Perhaps we can look back in history at one of the great catastrophes to fall upon civilization and that is the lies spread by the propaganda machine which was orchestrated by the brilliant Joseph Goebbels, although he was misguided with his hate, he was able to with the support of Hitler and the NAZI party able to convince a benign population of Germanic people, who were also referred to as the Teutonic’s, Suebians, Gothics and later classified as Indo-European peoples to completely isolate and annihilate another ethnic group with the country’s borders with absolute resolve and systemic perfection. They did this while the world turned a blind eye at the immense suffering that the Jewish people endured, but a more insidious factoid is the German people themselves were misled for so long despite the superior intellect that so many of them possess.

Often times throughout the world we will find groups or cults that have a mission to spread their own interpretation of some internal belief and religious tenet that they completely ignore common decency and will resort to extreme violence with complete determination for their goals, perhaps this is similar to the Manifest Destiny which the explorers used as they traveled across the New World which later became America.

All it takes is one person to stand up and orate their beliefs to a person who will listen, then through the power of exponential growth you have millions, their only iniquity is that they will often stand up and fight for what we consider to be a basis of integrity and honor, if we fail to stop them where ever they are, we will witness a unequivocal transformation of our society and our very cultural heritage.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels

Gerry Fitzgerald, I would also like to piggy back on your answer when you indoctrinate people a little at a time rather in mass amounts its the lobster effect where your boiled before you know what you are into. I have watched in horror as one of my own family members who was a member of Mensa (very high intellect) fell away from his very strong religious behavior and went opposite and became a Witch. This happened because he was socializing with people of that 'faith", if you want to call it that. Over time and slowly introducing more and more to him he became so immersed he became a priest in witchcraft and held ceremonies. Years later when he "came to his senses" he shared with me that enormous things can happen just by association. That is why you have to be careful of your social circles. Hitler was a brilliant man but VERY warped sense of reality but he influenced people with his mind and perception of power. Some people are so corrupt there is no reconciliation with our societies mores. I pray that the atrocities that happened in Germany will never be repeated, ever. But over time, if we do not study these societies we will never learn and are doomed to repeat history.

How are you defining cult?? I think I need more clarity in the question. Sure to follow this one so will see the reply! Thanks for the thought provoking question!

I would say the theory of prejudice best explains it. There is a lot of papers about this topic. To connect your search with keywords like "group", "group conflict", "group interaction" might help. Also take a look at interactionism.

Gerry, thanks for the historical hindsight. Stanley Milgram captured your account successfully in his studies of obedience to authority.

Carla your concept of lobster effect fascinates me. Cult groups are defined as groups with extreme ideas , clandestine in its mode of operations, concealed membership, and outlandish rituals.

Carmen., thanks. Theory of prejudice seems like it. But does it explain how cult groups come to be formed or why they often the kind of mayhem that book haram is unleashing in the north east of Nigeria? I may have to look through Henry Tajfel's work along with some other European social psychologists to follow your lead.

I am not so much into african cults... I do not know what they stand for nor what they do... I don't even know if it is more a religious thing or more political and how powerful they are. Here in Germany you really hardly hear anything about this topic. So I don't have by now any picture in mind what it could be like. Theories from USA or Europe might not work here very well. You maybe need to modify them. When it comes to Milgram: Don't forget that those people were under direct command. However people on the street who choose violence are not. This is not only a problem caused by lead but open prejudice. Try to find something related to the topic of subtle and blatant prejudice and how it shapes behaviour. How someone gets involved into cults is - as far as I can see it - another topic... However it could be possible that those cults attract people with certain personality (f.e. people who are anyway aggressive) or people who already tend to blatant prejudice and the cult just gives them a pretence to live it out. But as I said: I don't know much about those cults. Those questions are questions that only someone can research who directly sees what is going on there. Just take care not to get in trouble when doing your research. Just because as far as you talk about it it sounds really violent, dangerous and scarry.

Thanks Carmen for your insight and your care.

Prof, I will suggest you have a look at social identity and group formation theories.

I want to suggest self-categorization theory (SCT). Self categorization theory which posits that social identity and personal identity are not qualitatively different form of identity, but rather represent different forms of self-categorization. Self-caategorization can occur on three broad levels: the superordinate level (e.g., defining self as part of humanity), the intermediate level (e.g., defining self by particular group memberships) and the subordinate level (e.g., defining self in individual, personal terms). SCT has been applied to several traditional problems in social psychology, such as stereotyping (e.g., Oakes, Haslam, & Turner, 1994), group polarization and crowd behaviour (e.g., McCatty , Turner, Hogg, David & Wetherell, 1992; Turner eta al., 1987), power (Turner, 2005) and leadership (Haslam, Reicher & Platow, 2011; Haslam, van Knippenberg, Platow & Ellemers, 2003). This theory should be applicable to joining a cult group.

Here is another 2 cent for you which may explain what makes cults so attractive: Sunk cost fallacy. Once a behaviour has been shown to reach a special goal (for example joining a violent cult) you cannot end it even if the costs are far higher than expected and the costs of an alternative (leaving the cult and searching for another environment) would be much lower in order to reach a certain goal one thought he could achieve through the cult (also see Stroebe & Jonas,2002). Simply because it would be like "flinging away" ressources. Let me psychologize that I truely believe that when someone sees that a special behaviour can lead to success (even if in another way; for example he/she sees a cult leader who gains honor, money etc.) it will even establish and/or reinforce this behaviour (also see Bandura) even if someone does not get much for him-/herself out from this. Maybe the varity of possibilities (if I cannot reach a political aim I could become rich, powerful and so on) might play a big role.

Donn,

Thanks for your suggestions.

Donn,

Thanks for your suggestions.