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How Cults Exploit Fervor and Awe to Recruit and Control

Members: An Interview With Dr. Yuval Laor

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How Cults Exploit Fervor and Awe
to Recruit and Control Members:
An Interview With Dr. Yuval Laor

August 12, 2021

Steven Hassan (https://freedomofmind.com/author/fomsh2018/)

The psychological state of fervor and the emotion of awe might not come to mind when thinking
about how cults recruit and control their members. However, cult indoctrination and control depend
on the exploit of emotions, particularly in the initial stages. Emotions are the drivers for all human
behavior, such as attraction or aversion. This new model is particularly needed in this moment of
strategizing how to amplify cooperation and trust but understanding how people’s minds can get
hacked.

My colleague, Dr. Yuval Laor, has a background in evolutionary biology, history and philosophy. We
met at the Getting Clear conference on Scientology in Toronto (2015) and crossed paths again at the
2019 ICSA Conference in Manchester, England where I attended his presentation on this model. In his
PhD thesis, The Religious Ape: Love, Fervor, and the Evolution of Religion
(https://www.academia.edu/8384340/The_Religious_Ape_Love_Fervor_and_the_Evolution_of_Religion
Dr. Laor presents an evolutionary approach for explaining the human phenomenon of religiosity.

Expanding Emotional States, Including Fervor and Awe, In the BITE Model of
Authoritarian Control
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After delving into Dr. Laor’s explorations of the role of emotion in both religion and cults, I came to
realize that the development of my BITE model of Authoritarian Control
(https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/) has a cognitive-bias, and more
emphasis on importance of emotional states is needed. Most of the emotional states that I use to
describe cult control tactics in the BITE Model are what could be characterized as negative emotions
such as guilt, fear, self-doubt, phobia programming, etc.. Dr. Laor’s work has prompted me to think
more deeply about the role of emotions in cult recruitment and control and to expand the information
on emotional control used by cults. Adding awe and fervor to the Influence Continuum
(https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/influence-continuum/) assessment tool is
important. These two emotions can fall anywhere along the Influence Continuum.

Fervor is a psychological state similar to what is referred to as “being in love.” This is a state in which
the object of fervor is seen with “rose-colored glasses,” and high sensitivity to any criticism of the
love object is present. This state can be induced quickly and can easily overcome any rational
decision-making ability. Honey trapping is a common tactic used by criminals and authoritarian cult
recruiters.

On the other hand, fervor and awe can be extremely positive emotional states. Traditional religious
experiences, for example, often involve awe and induce fervent devotion. When experienced within a
framework that is not designed to manipulate believers, awe can provide a great deal of spiritual and
emotional support. Unfortunately, numerous authoritarian cults (Scientology and Jehovah’s
Witnesses are two major examples) use awe and fervor as a way to recruit as well as control their
members.

Dr. Laor uses the numerous documentaries and stories of ex-members of Scientology to highlight the
lack of attention to the role that fervor and awe play in cult indoctrination. Awe is rarely mentioned in
the material relating to Scientology. However, the training routines (TRs) of Scientology, which induce
strong awe experiences, are very informative. One routine involves staring into someone else’s eyes
for very long times, perhaps several hours. This experience is hypnotic. It can produce feelings of
floating and vastness and can even induce hallucinations, all of which reflect traditional religious
expression.

Another method of cult recruitment that depends on an emotional response is the use of flirtation as
an inducement. The cult hopes the recruit falls in love and becomes “blinded” to what’s going on. That
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began flirting with me. I was in a vulnerable emotional state, having just been dumped by my
girlfriend. I was attracted to them, and it was that initial attraction that led me to be willing to find out
more about the Moonies.

These feelings introduced early in the recruitment and indoctrination process create an intense
attachment to the group. The experience can be compared to a conversion experience that leads to
the state of fervor. Fervor generally lasts no more than a few years, but it gives the cult a “window”
within which to enact other forms of control, such as separation from family, isolation, and instillation
of negative emotions such as guilt. Fervor may eventually lessen significantly, but it is too late if the
cult has successfully isolated the member from any supports or belief systems, and conditioned them
to rely only on the group itself.

Charisma as an Element of Celebrity

Different types of love (parental, romantic) have different triggers, and so does the emotion of awe.
Dr. Laor’s current thinking is that awe is triggered by something that is seen as anomalous (abnormal
or unexpected, something that cannot be easily classified). What is seen as an anomaly depends on
what is considered “normal.” Normal is sometimes a construct of nature (humans have one head, two
would be an anomaly), but sometimes it is established through social mores or shared beliefs.

Rainbows are generally singular, but sometimes a double rainbow appears. To some, this might be an
unusual occurrence, but not out of the realm of scientific possibility. Others, however, might interpret
this as a miracle. When something is considered “miraculous,” it can induce feelings of vastness and
other somatic reactions. When cult recruiters manipulate experiences of awe, it can lead to an
intense feeling of “love” for the group.

This phenomenon also contributes to perceptions of celebrities. We live in a celebrity-obsessed

society. There are genuine celebrities whose status has been earned legitimately through hard work
and commitment to a particular ideal or craft. But so many who are considered celebrities are
essentially famous for being famous. Charisma and celebrity are closely related. It is crucial to
understand that charisma and celebrity are not inherent qualities of the person they are attributed to.
They are, rather, an emotional perception in the brains of people who consider them a celebrity.

The rise of Donald Trump to the presidency is an example of celebrity being used to create false
perceptions in order to recruit and control followers through bluster and manipulation of emotion. Dr.
Thisswebsite
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used for negative purposes. His work is an important contribution to understanding how even the
most rational person can be seduced into authoritarian cults. 

Video Discussion: Dr. Steven Hassan and Dr. Yuval Laor

How Cults Exploit Fervor and Awe to Recruit and Control Members: An Interview With Dr. Yuv

Additional Resources

Video interview with ex Scientologist Jon Atack and Yuval Laor on Belief and Fervor
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF7ImlGUgCQ)

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Steven Hassan, PhD, MA, MEd, LMHC, NCC has helped thousands of individuals and families recover from undue
influence (mind control). With over 40 years of experience, he is sought after as one of the foremost authorities on
undue influence and controlling groups and individuals. Steve understands the subject from a unique perspective
as both a former cult member and as a clinical professional.

Steven is the Founding Director of the Freedom of Mind Resource Center (https://freedomofmind.com/), a

coaching, consulting, and training organization dedicated to supporting individuals to have the freedom to think
clearly and to freely consider how they want to live their lives.  Steven pioneered a breakthrough method called
the Strategic Interactive Approach (https://freedomofmind.com/strategic-interactive-approach/) (SIA), an
effective and legal alternative for families to help cult members.  The SIA teaches family and friends how to
strategically influence the individual involved in the cult.

Contact (https://freedomofmind.com/contact-us/) Freedom of Mind to schedule a consultation or to learn about

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Learn about how the Strategic Interactive Approach (https://freedomofmind.com/strategic-interaction-

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