Defining Characteristics & Textual Context

In popular usage, "cult" carries a strong pejorative meaning for groups that use deceptive, coercive, or manipulative psychological techniques to exploit and control their members. Experts and researchers often look for the following defining traits in these types of groups:

• Authoritarian Leadership
  A single, charismatic leader who dictates the ideology and rules, acting as the ultimate authority on all aspects of a member's life.
• Isolation
  Cutting members off from friends, family, and society to foster total reliance on the group.
• Exploitation
  Financial, physical, or sexual abuse of members by the leadership.
• Information Control
  Heavy censorship of outside media or dissenting opinions, combined with intense indoctrination.
• Lack of Accountability
  Strict rules where questioning the leader or the group's dogma is forbidden and punishable (often through "shunning" if a member tries to leave).