Why do people join cults? - Janja Lalich

翻译人员: Cherry Zhou 校对人员: Lyra Shi

When Reverend Jim Jones founded the Peoples Temple in 1955,

当1955年吉姆·琼斯牧师 创立了人民神殿教时

few could have imagined its horrifying end.

几乎没有人能料想到 它会带来可怕的结局。

This progressive religious movement rose in popularity and gained support

一开始，这种革新性的宗教活动 逐渐流行起来并且获得了

from some of San Francisco's most prominent politicians.

一些在旧金山最为著名的政客支持。

But in 1977, amidst revelations of brainwashing and abuse,

但在1977年，洗脑和虐待事件被揭露,

Jones moved with several hundred followers

琼斯带着数百个教徒

to establish the commune of Jonestown in Guyana.

来到圭亚那创立了琼斯镇公社。

Billed as a utopian paradise, the colony was more like a prison camp,

这个殖民地被标榜是乌托邦天堂， 实际上更像是个集中营，

and when a congressional delegation arrived to investigate its conditions,

一个国会代表团正要过来调查情况时，

Jones executed his final plan.

琼斯展开了他的终极计划。

On November 18, 1978, 909 men, women, and children died

在1978年11月18日， 909名男人、女人和孩子丧生，

after being forced to drink poisoned Flavor Aid.

他们被迫喝下有毒的增味饮料。

That grizzly image has since been immortalized as shorthand slang

这种灰暗的情景随之成为了 永久性的速记俚语，

for single-minded cult-like thinking,

用来形容极端的异教思想，

"They drank the Kool-aid."

“他们喝了酷爱牌饮料。”

Today, there are thousands of cults around the world.

如今，世界上仍存在数千个异教。

It's important to note two things about them.

关于它们有两点需要注意。

First, not all cults are religious.

首先，不是所有异教都带有宗教性质的。

Some are political,

有些是带有政治色彩的，

therapy-based,

还有基于医学疗法的，

focused on self-improvement,

专注于自我发展的，

or otherwise.

还有其他内容等。

And on the flip side,

另一方面，

not all new religions are what we're referring to as cults.

并不是所有的新兴宗教 都要被定义为是异教。

So what exactly defines our modern understanding of cults,

那么对异教准确的现代理解 应该是怎样的呢？

and why do people join them?

为什么人们会加入异教？

Broadly speaking, a cult is a group or movement

一般来说，异教是一个团体或者行动

with a shared commitment to a usually extreme ideology

他们通常会对一个极端意识形态 有共同的意志，

that's typically embodied in a charismatic leader.

这通常在一个富有魅力的领导者身上 得以体现。

And while few turn out as deadly as Jonestown or Heaven's Gate,

虽然很少有像琼斯镇或 天堂之门那样致命性的宗教，

which ended in a mass suicide of 39 people in 1997,

在1997年致使39人集体自杀，

most cults share some basic characteristics.

但绝大多数异教都共有一些基本特征。

A typical cult requires a high level of commitment from its members

一个典型的异教需要教徒高度服从

and maintains a strict hierarchy,

并且要坚守严格的等级制度，

separating unsuspecting supporters and recruits

毫无戒心的支持者和新成员

from the inner workings.

会从内部运作团队中分离出去。

It claims to provide answers to life's biggest questions

异教宣称可以给出人生中 最大问题的答案

through its doctrine,

只需通过它的教义

along with the required recipe for change

还有需要作出改变的妙法，

that shapes a new member into a true believer.

将新成员塑造成一名真正的信徒。

And most importantly, it uses both formal and informal systems

最重要的是，异教会同时使用正式和 非正式的影响和控制体系

of influence and control to keep members obedient,

让信徒保持顺从，

with little tolerance for internal disagreement or external scrutiny.

绝不容忍有内部分歧和外部监视。

You might wonder whether some of these descriptions

你可能想知道这些情况是否

might also apply to established religions.

也存在于成熟的宗教体系中。

In fact, the world "cultus" originally described

实际上，“崇拜”（cultus） 这个词本来是用来形容

people who cultivated the worship of certain gods

崇拜神灵的人，

by performing rituals and maintaining temples.

他们通常会举办祭拜仪式和 维护寺庙的敬仰方式，

But in time, it came to mean excessive devotion.

但现在发展为过度崇拜的意思。

Many religions began as cults,

很多宗教都是作为“异教”兴起的，

but integrated into the fabric of the larger society as they grew.

但发展起来后， 它们会被合并到更大的社会组织中。

A modern cult, by contrast, separates its members from others.

相比之下，现代异教则会把它们的信徒 从其他组织中分离出来。

Rather than providing guidelines for members to live better lives,

异教没有给信徒提供 过上更好的生活的指引，

a cult seeks to directly control them,

相反是想要直接控制信徒，

from personal and family relationships,

从个人和家庭关系

to financial assets and living arrangements.

到财务资产和生活安排。

Cults also demand obedience to human leaders

异教还要求信徒服从由人类领袖

who tend to be highly persuasive people

这个领袖通常具有非常强的说服力，

with authoritarian and narcissistic streaks

他们独裁而自恋，

motivated by money, sex, power, or all three.

会受到金钱、性、权利 这三者诱惑的驱使。

While a cult leader uses personal charisma to attract initial followers,

异教领袖会利用个人魅力 吸引首批追随者，

further expansion works like a pyramid scheme,

随后的扩张就像是传销组织的运作，

with early members recruiting new ones.

早期成员会招揽新成员。

Cults are skilled at knowing whom to target,

异教徒非常清楚谁是他们的目标人群，

often focusing on those new to an area,

常常会盯上那些初来乍到 对周边环境还很陌生的人，

or who have recently undergone some personal or professional loss.

或者是最近刚经历过个人 或者职业损失的人。

Loneliness and a desire for meaning

孤独，并有着对寻找意义的渴望,

make one susceptible to friendly people offering community.

这些人很容易受到友善 而又能提供归属感的对方的影响。

The recruitment process can be subtle,

这种招揽过程很微妙，

sometimes taking months to establish a relationship.

有时要花费数月才能建立起关系。

In fact, more than two-thirds of cult members are recruited by a friend,

实际上，超过三分之二的异教信徒 都是被朋友、

family member,

家庭成员

or co-worker

或者同事招引进去的，

whose invitations are harder to refuse.

这些人的邀约往往很难推却。

Once in the cult, members are subjected to multiple forms of indoctrination.

一旦进入异教， 信徒们会受到各种形式的教化。

Some play on our natural inclination to mimic social behaviors or follow orders.

有些会利用我们模仿社会行为 和执行命令的自然倾向。

Other methods may be more intense

其他方法可能会变本加厉，

using techniques of coercive persuasion involving guilt, shame, and fear.

会使用胁迫式的牵涉到人的内疚、 羞愧和恐惧的说服技巧。

And in many cases, members may willingly submit out of desire to belong

而且在很多情况下， 信徒们可能会出于对被接纳的渴望

and to attain the promised rewards.

和为了获得承诺奖励 而心甘情愿地服从。

The cult environment discourages critical thinking,

异教环境会抑制批判性思维的发展，

making it hard to voice doubts

让人难以发出质疑之声，

when everyone around you is modeling absolute faith.

因为在你身边的所有人 都树立起绝对的信仰

The resulting internal conflict, known as cognitive dissonance,

由此产生的内部冲突， 也称之为认知失调

keeps you trapped,

会让你陷于困境。

as each compromise makes it more painful to admit you've been deceived.

尤当你承认自己被骗，但又不得不妥协， 会让你倍感痛苦。

And though most cults don't lead members to their death,

虽然绝大多数异教都不会让信徒走向死亡

they can still be harmful.

但还是会对信徒造成伤害。

By denying basic freedoms of thought, speech, and association,

因为异教拒绝给予他们思考、言论 和结社的自由，

cults stunt their members' psychological and emotional growth,

异教会阻碍信徒的心理和情感发展,

a particular problem for children,

这对孩子们来说是一个尤为严重的问题，

who are deprived of normal developmental activities and milestones.

它会夺走孩子们正常成长中重大事件。

Nevertheless, many cult members eventually find a way out,

尽管如此，很多异教信徒最终还是 能找到办法走出来，

whether through their own realizations,

不管是通过他们个人的觉醒，

the help of family and friends,

家庭和朋友的帮助，

or when the cult falls apart due to external pressure or scandals.

还是因为异教由于内部压力 或丑闻而土崩瓦解。

Many cults may be hard to identify,

现仍有很多异教团体隐藏的很深，

and for some, their beliefs, no matter how strange,

因为一些异教的信条， 不管有多么地荒谬

are protected under religious freedom.

都受到宗教自由的保护。

But when their practices involve harassment,

但当它们的活动牵涉到骚扰、

threats,

威胁、

illegal activities,

非法活动、

or abuse,

或者虐待时，

the law can intervene.

法律有权进行干预。

Believing in something should not come at the cost of your family and friends,

要相信任何事情都不应该 以你的家庭和朋友作为代价，

and if someone tells you to sacrifice your relationships

如果有人告诉你可以 通过牺牲自己的情感关系

or morality for the greater good,

或者忠诚来换取上上善道，

they're most likely exploiting you for their own.

他们很有可能是为了自身利益 而选择利用你。