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EDITOR'S NOTE Volume 1 | VEiL Editor’s Note aoltfeenhuadSdgxoercrhepitneetichleIind,tonmeeVfsigiwfnprtEaoetactgihhtrsLiataeoaeti,tanos?ntitfs’ner,rslWtoem,ioodagnatmohihpoelsutnmatthwneltsuwyoocdianospnhnoybtcfreifveytoaolsoeecdivbotfurpoyeerflrtinir’ietrescdachiccsabtnoeeirohtunaedatineotglfosbeceadnbtdlcotgiuristotntoauosilsgneesfithoehlvfdairotonheg.ereh.lrsa.rheecaemavtsaelraigenininatrteaoyddt,getnit?ih.oafdeafjnnuevt.dersetnnt rpcDmeaoeaianpnlniteVfteiuynEpn.ldiutLimslnaigetmsimooaanonymrusyysae,oigrunovargrezieamnaxesampnetaihirrpiraceuotanlruacettexoeiopsfd,nloyatmorhreueyissrdtimcaaul.ear,graaeznitne’s withFothrethtihsirvdoloupmtieo,nl.et’s hope you don’t identify Sincerely, III.

table of contents Volume 1 | VEiL TABLE OF CONTENTS SECLUSION M 4 ytphs sycah nodloCMguiiclstasuclosanteenccdteohpnCtriiuoeqlncutirsecu:siGtcrmuoulet spms be rs REVELATION What makes a Cult a Cult? INTERROGATION Defector Diaries: Behind the Altar utilization H ow to st art y ourinow5neacusylt steps 1

SECLUSION Volume 1 | VEiL MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS: [CULTS] By the International Cultic Studies Association Reality: Some leaders believe they are endowed with special wisdom Myth/Misconception: People join cults. or faith. Some leaders—religious leaders, political leaders, teachers—are in professions that are conducive to inflating Reality: egos. Some leaders are pathological. Some leaders are out What at first seems wonderful turns out to be very different (i.e., to deceive. Some leaders share more than one of the above a “cult”). This scenario may be compared to what happens when characteristics or evolve through them. one enters a relationship in which a partner who initially seemed to have very attractive qualities later demonstrates a dark side. Mwyatnht/sMtioscloenacveep, tcioann:. Anyone who really We wouldn’t say that a woman sought out a chronic philanderer or that a man was searching for a gold digger. Similarly, people Reality: don’t join a cult. Just as victims of domestic violence may be unable to exercise independent judgment, the same may be true of victims of Confirmation bias—seeking justification for one’s choices—can psychological abuse. make it difficult to accept that what appeared to be wonderful is something very different. Trauma affects how our minds work at a pre-/subconscious level. pMsyytchh/Molioscgoicnaclepprtoiobnle: mOnsly“jopieno”plceulwtsi.th Mwyitthho/uMtishceolnpc.eption: No one can leave Reality: Everyone has vulnerabilities. Reality: Evidence suggests that the large majority of cult members leave Epidemiological studies indicate that about one fifth of the their groups without outside help. population may have some disorder or other, whereas the far- from-definitive studies of former members suggest that about Unless former members volunteer the information that they one third of those former members have some disorder or left, they cannot be counted. Shame, fear, or pain may prevent other. disclosure. wMyhtehn/Myiosucosneeeptoionne:. You know a cult sMeyctrhe/Mt icsecroenmceopntiieosn/:riAtullaclsu/lptrsahcativcees. Reality: Reality: Cultic groups may be sharply bounded or loosely bounded. Cultic Most groups that can be defined as cultic cohere through a groups may or may not display atypical behavior (distinctive belief system, which may be highly sophisticated. dress, always smiling, etc.). Groups may hold a cultic belief system while not dressing differently or displaying odd behavior. However, the belief system that underlies a cultic group—such Groups or movements may have differing levels of cultic as a self-improvement program, a therapeutic program, or a characteristics. religious belief system that is based on one of the generally accepted religions—may appear rational. Mthyetyh/dMeicsceoivnec.eption: Cult leaders know Not all cultic groups/movements meditate, pray, and so on. 2

SECLUSION Volume 1 | VEiL Rituals are not what define groups as cultic. oMryt(hs/mMaisrct obnucte)pctiroanz:y Opneloypsletu“pjiodinp”eocpullets. Reality: Evidence suggests that most members are normal psychologically and show the same range of education and intelligence as the general population. Some members are idealistic, seeking to improve the world. Some members are in life transitions, which can cause uncertainty (entering college, leaving a relationship, becoming estranged from parents, losing a job or financial security). Some members are born to parents in a movement. Mcmuyolttvhiec/Mominsocvwoenimtcheepyntoti,uoryno:luiOfenc—caend/oysonhu’otullelodaovkjeusbatack. Reality: Most helping professionals agree that understanding one’s experience helps reduce the impact of the trauma. Some people cannot reflect on their experience—trauma disables. Currently there is much discussion by helping professionals of the neurobiological impact of trauma. There is no “one size fits all” rule about the benefit or harm of trying to understand, or when an effort to uderstand is best. Former members may go through stages similar to the stages of grief: denial, resentment, fear, interest, reflection/acceptance. The stages do not necessarily move in a fixed, linear order, and they are not universal. Mcuyltth! /Misconception: I would never join a Reality: Most helping professionals agree that understanding one’s experience helps reduce the impact of the trauma. Some people cannot reflect on their experience—trauma disables. Currently there is much discussion by helping professionals of the neurobiological impact of trauma. There is no “one size fits all” rule about the benefit or harm of trying to understand, or when an effort to uderstand is best. Former members may go through stages similar to the stages of grief: denial, resentment, fear, interest, reflection/acceptance. The stages do not necessarily move in a fixed, linear order, and they are not universal. People who become involved in cultic groups are not so different from us, and the groups they become involved in don’t necessarily advertise their cultic dimension in ways we can recognize. # 3

SECLUSION Volume 1 | VEiL 4

SECLUSIoN Volume 1 | VEiL 4 Psychological Techniques Cults use to Recruit Members Words by Matt Davis The beliefs of cults and other extreme ideologies are in order to give the impression that they share patently bizarre to any outsider observer. Despite how many things in common.” He also described how one strange their beliefs are and the stereotype, most people cult trained its members to wait outside counseling who get sucked into cults are relatively normal and healthy centers to poach troubled students and offer them at first. Watching out for these four manipulative tactics can the comfort they would otherwise get from a trained help you from getting suckered by cults, scams, and other professional. extreme organizations. Isolation Scientologists believe that human beings are vessels for the ghosts of brainwashed aliens. Heaven’s Gate believed Once they’ve enticed a recruit with approval or that committing mass suicide would enable them to enter the promise of some fulfilling understanding of the a spaceship flying in the wake of the Hale-Bopp comet. The universe, cultists then work to isolate the recruit. leader of the Branch Davidians said he was the messiah and Often, this takes the form of a weekend retreat, where all women were his “spiritual wives.” With views this crazy, the recruit is immersed in the cult’s ideology over the the only thing crazier is that people seem to buy into cults course of a few days. Not only are recruits physically at all. isolated from friends and family members who might otherwise provide a reality check, but cults often Well, it turns out that human beings are—under the isolate recruits from outside information. Newspapers, right conditions—extremely gullible. Cult members target books, TV, and web access are all censured, ensuring likely candidates and use proven techniques to recruit that the only reality the recruit gets to experience is new members into the cult. Even though cults can have the one presented by the cult. wildly different beliefs, the way they recruit and retain new members tends to follow a general pattern. Here are the Keeping control four steps to getting sucked into a cult. After convincing you that they’re the best friends Picking the right target you’ve ever had and bombarding you with the cult’s ideology, the cultists’ next job is to make sure they As it turns out, most people can be susceptible to cult hang on to you. There’s a variety of techniques they influence under the right conditions. Research has shown can use to accomplish this, but these usually involve that the people who are the most susceptible to recruitment iteratively subjecting the cult recruit to terror and are stressed, emotionally vulnerable, have tenuous or no love. family connections, or are living in adverse socioeconomic conditions. New college students are a prime example of In an interview with Aeon, social psychologist good targets for cult recruitment since they’re still forming Alexandra Stein explained that “when we are frightened, their identity and have recently been separated from their we don’t simply run away from the fear, but run to families. In addition, people who were neglected or abused a safe haven, ‘to someone…’—and that someone is as children may be easily recruited because they crave the usually a person to whom we feel attached. But when validation denied them in their childhood. the supposed safe haven is also the source of the fear, then running to that person is a failing strategy, There’s a bit of a false belief out there that cult recruits causing the frightened person to freeze, trapped tend to be mentally ill, but this usually isn’t the case. Cults between approach and avoidance.” don’t want completely unpredictable people to join; rather, they want relatively stable people who can work to forward By keeping cult members totally off-balance in this the cult’s goal and donate money. Relatively healthy people way, cults increase their members’ dependency on the going through stressful periods, therefore, are their prime leader, ensuring they retain control. The exhausting, targets. frozen state of “terror and avoidance” overwhelms cult members and their ability to think critically about Love-bombing the ideology they’ve suddenly committed themselves to. Originally coined by the Moonies, love-bombing is more or less self-explanatory. Having identified a stressed, Breaking out of this situation usually requires emotionally vulnerable target, cults flood that person with some other ally—another cult member who has affection, flattery, and validation. Cult awareness educator become fed up with the system or another outside Ronald N. Loomis described this practice on college campuses influence. Broadly, cults retain control over their as involving “a recruiter approaching the student and doing members by controlling the narrative. Dissenting everything [they] can to make the student feel special and voices offer a landmark to cult members that they unique. They’re quickly trying to convey the message that I can use to situate themselves and find their way back am your new best friend. And they will fake mutual interests to objective reality. # 5

REVELATION Volume 1 | VEiL “Nobody joins a cult. No- body. They join a good thing, ”and then they realize they were fucked. Words by Zoe Heller Male cult leaders sometimes claim droit du seigneur over female followers or use physical violence to sexually exploit them. But, on the whole, they find it more efficient to dress up the exploitation as some sort of gift or therapy: an opportunity to serve God, an exorcism of “hangups,” a fast track to spiritual enlightenment. One stratagem favored by Keith Raniere, the leader of the New York-based self- help cult NXIVM, was to tell the female disciples in his inner circle that they had been high-ranking Nazis in their former lives, and that having yogic sex with him was a way to shift the residual bad energy lurking in their systems. According to Sarah Berman, whose book “Don’t Call It a Cult” (Steerforth) focusses on the experiences of NXIVM’s women members, Raniere was especially alert to the manipulative uses of shame and guilt. When he eventually retired his Nazi story—surmising, perhaps, that there were limits to how many reincarnated S.S. officers one group could plausibly contain—he replaced it with another narrative designed to stimulate self-loathing. He told the women that the privileges of their gender had weakened them, turned them into prideful “princesses,” and that, in order to be freed from the prison of their mewling femininity, they needed to submit to a program of discipline and suffering. This became the sales spiel for the NXIVM subgroup DOS (Dominus Obsequious Sororium, dog Latin for “Master of the Obedient Sisterhood”), a pyramid scheme of sexual slavery in which members underwrote their vow of obedience to Raniere by having his initials branded on their groins and handing over collateral in the form of compromising personal information and nude photos. At the time of Raniere’s arrest, in 2018, on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and other crimes, DOS was estimated to have more than a hundred members and it had been acquiring equipment for a B.D.S.M. dungeon. Among the orders: a steel puppy cage, for those members “most committed to growth.” Given that NXIVM has already been the subject of two TV documentary series, a podcast, four memoirs, and a Lifetime movie, it would be unfair to expect Berman’s book to present much in the way of new insights about the cult. Berman provides some interesting details about Raniere’s background in multilevel-marketing scams and interviews one of Raniere’s old schoolmates, who remembers him, 6

REVELATION Volume 1 | VEiL A unsurprisingly, as an insecure bully. However, to the central question of how “normal” women wound up participating in Raniere’s sadistic fantasies, she offers essentially the same answer as everyone else. They were lured in by Raniere’s purportedly life-changing self-actualization “tech” (a salad of borrowings from est, Scientology, and Ayn Rand) and then whacked with a raft of brainwashing techniques. They were gaslit, demoralized, sleep-deprived, put on starvation diets, isolated from their friends and families, and subjected to a scientifically dubious form of psychotherapy known as neurolinguistic programming. Raniere was, as the U.S. Attorney whose office prosecuted the case put it, “a modern-day Svengali” and his followers were mesmerized pawns. Until very recently, Berman argues, we would not have recognized the victimhood of women who consented to their own abuse: “It has taken the #MeToo movement, and with it a paradigm shift in our understanding of sexual abuse, to even begin to realize that this kind of ‘complicity’ does not disqualify women . . . from seeking justice.” This rather overstates the case, perhaps. Certainly, the F.B.I. had been sluggish in responding to complaints about NXIVM, and prosecutors were keener to pursue the cult in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, but, with or without #MeToo, the legal argument against a man who used the threat of blackmail to keep women as his branded sex slaves would have been clear. In fact, Berman and others, in framing the NXIVM story as a #MeToo morality tale about coerced consent, are prone to exaggerate Raniere’s mind-controlling powers. The fact that Raniere collected kompromat from DOS members strongly suggests that his psychological coercion techniques were not, by themselves, sufficient to keep women acquiescent. A great many people were, after all, able to resist his spiral-eyed ministrations: they met him, saw a sinister little twerp with a center part who insisted on being addressed as “Vanguard,” and, sooner or later, walked away. It is also striking that the degree of agency attributed to NXIVM members seems to differ depending on how reprehensible their behavior in the cult was. While brainwashing is seen to have nullified the consent of Raniere’s DOS “slaves,” it is generally not felt to have diminished the moral or legal responsibility of women who committed crimes at his behest. Lauren Salzman and the former television actor Allison Mack, two of the five NXIVM women who have pleaded guilty to crimes committed while in the cult, were both DOS members, and arguably more deeply in Raniere’s thrall than most. Yet the media have “They were lured in by Raniere’s purportedly life- changing self-actualization “tech” and then whacked ”with a raft of brainwashing techniques. 7

REVELATION Volume 1 | VEiL consistently portrayed them as wicked “lieutenants” who not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and cast themselves beyond the pale of sympathy by “choosing” brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he to deceive and harm other women. cannot be my disciple.” The term “brainwashing” was originally used to Religion, as the old describe the thought-reform techniques developed by the Maoist government in China. Its usage in connection “joke has it, is just a with cults began in the early seventies. Stories of young ”cult plus time. people being transformed into “Manchurian Candidate”-style zombies stoked the paranoia of the era and, for a time, Acknowledging that joining a cult requires an element encouraged the practice of kidnapping and “deprogramming” of voluntary self-surrender also obliges us to consider cult members. Yet, despite the lasting hold of brainwashing whether the very relinquishment of control isn’t a on the public imagination, the scientific community has significant part of the appeal. In HBO’s NXIVM documentary, always regarded the term with some skepticism. Civil-rights “The Vow,” a seemingly sadder and wiser former member organizations and scholars of religion have strenuously says, “Nobody joins a cult. Nobody. They join a good thing, objected to using an unproven—and unprovable—hypothesis and then they realize they were fucked.” The force of this to discredit the self-determination of competent adults. statement is somewhat undermined when you discover Attempts by former cult members to use the “brainwashing that the man speaking is a veteran not only of NXIVM but defense” to avoid conviction for crimes have repeatedly also of Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment, a group in the failed. Methods of coercive persuasion undoubtedly exist, but Pacific Northwest led by a woman who claims to channel the notion of a foolproof method for destroying free will the wisdom of a “Lemurian warrior” from thirty-five and reducing people to robots is now rejected by almost thousand years ago. To join one cult may be considered all cult experts. Even the historian and psychiatrist Robert a misfortune; to join two looks like a predilection for the Lifton, whose book “Thought Reform and the Psychology cult experience. of Totalism” (1961) provided one of the earliest and most influential accounts of coercive persuasion, has been careful “Not passive victims, they themselves actively sought to point out that brainwashing is neither “all-powerful” nor to be controlled,” Haruki Murakami wrote of the members “irresistible.” In a recent volume of essays, “Losing Reality” of Aum Shinrikyo, the cult whose sarin-gas attack on (2019), he writes that cultic conversion generally involves an the Tokyo subway, in 1995, killed thirteen people. In his element of “voluntary self-surrender.” book “Underground” (1997), Murakami describes most Aum members as having “deposited all their precious personal If we accept that cult members have some degree of holdings of selfhood” in the “spiritual bank” of the cult’s volition, the job of distinguishing cults from other belief- leader, Shoko Asahara. Submitting to a higher authority— based organizations becomes a good deal more difficult. to someone else’s account of reality—was, he claims, We may recoil from Keith Raniere’s brand of malevolent their aim. Robert Lifton suggests that people with certain claptrap, but, if he hadn’t physically abused followers and kinds of personal history are more likely to experience committed crimes, would we be able to explain why NXIVM such a longing: those with “an early sense of confusion is inherently more coercive or exploitative than any of the “high demand” religions we tolerate? For this reason, many scholars choose to avoid the term “cult” altogether. Raniere may have set himself up as an unerring source of wisdom and sought to shut his minions off from outside influence, but apparently so did Jesus of Nazareth. The Gospel of Luke records him saying, “If any man come to me, and hate 8

REVELATION Volume 1 | VEiL and dislocation,” or, at the opposite extreme, “an early The problem with any psychiatric or sociological experience of unusually intense family milieu control.” explanation of belief is that it tends to have a slightly But he stresses that the capacity for totalist submission patronizing ring. People understandably grow irritated lurks in all of us and is probably rooted in childhood, the when told that their most deeply held convictions are prolonged period of dependence during which we have no their “opium.” (Witness the outrage that Barack Obama choice but to attribute to our parents “an exaggerated faced when he spoke of jobless Americans in the Rust omnipotence.” (This might help to explain why so many Belt clinging “to guns or religion.”) Lauren Hough, in her cult leaders choose to style themselves as the fathers or collection of autobiographical essays, “Leaving Isn’t the mothers of their cult “families.”) Hardest Thing,” gives a persuasive account of the social and economic forces that may help to make cults alluring, Some scholars theorize that levels of religiosity and while resisting the notion that cult recruits are merely cultic affiliation tend to rise in proportion to the perceived defeated “surrenderers.” uncertainty of an environment. The less control we feel we have over our circumstances, the more likely we are Hough spent the first fifteen years of her life in the to entrust our fates to a higher power. (A classic example Children of God, a Christian cult in which pedophilia was of this relationship was provided by the anthropologist understood to have divine sanction and women members Bronisław Malinowski, who found that fishermen in the were enjoined to become, as one former member recalled, Trobriand Islands, off the coast of New Guinea, engaged in “God’s whores.” Despite Hough’s enduring contempt for more magic rituals the farther out to sea they went.) This those who abused her, her experiences as a minimum- propensity has been offered as an explanation for why wage worker in mainstream America have convinced her cults proliferated during the social and political tumult that what the Children of God preached about the inequity of the nineteen-sixties, and why levels of religiosity have of the American system was actually correct. The miseries remained higher in America than in other industrialized and indignities that this country visits on its precariat countries. Americans, it is argued, experience significantly class are enough, she claims, to make anyone want to join more economic precarity than people in nations with a cult. Yet people who choose to do so are not necessarily stronger social safety nets and consequently are more hapless creatures, buffeted into delusion by social currents inclined to seek alternative sources of comfort. they do not comprehend; they are often idealists seeking to create a better world. Of her own parents’ decision to “People understandably grow join the Children of God, she writes, “All they saw was the misery wrought by greed—the poverty and war, the irritated when told that their loneliness and the fucking cruelty of it all. So they joined a commune, a community where people shared what ”most deeply held convictions little they had, where people spoke of love and peace, a world without money, a cause. A family. Picked the wrong are their opium. goddamn commune. But who didn’t.” People’s attachment to an initial, idealistic vision of a cult often keeps them in it, long after experience would appear to have exposed the fantasy. # 9

INTERROGATION Volume 1 | VEiL DEFBEECHTIONRDDTIHAREIEASL:TAR Joining a cult can start innocently, driven by the human need for belonging and purpose. Yet, the reality of life within these organizations often evolves into something intensely distressing. In this article, we explore the narratives of individuals who have bravely defected from cults, shedding light on the complexities and emotional turmoil they endured. Through a series of interviews, we gain profound insights into their journeys—seeking acceptance, battling indoctrination, and ultimately reclaiming their autonomy. Each story unveils a unique perspective, highlighting shared themes of manipulation, isolation, and the arduous process of rebuilding shattered lives. These firsthand accounts expose the intricate web of control, guilt- tripping, exploitation, and distorted realities cult members frequently encounter. Escaping a cult transcends physical separation; it becomes a profound emotional and psychological struggle. As we navigate these captivating narratives, we are reminded of the importance of awareness and compassion for those still trapped within these perilous environments. These stories reflect the resilience of the human spirit and urge society to recognize the signs of cult involvement. By fostering support, understanding, and hope, we can extend a lifeline to those seeking liberation. Join us on this journey as we delve into the depths of these interviews, uncovering the complex and intense nature of cult experiences. Through these remarkable stories, we gain a deeper understanding of the path to freedom and healing. 10

INTERROGATION Volume 1 | VEiL AMOS, 47 YLA, 40 “You know, when I first joined the cult, it seemed like “It’s crazy, they cut me off from my own family. a good thing. I was just looking to fit in somewhere and feel They made me believe that my loved ones abandoned like I belonged. They promised that, and I thought I found my me, but that wasn’t the truth at all. It hurts, you know? people. But man, things got real complicated and intense real Rebuilding my life and reconnecting with my family has quick. I never expected all the messed up stuff that was going been really hard, especially when I realize how much on behind the scenes.” they manipulated me. But I won’t let those cult people ruin my future.” KINO, 20 ROMMEL, 23 “Being born into this cult, it’s been a constant struggle to break free. It’s not easy when you grow up with all this “Some nights, I still struggle to sleep without brainwashing and control. I’ve been fighting hard, but it feels having nightmares. It’s hard, man. The cult messed me like I’m still stuck in this messed up situation. I won’t give up up real bad. I can’t forget what I went through. Coming though. I’m doing everything I can to get out of here and find from different backgrounds, we all experienced some my own path.” intense stuff. But I’m taking it one day at a time, trying to heal and find peace in my own way.” JAD, 36 IANA, 21 “I got exploited, man. They took away my freedom and treated me like some object. Our leader was all about satisfying “It’s unbelievable how messed up things got when his sick desires. It’s messed up, you know? I never thought I was still in that cult. I can’t believe I was part of that I’d end up like this. Escaping that nightmare has been a long, madness. I hope the people still trapped inside can tough journey, but I’m determined to take back control of my see how dangerous it is. I wish they realize soon that life.” they’re not safe and find a way to break free. We all deserve better, man.” # 11

UTILIZATION Volume 1 | VEiL Words by August Norman The world is in shambles these days, which has got author day to day, someone who has no problem breaking society’s August Norman thinking about starting a cult of his own. rules or the other members’ spirits. Give them a disgraced ex-cop looking to make up for past sins, a lover who doesn’t 1. PICK A LEADER mind sharing but always wants to be his number one girl, a doctor who no longer has a license due to patients lost Picture the coolest kid in your high school. Not the one during their substance abuse phase. Your leader will turn who stuck to the sidelines at the time, made you feel included, guilty secrets into virtues. These shameful flaws become and looking back, years later, embodied the mellow soul of gifts granted from above, gifts that should be embraced. goodness that you realize helped you evolve into a better Your enforcer will be proud to guard your leader, cherishing person. I’m talking about the absurdly good-looking mean girl the role of gatekeeper, even to the point of signing legal who made you say bad things about your best friend while they documents that might shift the blame. After a while, they’ll were listening in on a phone call, or the guy that simultaneously act on their own initiative, especially when your leader would dated three girls without a single shred of shame. Were they otherwise compromise themselves. My enforcer is a lawyer also the local coke dealer or guy who could get acid? Probably. named Gwendolyn Sunshine who knows where the bodies are buried, literally. Now picture them 15 years later—except the justice of the world hasn’t humbled them one bit. They still are far THE4Y.’LLLEFTIGHTTHEFMORIN ON A SECRET THAT too attractive. They still wield the skills of a street pimp to compromise good souls who search for affection. They still The health benefits of a hormone-free diet, constant seem to have the trappings of wealth, yet never seem to work exercise, and living life without regret through daily self- for it. Plus, they’re in even better shape now than ever. Have examination are worthy of self-sacrifice, but anyone with an your guy, girl, or non-definable manipulator in mind? My cult annual gym membership knows that even the most disciplined leader, Desmond Pratten, starts his life as a West Hollywood of us eventually gives in to birthday cake. That’s why your yogi who welcomes all, heals the inflicted with his touch, and leader has to entrust their members with a secret mission, somehow knows what you’re thinking without hearing you and the execution of this task must enable the follower to speak. Despite offering his overly full classes for pay-what- abandon friends, family, and finances. If the government is you-can rates, he lives in a mansion in the hills as a sort-of run by lizard people who hurt children and the only way to personal guide for a guilt-ridden defense contractor’s widow. save your country is to destroy a pizza place, you have no problem storming the place with an assault rifle. (Sure, that 2. MAKE IT FUN reference has more to do with a current conspiracy theory than a religion, but the line can and should be vague—unlike Could your cult members whip themselves until they the edge of the flat earth, which very clearly happens just bleed, cut their own skin, and then eat those same pieces of west of. . .wait, where do those people claim the world ends?) skin? Sure. But how many people will come back for seconds, let alone reach for the tab? Your cult leader will catch more flies with honey. See a wallflower who barely speaks? Give them a surprise party where every guest claims they’ve heard this wallflower speak in their dreams. Have an IT guy who can create an entire online world but can’t spend the night with a woman? Send in the threesome team every night for a week. Get indoor people outdoors and outdoor people in, give the woman with the unfortunate overbite those clear braces, help the homeless teen get his little brother off the street. Teach them to play guitar, start a drum circle. . .Plus the bikini carwash thing. Word of mouth will spread like herpes. Also, herpes will spread like herpes—so hand out Valtrex like it’s candy. 3. GIVE THEM AN ENFORCER Yes, your leader will shine the light of their love on their devotees from time to time, and yes, that ray of sunshine will keep them glowing for weeks (basic economic scarcity), but they’re going to need someone to keep others in line on the 12

UTILIZATION Volume 1 | VEiL My group, the Daughters of God, know that their hard work and devotion to their deity, through Desmond his conduit, naturally, are preventing a nuclear cataclysm. That makes the hard choice of leaving a family behind to live in a mountain compound that much easier. Also, every penny they can spare counts, even if they have to lie, cheat, and steal to fund their cause. 5. PERFORM A MIRACLE Though group mind, or mob mentality for those not indoctrinated by a comedy theater, is a powerful force, the individual conscience works its way back to the rational when left alone, time after time. Therefore, a secret might not be powerful enough to keep followers inside the compound walls. That’s when your leader really needs to shine. A miracle is their ace in the hole. Traditional religions have to compete with technology in today’s world, hence the relative dearth of twentieth century saints, so your leader will have to be a bit of a showman in order to keep the kids in line. Luckily, seated at their right hand is an enforcer who wants nothing more than to stay at the top of the love pile. Would a devoted servant help fake a faith healing, burning bush, or even a resurrection? Let’s just say when my group’s wealthy defense contractor’s widow finally succumbs to old age, my leader takes an unexpected corpse and makes liturgical lemonade that his sleep-deprived followers can’t help but pass around. (Spoiler alert: They don’t actually drink lemonade made from her body. That’s my attempt at a humorous mixed metaphor. There is poison, though.) # 13