Pilgrim Christian – Musings on Cult Dynamics

These are the musings of a Gloriavale Leaver after a series of blog posts was written by Liz Gregory in 2022.

Cult Dynamics

Cult dynamics and indicators are everywhere. But they can thrive and flourish in certain environments.

Because of our corruption there is a desire for power and control. We tend to evil.

These isolated groups contribute to allowing evil to flourish.

A healthy democracy can keep power in check. It gives accountability because if the challenges. In cults they do sear with the challenges and a tendency for the centralisation of power.

The accountability thing is what it’s really about. Cults and isolation and make victims. The isolation is so you don’t give account to the vicitms or others and no one can challenge you

Yes these dynamics happen everywhere but it doesn’t make them right. There’s a difference between prison and poison at a toxic level, which eventually kills you at some point.

Dynamic can be unsuppressed and unchallenged they become a toxic environment for most of the members of the society.

In any society there will be elements of any of these things going on. These bad ideas are to be fought and challenge.

Naive people who think that organisations are inherently good (ie Govt or ab organise system of doing things) they have checks and balance within their own system. They tend to become self-deluded about it the organisation. You can have delusions about the groups inability to become corrupt. It’s not just a personal dynamics. It can transfer into an organisation (even Govt).

People who trust organisations can go out to GV and say wow and be impressed – and not see under the hood.

It would be good if people become less naive to the dynamics at play.

Conditioned over a period of time.

Exploited weakness.

Entangled web – high cost.

Weighing it up.

Reasonable amount of psychological abuse going on. Someone has planted a plant in your brain and over time slowly but surely something had a hold on your mind. It seeps in. To get rid of that you need to take out the tree by its roots out of your head. It needs to be done. But it’s not nice or pleasant and it’s puts some people off. It will be painful.

Need to critically analyse everything you’ve ever believed. It’s an ongoing process. Challenges your paradigm. You think you’ve landed on a step, but you might need to realise there is always more of the ladder to climb.

Disconnect between taking proper responsibility. Take personal responsibility for their actions and thoughts. Easier to surrender personal responsibility. Where you feel you’re incapable about doing anything about your situation. Then we have to trust someone else.

Cult leaders are good at not taking personal responsibility when they are capable of it. They don’t try their best and hardest. They just throw a cliche “Trust God”.