in passing.

12) Remind them of good times they had before the group so they remember what their life was like. Remind them of the person they were and the thing they used to enjoy and the great things they did.

13) If you have had similar experiences, you might share them, keeping in mind that no two people have exactly the same experience of the same circumstances. But they might see enough of themselves in what you share that they will feel more comfortable sharing with you and trusting you.

14) Be respectful and listen to them carefully. Don’t automatically discount what they say. Instead, listen for their truth.

15) You might explain to them casually, in a non-threatening or attacking manner, what coercion is. But don’t make it sound as though you’re trying to convince them. Their automatic defenses will go up if you do, and they won’t hear anything you say due to coercive programming to resist.

16) Remember that they no longer see all of the information that the rest of us do. In the case of the Trump Movement, I can say with certainty that many of those followers no longer see the majority of the real news and see only what the Trump Movement wants them to know or believe, broadcast by Fox News and several other media outlets, which most of them watch continuously. So they won’t necessarily understand your references. You won’t understand all of theirs.

17) Never be angry or provocative or argumentative with them. That will only shut down further communication. Remember, you cannot persuade them through logic, as that has been turned off. And not being a calm, safe space for them just shuts down any possibility of getting through to them.

18) Remember, they’ve been trained through the skillful use of coercion to automatically reject or dismiss any questions or criticism about their group or their leader, or of them for being aligned with the group.

IV. AUTHORITARIANISM, FASCISM, TOTALITARIANISM AND CULTS

Now that we’ve learned something about cults and the nature of coercion, let’s look at other types of organizations that use the very same tactics, and how they differ from one another.

Authoritarianism is a political system that rejects democracy, civil liberties, and the belief that people of different beliefs and lifestyles can coexist and participate equally in society. Rather than focusing on the common good or encouraging participation by all, an authoritarian movement or government uses strong centralized power to support an extreme political position and its leaders, often at the expense of freedom and democracy. It usually protects a government or regime through repression or even violence against those who disagree. Authoritarians frequently use mass rallies to publicize and strengthen their position. They usually seek absolute compliance and loyalty from their followers and total control of the country they rule.

A. What’s the Difference Between Authoritarianism and Fascism?

While fascism is authoritarian in nature, authoritarianism is not always fascist. In other words, fascism is one flavor of authoritarianism. Elements of fascism include far-right ideology, nationalism, suppression of individuality in favor of nationalist identity, racism, xenophobia, military rule and a dictator at the helm. Authoritarianism often has one or more of these traits, but the primary defining factor of fascism is the required obedience to a powerful central figurehead and the rejection of democracy rather than promotion of a specific ideology. Fascism became popular in the 1930s and fell out of favor after World War II, although fascist regimes continue to pop up around the world.

B. What’s the Difference Between Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism?

Authoritarianism and totalitarianism have similar characteristics. Both demand obedience and loyalty to a central figurehead and suppress individual freedom, and both control a nation’s economy and political system. Totalitarianism goes further than either authoritarianism or fascism in its unlimited power and total domination of a country and its citizens through absolute suppression, often through military means, of any dissent or disagreement whatsoever—meaning anyone who dissents can be killed.

Examples of totalitarian rulers are Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, Spain’s Franco, Saddam Hussein and North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un. All of these leaders could also be considered fascists.

Current governments that are authoritarian or lean that way are India, Turkey and Hungary. Putin’s Russia is an authoritarian dictatorship that some consider fascist.

You might see these forms of suppressive governments on a continuum based on the degree of suppression of both individuals and institutions or organizations in this order, from fairly suppressive to extremely suppressive: authoritarianism to fascism to totalitarianism.

C. Does the coercion used in cults differ from that used in authoritarian and fascist groups?

Cults and authoritarians operate in different spheres. Authoritarians operate within national political systems and want to dominate countries, and cults operate within their particular social group and want to dominate individuals. Put simply, authoritarianism and its various forms dominate through political systems, while cults dominate through social or psychological means.

But there are similarities in the tactics used by both authoritarian regimes and cults. Both recruit new members to the fold through various coercive strategies, both in person and online, in order to give money or power to the leader. Both attempt to replace a person’s authentic identity with a new identity as a group member. Both promote dependency. Both suppress healthy thinking and logic. Both maintain power through an “us versus them” mentality. And both inflict punishment, whether physical or psychological, in the face of questioning, dissent or disloyalty.

D. Is Trump a Cult Leader and Are His Followers in a Cult?

Trump is a master of the coercive tactics used by cults. Every one of them. If you review II.E. “Common coercive tactics” in Part 3 of this series, you can see how each of the nine coercive tactics listed there are used by the Trump movement.

Trump studied intensely and utilizes the elements of persuasion, coercion and thought control as set forth by Normal Vincent Peale and Adolph Hitler, both of whom used the thought manipulation and coercive elements often used by authoritarian leaders to dominate and control their followers.

For example, he uses bizarre repetitive phrases that over time triggers the listener (via the peripheral route) to believe that they’re true: sharks, Hannibal Lecter, eating dogs, boats, windmills, “fake news.” Notice how he suddenly lowers his voice at times, almost whispering? That’s deliberate. Eventually followers automatically respond to hearing these things much like Pavlov’s dog, circumventing healthy thinking and logic. For example, they might hear a genuine news item which is not part of the Trumpism propaganda, and automatically think or say “fake news!”, automatically bypassing their previously healthy logic. And eventually just hearing these words causes a sort of mild trance in the individual, so that they’re in a state to absorb further information more easily.

Remember a time when you were lounging on the sofa, relaxing in bed or sitting in your favorite recliner and watching television. Did you go into a bit of a trance eventually? Remember how you were totally caught up in the story, to the extent that you weren’t really aware of your surroundings or anything other than the show? That’s exactly how a lot of people watch Fox News for hours on end. It’s not surprising that the propaganda seeps so easily and deeply into their unconscious.

The Trump movement—or MAGA, or the Republican Party in its current state—are at the very least authoritarian in nature. If you read Project 2025, you’ll see that what is laid out is the overtaking of our country by a fascist regime. Whether authoritarian or fascist, this is a dangerous path for our country—and for its citizens.

As for the cult element, I don’t think it would take much persuading for me to convince you that his followers, who have been seen on camera proudly wearing diapers and ear bandages in emulation of their leader, sometimes giving the Seig Heil salute, some of whom who have created digital images of Trump as a Christ figure, many of whom seem to be completely unaware of valid current news, and who repeat the party line with robotic aggression whenever they are asked a question about their beliefs or about current happenings, are cult followers. Yes, there is a “Trump cult,” as indicated in the title of Steven Hassan’s book, The Cult of Trump—which I highly recommend for those of us who hope to save our country from the authoritarian or fascist turn it absolutely will take if the Trump followers have their way. In addition, the information and analysis that Hassan offers about Trump’s background which likely led to his current psychological state—which is referred to by many in the field of psychology as malignant narcissism—helps us see the quite deliberate manner in which he manipulates his followers, very much in the same way a cult leader does.

If you review the methods of coercion used by cults that I listed earlier in this article, you will find that the Trumpism checks all or most of the boxes.

V. CONCLUSION

Education and awareness of the coercive tactics used in cults can, I believe, go a long way in prevention of cult recruitment. And that includes political ones.

As for our current state in this country, we are in this election at the mercy of many who are under coercive influence, and that means that they cannot be made to see the light or to use logic. You have probably already tried to speak to at least one person from this group and discovered that unhappy truth.

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), the Heritage Foundation, the People of Praise and several others are cult groups which have seemingly aligned in their support of Trumpism. Trump coddles and encourages them, because he knows that they can help him get elected. Even if Trump loses the election, these cults will still be around and still attracting followers. That’s why publicizing this information is so important.

I believe the only hope for our country in the immediate future is for ALL of us who can still see clearly to 1) VOTE, 2) financially support all of our non-cult congressional candidates all the way down to local races, 3) make sure everyone checks their voter status (to make certain they haven’t been kicked off the rolls without notice), 4) make sure all college students are enrolled to vote, 5) help anyone who needs assistance getting to the polls to vote, and, where there are already shenanigans in the works to delay or compromise the voting results (Georgia, for example), 6) do our very best to shine a light on the process.

After the election, assuming its result is positive, we can bring focused attention to the problem of many of our citizens being under the effect of coercive tactics and find ways to combat and resolve that problem.

Manipulating Minds: The Use of Persuasion and Coercion in Cults, Authoritarianism, and Trumpism

Manipulating Minds: The Use of Persuasion and Coercion in Cults, Authoritarianism, and Trumpism

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