...Tactic 9. Offer "rewards" for continued and unwavering devotion. Tactic 10. Promote the most gullible and intellectually useless devotees to "authority" positions. Tactic 11. Asset-strip the members, creating a "servitude" status among the believers. Tactic 12. Have a "fail-safe" position in the event of cult disintegration or rebellion.
Very true of Christian Science. For example, Mary Baker Eddy came up with terms like "mortal mind," meaning the non-God or anti-Christ that is floating out there in the metaphysical cosmos and opposes God or "Immortal Mind," a.k.a. "Divine Mind."
Scientology (and other groups) like to come up with new terms such as "engrams" and "thetan." (I myself am a Level X Operating Cretin.)
...for anyone following the "NXIVM" trial, the gullibility and ignorance of these women is astounding. The basis for all this is, that YOU need a mentor; someone else to advance and educate you, to move you into a better place. Truly ignorant fools; individuals hell-bent on a self-destructive personal path........sad. But, so unfortunate as we see many of our younger friends and siblings caught up into this idea that they have less value or stature, and need to be counseled?....by these types?