Cult

Eight Dynamics

-self -creativity -group survival -species -life forms -physical universe -spiritual dynamic -infinity

Jones Town Massacre

913 people died by drinking Kool -Laid Mass Suicide led by Jim Jones

Christian Science

A Christian sect founded by Mary Baker Eddy in the 19th century. They believe that sickness and sin are not ordained by God and can be overcome by praying; hence they are known for refusing to accept medicine or treatment by doctors.

Counterculture

A culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the established culture.

Subculture

A group of people with shared value systems based on common life experiences and situations

Jehovah's Witness

A religious sect that originated in the United States and had about 20,000 members in Germany in 1933. Their religious beliefs did not allow them to swear allegiance to any worldly power, making them enemies in the eyes of the Nazi state.

moonies

A slang term for members of the Unification Church

auditing

A systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about economic actions and events to ascertain the degree of correspondence between those assertions and established criteria and communicating the results to interested users.

thetan

A term used by Scientologists to identify the immortal Self and source of creativity in the human mind.

scientology

According to Ortega, Scientology's numbers peaked in the early '90s with roughly 100,000 members worldwide, but membership has recently dipped to about 20,000. (A Scientology spokesperson vigorously denies this, claiming the church has "millions of parishioners in 167 nations, a third of whom are in the U.S.")

Father Divine

African American minister; his Harlem soup kitchens fed the hungry during the Great Depression

Incel

An incel is a member of an online subculture of people who define themselves as unable to get a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one.

Heaven's Gate Cult

Believed that a space ship was coming to transport them -Needed to rid selves of "current containers" (own body) -Spaceship failed to appear behind Hale-Bopp Comet -Continued with plan anyway -Mass suicide Extreme example of Need to Justify Actions

L. Ron Hubbard

Founder of the Church of Scientology

attractiveness

Having qualities that appeal to an audience. An appealing communicator (often someone similar to the audience) is most persuasive on matters of subjective preference.

Disfellowship

JW practice of shunning anyone who has sinned or left the organization

Jehovah's Witness

Jehovah's Witnesses do not observe holidays they believe to have pagan origins, such as Christmas, Easter, and birthdays. They do not salute the national flag or sing the national anthem, and they refuse military service. They also refuse blood transfusions, even those that could be life saving.

keith reniere

Keith Raniere, 60, has been sentenced to 120 years in prison for sex trafficking and other crimes. The Vow's Season 1 finale ends with Raniere, also known to NXIVM members as "Vanguard," being arrested in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in March 2018 on charges including sex trafficking.

Dianetics

L. Ron Hubbard's term for the system he developed to clear mental blocks

Jehovah's Witness

No blood products should be used

Thought Reform

the systematic alteration of a person's mode of thinking, especially (in communist China) a process of individual political indoctrination.

Tom Cruise

What actor starred in Risky Business, Cocktail and Days of Thunder?

Scientology

a new religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1955 and characterized by a belief in the power of a person's spirit to clear itself of past painful experiences through self-knowledge and spiritual fulfillment.

Jesus of Nazareth

a teacher and prophet born in bethlehem and active in nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity.

Charles Mason

accused of murdering 9 people in 4 incidents in July/August 1969 led an apocalyptic commune called Helter Skelter convicted of murder and conspiracy in 1971; sentenced to death (later, life without parole) image caption: dirt bag Charles Manson

cult

an organized group of people with an obsessive devotion to a person or set of principles

Burned-Over District

area of New York State along the Erie Canal that was constantly aflame with revivalism and reform; as wave after wave to fervor broke over the region, groups such as the Mormons, Shakers, and Millerites found support among the residents. Popular name for Western New York, a region particularly swept up in the religious fervor of the Second Great Awakening.

Brainwashing

extreme form of attitude change; uses peer pressure, physical suffering, threats, rewards, guilt, and intensive indoctrination

Sun Yung Moon

founded unification church

John Travolta

starred in movies like Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and Urban Cowboy. Big in the 70s

exploitation

the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.

new religious movements

the broad range of religious and spiritual groups, cults, and sects that have emerged alongside mainstream religions

Radicalization

the process of categorizing, differentiating, and attributing a particular racial character to a person or group of people

Resocialization

the process of learning new norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors