The best way to fool people is to help them.

Psychopath “Robert”

Introduction

The most common defense I have heard of the leader of the cult from which I departed, as well as the most common justification for people remaining in it, is that the leader is a kind man who helps others. This is understandable. Kindness and helping others are admirable qualities that endear people to us, provided they are genuine and do not have a hidden agenda. How do you tell the difference? You cannot without waiting and watching. When not genuine, this is a form of love bombing.

Love bombing is the action or practice of lavishing someone with attention or affection, especially in order to influence or manipulate them.

Reciprocation

Helping others is a form of attention, especially if it is performed in a manner that looks like great expense or effort on the part of the helper.  It plays on one of the primary core principles that exists at the heart of every human, every normal human at least. This is the rule of reciprocation.1 This rule states that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person provides for us.  It is very powerful, as most people instinctively feel compelled to repay in some way. In itself, there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it makes society and civilization function in an equitable manner.

However, questionable people can do you a favor deliberately with the intention of making you feel indebted to return one. Salesmen are notorious for this.  Moreover, a malicious person can do an uninvited favor, thereby triggering your feeling of indebtedness without you having asked for it. Would you have turned it down? Probably not. Do you know what is behind it? Probably not. That is what makes it so powerful. It has taken away your choice.  It is very easy for unscrupulous people to use it to put you in their debt. Now here is where it gets really toxic.  The person triggering the obligation to reciprocate in someone can very easily manipulate it into an unfair exchange to receive something far greater in return. Like, providing them with free labor or large sums of money, supporting them unquestioningly in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, or even having someone move hundreds of miles to the religious leader’s property to be their financial and physical servant.

Preying on the Vulnerable

Adept con artists, narcissists and psychopaths seek out vulnerable people upon whom to bestow their false kindness, thereby incurring a debt of reciprocation. Usually, the victims are people undergoing hardship of some sort. The more painful and emotional the hardship, the better for the manipulator, because the victims are less likely to suspect or turn down an act of kindness. This all but guarantees reciprocation. Some common targets of these con artists are people who:

  • Are recently divorced
  • Have recently lost a loved one
  • Have an illness
  • Have an addiction or psychological problem
  • Are financially disadvantaged
  • Are lonely
  • Have troubled pasts or exist on the fringes of society

Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

Personality disordered persons, such as psychopaths or narcissists, use love bombing to give the appearance of kindness and help, or even attention and love, to establish control over another person. The victim may start doing things they normally would not, because they feel beholden to the person doing the love bombing. It is one of the most common tools that a psychopath or narcissist uses to get close to their victim in order to exploit them. An inordinate percentage of psychopaths and narcissists occupy leadership positions in our government, our corporations, and our religious institutions.  Some studies indicate that up to ⅓ of religious leaders are narcissists or psychopaths.2 They are the true wolves in sheep’s clothing. While this percentage is still contested, even the lower end of the spectrum is far above the normal incidence of about 5% in the general population. It just makes sense to carefully watch for love bombing in religious leaders. They should not be doing it anyway.

A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

Proverbs 29:5

For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve.

Romans 16:18

How it Works

During a clinical interview with a diagnosed psychopath and convicted felon named “Robert,” he breaks down succinctly how it works.3

The best way to fool people is to help them. Ask what they want. Ask what they need.  Do they need any help doing anything? Do they need any money? Do they need their car fixed? Do they need their grass cut? Do they need their children looked out for? Do they need a job? Do they need anything, anything to get them to think that I am a decent person and want to help. Trust me, I will help. And overall, that was a flat out lie.

The religious leader gave you money. It wasn’t their money. They suckered members of the congregation to provide it while they take the credit. The religious leader devoted a lot of time to you. That means nothing. It is what all psychopaths and narcissists do to ensnare you.  The religious leader called you brother. This is false closeness deliberately designed to create intimacy where there should not yet be any. The religious leader dropped everything he was doing to counsel you on your problems. That is not counseling, it is data mining to catalog your weaknesses and vulnerabilities for later use against you.

Cult expert Dr. David McDermott states that “new cult recruits are often showered with affection, pleasantries and made to feel special. Note that this is how psychopaths typically build artificial relationships with their intended victims.  However, there are few, if any, true friendships in cults. When somebody leaves the group, the friendship typically dissolves and they are quickly forgotten.” This was my experience and the experiences of many others who left or were thrown out of the cult. If the members who remain will introspect just a little bit and be truthful about it, they will know that this is accurate and that they were the ones ending the friendships, often at the command of, or pressure from, the leader.

How it Looks in Action

Love bombing happens during the early stages of recruiting people into the group. It can be drawn out longer if the recruit has something particularly valuable to offer the leader.  Below are statements that were all from members who had recently joined the group:

From the very first day we came, we felt so welcomed and treated like family.

There is such a heart in this community like we have never seen before, going above and beyond caring and helping one another and fellowshipping outside of worship service.

[The leader] and his wife have loved us, counseled us, taught us, and ministered to us.

This is the most loving, family like assembly my family has ever been a part of.

This all sounds wonderful, albeit a bit over the top for a regular church group. Over the top is exactly what a malignant leader would push to quickly create false intimacy.  I do believe these types of things are good, but they need to be developed over time after a foundation of trust and respect has been established. Doing this so this early is a possible sign of love bombing.

An Appeal to Those Remaining

Get angry all you want about what I am writing, but ask yourself can you really afford to dismiss and ignore one of the most common manipulation tactics used by people who may comprise up to 13 of religious leaders? If you ignore it, you are setting yourself up for a high likelihood of failure. Would you put a pistol to your head and pull the trigger if two of the six chambers contained bullets? In essence that is what you are doing with your spiritual and emotional life by not even considering these words.

Many of the people heaping glowing superlatives upon the leader have been with the group only a short time. Usually less than two years. Many of the people who were purged and expelled had been there longer than two years. Do you detect a pattern here? Do not live under the misguided notion that it cannot and will not happen to you. In our past, we all stood where you stand now, believing what you believe now. Below is what love bombing turns into when the leader has no more use for you.  The person who received this message from the leader was once a valued and publicly lauded member of the congregation. He was simply asking the leader to explain why he was being shunned. He once stood where you stand now.

This is my first and last notice for you to cease and desist any form of communication to me personally. Any form of future contact will be reported to the proper authorities and harassment/order of protection/no contact will be filed with the state.

Have those of you remaining ever stopped to consider that perhaps these people on the outside are following God’s commandments in trying to help warn fellow brothers and sisters (you) against following a malignant, false teacher into oblivion? From being deceived and used as they were? From experiencing the pain and destruction they endured? That some continue to warn you at great cost to themselves in terms of ridicule and personal attacks on them? I’d much rather just turn my back and leave you all to it, as it certainly gives me no joy or satisfaction to pursue this. I get nothing out of this. None of us do. I could understand and dismiss one, two, or even three people pursuing personal grudges against the group or leadership, but dozens? Wake up people!

You cannot say you were not warned. You have received far more warnings and in much greater detail than all the rest of the “purged” and “rebels” stretching back over the years. Do you realize that every single teacher or staff member, other than blood relatives, who has been with this group has departed under bad terms? You have never even heard of most of them.  Over 40 people have departed over the last 4 years, most on bad terms. You have never even heard of most of them either. I would wager that is more people than the entire present congregation. Surely not every single one of those people was unteachable, evil or refused to submit to godly authority. That is statistically impossible. Wake up people!

Conclusion

I could say you are some of the most willfully delusional people I have ever seen, but that would not be true. I was exactly the same years ago in my first cult, so I know there is very little chance you will listen. I did not listen when I was in the middle of it, faithfully and energetically supporting the leader despite mountains of evidence showing her true colors. Tragically, you will not realize until after you have been used and discarded just like all those before you. Incredible damage may be done to your relationships, your faith, your finances and even your freedom by the time you reach that point. I lost all four during my first cult encounter. Fortunately, this group was not my first rodeo, so I was able to see what was going on more quickly and leave. I pray you learn to do the same.

References

1Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini

2Let Us Prey: The Plague of Narcissist Pastors and What We Can Do About It, Darrell Puls

3A Psychopath Describes His Behavior, https://youtu.be/eu17Wuq3nI8?t=469

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Judging, elevating or favorably treating others by physical characteristics, or traits. Replaces racism due to the fact that there is only one race, human.

The overriding view that women are strong and independent, don’t need men, and are more competent and wiser than men. Men are to realize and admit that they are both inferior and toxic.

Giving too much attention and affection, whether through gifts, compliments, or acts of service as a way of seeking validation from someone else.

Instead of accepting responsibility and facing the uncomfortable situation head-on, the deflectors will try to move the focus from themselves, usually by passing the blame onto someone or something else.

Individuals are confronted with two choices, both of which have negative results. The choices are framed to produce an emotional response in the person, forcing them to choose or look bad. The individual will fail, no matter what choice they make. The abuser will use this as leverage to further manipulate the victim by depicting them as weak, flawed or ineffective.

The manipulative process by which individual or collective freedom of choice and action is compromised by agents or agencies that modify or distort perception, motivation, affect, cognition and/or behavioral outcomes. The person being mind controlled is not aware of the influence process, nor of the changes occurring within themselves. They believe they are acting according to their own choices.

A declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc. to frighten and emotionally force a person to do something.

The intentional manipulation of another person’s emotions to induce feelings of guilt. It is a form of emotional blackmail that is often designed to manipulate other people by preying on their emotions and making them feel responsible for something they are not.

Using sarcasm and put-downs to increase fear and self-doubt in the victim. Manipulators use this tactic to make others feel unworthy and therefore defer to them. Manipulators can make one feel ashamed for even daring to challenge them or say no.

Attempting to establish a perceived close bond with someone very quickly to overcome their natural caution and use them for money, resources or work. This is often involves a quick push for friendship or intimacy.

A manipulative tactic where someone portrays themselves as a victim to gain sympathy, attention, or caregiving. The goal is to make the person eliciting pity seem like a victim, which can make it easier to get what they want without being seen as a bad guy. This is because people are naturally inclined to help those they pity.

A woman is simultaneously a victim and empowered, until something happens. Then she chooses which state benefits her the most.

A woman is simultaneously a victim and empowered, until something happens. Then she chooses which state benefits her the most.

A Chad is a stereotypical alpha male. He is depicted as attractive, successful, muscular, cocky and very popular among women. He has a tendency to play the field and will not commit to any woman.

An enabler of a highly narcissistic person or someone with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). A flying monkey is an agent who acts on their behalf.

Projection involves taking an unacceptable part of oneself, disowning it, and placing it onto someone else. The manipulator describes the victim and paints them in a light that more accurately portrays the attacker himself.

Toxic amnesia is a tactic where the perpetrator pretends to not remember abuse, betrayals, lies, and other hurtful and dysfunctional behaviors they've engaged in. Its a form of gaslighting. Its purpose is to make you doubt your perceptions and memories.

Narcissistic rage can be triggered by various situations, such as criticism, perceived rejection, or being ignored. The reaction is often extreme and disproportionate to the event or comment, as the narcissist's fragile ego struggles to cope with the perceived attack on their self-image.

Triangulation is when a toxic or manipulative person, often a person with strong narcissistic traits, brings a third person into their relationship in order to remain in control. There will be limited or no communication between the two triangulated individuals except through the manipulator. It may appear in different forms, but all are about divide and conquer, or playing people against each other.

The action or practice of lavishing someone with attention or affection, especially in order to influence or manipulate them.

Cognitive dissonance refers to a situation involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. This produces a feeling of mental discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to reduce the discomfort and restore balance.

To gaslight someone means to manipulate another person into doubting their own perceptions, experiences or understanding of events. ~ American Psychological Association

Because their sense of self is determined by what others think of them, narcissists use relationships for self-enhancement. Everyone must feed them. In addition, they seek validation and attention in their public and professional life. Other people are used as objects in order to provide their supply. For example, they may need constant compliments or applause, more status and money, or may check their appearance in the mirror several times a day. ~ Psychology Today

Fraud that targets people belonging to a particular community or group, typically that in which someone pretends to be a member of the group in order to gain the trust of others.

Second Attack
Second Attack
First Attack
First Attack
Initial Dispositions
Initial Dispositions
ZSU 23-4
ZSU 23-4 Anti-Aircraft Gun
TOW Missile
TOW Anti-Tank Missile
T55 Tank
T55 Tank
SA7
SA7 Surface to Air Missile
M113
M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC)
M48 Tank
M48 Tank
Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter Jet
BTR-50
BTR-50 Armored Personnel Carrier
BM21 Stalin Organ
BM21 Stalin Organ
Howitzer
Howitzer
AT7 Anti-Tank Missile
AT7 Anti-Tank Missile
AT3 Sagger Anti-Tank Missile
AT3 Sagger Anti-Tank Missile
120mm Mortar
120mm Mortar
AT4 Anti-Tank Missile
AT4 Anti-Tank Missile

Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

A religious leader uses valid verses or concepts from the Bible about following and obeying God to generate enthusiasm in people, then misdirects that obedience to himself as a representative of God. The group believes they are following and obeying God, but in reality are obeying the leader.

A fictional, exaggerated version of an opposing viewpoint, especially one that is intentionally created to be easy to dismiss or argue against and to make one's own argument seem stronger. Straw man arguments can be made unintentionally, but most are made on purpose to make the other side seem evil, incompetent, or extremist.

The religious leader distracts members from mentally registering what he is doing.  Screaming praise to God when something he proclaimed does not come to pass.  Acting like a bad thing is really a good thing.  Just keep talking and talking and talking, while ignoring that nothing is happening. It is the same thing politicians have done successfully for years.

The leader calls members flattering adjectives or nouns, like righteous, holy, or saint.  These are often vague and difficult to define, so the member feels the leader’s superior knowledge has recognized something good in them.  Conversely, if the leader later withdraws this praise, the member is eager to toe the line to recover it.

Manipulation of a person or group's emotions in order to make them believe something is factual (or false) in the absence of any evidence. The manipulator tries to draw on the recipient's inward feelings such as fear, pity, or joy with the goal of convincing them that the statements being presented are true or false.

Essentially a black-and-white worldview with the leader as the ultimate moral arbiter. This creates an atmosphere of guilt and shame, where punishment and humiliation are expected. It also sets up an environment wherein members spy and report on one another. Through submission to the guilt-inducing and impossible demand for purity, members lose their moral bearing.

The use of jargon internal to (and only understandable by) the group. Constricting language constricts the person. Capacities for thinking and feeling are significantly reduced. Imagination is no longer a part of life experiences, and the mind atrophies from disuse.

The process whereby the group becomes the ultimate arbiter and all nonbelievers become so-called evil or non-people. If these non-people cannot be recruited, then they can be punished or even killed. This process creates an us-versus-them mentality that breeds fear in followers who learn that life depends on a willingness to obey. This is when individuals merge with the group’s belief.