The Former Cultist Speaks Out… PART 1: Cults in America, Are They Disappearing?

By Rachael Drew-Kinuthia

Do you have a friend or family member caught up in a multi-level marketing group, a religious or political group with black-and-white, all-or-nothing thinking? How many of their conspiracies or beliefs have you heard at family functions or over a phone call? After Trump ran for president and I saw his rallies and supporters, I was immediately reminded of the world of cults. You see that world is really where I came from. It was a completely different world. It didn’t take Trump becoming president for me to see what was shaping up among his supporters early on. I was reminded of something, even if I couldn’t place my finger on it right away. It rang in my ears and annoyed me constantly as something from my past.

When friends and coworkers were tuning him out and telling me that he was just a clown and a blowhard, I thought, no—there’s more to it, and what about those following him? It was looking like a cult was forming to me. People are often surprised to learn that those cult members are, for the most part, average people. Many will be your neighbor, your friend from the gym, a co-worker, the nurse at your doctor’s office, the doctor themselves, and yes, one or more of your own family members. They come from many backgrounds, zip codes, and all tax brackets. The following year, after Trump was happily dismantling whatever President Obama had accomplished, I took notice of a new series on television.

The acclaimed A&E series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath started, and I was cautiously curious. Cautiously, I say, because I wondered what would be the overall theme dominating the series? What would she have to say about her former life and the kind of people still inside of the cult? Would every story be so horrific that I couldn’t identify with it? I recall my sister-in-law told me she was hooked on the show and started to ask me questions about whether I had similar experiences and what I thought of it all. Then she asked if I ever thought that Trump’s supporters were like a cult. A few months later in late 2017, we both were hearing more about QAnon and began talking about them. Trump would then go on to retweet their members and describe QAnon activists as “people who love our country.” I wasn’t surprised. Why wouldn’t one cult recognize another cult as something other than destructive?

I think I knew, then and there, that our whole nation was more curious about why cults are still popping up in our day and age. It seems strange when we have the ability to travel around with ease and educate ourselves—finding out solid answers to a variety of topics and questions without someone telling us what to believe. Those on the outside of these groups also find themselves wondering were they always hiding in plain sight and we just never noticed them before? What kind of people typically joined these cults? How does an individual become a cult leader? When something that was said or taught doesn’t make sense, why do cult members keep falling for it? In spite of less than charming traits of most cult leaders or group of leaders, why do members have no trouble overlooking the “bad behavior” so to speak?

With the concept of cults still being undeniably intriguing, I decided to write a series of articles revealing some of the answers to questions I’ve been asked from anyone who finds out that I was born and raised in the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I wanted to address the common thread holding all of these cults together. It doesn’t matter if they are a political, religious, labor/sex trafficking, or a lifestyle cult. Research by psychologists in the past twenty years or more on cults have shown a captivating trend in which those lacking confidence and self-esteem are far more likely to fall for any scheme that promises a better life and jump into a community or group without much thought. I will also share one of the main tactics used successfully by cults and experiences by some who left not just religious cults but political ones once they learned to combat the tactic. To this day, alarms ring in my mind when I encounter some kinds of people. The fight or flight kicks in hard for me.

We need more discussions about all of this and why certain rhetoric can be so persuasive for some. Then we have to consider the psychological components of cults in an effort to answer many of those questions and try to protect our friends and family from entering such a life. I’ll share how I came to realize I wanted and needed out of— what I didn’t even realize was a cult at first. I want to write about part of the journey and steps it took because it was not cut and dry. This is why former cultists offer a valuable perspective on what to look out for, how to protect others, and what works to combat the misinformation and other tactics used. This matters because cults are not disappearing, and they are all closer to you and your day-to-day life than you would imagine.

Rachael’s creative and biographical writing can all be found at the link below. Paperbacks, hardcovers, and eBooks are available. The memoirs cover starting a new life outside of a cult, mental health themes, surviving breast cancer, living with autoimmune diseases and more. The poetry includes many of these same themes, social issues, and relationships. Paranormal fiction will be coming soon… Click HERE.