Janja Lalich
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520231948
- eISBN:
- 9780520937512
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520231948.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
Heaven's Gate, a secretive group of celibate “monks” awaiting pickup by a UFO, captured intense public attention in 1997 when its members committed collective suicide. As a way of understanding such ...
More
Heaven's Gate, a secretive group of celibate “monks” awaiting pickup by a UFO, captured intense public attention in 1997 when its members committed collective suicide. As a way of understanding such perplexing events, many have seen those who join cults as needy, lost souls, unable to think for themselves. This book, which looks at the cult phenomenon, dispels such simple formulations by explaining how normal, intelligent people can give up years of their lives—and sometimes their very lives—to groups and beliefs that appear bizarre and irrational. Looking closely at Heaven's Gate and at the Democratic Workers Party, a radical political group of the 1970s and 1980s, the author gives an insider's look at these two cults and advances a new theoretical framework of those who join such groups. She includes in-depth interviews with cult devotees as well as reflections gained from her own experience as a high-ranking member of the Democratic Workers Party. Incorporating classical sociological concepts such as “charisma” and “commitment” with more recent work on the social psychology of influence and control, the author develops a new approach for understanding how charismatic cult leaders are able to dominate their devotees. She shows how members are led into a state of “bounded choice,” in which they make seemingly irrational decisions within a context that makes perfect sense to them and is, in fact, consistent with their highest aspirations. The book also addresses the mentality of those true believers who take extreme or violent measures in the name of a cause.Less
Heaven's Gate, a secretive group of celibate “monks” awaiting pickup by a UFO, captured intense public attention in 1997 when its members committed collective suicide. As a way of understanding such perplexing events, many have seen those who join cults as needy, lost souls, unable to think for themselves. This book, which looks at the cult phenomenon, dispels such simple formulations by explaining how normal, intelligent people can give up years of their lives—and sometimes their very lives—to groups and beliefs that appear bizarre and irrational. Looking closely at Heaven's Gate and at the Democratic Workers Party, a radical political group of the 1970s and 1980s, the author gives an insider's look at these two cults and advances a new theoretical framework of those who join such groups. She includes in-depth interviews with cult devotees as well as reflections gained from her own experience as a high-ranking member of the Democratic Workers Party. Incorporating classical sociological concepts such as “charisma” and “commitment” with more recent work on the social psychology of influence and control, the author develops a new approach for understanding how charismatic cult leaders are able to dominate their devotees. She shows how members are led into a state of “bounded choice,” in which they make seemingly irrational decisions within a context that makes perfect sense to them and is, in fact, consistent with their highest aspirations. The book also addresses the mentality of those true believers who take extreme or violent measures in the name of a cause.
Janja A. Lalich
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520231948
- eISBN:
- 9780520937512
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520231948.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
The confounding behaviors of some cult members occur as a logical conclusion to lives that have been gradually constrained in an increasingly oppressive social structure. Some cult members make ...
More
The confounding behaviors of some cult members occur as a logical conclusion to lives that have been gradually constrained in an increasingly oppressive social structure. Some cult members make seemingly irrational, harmful, and sometimes fatal decisions. These acts are committed in a context that makes perfect sense to them at the time and are consistent with an ideology or belief system that they trust. This chapter provides an understanding of why cult members do what they do, based on both the promises and the constraints of the cult context. A look of the daily lives and inner workings of various cult groups over the decade is provided. Contrary to popular belief, cults have attracted not the lonely and lost, but rather the idealistic and lofty-minded, the curious and well educated. The model of bounded choice offers a new way of thinking about and analyzing the true believer phenomenon, which explains how normal, intelligent, educated people can give up years of their lives and sometimes their very lives to groups and beliefs. This intertwined reality is conveyed using the instances of Heaven's Gate and the Democratic Workers Party.Less
The confounding behaviors of some cult members occur as a logical conclusion to lives that have been gradually constrained in an increasingly oppressive social structure. Some cult members make seemingly irrational, harmful, and sometimes fatal decisions. These acts are committed in a context that makes perfect sense to them at the time and are consistent with an ideology or belief system that they trust. This chapter provides an understanding of why cult members do what they do, based on both the promises and the constraints of the cult context. A look of the daily lives and inner workings of various cult groups over the decade is provided. Contrary to popular belief, cults have attracted not the lonely and lost, but rather the idealistic and lofty-minded, the curious and well educated. The model of bounded choice offers a new way of thinking about and analyzing the true believer phenomenon, which explains how normal, intelligent, educated people can give up years of their lives and sometimes their very lives to groups and beliefs. This intertwined reality is conveyed using the instances of Heaven's Gate and the Democratic Workers Party.
