Methodology
The Cult Information Centre believes that the most striking features of post-war religious cults includes the usage of mind control techniques, and strict adherence to a leader or tight-knit leadership structure. This high level of adherence helps to reinforce authority, as well as belief in the leader's doctrine, which may involve his own personal delusions. According to the Cult Information Centre, these individuals are prone to suffering from forms of mental illness. The organization cites twenty-six key forms of mind control, which includes hypnosis, peer pressure and groupthink, love bombing, the rejection of old values, confusing doctrine, use of subliminal messages, time-sense inhibition, dress codes, disinhibition, diet, confession, fear, and chanting and singing.
The organization has attempted to define the term cult by analyzing dictionary definitions, and psychological, religious, and secular definitions, however it has found that they are all deficient in some manner. Its current definition of the term cult includes three main points: the group's identity was derived from a major religion, but its practices and belief system are dramatically different; its followers are not bound by a codified belief structure; and the group was founded by an individual who utilized fraudulent means to gain respect and acceptance.
The Cult Information Centre has estimated that there are approximately 2,500 cults operating within the United States, as of 2007. Intelligent students that are intellectually and/or spiritually curious were described as prime recruitment targets for cults, according to the Cult Information Centre. The organization has stated that these religious sects are limited by very strict rules in Britain as to how they can fundraise and advertise in recruitment of new members. The organization believes that the number of cults actively recruiting from college campuses has increased. Though the organization has stated that college-age students and teenagers are susceptible, it also believes that well-off professionals within the middle class are targeted by cults. The organization states that it is a common misperception that only loners and misfits are drawn to controversial groups and movements.
Some of the groups that the Cult Information Centre analyzes have criticized their methods. John Campbell of the evangelical Christian group, the Jesus Army insists they have good relations with other Christian churches, and called the Cult Information Centre "unethical" and its views "absolute nonsense". The Church of Scientology felt that its message was also misrepresented by the Cult Information Centre.
Read more about this topic: Cult Information Centre
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“One might get the impression that I recommend a new methodology which replaces induction by counterinduction and uses a multiplicity of theories, metaphysical views, fairy tales, instead of the customary pair theory/observation. This impression would certainly be mistaken. My intention is not to replace one set of general rules by another such set: my intention is rather to convince the reader that all methodologies, even the most obvious ones, have their limits.”
—Paul Feyerabend (1924–1994)