Jim Jones: Variables That Contribute to Adopting Cult Mentality

By: Brian Gagye

Social Cognition & Perception

June 22, 2024

Abstract

The American Psychological Association defines a cult to be “a religious or quasi-religious group characterized by unusual or atypical beliefs, seclusion from the outside world, and an authoritarian structure. Cults tend to be highly cohesive, well organized, secretive, and hostile to nonmembers” (2018). Religious cults have been studied in the past but compared to other psychological phenomena and disorders, it has received little attention. This paper aims to first discuss the Peoples Temple, it’s leader Jim Jones, and methods used to influence so many people to commit mass suicide. Furthermore, this paper will outline some of the research that potentially explains why intelligent, ethical, and moral people can be influenced to a degree of adopting a new identity and the immoral associated beliefs, stereotypes, and perceptions of religious cults. If Jones did not have the support and relentless dedication from his followers, the mass killings in Guyana could have been avoided.

Introduction

The second largest loss of United States civilians was the Jonestown massacre of 1978. The largest being that of the terror attacks of September 11th, 2001. The leader of The Peoples Temple, Jim Jones, began as a self-proclaimed minister of the Christian faith. Jones’ first church was based in Indianapolis, Indiana in the mid 1950’s. Jones was charismatic and claimed he had abilities that ranged from prophetic to healing powers (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2024). About a decade later in the mid-1960s, he and his wife started the Peoples Temple in California and moved to a place near the town of Ukiah with about 100 followers. They believed this move would keep them safe if a nuclear holocaust occurred. Jones grew his congregation to an estimated 20,000 followers with the largest percentage being African American (History.com Editors, 2022). A contributing factor to the high numbers of African American members was his position on racial integration. He was also known to work with the homeless and served as director of the Indianapolis Human Rights Commission (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2024). Jone’s built his members through the relationships with politicians and the press of which turned him into a reputable and respected church leader building trust as a reliable source of spiritual information in the public’s eye’s (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2024).

In 1974 Jones and a group of followers left the United States to create an agricultural cooperative in Guyana, a utopia where freedom and creativity would reign (History.com Editors, 2022). By 1977 Jones had grown the initial small group to over 1,000 people. Jones having severe psychological issues, believed he was as important and influential as Jesus Christ and Vladimir Lenin (History.com Editors, 2022). November 18, 1978, marks the day Jones compelled 909 people to kill themselves by drinking poison. The sad part of this story is that 1/3 of the 909 people were children who were given the poison by their parents or a trusted adult (History.com Editors, 2022).

Though in the later years Jones’ message was not of the Christ and an afterlife in either heaven or hell, he still was influential. He was influencing people to become a large body of people in hopes to represent a state or small government, a utopia (DJangi, 2024). By the time Jones had moved The People’s Temple to Gyana he primarily discredited the bible from which he once preached. Sources say he mostly utilized Marxist or Socialist documents as foundation for his teachings.

Manipulation Methodology Utilized

It is well known that Jones was fascinated by George Orwell’s novel “1984” which is a social science fiction novel. It is a story about a man named Winston Smith a bureaucrat that lives in a city called Oceania. There Smith is under constant surveillance, manipulation and other tactics used by totalitarian systems. “1984” was written as a warning of totalitarianism not as a means of education to be used for unethical and immoral religious cults. Jones took to the ideology of control through these unethical tactics learned from “1984” and put them into real life practice on his followers.

Dr. Philip Zimbardo found that Jones not only read but was obsessed over Orwell’s novel. He learned this from Stephan Jones, Jim Jones’ biological son. He stated that his father talked about it often to create fear. It was believed that Jones created a prophecy about a holocaust that would take place in 1984 (2020). In an interview with Debby Layton, one of Jones’ trusted inner-circle members who later defected, explained that there is a film that debuted a song written by Diane Wilkerson, Jones’ lead performer, called “1984”. You can hear Jones singing along on the film, “That’s right, that’s right. Got to watch out. They are coming to get us; they are going to kill us.” (Zimbardo, 2020).

Orwell’s novel had a psychological impact on Jones’ need for control and superiority to the extent of skillfully exercising totalitarian methodologies to manipulate his followers. This implementation was effective, to the degree that followers lied to friends, family members, and to themselves. In Guyana for example, followers where held prisoner and where surveyed around the clock by armed guards, yet they told distant family members and friends they owed their freedom and liberty to Jones (Zimbardo, 2020). This of course is not freedom and liberty. Followers praised Jones for providing food, shelter, and even work though they didn’t actually have appropriate food and shelter. Work was that of a strict labor or concentration camp as Zimbardo puts it (2020). Additionally, Jones often played Nazi horror films to send a message that life will be worse for the followers if they think about becoming defiant (Zimbardo, 2020). This was a powerful tactic of control, placing the idea that life can be worse than it already was caused followers to accept their current realities as a blessing.

Followers were already dealing with scarce resources, the idea that things could become more scarce frightened them into compliance. Similar to Dr. Cialdini’s discovery, we want things more if they are scarce or a perception of scarcity exists. However, we want it even more when there is competition. (2017, p. 218). Therefore, it seems likely Jones’ tactic of showing Nazi horror films did its job and sent a clear message of scarcity on what was already limited. This tactic possibly created a competition between lack and severe lack, creating an urge to achieve the better of the two opponents. Additionally, lack vs severe lack could classify as both scarcity and fear of loss. Competition may have been induced as Jones provided better resources for trusted members, causing followers to compete for a seat at Jones’ table.

Compliance and Social Cognitive Theory

Social Cognitive Theory capitalizes on modeling through observational learning as a mechanism in shaping behavior. It also attempts to understand how and why people think certain things about themselves and others within in a social context (Fiske & Taylor, 2020, p. 2). The identities of each potential member must be shaped to align with the ideologies of the cult in order to obtain unquestioned compliance. Outside of children who are discovering their identity, adults should have some sort of identity. It begs the question then; how do identities shift in order to accept irrational thought processes?

Identity can be defined as “the distinct characteristics, including perceptions, beliefs, and values, that an individual associates with oneself” (Erikson, 1950, as cited in McAdams, 2013). According to Erikson (1950), identity formation is a crucial aspect of human development, encompassing the integration of past experiences, current self-perception, and future aspirations. This dynamic process is influenced by both personal choices and societal pressures (Erikson, 1950, as cited in McAdams, 2013). According to Anthony Giddens (2007), identity involves self-reflection, acquiring a deeper understanding of oneself in times of personal breakthroughs but also in situations that abolish the preconceived mental models of the social world (Gajewski, 2020 p. 235). Culture and subcultures can have an impact on what we believe is right and wrong, what we believe spiritually, how to perceive stimuli, etc.

Including the work of Vygotsky, who believed in the sociocultural perspective meaning that children grow via the interaction of the social group interactions (Sigelman & Rider, 2017), discusses children’s exposure to various aspects of their culture. Specifically, when attributing words to target words. Their exposure led them to think about certain things relative to their environment (Sigelman & Rider, 2017). Therefore, if child’s cognitive development is based off the mental tools limited by culture in which the child lives, there can be problematic programming. We also know that poor attachment can cause future social interaction difficulties (Sigelman & Rider, 2017).

In regard to attachment, Disorganized Attachment can wreak havoc on those who have experienced it. It is believed to be a root cause of borderline personality disorder, causes a child to learn that the people they are supposed to love are also to be feared, suffer from a negative self-image, feel lonely, tend to be clingy and behave erratically (Bockarova, 2019). This could explain the appeal cults have on some individuals and the unconscious acceptance of totalitarianism. Conversely, children who grow up with a healthier attachment tend to have more grounded meaningful social connections and a greater sense of well-being, making them more successful in life. They also tend to have longer lasting family relational bonds, making them potentially less likely to have a need for a cults acceptance.

We can see how attachment styles on both sides of the spectrum carry with us throughout our lives unless there is some sort of intervention. Often cult ideology is the intervention promising love and belonging to include unconditional love and loyalty. People with poor attachment may be looking for an environment similar to the strict confounds of their familial structure or maybe they are simply looking for new social infrastructures as the old ones created real or perceived aversive consequences.

Additionally, Affect Control Theory which is the idea that people mirror or enact behaviors that are “culturally appropriate to the situational identities of self, the situational identities of others, and the institutional setting” (Heise, 1979, 2007; MacKinnon, 1994; MacKinnon & Heise, 2010; Robinson & Smith-Lovin, 2018, as cited in MacKinnon, 2022). This means that because we subconsciously desire to fit into our social environment, we learn how to behave through the transfer of beliefs or ideologies which equate acceptance. The transfer of beliefs will affect not just behavior but also our consciousness and how we make choices. Looking at the evidence of interviews of eyewitnesses, beliefs and ideologies did transfer throughout the subculture Jones created.

It is plausible, potential members of Jones’ church had some sort of mental challenge to their reality which created a desire to seek a perceived “better” model in which to live, requiring an identity shift. They may have come to a realization through past experiences and memories that they are, in their own mind, an outcast and the external world is the enemy. It is common knowledge that we are social beings and have an innate, biological and psychological need to be a part of a group or social structure. One of two human identity dimensions Gajewski discusses is the social dimension; which refers to the opportunity to belong to a larger group of people who are connected by shared traits, characteristics, or commonalities (2020 p. 235). If a potential follower had lost their connective social structure, they may gravitate to a social construct that is savior for common or normal social construct outcasts. We see this in schools, where a child is cast out of a click, only to become a member of another click the very next week.

Interestingly, researchers have found that mistakes and biases in how we infer or understand social situations often lead to significant errors in judgment and policy. Therefore, efforts to improve this inference process is necessary, such as seeking another social construct to align with. Another view suggests that these perceived mistakes and biases are not as severe as they seem, arguing that people generally make good judgments in real-world scenarios. While social perceivers might make systematic errors and biases, real-world conditions often correct or minimize these issues (Fiske & Taylor, 2020 p. 236); which explains why many people do not give into the manipulative messages of religious cults.

However, in some situations, poor inference strategies can cause serious problems. For instance, inferential errors contribute to negative stereotypes, and group decisions often exhibit biases in how information is gathered and understood, leading to significant mistakes in social judgments. Such errors can have worrying effects in various areas, including politics, clinical decision-making, and education systems (Fiske & Taylor, 2020 p. 236). In other words, judgmental mistakes can be made when a person is rejected or has a feeling of having been wronged by the injustice of a system leading to stereotypes and biases. Most religious cults have a common enemy and together as a group form biases and stereotypes of out-groups. What better enemy than those who are perceived to be the cause of a person’s discomfort; whether triggered by a perception of rejection or a failed justice system?

According to Gajewski, A person’s religious identity, shaped by their self-system and rooted in the cultural and religious environment they were born into (or moved to), should be viewed from two perspectives:

1. Collective Perspective: This looks at the social group and its cultural system, including the religious beliefs, rituals, and moral code shared by the group (2020 p. 239).

2. Individual Perspective: This focuses on the person who, through religious education and practice, develops religious competence. This includes understanding their own religion, participating in religious life, experiencing religious emotions, and adhering to the religion’s moral principles (2020 p. 239).

Some of Jones’ followers were conditioned by their collective social perspective of grandiosity, separating the organization from the rest of the world to achieve peace, harmony, justice, and unconditional love. If a person’s familial culture or local social culture was not heavily rooted in religious beliefs, the evidence suggests, they would be less likely to have a cognitive shift. How then does someone who is not conditioned to believe outlandish rationale become shaped to accept irrationality and immoral ideologies? We know that beliefs of injustice and social exile are contributing factors that cause someone to join a group. Research suggests there had to be a desire to seek out a body of people that are different than the social construct in which a person found fault. However, the power of repetition and social consensus is also a contributing factor in altering a person’s awareness which we will dissect in the next section, Psychodynamic Theory.

Psychodynamic Theory

The psychodynamic theory focuses on our unconscious desires and thought processes as well as their ability to shape behavior. It also incorporates early childhood experiences (embodiment) and its influence on later development, relationships and behavior (Roberts, 2023). The psychodynamic theory shed light on how our morality, truth, identity, and judgements can be manipulated creating a radical shift in perspectives of reality.

We learned earlier that one tactic Jones used was repetition within his messages. He repeated lines in a song that indicate fear, death, and a common enemy. Jones made his phrases very personal by using words like you and us. According to the construal level theory, situations that are close in proximity are more likely to be perceived as closer or more relevant to oneself (Trope & Liberman, 2010 as cited in Wang et al., 2022). As followers mirrored Jones not only in regard to his behavior, theories and conspiracies, but also his vernacular structures, it is plausible to think it became personal. Reinforcing fear and conspiracy through a person’s own thoughts and words could create a perception of importance and relevance to the individual.

In regard to people that are of rational and healthy moral cognitive people; how can they give into the irrationality of a cult? If a perception of needing religious guidance is present, a primarily rational, moral and cognitive healthy person could possibly search out a religious group to belong too. If they created connections, sometimes innocently with cult members, either planed or spontaneously formed, they most likely will continue learning about the organization by means of attendance and/or communicative means. During the investigative phase, these rational people may fall prey to repetition, and social consensus on an unconscious level. I should note that location matters. If someone looking for religion or acceptance in a group is located in a traditional religious society, they wouldn’t hear messages like that of a cult. The concept of being at the right place at the right time of need applies here statistically.

Classic research from Asch, 1956 on conformity and Festinger’s, 1954 research on opinion formation suggests that individuals tend to modify their thoughts and behaviors to align with what is socially accepted (Pillai & Fazio, 2024), thus the need for cult segregation. For example, people exhibit greater credence in claims backed by multiple independent sources of evidence (even if not accurate) compared to claims supported by a single repetitive source (Connor Desai et al., 2022 as cited in Pillai & Fazio, 2024). Crucially, this sensitivity is not limited to expert consensus; peer consensus also exerts a significant influence. For instance, people are more likely to concur with simulated blogs and social media posts when there is substantial agreement among peers who reply, comment, or post about the topic (Lewandowsky et al., 2019; Ransom et al., 2021; Simmonds et al., 2023 as cited in Pillai & Fazio, 2024). We can infer then that similar factors can have an effect on the cognition of people who normally wouldn’t join a religious cult. Jones certainly induced in-group consensus and consistency through means of intimidation, fear, and segregation from the rational public.

Jones also implemented various Orwellian tactics — including “obedience training, Newspeak, Crimestop, Doublethink, Reality Control, Emotional Control, Sexual Control, Surveillance, torture, and extreme labor on starvation diets” — to achieve complete behavior modification. These mind control techniques created a cult mentality similar to that of the “Manchurian Candidate,” leading followers to kill their own children, parents, spouses, friends, and even themselves upon command (Zimbardo, 2020). The repetition of what to fear, how to find safety amongst a fearful world, and how the organization will survive in the end; in this case, utopia filled with peace, love, creativity, and grandiosity.

It’s no surprise to have learned that Jones used repeated conspiracy theories to influence his followers. Recent research suggests that people who hear about conspiracy beliefs might find them plausible due to several factors: (1) historical plausibility, (2) psychological plausibility, and/or (3) normative plausibility. The first two types involve informational processes, while the last pertains to social norms. Historical plausibility links the current conspiracy theory to a past event a person has experienced (Albarracín, 2022). I would add, it should be considered when comparing contributing factors to past experiences we must also include the individualistic perception of those contributing factors. For example, someone may feel like a social outcast because they lost a friend or acceptance within a social group due to their own biased beliefs and outspoken opinions. Like all negative experiences, encounters coupled with bias may lead individuals to falsely interpret the threat and then find ways to cope. The coping solution would be based on a misrepresentation of actual events. When interactions between groups turn sour, people may sometimes cope by attributing the problem to prejudice rather than their own actions, thereby safeguarding their self-esteem (Major, Quinton, & McCoy, 2002 as cited in Fiske & Taylor, 2020, p. 338).

All humans are unconsciously wired to protect their self-esteem and identity causing reactions that go beyond conscious awareness for many. If an institution such as a church, political party, book club, etc. reject us, research shows we often operate unconsciously such as attributing a problem to factors outside of self. When this happens, people may give their allegiance to institutions that support their biased self-preservation. Additionally, if the organization aligns with and supports the redirected blame, in-group loyalty may be substantiated.

To prove the extent of in-group loyalty Bernhard, Fischbacher, and Fehr (2006) conducted experiments with two small, tightly bonded tribes in Papua New Guinea. Their research showed that individuals who violate social norms are punished less severely if they belong to the same group as the punisher, compared to those who did not. These differences in how antisocial behavior is punished are also evident in the beliefs of potential norm violators regarding possible consequences (Bernhard et al., 2006, pp. 219–221 as cited in Solaz et al., 2018). Furthermore, When considering in-group loyalty in the context of punishing corruption, we anticipate that, although voters might generally disapprove of corruption, their loyalty to their in-group candidates often takes precedence during elections where groups compete for limited resources. Even without direct benefits, voters may support a candidate from their own group because it helps protect or elevate their group’s status. This loyalty can outweigh any potential downsides associated with the candidate’s corruption (Solaz et al., 2018).

Solaz et al., examined in-group loyalty and why people overlook corruption of political candidates. We can think of Jones as a political leader as he exercised totalitarian ideology similar to Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, Joeph Stalin, and Benito Mussolini to name a few. As stated in the introduction, Jones believed he was as important and influential as Vladimir Lenin (History.com Editors, 2022). This explains why people may have overlooked moral discrepancies Jones demonstrated such as plans to commit suicide and to give an innocent children a cup of poisoned cool-aid.

Dr. Cialdini discusses his discoveries from his research on influence, specifically the power scarcity has on our subconscious minds. The thought of losing something has a more powerful effect on our subconscious than gaining something of similar value (Hobfoll, 2001 as cited in Cialdini, 2009 p.200). Often times the risk of losing your place in heaven for behavior that goes against the group is used as a scarcity tactic amongst cult leaders. They grow their numbers by sending out disciples that hold a scarcity of time belief compelling them to save others lest they die. They have been conditioned to believe no one knows when God will come back, or a nuclear holocaust will happen as in the case of The People’s Temple. This creates fear of the unknown and with a passion to grow their ranks, followers will diligently defend and recruit all in the name of scarcity.

Messages of scarcity alone will not impact everyone the same and may lose its power with top-down processing people. However, all humans can be persuaded if the message is done with the right context and intention. Meta-analyses have found that gain-framed messaging is more effective than loss-framed messaging in promoting disease prevention behaviors (O’Keefe & Jensen, 2007 as cited in Wang et al., 2022). In contrast, loss-framed messaging is more persuasive for promoting disease detection behaviors (O’Keefe & Jensen, 2008 as cited in Wang et al., 2022). Regarding the effectiveness of message framing depending on accompanying appeals, Lu (2016) discovered that gain framing works better than loss framing when paired with a sadness appeal, whereas loss framing is more persuasive when paired with a hope appeal (Wang et al., 2022). We see that certain conditions increase or decrease the power of loss vs gain. Knowing how particular Jones was at mastering manipulative tactics, it can be concluded Jones knowing or unknowingly utilized message of loss and of gain to alter cognitions of his followers.

Jones utilized the idea that a utopia could exist where followers would find equality and maintain a society that was self-sufficient (DJangi, 2024). Though he didn’t preach about the afterlife in heaven as a means of influence, instead he skillfully created the hope of something which could be achieved in this life. One could argue this is what had such a powerful impact on the minds of his followers, simply because utopia’s are scarce.

Cognitive Perceptions and Dual Process Explanations

It is possible that Jones’ followers were experiencing Cognitive Dissonance subconsciously compelling them to find consistency by means of Jones’ promise of a utopia. The dissonance theory, originally proposed by Festinger in 1957, explores the tension that arises from contradictions among cognitions, illustrating how this tension prompts changes in beliefs and behaviors. According to this theory, when there is inconsistency, it results in a motivational state known as dissonance. To alleviate this discomfort, individuals are driven to modify their cognitions to reduce the dissonance (Fiske & Taylor, 2020, p. 262).

There are possible explanations for dissonance as described earlier in the social cognitive theory sections, such as the perception and judgement that society has failed a person. Being biologically programmed to seek out community, if a person is aware of the need for social connectivity but feels they don’t belong, they may experience dissonance. To alleviate the dissonance a person fitting these conditions may find solace in a group such as a cult where consistency exists along with group adherence.

Many people live in environments that favor their pre-existing beliefs (Sears, 1968). They often choose friends, movies, book clubs, etc. which align with their attitudes, and are further reinforced by the approval of like-minded individuals (Coman & Hirst, 2012 as cited in Fisk & Taylor, 2020 p. 263). This explains why some people are attracted to cults, primarily due to an alignment of beliefs coupled with a common enemy or hope for freedom and peace.

Research suggests that increasing cognitive dissonance also heightens selective exposure. This increase can be seen in situations involving clear choices or public commitments (Frey, 1986 as cited in Fiske & Taylor, 2020, p. 263). Interestingly, limited resources for information gathering creates an assumption that supportive information, though minimal, is superior (Fischer, Jonas, Frey, & Schulz-Hardt, 2005 as cited in Fiske & Taylor, 2020, p.263), and reminders of life’s brevity prompting focus on relevant and important attitudes (Jonas, Greenberg, & Frey, 2003 as cited in Fiske & Taylor, 2020, p.263). Learning that Jones utilized public commitments, reduced research availability (isolation in Guyana), and repeatedly reminded his followers how short their life is, may have been the catalyst of persuasion. Once people adopted his ideologies, their subconscious minds leaned heavily on consistent information in order to avoid dissonance.

Selective attention is influenced by the desire for cognitive consistency. Individuals tend to scrutinize consistent evidence more closely than inconsistent evidence (Brock & Balloun, 1967; Cohen, Brehm, & Latané, 1959; Jecker, 1964 as cited in Fiske & Taylor, 2020 p.264). Dissonance theory suggests people will concentrate on the positive aspects of their choice, i.e., joining a cult. However, only avoidants in studies showed this behavior; they spent significantly more time looking at the consistent information and avoided inconsistent information, demonstrating selective attention to congruent information. This begs the question, were the majority of cult followers avoidants? More research into the psychology of Jones’ followers who are living and their cognition at the time should be done to determine the relevance of avoidant personalities.

Chronic optimists, similar to repressors, also tend to avoid threatening stimuli (Isaacowitz, 2005 as cited in Fiske & Taylor, 2020 p.264). Additionally, stress can increase selective attention, likely due to limited cognitive resources (Chajut & Algom, 2003 as cited in Fiske & Taylor, 2020 p.264), Jones created consistent stress by means of labor camps, distance form family, and scarce resources. Selective attention can occur variably depending on the individual and the stimuli; for instance, individuals may focus on counterarguments they can easily rebut (Kleinhesselink & Edwards, 1975 as cited in Fiske & Taylor, 2020 p.264). Attempting to rebut an authority figure is a difficult task as you would be violating the social construct of the group. Humans are programmed from birth, according to Dr. Cialdini, that obedience to authority is proper and acceptable social behaviors (2009 p.180). Disobedience is wrong as it violates the social construct, and a disobedient person will suffer aversive personal and social consequences.

Furthermore, Albert Bandura who was a learning theorist who took the stance that humans have control over their development to some degree. He does believe that human development can look different than others depending on their learning experiences (Sigelman & Rider, 2017). Bandura was mostly known for his theory of social cognition. Though he agreed with B.F. Skinner’s idea of operant conditioning as a type of learning, he also believed that humans are cognizant creatures. He felt that humans can make connections between their action and the consequences of those action. This allows humans to anticipate a consequence before a behavior is played out (Sigelman & Rider, 2017). He also believed that humans can be deterred to commit to a particular course of action based on a perceived consequences rather than judging based on the consequence they actually get. This idea has a powerful impact on social learning and perspectives. For example, a student who has strict parents and dish out heavy penalties for unwanted behavior, won’t yell at a teacher when frustrated if they believe there is a chance their parents will find out. If their parents find out there is a potential for severe consequence that they most likely want to avoid. Let’s look at how many people panic when a police officer pulls them over for a simple speeding violation. They panic due to the perceived consequence that may cost them money they don’t have. We can see in the two examples how Bandura’s perspectives pertain to a social perspective.

People also safeguard their attitudes through selective interpretation, aside from exposure and attention. Attitudes can color one’s interpretations of their observations (Vidmar & Rokeach, 1974 as cited in Fiske & Taylor, 2020 p.264). For example, attitudes towards outgroups can shape attributions about that group’s behavior (Pettigrew, 1979 as cited in Fiske & Taylor, 2020 p.264). Humans need consistency even if we’ve made choices of behavior we wouldn’t normally do. This means humans will find a way to justify their decisions in attempt to maintain a perception of consistency. Personal and interpersonal pressure exists when we make a decision. Those pressures intrinsically prod us to respond in ways that justify our decisions (Cialdini, 2009 p. 52). We can see here that once a follower makes a decision to be a part of Jones’ cult, they subconsciously must justify that decision, lest they fall prey to the feelings of inconsistency and dissonance. Furthermore, they must adopt the acceptance of in-group behavior as well as the judgments placed on out-groups.

Interestingly, researchers have found that Europeans and European Americans rationalize their choices by reinterpreting their selected option as being distinctly superior. They highlight its advantages and minimize its shortcomings, while doing the opposite for the options they did not choose. This cognitive process mitigates the dissonance caused by recognizing the merits of the nonchosen alternatives and the drawbacks of the chosen one. This phenomenon is known as spreading the alternatives (Fiske & Taylor, 2020 p.265). This is common among cult members for several reasons such as the need for consistency, in-group loyalty, reward, etc. To have made a better choice with more healthy balance, simply makes the subconscious mind feel inconsistent and safeguards must be put in place to restore balance.

Lastly, illusory correlation could possibly explain the relentless dedication to a cult’s unethical ideologies and behaviors. Illusory correlation is when a person gives too much credence to a variable and the impact it has on another. Sometimes, it is thinking that a variable has less impact on another than it actually does (Fiske & Taylor, 2020, p. 215). We see this with people who believe their lucky socks have something to do with their hockey team winning. We also see an example of this when someone believes texting and driving isn’t as bad as what the statistical data suggests it is. Often, people, once they believe that a variable has more to do with another, will hold onto that belief, remember, humans love consistency and spreading the alternatives.

Conclusion

There is so much more research and contributing variable that apply to the dual processing systems, cognitive and social psychology that lead people to give into destructive, irrational, illogical, and violent cults. This paper has simply brushed the surface and discusses a few concepts that could explain the reason people join a cult that defies rational social structures, crossing the line to immorality.

Cults across the globe exist and have similar parallels to The People’s Temple. From U.S. cults like Heaven’s Gate, Branch Davidians, and The People’s Temple to A Japanese cult called Aum Shinrikyo or even ISIS in the middle east, they all utilize similar practices. Totalitarianism and tactics of persuasion and influence are used to plant information which has the potential to alter beliefs, perceptions, and identities. More sever tactics are used to seal the deal by means of starvation, unhealthy work habits, poor housing, lack of food and sleep have proven successful. The success of these tactics seems to take a solid root only after a person accepts the preliminary information. A person then must make a decision to be a member of the cult based on information gathered and acceptance of information, then the other aforementioned tactics slowly come onto the scene. Imagine a levelheaded person going to their first cult meeting in any culture, only to learn they would be starved and abused. Chances are slim the cult would secure that person as a dedicated member. However, if they utilize tactics such as found in Orwell’s novel “1984”, they can make things seem so grand, and very slowly, manipulate the minds of each member. Powerful manipulation affecting both the conscious and subconscious minds which compels members to willingly kill their own children, or release sarin gas in a subway in Tokyo.

Through the work of researchers such as Dr. Cialdini, we can see the power of influence. Dr. Cialdini talks about the 6 weapons of influence in his book Influence Science and Practices. Of course, this paper only covered a few of these 6 weapons in order to also cover other interesting and important cognitive and social psychological means of explanation. It doesn’t seem to matter which culture a person resides; the power of influence may have some limitations based on cultural beliefs but remains relatively powerful. When inhumane, violent and torturous techniques are used we seem to see a split from normal socially accepted reality in ones psyche.

The work of Erikson, Vygotsky, Bandura, and other researchers on childhood development could shed more light on early warning signs for cult vulnerability. We learned that disorganized attachment can alter a person’s perception of a group due to the deep desire to belong. Through previous work we learned that humans are hardwired to mirror other people and depend on social consensus and that our brains love consistent information. All of these things are factors that have an impact on whether someone becomes a member of religious cults.

In closing, more research should be conducted to fine tune contributing factors that compel a generally mentally stable person to abandon rational, moral, and ethical social cognitions. This paper, I think, has established certain phenomena that impact a person’s rationality when deciding to join a cult. However, more fine-tuned studies should be conducted on each area of discussion to establish reliability and validity in order to bring about awareness.

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