These 3 Michigan Cults Are Still Unknown To Many People

You've probably heard of cults before, but did you know that several of them have been based right here in Michigan?

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Let's explore what a cult is and the 3 most known cults in Michigan.

What Is A Cult?

The term “cult” refers most often to a group of people with usually atypical beliefs living in relative isolation from the world.

They tend to center around one charismatic person—the cult leader—who orders the beliefs, behaviors, and customs of all the other members.

How Do Cult Leaders Gain Control Over Their Members?

Cult leaders use various techniques to gain control over their members.

Here are some ways that cult leaders achieve this:

Isolation: Cult leaders isolate their followers from the outside world, including friends and family, to produce intense introspection, confusion, loss of perspective, and a distorted sense of reality.

The members of the cult become the person's only social contact and feedback mechanism.

Induced Dependency: Cults demand absolute, unquestioning devotion, loyalty, and submission.

A cult member's sense of self is systematically destroyed.

Ultimately, feelings of worthlessness and "evil" become associated with independence and critical thinking, and feelings of warmth and love become associated with unquestioning submission.

Behavior Control: Cults can control behavior by manipulating the exterior environment, such as asking all members to live on a commune together, and keeping members busy.

By scheduling their days, cults can also induce sleep deprivation, another form of behavior control.

Many cult members must ask cult leadership for permission to leave or speak to family.

Some cults ask members to donate all their money and physical possessions, making members financially reliant on the cult for everything

Mind Control: Cult leaders use members' altered consciousness, induced by activities like meditation, chanting, or drug use, to increase vulnerability to suggestion.

They convince their followers to separate themselves from society, and give up personal possessions, and sometimes huge sums of money.

To do all this, a cult leader must be a master at mind control.

Ways in which leaders gain control over cult members vary, but some popular methods include public humiliation and emotional control

Charismatic Leadership: Most cults have charismatic and charming leaders who are seen as godlike by the cult's members.

Leaders may use flattery and seduction, in the beginning, to lure members in, but later turn to mistreatment or abuse — either sexual, physical, or mental — to maintain control.

These 3 Michigan Cults Are Still Unknown To Many People

Church at Carson City: Former members have accused the Church at Carson City in central Michigan of being a cult.

They described the group as reclusive and isolated, with strict rules and a focus on power and control.

House of Judah: The House of Judah was a religious cult located in rural Allegan County, Michigan.

The cult gained attention when the brutal murder of a young boy exposed the dark underbelly of the group.

The cult's activities and the legal proceedings surrounding the case made national headlines

House of David: The House of David was a religious commune founded in Benton Harbor, Michigan, in 1903.

The group had strict rules and beliefs, including celibacy and abstinence from meat, alcohol, and tobacco.

The commune attracted thousands of followers and became a popular tourist attraction.

However, it declined and split into factions in the 1920s after its founder was accused of sexual immorality.

Today, only a few members remain.