Cults, Inside the World’s Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them, Parcast’s, Max Cutler with Kevin Conley, Based on the Acclaimed Podcast, Cults. Gallery Books. Available at Amazon. For more details click HERE
It might seem surprising that this book is being suggested for reading, but in our current world and time, spiritual discrimination is of great importance. Throughout history, there have been charlatans, imposters, and manipulators, preying on people’s sincere desires, needs, and especially spiritual aspirations. And in their pursuit of good, many seekers often follow false prophets and claims, ending their journeys by losing their souls, and the very goal they sought.
This book shines a bright light on the dark characteristics and methods used by persons who have manipulated the many, by claiming to be what they are not. They use the tools of spirituality and belief, that are the life line of many, to steal their very life goal. This book also examines some of the inner needs of those who have joined such cults.
This work explores the early developmental lives of persons such as Charles Manson, Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, David Koresh, Marshall Applewhite and others. It examines the predisposing factors of those who became the leaders of notorious cults, what drove their ambitions and contributed to the making of their psychopathic personalities. It identifies events experienced while growing that likely contributed to their loss or inability to experience empathy, compassion, love, and a sense of humanity. For it was the lack of such things that allowed them to manipulate, kill, and otherwise destroy the mind, heart, and soul of others with impunity. All this they did, to acquire power and control over the good will of others, who blindly believed them, without using clarity or discrimination.
The life examples, characteristics, and techniques used by these ten Cult leaders, many of whom are known today, are dissected with precision, they can be recognized, and others may avoid falling into their traps. The book identifies in real time the influential factors that shaped these leaders. Shame, sadism, pathological lying, desire for exploitation, deep cruelty with a superficial veneer of compassion, denial of reality, power, wealth, and the wish to dominate others all played a significant role in the defining of their lives. The lies they told of having divine powers, conversing with the gods, carrying out God’s decrees, meeting with advanced souls, and receiving commandments were many. These persons herded their flock, perhaps at first seductively, then with increasing demand, manipulation, and abusive techniques.
In this book, the usual characteristics and maneuvers of the psychopath are demonstrated in the lives of the personalities examined. Charisma, contagious energy, narcissism, grandiosity, denial of reality, superiority and power of authority, sudden changes in mood, constant lying, twisting of the truth, and constant manipulations for the so-called greater good are some of these traits. It was only by blindly following the dictates of the leader that one could do well. Isolation, limiting access to world information, gradual brain washing of the followers, giving up all for the leader, community and the cults end vision have always been the way. Then one gives up all financially, physically, sexually, properties, finally one’s heart, mind and soul are no longer their own. Thereafter freedom of thought and creative will could not be allowed. It was only by being subjugated and obedient that one could be guaranteed a personal place in the promised land to come. Yet often only despair and death were the outcome.
The value of a careful reading of this work lies in the understanding and knowledge gained by the reader, concerning such personalities who are often at first, the most unassuming. We learn what to look out for both in ourselves that make us likely victims of manipulation on a spiritual, or any other path, and the traits in one who would manipulate. It shows what characteristics to avoid when seen in others, and how not to be manipulated by the dishonest, or the wolf in lambs clothing. We can come away from this study more aware and vigilant concerning the warning signs of empty promises, lies, and constant cons.
This edition of Notable Books was compiled by Eugene Jennings.