DOOMSDAY CULT SERIES

The same recruiting and manipulation techniques have been related to those used by terrorist organizations today, such as ISIS. The notion behind Doomsday cults is not an outdated concept. Festinger further identified certain conditions under which followers will not only maintain, but strengthen, their beliefs after they are disproven. This discomfort then motivates individuals to either change their behavior or beliefs to return to a harmonious state. In a practice termed вЂњcognitive dissonance,вЂќ Festinger noted the unpleasant state of tension when actions, thoughts, or beliefs are inconsistent. Through his observation of the Doomsday cult, The Seekers, he displayed that these groups are not just misinterpreting evidence, but changing the way they process information to configure to their beliefs. One of the most popular studies was completed by Leon Festinger. The cognitive contributions to Doomsday cult members maintaining their belief has been studied by many psychologists. In the minds of cult followers, their group is no less legitimate than Jesus and his disciples. Millions of people read the Bible, attend mass and pray devotedly in honor of a Messiah who led others to salvation. Christianity is the largest religious following in the world and has been for centuries. Consider, for example, what may be considered the largest cult to persist in history: Christians. However, for the many people who come to join Doomsday cults, their leaders are exactly what they preach to be.

Hence, when apocalyptic cults lack concrete proof for their predictions of the end times, they are dubbed implausible. Our society is based on the notion that without scientific evidence, novel claims cannot be held to be true. To many, the idea of an individual who can predict the end of the world seems completely outside the boundaries of logic and reasoning. Once trust is slowly gained, these followers become deeply entrenched in the message of their organization. Other hidden tools of recruiting include propaganda which aims at alienated or vulnerable individuals who may be highly susceptible to outside messages. Another crucial component is a leader who possesses such charm and allure to captivate an audience and convince his followers to carry out their actions. Other times, leaders may utilize popular rhetoric, such as religion, spirituality or social justice, to attract their following. Often, those who manage to attract a vast following do not actively recruit members or attempt to convince nonbelievers, rather they wait for the вЂњchosen onesвЂќ to fall in line. Several individuals have come forth throughout history holding these extraordinary beliefs and a select few garnering the enough attention to capture a crowd. What many of these groups also have in common is a leader who suggests his own messianic destiny. The extraordinary phenomenon of Doomsday cults repeatedly catches the publicвЂ™s attention, as many wonder what could convince normal people to commit such gruesome acts.Дoomsday cults typically center around predictions of the apocalypse. Under the guidance of the charismatic Reverend Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple murdered a Congressman, journalists, and intentionally drank cyanide-laced juice. In 1978, the world was shocked to learn of the mass murder-suicide that took the lives of more than 900 individuals. However, they were also tasked with initiating this race war. MansonвЂ™s cult centered around the belief that he was the chosen Messiah that would lead his followers into surviving an impending nuclear attack and race war. The gang massacred some of HollywoodвЂ™s most famous, including actress, Sharon Tate.

DOOMSDAY CULT SERIES

Charles Manson became an infamous figure in American history after his loyal band of followers, deemed the Manson Family, carried out a series of gruesome murders in the summer of 1969. What would you do if someone told you the end was near? Apocalyptic cults have continually attempted to answer this question.