FALSIFYING
REALITY Written By: Samantha Petters & Emily Valmana Edited By: Noelle Knowlton & Lexi Fernandez
The success of blockbuster hits such as Midsommar, Mandy, and Charles Says breeds a peculiar cultural craze over films about cults and religious fanaticism. The creative direction seen in these works provides a fresh take on the horror genre, exploiting our innate fear of psychological control in eerily realistic storylines. We are enamored by the horror of cults because they are indeed real, with the heinous behaviors promoted in such films serving as a reminder of our dark reality. In the United States alone, nearly ten thousand cults exist today. Though they remain a mystery and fascination to many, the term “cult” has gained a new, horrifying connotation throughout the past several decades. The eternal fascination with such groups stems from the perplexing mystery of how their leaders exert such control and dominance over seemingly ordinary people. It seems that this phenomenon, paired with the fact that cults all thrive off of fear, are the common denominators of these extremist groups. The question that continues to confound us: How are cults able to get ordinary people to commit such heinous crimes, including murder, rape, and mass suicide? Despite the ambiguity surrounding what classifies as a cult, some culturally recognized characteristics include a charismatic leader who is revered as a false messiah, extreme indoctrination and reprogramming of the mind, fear-mongering, and exploitation of the members in all aspects. They attract members who are both easy to manipulate and are isolated, seeking a sense of community. A falsified sense of family, belonging, and hope is the glimmering aspect that lures people into cults unless the members were born into it or joined at a young age for their families. The most common recruitment method of cult leaders is the selling of a false reality. As seen in the cases of the Manson family and Heaven’s Gate, the leaders promised a utopian paradise free from the ordinary struggles 57of life. This is exactly what Charles Manson swore to provide for
his followers. The Manson Family was a commune and cult established by Charles in the 1960s. Manson’s followers were mainly young women who believed him to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. In turn, when Manson instructed his followers to commit murder, they complied. It was Manson’s belief that the murders would provoke the race war he was already convinced was going to transpire. As seen in the case of the Manson family and countless others, the reality of cults is mass brainwashing and psychological damage going on behind closed doors, along with horrific behaviors, rituals, and punishments that are all meant to “support the cause” of the cult. There is a fine line between religion and cults. With time, our understanding of the chaos that ensued behind the scenes and the horrific acts of these groups has evolved. In essence, it’s as if members don’t even consider their organization a cult. Children of God, Heaven’s Gate, and the Church of Scientology serve as perfect examples. Children of God was founded in 1968 by a group of runaway teens and hippies led by self-proclaimed prophet David Berg. They dedicated themselves to worshipping Jesus Christ and engaging in promiscuous sex. Female members of the Children of God were encouraged by Berg to utilize sex as a recruiting tool, a practice known as “flirty fishing”. Then, in the early 1970s, Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles created the Heaven’s Gate Away Team, a group that believed that the only chance at survival was by rejecting their human nature, thus transforming into extraterrestrial beings and ascending to Heaven. In 1997, Applewhite persuaded thirty-eight followers to commit suicide, ensuring them that they wouldn’t be dying but rather leaving their earthly vessels behind. Regarding Scientology, it is most often classified as a belief system. A belief that stems from the power of groupthink where cults think they’re immortal. The leader alone deems himself infallible and untouchable. Luminaries and celebrities are also known to practice Scientology. Strangely enough, the Church of Scientology is notorious for treating its most prominent members very differently depending on their status.
