There are about several thousand sects in the world, and their number is constantly growing, as new ones appear. Not all sects are dangerous, but they differ from each other in the way they were created, the nature of the activity, structure, and preached teaching.
The activity of sects in the modern world is big business. To get money, leaders go to crime. These are, for example, arms smuggling, drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion of money, prostitution and much of what is being introduced into the consciousness under the slogan of religious health and spiritual improvement.
Easy targets are young people who are looking for the meaning of life, love, friendship, happiness. The lack of information about the danger of sects leads to the fact that boys and girls easily give sect ideologists the opportunity to control themselves and fall under their influence.
Sects use various forms of brainwashing, control over thinking, group pressure. They often cause fear and guilt in their members.
Why is a sect dangerous?
1. Each sect has its own leader, to which the participants must obey implicitly. He has complete freedom of action, so he can do whatever he sees fit. The leader receives material benefits at the expense of his "flock."
2. A sect uses people who really want to find a path to a better life, to God, love and truth. She inspires members that only here you can find all this, get answers to all questions, and only members of the sect can achieve the highest states of spirituality.
3. A person belonging to a sect destroys his life, a sect destructively affects him, his family, his family. It leads him to mental death, at the same time making the sectarian incapable of independent, normal life in society.
4. A person takes away everything that is most important - freedom and the opportunity to realize oneself in society. In the sect there can be no question of individualism and independent decision-making: here, each member must agree with the leader and become dependent on him. There is no privacy - only the group and its interest are important.
5. The sect isolates new members from family and friends. Through a variety of rituals - dances, chants - introduces them into a trance, which should strengthen confidence in the group.
Sectarians can observe the so-called sect syndrome. This is a group of characteristics resulting from contact with its members.
Changes in life and behavior:
- a person abandons his previous hobbies and interests, new ones related to the goals of the group appear in return
- begins to speak another language, uses new words and concepts;
- the appearance and style of clothing are changing;
- problems appear in the family, at school or at work;
- A sectarian cannot function normally in society. is he
tears old friendships, cuts himself off from loved ones, and this is for the good of new friends;
• sees everything in white and black tones;
• the value system is changing, a new morality is being formed.
Mental health effects:
- unmotivated mood swings that can ultimately lead to depression;
- frequent bouts of anxiety, a person constantly feels fear and insecurity, is afraid of people, does not trust anyone;
- Inadequate, sometimes aggressive reaction to comments regarding the behavior of both own and members of the sect;
- the willingness to part with everything for the sect: home, work, loved one - that is, that which gave meaning to life;
- Inability to make an independent decision, flight from real life.
Implications for physical health:
- exhaustion and weakening as a result of specific diets;
- malnutrition;
- decrease in concentration of attention;
- Diseases resulting from the refusal of any drugs and medical care;
- isolation from the outside world, communication only with a narrow circle of sect members;
- insomnia, fatigue;
- suicide attempts, often successful.
