Robert Long

Nice People, But Not Believers

ByProf. Robert Long

Over the years I have met many people who have been in and left cults. My own life experience shares similarities. Such an experience is traumatic because it is not just about the change of an idea, it’s about rejecting all that goes with that belief: loss of relationships, identity, rituals, language, location, meaning, belonging and all the emotions anchored to the security of belief. This is what the cult-ure of cults offer.

This was well documented by the founder of Cognitive Dissonance, Leon Festinger.

The context for Festinger’s work was about cults. Festinger was one of the early social psychologists who could be considered one of the founders of the discipline (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leon-Festinger ). He studied under Kurt Lewin and like many other social psychologists, did research into why people do what they do following World War II.

If you want to know more about the foundation of social psychology here are a few links:

Festinger’s (and colleagues) work When Prophecy Fails (1956) looked at why the disconfirmation of beliefs often amplify stronger belief. The study followed a small apocalyptic cult that disposed of their possessions waiting for a predicted apocalypse, that never came. When the doomsday came and went, the cult leader then argued that the world had been spared because of their faith. Then, rather than abandoning their belief, they proceeded to adhere more strongly to their group and proselytize with greater energy and conviction. This was the beginning of Festinger’s work on Cognitive Dissonance. You can read that study here: https://ia802802.us.archive.org/4/items/pdfy-eDNpDzTy_dR1b0iB/Festinger-Riecken-Schachter-When-Prophecy-Fails-1956.pdf

Festinger next published (1957) A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance (https://archive.org/details/byleonfestingert0000leon/page/n5/mode/2up) from what he had learned in his research into cults.

One of the things people often get wrong about Cognitive Dissonance is the idea that its just about discomfort about a belief and that a change in belief is just an issue of comfort. Nothing could be further from the reality and the research. The context of Festinger’s work is critical. And so, understanding the nature of cults (https://archive.org/details/understandingcul00mcdo ) is also important.

Cults don’t have to be religious, anything can me made cultic. One can be cultic about a football team, environmental group or an organisation. If you know anything about AFL football in Australia, you will hear often that it is a religion. Such is the fervour of being a ‘mad’ Collingwood’ supporter. Win or lose, they are the best team in the league. Evidence in a cult makes no difference to the belief (https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/theses_dissertations/article/1356/&path_info=best_2018.pdf ).

A cult doesn’t have to be religious but the culture of a cult is to be committed religiously to the cult.

When I had left the cult I was in, I still kept in contact with some of the people in a remote way. I no longer went to the group and had given up all the beliefs of the group. It was a slow and painful, traumatic experience.

However, when talking to one person still in the group I asked them, what about all the people who don’t believe as you do and they replied: ‘they can be nice people, but they are not believers’.

Cults demarcate in-groupness and out-groupness by right belief. Right belief is the filter for belonging, wrong belief, scepticism or critical thinking are filters for not belonging. Usually, right belief of the cult is anchored to a guru of some sort (https://safetyrisk.net/believe-me-im-a-safety-guru/).

Cultic beliefs are often captured and cemented in slogans. These slogans are often unquestioned and become the identifiers for group belonging. And, it doesn’t matter that the slogans are not true, they are made semiotically/mythically true to the group. And if you challenge those slogans, this leads to either Cognitive Dissonance or conversion out of the group. This is also accompanied by a sense of trauma and a loss of belonging. Putting others into Cognitive Dissonance is also a high risk activity.

This process of Cognitive Dissonance has been mapped here:

I our recent SPoR workshops we have been exploring the nature of beliefs and how Cognitive Dissonance works particularly, where the indoctrination and propaganda of Safety has been effective.

The nature of safety beliefs is well documented here:

and it doesn’t matter that these beliefs are not true or real, they are indicators of belief and identity just as false slogans are for groups like HOP. Slogans are often the filter for working out who is and is not, a believer. The same is true for the zero cult (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/zero-the-great-safety-delusion/). Just believe!

Moreso, the apocalyptic cultic video of zero (https://safetyrisk.net/the-spirit-of-zero/), puts belief to the test. Ah, believe the impossible (https://safetyrisk.net/believe-the-impossible-and-speak-nonsense-to-people/).

Once believers have been identified, the next step is to help them empty their wallets for the cult. Then one quickly knows what the real motives and agenda are for cultic belief. If you can’t part with your money for the guru and the slogans, you can’t be a believer.

 

Prof. Robert Long

Prof. Robert Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions
Prof. Robert Long

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Prof. Robert Long
PhD., MEd., MOH., BEd., BTh., Dip T., Dip Min., Cert IV TAA, MRMIA Rob is the founder of Human Dymensions and has extensive experience, qualifications and expertise across a range of sectors including government, education, corporate, industry and community sectors over 30 years. Rob has worked at all levels of the education and training sector including serving on various post graduate executive, post graduate supervision, post graduate course design and implementation programs.

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