From The People's Temple to the Manson Family, every cult seems wild and uniquely horrific.
Luckily, cults follow similar patterns, making them easy to identify once you learn what to look for, helping you avoid cults — or get out.After all, it's never too late to get help.
If you suspect you or someone you know is in a cult or just want to familiarize yourself with the formula to avoid a toxic community, keep these signs in mind. Even just the presence of one or two of these signs — sourced from Verywell Mind and theology scholar Eitan Bar — indicates a cult-like community.
Authoritarianism Without Accountability
A defining characteristic of a cult is a leader who has complete authority over their followers, and no one ever holds them accountable for their actions. This often involves a great deal of hypocrisy and gaslighting.
All leader commands must be obeyed, and there is no sense of democracy. In addition, the leader may do something that members are forbidden to do but see no consequences. This imbalance is essential in a cult.
Prohibits Questions or Criticisms
Authoritarianism without accountability also means that questions and criticisms are not allowed. Members who raise concerns about certain restrictions or behavior are often shunned or punished.
Even in intense religious settings, discussions and questions should still be possible. If you feel like the consequences for speaking up will be severe, you might be in a cult.
Hostility Toward Former Members
While it's understandable that religion members may feel hurt, betrayed, or confused by someone leaving the religion, hate and hostility are not appropriate reactions. If your religious community completely shuns former followers, this is a huge red flag.
A cult will often say former followers are evil or manipulative and do anything to paint them in a negative light. Cults will also forbid current members from interacting with former members, threatening to shun them.
An Us-Against-The-World Mentality
Along with the hostility toward former followers, cults often curate an us-versus-them mentality in relation to anyone outside the following. Cults will demonize any outsiders and convince followers that the rest of the world is out to get them.
This type of mindset is powerful and dangerous. It makes cult followers feel threatened by anyone not in the cult and makes life outside the cult seem impossible. Healthy religious communities respect those with different beliefs and even welcome engagement.
Financially Draining or Demanding
Cults often require a lot financially from their members. While many religions encourage donations, safe religions do not drain bank accounts and steal paychecks. They shouldn't even have membership fees.
Faith is free. It always should be. If your religion requires you to shell out money constantly or hand over everything, you should run away. There's no other way to explain this; if they demand substantial money, you're in a cult.
Righteous and Charismatic Leadership
One of the reasons it's so hard to recognize a cult as a cult is the leader is incredibly charming and convincing. They might be attractive or just pleasant to speak to at first. Every cult documentary will tell you this off the bat.
Community members will praise the leader exorbitantly, and the leader will tote themself as altruistic and enlightened. Cult leaders can do no wrong in their own eyes and the eyes of their followers. It's not until you're in too deep that they reveal their true selves.
Members Told To Inform on One Another
Cult leaders often depend on their followers to keep one another in check. Followers will spy on one another and tattle to the higher-up community members, creating a fearful and paranoid environment.
In addition to putting people on edge, this also sucks people deeper into the cult. Once they begin to inform on people they know, perhaps even close friends or family, members feel they can truly never leave the group.
Emotional or Mental Abuse
Many of the things qualify as emotional and mental abuse, but there are plenty of other forms not listed. Consistent belittling, degrading, humiliating, threatening, insulting, blaming, and scapegoating are just some forms of emotional and mental abuse.
Signs of mental and emotional abuse can be subtle and difficult to define. We know recognizing and acknowledging this abuse is complicated, but ultimately, you need to listen to your gut. How do these people make you feel about yourself? How do they make other followers feel about themselves?
Members Encouraged To Cut Outside Ties
Most cults go beyond just demonizing outsiders. Leaders will require followers to cut off contact with any outsiders, including long-time friends, family, and even life partners. Followers are punished or shunned if they refuse.
This aspect of cultism is important, as it isolates the members from any meaningful connections they have. After they cut off loved ones, all they have left is the cult, making them feel eternally trapped.
Forced Commitments
A normal church might plan a pleasant retreat for members to connect with their faith. A cult will have a mandatory workshop that requires members to call out of work or even quit their jobs.
These forced commitments can be small at first but always grow. If members cannot meet a commitment, they're labeled weak believers who are not devoted to the community or practice. This pressure is a strong example of emotional and mental abuse.
Strict Rules
Religious communities are not typically mandatory. Attending church every Sunday may be encouraged, but you're not banned from Mass if you miss one. Cults do not allow this type of flexibility and freedom.
A cult expects members to adhere to every standard it sets strictly — or religiously, one might say. These strict rules often extend to every aspect of a member's life, from the clothes they wear to the words they use.
Secretive Environment
Since cults are, by definition, abusive, they cannot operate openly. They require a secretive environment. So, if it feels like your religious community deliberately hides things from outsiders, especially authorities, it's likely a cult.
Signs of a secretive environment include discouraging members from discussing the community and its beliefs with outsiders, social media profiles that misrepresent the community, and strict requirements for people to join before they see what goes on behind the curtain. There are many more, but these are big ones to look out for.
