Former Cult Member Answers Cult Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

Dr. Janja Lalich, a sociologist who used to be in a cult, answers the internet’s burning questions about cults. How did Charles Manson get a cult following? What’s the best movie about cults? Why did everyone in the Heaven’s Gate cult wear Nikes? How do people get brainwashed? Dr. Janja answers all these questions and much more!

Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7
Listen to the Get WIRED podcast ►► https://link.chtbl.com/wired-ytc-desc
Want more WIRED? Get the magazine ►► https://subscribe.wired.com/subscribe/splits/wired/WIR_YouTube?source=EDT_WIR_YouTube_0_Video_Description_ZZ

Follow WIRED:
Instagram ►►https://instagram.com/wired
Twitter ►►http://www.twitter.com/wired
Facebook ►►https://www.facebook.com/wired
Tik Tok ►►https://www.tiktok.com/@wired

Get more incredible stories on science and tech with our daily newsletter: https://wrd.cm/DailyYT

Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.

ABOUT WIRED
WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future of business, innovation, and culture.

30 thoughts on “Former Cult Member Answers Cult Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

    1. I’d really like to know if it’s ever possible for a cult to be good? I mean, there must be groups with a leader where the leader is a good person, doing good things

    2. Cool!!! Thank you!!! Loved this & myself as well as many others would love to see her on here again!!! ✨✨✨

    3. @amlaaaa479 If it is open, and doing good things, It is probably called something totally different. The trick is Honesty, openness, doing good things, accountable for actions, that would be called something like “good leadership”, think of a volunteer group that works.
      Example, St John’s Ambulance. I’m sure you can think of more examples, that’s just one I volunteered for.

      It is things like secrecy, hidden agendas, people cannot leave easily if they change their mind, that make it a cult. * I am a survivor.

    4. according to janja’s definition of a cult, if you took a cult and its leader was assassinated or disappeared, and every member of the cult continued following the same rules and indoctrinating others with the same belief system and using hte same systems of social control, then that would no longer be a cult. Wow, what a great “expert”.

  1. “when are we gonna get a cult leader who’s chill” is like asking “when are we gonna see a murderer who is kind and values human life?”

  2. I have a question. Is the pmcc 4th watch a cult. Not for myself but for my partner. I suspect HEAVILY but i feel bad admitting it

  3. In RE of LulaRoe, a whole segment of shopping itself is very cult-like, in the way people think, justify and act.

    When something has to turn into a clique, stop to reevaluate for a minute to make sure there’s nothing else going on, too.

  4. If you join something and realize that you can’t ask a legitimate question without some type of mocking/belittlement/condescension/character assassination/bullying/etc, that your freedom has been restricted in that regard, stop immediately and take a good look at what’s going on because that’s one of the first red flags to surface. You should never feel unsure about where your place will be after asking. Asking questions is how we learn. If we can’t learn, purely for the sake of better understanding, why???

    1. The dangers go further. Often ex members are stalked and harassed and harmed by cult stalkers. Even if you refuse them, you are on their radar for the rest

  5. In regard to the question about if cult members start out mentally ill, one of the saddest stories I’d ever heard was about the Jonestown Massacre. These people came together under Jim Jones’ message of Christ’s teachings, of leading with love and charity, and emphasized racial harmony. They were good people that were groomed and murdered by a manipulative, malignant narcissist.

  6. I escaped a cult last year. Watching a Jim Jones documentary was what made me realize what dangerous situation I’m in. The difference was that we were living in isolation not in a community.

    1. Glad you made it out. But cults infiltrate everywhere, as they stalk and hunt as well. Many are terrorist.

  7. 2:42 perfect response. Who could make themselves look like a classy businessman, at least on the outside until they open their mouth? 🤔

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.