Characteristic features and signs of a totalitarian sect

Sectarianism is one of the main dangers in modern society. Sects are evil, because they completely destroy the human consciousness. This problem can affect everyone today, but adolescents are especially prone to it. How many media have recently said that this age category is becoming uncontrollable and most of them commit such acts that I just want to say: “Why, what happened to him, was everything normal?” A sharp change in principles and a change in behavior should make loved ones wonder if this could be the influence of a sect? But by what signs can a totalitarian sect be recognized? What is hidden behind this concept?

The concept of "totalitarian sect"

A totalitarian sect is a group of people that uses manipulative techniques to exploit its members. She can cause them financial, physical and psychological harm. The sect to a large extent controls the thoughts, behavior and emotions of each member. She can use any of the existing methods to make an obedient, loyal slave out of every recruited person who is ready to give everything, including her life, in order to be recognized as her own.

The leader of the sect and its members believe that they have a special status that allows them to move themselves beyond the confines of society or family and oppose them. Religious organizations hide their true nature from everyone who has just come to them. They use deceptive methods to recruit as many people as possible and subjugate them to themselves. Before we deal with the signs of totalitarian sects, we find out when and where they first appeared.

The history of the appearance of totalitarian sects in Russia

For the first time in Russia, they learned about totalitarian sects in the early 90s of the last century. Abroad, especially in the United States, they encountered a problem in the 60s, and after that this new wave detrimental to every person began to spread throughout Western Europe.

In the West, sects were initially perceived wary, but after the relationship began to improve. Most sects have merged into society, filling niches that are not yet filled with churches. In Russia, sects appeared and spread only thanks to foreign missionaries, and some of the directions originated precisely in the country. The term “totalitarian sect” (we will consider the signs of the concept later) appeared in Russian in the early 90s, and authorship is attributed to church historian A. L. Dvorkin. Since then it has been used to classify religious non-traditional, commercial groups, organizations and movements. But in English, the term is used mainly to explain the Russian concept in the story of the religious situation in Russia.

Characteristics of totalitarian sects

All totalitarian sects have certain characteristics that distinguish them from other groups that do not manipulate human consciousness so much. Among the main characteristics, the following can be distinguished:

• all members faithfully serve the leader and never question his words;
• decisions regarding how each member should think, act and what feelings he can express are made only by the leader: each of the members of the totalitarian sect (we will consider the main signs of them further in the corresponding section) should ask permission to change jobs, go to date or to tie the knot, even there are rules regarding clothing, parenting and other criteria;
• special attention of the group is paid to how to get more money, such methods as raising funds for false charity are justified by the fact that it is necessary to achieve higher goals;
• the leader bears no responsibility to the members of his sect, there is no authority for him, he decides what to do;
• members of a totalitarian sect often sever all relations with family and loved ones; they give up the personal interests that they had before recruitment;
• group leaders encourage members to communicate and live only with their brethren and under constant supervision;
• if a member of the sect expresses any doubts or asks questions, he can be punished, to suppress any doubts, leaders use all kinds of methods that help subordinate the human mind completely.

Classification of totalitarian sects

Today in the world many pseudo-religious organizations are open, they all have additional classification and features. Totalitarian sects can be divided by sources:

• occult;
• pseudo-Hindu;
• pseudo-biblical;
• pseudo-Orthodox.

They are also divided by the time of appearance:

• classic
• post-war;
• newest.

In the direction of activity:

• healing;
• psychological;
• environmental;
• commercial.

But because of the danger to society, in addition to totalitarian ones, they are still destructive, they single out killer sects separately.

How to recognize that you are a recruiter?

In our difficult time, many people are looking for a way out of difficult life situations and are drawn to God. Someone goes to church, and someone, by a coincidence, came across a recruiter who can tell such a beautiful story and subdue a person so much that he does not even understand that he was dragged into the sect.

Sectarians with experience are well versed in managing the human psyche, it will be enough to convince them that the community leader is completely right in their beliefs and will help find a way out of any situation. Therefore, if you know in advance all the characteristic signs of totalitarian sects, you can avoid getting into their environment, where not everyone can withstand the psychological onslaught.

Pseudo-religious organization can be recognized by the following signs:

• From the first minutes of communication, it becomes clear that they fully understand the person standing in front of them. Members of the sect, aimed at work on the street to attract new members, are able to use special psychological techniques. They understand perfectly what topic to talk with, when talking with a particular person, for example, when they see a young mother, start a conversation about children, but an elderly person begins to talk about a lack of pension and illness.
• The worldview that sectarians preach is simple, but it covers a lot. Sect members always have an answer to any question. Their worldview is very different from what a simple person sees.
• The teachings of their organization are considered the most correct in the world, and everything else is harm and a lie. One of the main signs of a totalitarian sect is the desire to explain to the new adept that only their religion is true, and all else is a lie and a deceit.
• In each sect there is a leader, a guru and a mentor - this is a superman who receives information from the mouth of God. He may meet with his parishioners on special days, or it may be such that none of the sectarians ever sees him.
• One of the main signs of a totalitarian sect is also the presence of its own literature, which is often distributed to everyone when sectarians are given the task of recruiting a novice. It contains references to sacred books, but more and more they are taken out of context, which leads to confusion.
• Members of the sect of people are divided into friends and foes. Those who honor their cult are considered theirs, but all others are strangers who have lost their way in the world. These people “cannot find a way home,” that is, to a sect where there is everything for a happy life.
• Belief in the near end. Members of the sect believe that only their teaching can save a person from an inevitable end.
• Totalitarian control over the life of everyone who came to them in the organization. Rarely, when sect members can independently manage their time, everything is scheduled in minutes, they must strictly follow all the rules that the guru prescribed.
• You need to make contributions regularly. After a new member of the sect believes that pseudo-religion is the truth, he is confronted with the fact that each member must make a voluntary contribution. Sometimes the amounts reach such numbers that you have to sell apartments, but the person’s consciousness is already so clouded that he does everything to make the guru happy.
• The requirement of unquestioning faith and the fulfillment of all orders. All the rules and the daily routine must be strictly observed, for disobedience the adherent can be expelled from the community and forbid all his brothers to communicate with him.

Signs of a totalitarian sect according to Dvorkin

Currently, the government of each country is trying to protect its citizens from falling into one of the totalitarian sects. For example, the German government regularly prints, and then distributes to schoolchildren leaflets in which it highlights several key signs of involvement in a totalitarian sect:

• You will never find in the group exactly what you were looking for so long. She knows exactly what you need.
• From the first meeting, a new outlook on things opens before you.
• The worldview of the group members is simple and easily explains any problem.
• It is difficult enough to make an accurate description of the sect. No one should ponder and verify. Everything needs to be experienced personally, and our Center will help - these are the words that recruiters say.
• Only the leader knows the truth.
• The organization’s teaching is considered to be real. All other sciences are the tales of Satan.
• Criticism of those who do not belong to the sect is considered a sign that the sectarians are right.
• The world is rolling into the abyss, and only by turning to God can one be saved with it.
• A sect is an elite. And everything else is lost long ago, because it does not help to be saved from the abyss.
• Only an immediate decision to join a group is your salvation, meditation is a sin, it is Satan that prevents you from coming to God.
• All relations with relatives and friends need to be broken, otherwise they will sow confusion and will not allow to come to God.
• Sexual relationships are fully regulated by the group. Only she can tell with whom you have sexual intercourse or even refrain from it.
• Each member constantly performs tasks, no one remains without work: sells books, recruits new members of the sect, meditates, attends courses.
• It is difficult to remain alone, being in a totalitarian sect, always someone is nearby.
• If doubts arise and the expected success does not come, then the blame lies with you personally, which means that you prayed incorrectly or did not work enough and did not earn mercy.
• All rules must be strictly observed, because this is the only way to salvation.

How does sect recruitment work?

Recruiters are so trained to work with a person that you can’t always immediately understand when they just ask questions, and when they already lead you to the first meeting. That is why it is important to know all the signs of recruitment into a totalitarian sect. Adherents who have been living in the community for several months or regularly attend meetings are engaged in recruitment. They go home, distribute literature, communicate with passers-by on the street, talk about their faith, which is precisely the one that will help to be saved from imminent death.

They skillfully speak the language, play on emotions, forcing a person to listen to them and imbue trust. During the conversation, the recruiters will surely find out the contact details and will continue to call, come home to talk with the person and invite them to a meeting, where their guru will tell you all about how you can be saved.

When a new person comes to the meeting, all members of the sect show particular interest in him, showing how pleased they are with him, saying that now everything in his life will change, he will be able to be saved at the moment when all unbelievers die. Such close attention attracts a person, especially if trouble has occurred in his life and he does not know where to go, to whom to tell about them. If a person begins to constantly attend meetings, they will surely be convinced that he does not need to communicate with unbelievers. As a result, life is changing dramatically. No one and nothing else excites a person, only a sect and everything connected with it.

How to recognize a person that he was in a sect?

The signs of a totalitarian sect are already clear to us. Let's talk briefly about how to recognize a person who fell under the influence of a pseudo-faith community:

• a person dramatically changes the circle of communication, habits, including clothing style, speaks in completely different phrases;
• he expresses unusual phrases or quotes for him;
• speech is like dialogue with oneself;
• he loses interest in everything that surrounds him, including his relatives;
• initially once a week, and then every day he goes to meet new friends or brothers;
• he begins to read little-known literature, meditates;
• he is often called, letters are brought;
• his behavior may be aggressive, or, conversely, he does not care what is happening around;
• he constantly requires money and every time more and more.

If a loved one has at least a few of the above signs, the totalitarian sect (criminal law is powerless in this case) took hold of him tightly and urgent measures need to be taken to save a loved one or friend from this dependence.

How does staying in a totalitarian sect affect the human psyche?

We understood the concepts and signs of totalitarian sects, but how do they affect the human psyche? They greatly destroy the personality, making him a limp slave, ready to do anything for the sake of his mentor. As a result of a long stay, under the influence of the guru, mental disorders develop, a negative psychoemotional state appears, and in the most severe cases, the ability to realize one’s behavior may be lost.

Members of the sect lose their ability to set goals and do everything possible to achieve them. They have difficulty communicating, they don’t have topics to talk about, they only talk about God and salvation. Most adherents live in their own world, which they themselves fantasized, distorting reality. To restore the psyche and teach a person how to live without a sect can be very difficult. Many people go crazy or end their lives with their hands on themselves.

Guruism: what is this concept?

Today, there are so many sects in the world that listing them all is not enough even a day. It is impossible to say which of them is the most dangerous for humans, all of them are equally dangerous. Therefore, it is so important to know the signs of totalitarian sects. The method of guruism that a close friend or friend had to experience for themselves is a terrible phenomenon. A sect not only distorts the spiritual foundations, but also distorts, destroys moral standards. As a result, a person simply becomes an outcast, even in a difficult situation he does not ask for help from relatives, because he already has one program in his head - you are to blame, you need to work harder and pray.

As a result, a person brings himself to exhaustion, he eats himself from the inside. It is so scary that explaining the results of brainwashing in the sect with simple words will not work. Guruism can be called a parasite that settles in the brain and gradually eats up all emotions, making a robot out of a person who is ready to do anything.

So, the characteristic features and signs of a totalitarian sect are considered above. Be attentive to your family and friends, so that in case of danger immediately begin to save the loved one.