Why do people join cults? - Janja Lalich

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

When Reverend Jim Jones founded the Peoples Temple in 1955,

當吉姆瓊斯牧師在 1955 年 創立了人民神殿教時，

few could have imagined its horrifying end.

很少有人能想像它會以 多可怕的方式結束。

This progressive religious movement rose in popularity and gained support

這個革新的宗教運動 逐漸流行起來，

from some of San Francisco's most prominent politicians.

並且獲得了一些舊金山 最著名的政客支持。

But in 1977, amidst revelations of brainwashing and abuse,

但在 1977 年，在洗腦 和虐待事件被揭露出來時，

Jones moved with several hundred followers

瓊斯帶着數百名追隨者

to establish the commune of Jonestown in Guyana.

到圭亞那建立了瓊斯鎮公社。

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

這個殖民地被標榜為烏托邦天堂， 實際上卻更像是個戰俘營。

and when a congressional delegation arrived to investigate its conditions,

當一個國會代表團抵達， 要來調查它的情況時，

Jones executed his final plan.

瓊斯執行了他的最終計畫。

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

在 1978 年 11 月 18 日， 909 名男人、女人，和孩子喪命，

after being forced to drink poisoned Flavor Aid.

他們被迫喝掉下了毒的加味飲料。

That grizzly image has since been immortalized as shorthand slang

從此，這種灰暗的形象，就一直 被當作是種簡略的俚語來使用，

for single-minded cult-like thinking,

形容專注投入在類似邪教的思想，

"They drank the Kool-aid."

「他們喝了酷愛牌飲料。」

Today, there are thousands of cults around the world.

如今世界上仍有數千個邪教存在。

It's important to note two things about them.

有兩件關於它們的 重要事情應當要知道。

First, not all cults are religious.

首先，並非所有的邪教 都是宗教性質的。

Some are political,

有些是政治的、

therapy-based,

以治療為基礎的、

focused on self-improvement,

著重自我改善的，

or otherwise.

或其他的。

And on the flip side,

另一方面，

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

並非所有新成立的宗教 都是我們所謂的邪教。

So what exactly defines our modern understanding of cults,

那麼現代的邪教定義到底是什麼？

and why do people join them?

為什麼會有人加入邪教呢？

Broadly speaking, a cult is a group or movement

廣泛來說，邪教就是 一個團體或一項運動，

with a shared commitment to a usually extreme ideology

大家共同信奉一種 通常很極端的意識形態，

that's typically embodied in a charismatic leader.

這意識形態通常會在 有魅力的領導者身上體現。

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

雖然有少數邪教結果會像 瓊斯鎮或天堂之門那樣致命，

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

天堂之門的結局是 在 1997 年有 39 人集體自殺，

most cults share some basic characteristics.

但大多數邪教都有 一些共通的基本特徵。

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

一個典型的邪教需要 其成員有高度的信奉支持，

and maintains a strict hierarchy,

並維持嚴格的階級結構，

separating unsuspecting supporters and recruits

把毫無戒心的支持者和新人

from the inner workings.

與它內部的運作分離開來。

It claims to provide answers to life's biggest questions

邪教通常會宣稱可以為人生中 最大問題提供解答，

through its doctrine,

用它的教義來解答，

along with the required recipe for change

再搭配上改變所需要的方法步驟，

that shapes a new member into a true believer.

就能將新成員塑造成真正的信徒。

And most importantly, it uses both formal and informal systems

最重要的是，邪教會使用 正式和非正式的

of influence and control to keep members obedient,

影響體制及控制體制， 來保持信徒的順從，

with little tolerance for internal disagreement or external scrutiny.

幾乎不容忍有內部的 分歧意見或外部的審查。

You might wonder whether some of these descriptions

你可能會納悶， 上述這些情況是否有部分

might also apply to established religions.

也適用於已存在的宗教。

In fact, the world "cultus" originally described

事實上，邪教這個詞 來自「狂熱（cultus）」，

people who cultivated the worship of certain gods

原是用來形容 培養對某些神靈崇拜的那些人，

by performing rituals and maintaining temples.

做法通常是舉行儀式和維護寺廟。

But in time, it came to mean excessive devotion.

但隨時間過去，這個詞 開始有過度投入的意思。

Many religions began as cults,

很多宗教一開始都是邪教，

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

但隨著成長，它們會被 整合到更大的社會組織中。

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

相對的，現代邪教則會把 其成員和其他人分開。

Rather than providing guidelines for members to live better lives,

邪教並沒有提供成員 可以讓生活變更好的指引，

a cult seeks to directly control them,

追求的反而是要直接控制成員，

from personal and family relationships,

掌控範圍從個人和家人關係，

to financial assets and living arrangements.

到財務資產和生活安排。

Cults also demand obedience to human leaders

邪教還要求成員服從人類領導者，

who tend to be highly persuasive people

領導者通常是非常有說服力的人，

with authoritarian and narcissistic streaks

有獨裁與自戀的傾向，

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

動機是錢、性、權，或三者都有。

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

雖然邪教領導者通常是利用 個人魅力來吸引最初的追隨者，

further expansion works like a pyramid scheme,

進一步的擴張工作 則是像金字塔結構，

with early members recruiting new ones.

早期成員會招募新成員。

Cults are skilled at knowing whom to target,

邪教非常清楚知道其目標族群，

often focusing on those new to an area,

常常會找上初次來到一個地區的人，

or who have recently undergone some personal or professional loss.

或是最近剛經歷過 個人或職業損失的人。

Loneliness and a desire for meaning

孤獨及對意義的渴望

make one susceptible to friendly people offering community.

會讓一個人很容易受到 提供歸屬感的友善者所影響。

招募的過程可能很細微，

The recruitment process can be subtle,

有時要花數個月才能建立起關係。

sometimes taking months to establish a relationship.

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

事實上，超過三分之二的邪教成員

是被朋友、家人或同事招募進去的，

family member,

or co-worker

這類人的邀約往往很難拒絕。

whose invitations are harder to refuse.

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

一旦進入邪教，成員就會 受到各種形式的教化。

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

有些會利用我們會模仿 社會行為或服從命令的天性。

Other methods may be more intense

其他方法可能更激烈，

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

使用涉及到內疚、羞愧，

和恐懼的強制說服技巧。

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

在很多情況下，成員會願意 屈服是出於對歸屬感的渴望，

and to attain the promised rewards.

為了獲得邪教向他們承諾的獎賞。

The cult environment discourages critical thinking,

邪教環境會抑制批判性思想，

making it hard to voice doubts

讓人難以發出質疑之聲，

when everyone around you is modeling absolute faith.

因為在你身邊的所有人 都展現出絕對的信仰。

The resulting internal conflict, known as cognitive dissonance,

由此產生的內部衝突， 也就是所謂的認知失調，

keeps you trapped,

會讓你一直被困住，

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

因為每次妥協只會讓 承認被欺騙變得更痛苦。

雖然大多數邪教不會 引導成員走向死亡，

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

they can still be harmful.

但還是會造成傷害。

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

邪教拒絕給予其成員思考、 言論，和結社的自由，

cults stunt their members' psychological and emotional growth,

阻礙其成員的心理和情感成長，

a particular problem for children,

這對孩子來說尤其會是個問題，

who are deprived of normal developmental activities and milestones.

孩子的正常發展活動 和里程碑會被剝奪。

Nevertheless, many cult members eventually find a way out,

儘管如此，很多邪教成員 最終還是找到了出路，

whether through their own realizations,

可能是因為他們自己有所領悟，

the help of family and friends,

可能有家人朋友幫助，

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

也可能是邪教因為 外部壓力或醜聞而瓦解。

Many cults may be hard to identify,

很多邪教是很難辨視出來的，

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

而且，即使有些邪教的 信仰非常奇怪，

are protected under religious freedom.

它們仍然受宗教自由的保護。

But when their practices involve harassment,

但當它們的做法牽涉到騷擾、

threats,

威脅、非法活動，或虐待時，

illegal activities,

or abuse,

the law can intervene.

法律就能介入。

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

相信某種信仰的代價 不應該是你的家庭和朋友，

and if someone tells you to sacrifice your relationships

如果有人告訴你，犧牲自己的關係

or morality for the greater good,

或道德倫理就能換來更偉大的善，

they're most likely exploiting you for their own.

他們很有可能是為了 自身利益而在利用你。