text:
Mark Dunlop wrote:The Culture of Cults
- Summary
Preliminary Definitions
Cult Mind Control
Outline of a Cult Persuasion Process - Bi-polar Mind Control
Marketing a Cult Belief System
Religious Freedom & Moral Independence
The Quasi - Religious Spectrum
Religious Freedom and Moral Independence
Organisations and their Belief Systems
The Nature of Personal Belief
Free Will, Free Choice and Personal Belief
The Hermeneutics of Personal Belief
Hierarchical, Bi-polar Belief Systems
Hierarchies and the Politics of Personal Belief (and why Christianity did not start as a cult)
Recruitment By Cults
Recruitment by Cults
Leaving A Cult
Disability Arising from Cult Involvement
Problems in Exposing Cults
Difficulties in Identifying a Cult
Difficulties Facing Critical Ex-members
Summary of Advantages enjoyed by Cult Organisations
The Culture of Cults
Religious organisations and movements are free to practice their religion as they choose, subject to the laws of the land. In practice, this means that cults, in promoting their religious beliefs and gaining adherents, are free to use deception, misrepresentation, psychological coercion or any other techniques which do not leave physical traces and are difficult to prove in a court of law.
Initially using conventional marketing techniques, cults promote their particular belief systems. The trick is that through influencing a person's beliefs, it is possible to influence or indirectly control a person's mind. The actual controlling of mind is done by the person themselves, as they attempt to train and discipline their mind in accordance with the tenets of their new belief system. It is the belief system itself which is the primary active agent in cult mind control.
Cult belief systems differ from conventional belief systems in a number of subtle but significant ways, which may not be apparent to an outsider. To understand the nature of these differences is to understand the nature of a cult.
Cult belief systems are typically:
Independent and non-accountable - believers follow their own self-justifying moral codes: e.g. a Moonie may, in their own mind, justify deceptive recruiting as 'deceiving evil into goodness'.
Aspirational - they appeal to ambitious, idealistic people. The assumption that only weak, gullible people join cults is not necessarily true.
Personal and experiential - it is not possible to exercise informed free choice in advance, about whether the belief system is valid or not, or about the benefits of following the study and training opportunities offered by the group. The benefits, if any, of group involvement can only be evaluated after a suitable period of time spent with the group. How long a suitable period of time might be, depends on the individual, and cannot be determined in advance.
Hierarchical and dualistic - cult belief systems revolve around ideas about higher and lower levels of understanding. There is a hierarchy of awareness, and a path from lower to higher levels. Believers tend to divide the world into the saved and the fallen, the awakened and the deluded, etc.
Bi-polar - believers experience alternating episodes of faith and doubt, confidence and anxiety, self-righteousness and guilt, depending how well or how badly they feel they are progressing along the path.
Addictive - believers may become intoxicated with the ideals of the belief system, and feel a vicarious pride in being associated with these ideals. Cults tend to be cliquey and elitist, and believers can become dependent on the approval of the group's elite to maintain their own self-esteem. At an extreme, believers fear they will fall into hell if they leave the group.
Psychologically damaging - when established members leave or are expelled, they may develop a particular kind of cult-induced mental disorder, marked by anxiety and difficulty in making decisions. The disorder exhibits similarities to (but is not identical to) post-traumatic stress disorder, and certain types of adjustment disorders. [ICD 10, F60.6, F66.1, etc.]
Non-falsifiable - a cult belief system can never be shown to be invalid or wrong. This is partly why critics have low credibility, and why it can be difficult to warn people of the dangers of a cult.
The Culture of Cults
The intended purpose of this analysis, written by a former cult member, is to explain the nature of a cult, to warn others of the dangers of involvement with a cult group, and to support calls for society to be more pro-active in protecting the rights of individuals targeted by cults.
Preliminary Definitions
A cult can be defined in general as any group of people holding to a common belief system, but in practice the term cult is often used pejoratively, to refer specifically to 'a quasi-religious organization using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents' (Collins English Dictionary)[1] , and this is the sense in which 'cult' is used in this analysis. This analysis will seek to explain what those 'devious psychological techniques' are, how they work, and why they are devious.
Various terms have been used to describe the devious psychological techniques allegedly used by cults, the most common being 'brainwashing'[2], 'mind-control', 'thought reform' and 'mental manipulation'.
The term 'mind control' can be misleading. It suggests that a person's mind can be robotically controlled by some outside agency, or that thoughts can somehow be hypnotically implanted in a person's mind. This is not at all what happens in a cult. This analysis will argue that in fact a cult controls its members primarily through the promotion and inculcation of a hierarchical, cult-type belief system within a person's own mind, rather than by means of external, physical restraints. It is the belief system itself which is the primary active agent in cult mind control.
Cults actively promote and market their belief systems. Commercial companies use marketing and public relations techniques to promote an idealised image of their product or service to potential consumers, and cults do much the same.[3]
However, the difference with a cult is that both their product, and any consequences resulting from purchase and use of their product, are entirely subjective and intangible in nature. The 'product' that is marketed by a cult is its belief system, together with the attitudes and behaviour codes that are part of that belief system. Because of the nature of their product, cults do not really operate in the public domain. They operate in a private world, within an individual's personal religious framework or set of beliefs, and within an individual's own subjective world of self-esteem and self-confidence. They operate within a person's mind.
The fact that cults operate within a person's mind has a number of consequences. A person's mind (or consciousness) is something which is difficult to define or to measure, and so it something which tends to be outside the scope of scientific and academic enquiry. From a legal point of view, a concept like 'freedom of mind' is equally difficult to define, and therefore it is difficult to specifically protect such a freedom.[4] Personal free will is a cherished axiom of Western democracies, but neither individual free will, nor its restriction, can actually be objectively verified or measured with any certainty. It is never possible to know for sure to what degree a person is acting out of their own free will, or not. It is always partly a matter of opinion.
Consequently, the whole area of cults and mind control is contentious and difficult. Cults as organisations are usually opaque to outside scrutiny, and the actual process of mind control is difficult to define or to analyse. It is possible to identify and classify a number of apparent 'techniques' of mind control as used by cults, and among the best known of these classifications are Robert J. Lifton's 'eight criteria of mind control' [5], and Steven Hassan's BITE acronym - control of behaviour, information, thoughts, and emotions.[6]
Outwardly, these techniques may appear similar to many of the techniques and strategies of social compliance experienced within society at large. (For example, some years ago a Canadian government enquiry into cults concluded that the techniques used by cults to secure the loyalty of their members were essentially the same as those used in the English Public School system.)
However, it is important to consider the possibility that these apparent techniques of mind control may not actually be the primary causative factors, but may only be the secondary symptoms, or external indicators, of other hidden and subjective processes. If they are, then an external examination of an alleged cult group, which relies on objectively demonstrable factors, such as the publicly stated belief system or the social organisation of the group, may yield little insight into the subjective psychological processes occurring within a mind control environment, and may be of little help in distinguishing between a cult and a non-cult organisation.
It is possible to take the view that society at large embraces a variety of organisations and institutions which could be interpreted as being somewhat cult like in their nature. It is often argued that there is a fine line between socialisation and indoctrination, or between persuasion and mind control. Nevertheless, society does attempt to make a distinction between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour: Persuasion through physical force or through the denial of food and water, for example, are clearly illegal. In the view of this writer, there is a need for society to be more active in protecting its citizens from other more subtle processes of persuasion, which can be equally abusive of personal freedoms, and which are sometimes made use of by individuals and organisations in order to gain personal power over those they claim to help, but whom often they merely manipulate and exploit. This analysis will seek to unravel some of the processes of persuasion used by cults, and to show in what ways they may be devious and an infringement of personal liberty.
Cult Mind Control
Outline of a Cult Persuasion Process - 'Bi-polar Mind Control'
Some cults promote an overtly religious type of belief system. Others, such as so-called therapy cults, promote a secular type of belief system, based on quasi-scientific or quasi-psychological principles. Some so-called New Age cults combine religious and secular elements in their belief system. In general, cult organisations promote utopian ideals of self awareness or self-transcendence, ostensibly for the benefit both of the individual and of the world at large. For example:
'The central teaching of the Buddha is that we can change our lives. Buddhism offers clear and practical guidelines as to how men and women can realise their full potential for understanding and kindness. Meditation is a direct way of working on ourselves to bring about positive transformation. We teach two simple and complementary meditations. One helps us develop a calm, clear, focused mind; the other transforms our emotional life, enabling us to enjoy greater self-confidence and positivity towards others.' [7]
Of course, not every organisation which promotes this kind of ideal is necessarily a cult. However, it can be quite difficult to tell from the outside whether a group is a cult or not. In general, as long as a cult maintains a respectable public image, it will attract followers who aspire to this kind of ideal.
Cult belief systems present a vision in which any individual, through following the group's teachings, can begin to realise their own higher potential. Believers begin to aspire to a 'new life' or a 'new self', based on these ideals. At the same time as they begin to aspire to this improved new self, believers begin to see their old self, their pre-cult personality, as having fallen short of the ideal. An old self - new self dichotomy can grow up within a cult member's mind, as they gradually eschew beliefs and behaviour associated with their old self, and adopt attitudes and affiliations that seem appropriate for their new self. They may even come to see their unreformed old self as the enemy of their emerging new self.
A cult does not control its members by using external coercion. It is the belief system itself which is the primary active agent in cult mind control. The controlling of mind is done by the person themselves, as they attempt to discipline their mind and reform their personality, in accordance with the tenets of their new belief system. Effectively, a cult uses a person's own energy and aspirations against them.
This analysis proposes the term 'Bi-polar mind control' to denote a generic class of 'devious psychological techniques' used by cult organisations to gain and control adherents. Essentially, bi-polar mind control works by encouraging an aspirant to identify with an imagined ideal new self, and then, from the perspective of this new self, to see their old self as comparatively inferior and flawed. It is ego-utopia or hubris for the new self, and ego-dystonia or shame for the old self. [8]
Bi-polar mind control was identified in all but name by Dr. R. J. Lifton in his seminal work 'Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism'. One of the criteria Lifton proposed for determining whether or not a given environment has the potential to exert 'thought-reform' or mind control is:
'The Demand for Purity: The creation of a guilt and shame milieu by holding up standards of perfection that no human being can accomplish. People are punished and learn to punish themselves for not living up to the group's ideals.' [5a]
A cult belief system 'guilt-trips' aspiring individuals, by first holding up a utopian goal, and then encouraging aspirants to feel ashamed when they are unable to fully realise this goal. Aspirants are encouraged to see their recalcitrant old self as an obstacle and a hindrance, preventing them from realising their full potential. This type of old self - new self dichotomy is implicit in cult-type belief systems.
While they are in the process of training their mind and transforming their personality in accordance with the tenets of their new belief system, believers are in the position of students, and are therefore somewhat dependent on the guidance of their teachers. Cults gain influence over their members by promoting a belief system which undermines members' confidence in their own judgement, or more specifically in the judgement of their unreformed old self, so that they find it difficult to make decisions for themselves, independently of guidance from the group's teachers and preceptors.
Marketing a Cult Belief System
Of course, no-one is forced to join a cult. No-one is forced to adopt a new belief system, either as a whole or in part. Equally, no-one can make an informed assessment of a belief system in advance, without first having had some personal experience of it.
Cults have to compete to market their belief systems and gain adherents, just as ordinary commercial organisations have to compete to market their products or services and gain customers. Indeed some of the marketing techniques are not entirely dissimilar. Commercial businesses often use aspirational marketing techniques, promoting their products and services to potential customers by implying that purchase of a particular product will enhance an owner's self esteem and social status. Consumers are sometimes encouraged to measure their own self-worth in terms of the quality of their possessions.
However, cults have two significant marketing advantages compared with a normal commercial organisation, because of the intangible nature of the 'product' they market. The product which a cult markets is its belief system, together with the attitudes and behaviour codes that are part of that belief system.
The first marketing advantage enjoyed by a cult is that, as a quasi-religious organisation, it is protected from outside investigation, by a legal system which attempts to protect freedom of religion and freedom of belief. Broadly, freedom of religion allows cults to use their own self-referential ethical codes to justify their own behaviour, and to remain unaccountable to any outside agency. There are no consumer protection laws to regulate the marketing of personal or religious belief, and no independent quality control of the product.
A second advantage enjoyed by a cult stems from the fact that it does not really operate in the public domain; it operates primarily within the private and subjective realm of a person's mind. Both the actual product marketed by a cult, and any consequences resulting from purchase or use of the product, are largely subjective and intangible in nature. This means that no criticisms of the allegedly harmful effect that a cult's belief system may have had upon a member's mind or behaviour can ever be proved objectively, because the whole subject of personal belief is by nature largely or entirely subjective, and therefore unprovable either way. So long as the burden of proof remains with the critic, a cult can never lose.
In order to examine how these two advantages characteristically enjoyed by a cult, can give a cult organisation an unfair advantage over individuals to whom they promote and market their belief systems, and can enable them to use possibly devious processes of persuasion when recruiting new members, this analysis now moves on to look more closely at the nature of cult belief systems, and how they differ from conventional belief systems.
Religious Freedom & Moral Independence
The Quasi - Religious Spectrum
As discussed in note 1, words like religion, sect, and cult have complex derivations, related to ideas about culture and way of life, and their meanings are subject to change over time. This analysis acknowledges the range of meanings that these terms may be expected to carry, and has no wish to exclude any nuances of meaning. This analysis interprets the various dictionary definitions not as separate and distinct meanings, but more like reference points along a continuum or spectrum of meaning.
Towards one end of this spectrum are established mainstream religious and secular/humanist systems of belief and practice, in the middle are non-conformist sects and fashionable fads of various kinds, and towards the other end are various religious and secular groups which tend towards being exclusive coteries. These more cultish groups are sometimes characterised by a collective hubris among their members, who, seeing themselves as part of an elect, look down rather sniffily upon the mores and values of established mainstream institutions.
With this perspective in mind, this analysis uses the term cult primarily in the Collins 3 sense of: 'a quasi-religious organization using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents'. Leaving aside for now the alleged 'devious psychological techniques', cult is here defined as being a quasi-religious organization as distinct from a religious one. The cultish-ness is related to the quasi-ness of the religion or belief system. Therefore, a theological definition of a cult, based on examination of the group's belief system (or a tenelogical definition, based on examining the tenets of a secular belief system), may be more useful here than a sociological definition, based on the observation of outward characteristics. For example, Alan Gomes, in his book 'Unmasking the cults' gives the following definition of a (Christian - based) cult:
'A cult of Christianity is a group of people, which claiming to be Christian, embraces a particular doctrine system taught by an individual leader, group of leaders, or organization, which denies (either explicitly or implicitly) one or more of the central doctrines of the Christian Faith as taught in the sixty-six books of the Bible.' [9]
The main criterion being put forward here for a cult is that it 'denies' (either explicitly or implicitly) one or more of the central doctrines of the related mainstream belief system. To deny something is to declare it untrue, or to refuse to accept the existence, validity, or truth of something. Denial is more than merely quibbling over the fine details of a belief system. Denial implies a distinctly different belief system.
A theological/tenelogical definition of cult provides a means of broadly differentiating between cults, sects, and mainstream religious or secular belief systems, by considering the degree to which a particular group's belief system and culture originates from within the group, and is separate and distinct from the relevant mainstream belief system and culture. From this perspective, sects can be characterised as tending to disagree with some details of the relevant mainstream belief system, while cults can be characterised as tending to deny and reject outright significant parts of the relevant mainstream belief system.
In this perspective, a sect (religious or secular) tends to distinguish itself from the mainstream by having an individual interpretation of some or all of an agreed set of scriptures, or secular tenets, but a sect doesn't tend to invent entirely new scriptures or tenets of belief. In general, they seek to improve upon existing traditions, rather than to replace them entirely. A sect might perhaps be said to have an underlying respect for the relevant mainstream belief system and culture, in that a sect tends to hanker after some degree of respectability and acceptance (on its own terms of course) in the eyes of the mainstream belief system.
A cult, in comparison, tends to have little or no underlying respect for established belief systems. Holding their own partly or wholly self-originated belief system in high esteem, cult leaders and their followers tend to disdain existing belief systems as inferior and outmoded, and will consequently tend to separate off or isolate themselves from the mainstream more than a sect. A cult will tend to either invent completely new scriptures or tenets of belief, or at least to radically reinterpret existing scriptures and tenets. Cult leaders may claim some special revelation or insight which is accessible to them, but not to those outside the group. They may claim a special ability to go back to first principles and to practice a more pure version of the tradition, or claim a special ability to re-interpret traditional teachings in a way which is more appropriate for the modern world. Cults tend to be cliquey, elitist, and hierarchical, and there is usually a distinct difference of status (in the eyes of cult leaders and their followers) between believers and unbelievers, between the committed and the uncommitted, and between the saved and the fallen.
Thus it may be difficult for an outsider, as an unbeliever, to investigate a group's belief system. Any group of people, cult or non-cult, may be economical with the truth, presenting a sanitised version of its belief system to public gaze, while keeping some aspects confidential to trusted members.
It is easier to estimate to what extent a particular group is unorthodox, if its belief system is based on a religion like Christianity, and the group explicitly denies one or more of the central doctrines of the source religion. Often it is not so easy, and denial may be only implicit; or there may be no commonly agreed checklist by which to compare what is orthodox and what is not. There is no reliable orthodoxy meter available to measure a group's belief system, and the process of investigation is likely to be complex and difficult.
The purpose of this kind of investigation, attempting to locate a particular group's belief system along a spectrum between orthodox belief systems and increasingly quasi or unorthodox belief systems, is not to make value judgments between orthodox and unorthodox beliefs as such. On the one hand, orthodox belief systems have evolved over time, and incorporate experience and understanding distilled over generations. On the other hand, it is important to acknowledge both that personal freedom is an established tenet of Western democracy, and also that various forms of unorthodoxy (in the sense of deviation from established norms) may well have evolutionary benefits for society as a whole. Both tradition and innovation have their respective merits.
Rather, the intention in the present context is to point to a particular characteristic of independent, self-originated and innovative belief systems, which can give a considerable advantage to an organisation promoting such a belief system. The particular characteristic of independent belief systems is that they can set their own moral codes.
Religious Freedom & Moral Independence
A belief system implies some kind of ethical or moral code, whether explicit or implicit. A moral code is concerned with the distinction between right and wrong, and with the goodness or badness of human behaviour.
Depending on how strongly a particular group, in terms of its belief system, denies particular tenets of the relevant mainstream belief system, and how strongly it distinguishes and separates itself off from the mainstream belief system, to that degree its belief system may be said to be self-originated, in the sense that the belief system originates primarily from, and is also interpreted by, the group's leadership.
If the belief system originates primarily from the group's leadership, then the group's leadership are also the ethical preceptors and moral arbiters. They act as both law maker and judge, and can therefore make up the rules as they go along. The danger is that their ethical standards may become fungible, if they succumb to the temptation to deflect any criticism of themselves or their behaviour, by adjusting definitions of right and wrong to put themselves in the right. If the moral arbiters are unwilling to modify their behaviour, they can instead modify their moral codes to justify their behaviour. Freedom of belief can become freedom without responsibility.
The former Bishop of Durham, UK, the Revd Dr David Jenkins, usually regarded as someone whose views tend to the heterodox as much as to the orthodox, commented that: 'Nowadays, freedom of belief is defined in terms of a post-modern relativism. Freedom of belief can mean; anything goes.' [10]
Many organised groups holding to wholly or partly self-originated belief systems are keen to defend religious freedom, because of the 'anything goes' potential inherent in freedom of belief. For example, a lawsuit filed in 1999 by a coalition of plaintiffs, including the Seventh-day Adventists and the 'International Coalition for Religious Freedom' (Moonies) claims that the State of Maryland's task force studying religious cults on college campuses is violating constitutional rights and conducting a 'religious inquisition'. Representing the plaintiffs, Los Angeles civil rights attorney Kendrick Moxon (believed to be a Scientologist), was quoted as saying: 'The government cannot, absolutely cannot, get involved in adjudicating what's a right religion and what's a wrong religion.' [11]
If a group is classified as a religion, then leaders of that group have considerable freedom, within the group at least, to set their own moral codes and to adjudicate between right and wrong. Potentially, any methods of persuasion, short of those which involve actual, legally provable physical coercion, may be considered reasonable within the ethical codes of a self-originated belief system. A sincere believer may feel that, in religious matters, the end justifies the means, and therefore various deceptive and devious practices may, in the mind of a believer, be justified as skillful means, crazy wisdom, or heavenly deception.
In most cases, cult leaders probably do not set out to establish cults. However, in practice they can tend to fall into cultish patterns almost by default, as they attempt to assert and defend unorthodox positive visions of the world, in the face of potentially destructive (to them) cynical or questioning orthodoxies. Actions which, to an outsider, might seem devious or immoral, may, in the mind of a believer, seem perfectly just and ethical. For example:
'Outright lying means to tell people things that you do know are not true - Scientologists do that at times, when they are honestly convinced that this is better for Scientology. .
'Scientologists do have their own definition about ethics which does not fully correspond with the general understanding about ethics.
'Scientologists are formally and informally told how to best explain Scientology to others, what to mention, how to mention it, what not to mention - all with the best intent, but the result is still, that you cannot, as an outsider, get fully informed about Scientology by a Scientologist. I do know that, because I did it myself and I taught it myself for years.' [12]
Moonies, in promoting their belief system, may justify deception and misrepresentation as part of a greater process of 'deceiving evil into goodness'. The FWBO rejects 'conventional morality' in favour of its own self-serving 'natural morality', and advises senior members to be discrete about discussing the movement's more radical principles with the public.[13] This sort of secrecy and deception means that it is not really possible for a newcomer to exercise informed free choice about the benefits or otherwise of becoming involved with such a group.
This characteristic of independent belief systems, that they independently set their own moral codes, does not necessarily mean that devious psychological techniques will be employed to promote the belief system and gain adherents, only that they can be, and that there is little to stop them. Religious and quasi-religious groups alike are largely left to regulate themselves, and to adjudicate for themselves on what is devious and what is not.
Organisations and their Belief Systems
It is the combination of an independent belief system, together with an organisation devoted to promoting that that belief system and gaining adherents, that creates a situation in which cultish patterns of behaviour may develop.[14] In order to identify whether a group or organisation might be a cult, it is necessary to enquire both into the group's organisational structure, and also into the underlying belief system.
Questions which might be asked about a group's organisational structure include: how tightly organised is the group? What sort of leadership structure does the group have? Is it a loose and informal association, or does the group have a significant proportion of full-time members? Does the group actively seek new members? Are there formal rituals for admitting new members? How strongly are new members encouraged to orientate their lives full time around the group's belief system?
Questions which might be asked of a group's belief system include: What sort of position does the belief system occupy along the quasi-religious spectrum? Does the group maintain good communication with a mainstream source belief system, or are they independent and self-referential? Is the group and its belief system open to investigation by outside agencies, or is the group inclined to resist this and to cry 'religious inquisition'? Who are the preceptors for the group? Who decides what is devious and what is not?
Moral non-accountability is one advantage of following an independent, self-originated belief system. There are other advantages which a cult enjoys, in terms of defending itself against investigation and criticism. These advantages stem from the subjective, intangible nature of personal belief and free will.
The Nature of Personal Belief
Free Will, Free Choice, and Personal Belief
The subjective, non-material nature of free will means that, strictly speaking, neither free will itself, nor any restriction of free will, can be objectively proven. In any given case, it is always at least partly a matter of opinion as to whether a person might have acted out of their own free (and informed) choice, or whether their mental liberty and freedom of choice might have been restricted or impeded in some way. It is ultimately unprovable either way.
The personal and experiential nature of the belief system promoted by a cult means that it is not possible for a person to exercise informed free choice in advance, about whether the belief system is valid or not, or about the benefits of following the study and training opportunities offered by the group. The benefits, if any, of group involvement can only be evaluated through personal experience, through spending a suitable period of time with the group. How long a suitable period of time might be, depends on the individual, and cannot be determined in advance.
Unfortunately, the subjective, non-material nature of free will means that a person who becomes involved with a cult and its belief system, and who subsequently comes to regret this, can never actually prove that they had not been acting entirely out of their own free will in becoming involved, or that their free choice had been in any way restricted, even if it had.
If they claim that the cult's descriptions of its belief system were false or misleading, preventing them from making a reasonable and informed free choice before becoming involved, they will not be able to prove this. This is because the subjective, non-material nature of personal belief is such that any descriptions of a belief system are also subjective and a matter of personal interpretation. Therefore it is virtually impossible to prove that a belief system might have been mis-represented or falsely described. An allegation of mis-representation can always be countered with an allegation of mis-interpretation. A cult can always claim that critics have misunderstood the belief system itself, and have therefore simply misunderstood and mis-interpreted the cult's description of its belief system.
The subjective, non-material nature of personal belief also means that any criticisms of the effect that exposure to a cult belief system may have had upon a person's mind or behaviour are unprovable, since it is impossible to prove what someone does or doesn't believe, and therefore it is impossible to prove any consequences. As long as the burden of proof remains with the critic, a cult can never lose, and criticism is impotent.
The net result is twofold: firstly, cults are spared any obligation to prove to the outside world that their members became involved purely out of their own free will and choice, and secondly, they are not obliged to prove that involvement is safe and not psychologically damaging.
It is possible to broadly place a group's belief system along the quasi-religious spectrum, based on investigating the belief system from the outside, as a non-believer. However, it requires more of an insider's perspective to understand the interior dynamics of the belief system, and in particular the effect that involvement with a cult belief system may have upon a person's mind or behaviour.
The Hermeneutics of Personal Belief
This kind of investigation, into the inner workings of a group's belief system, could be described as hermeneutical. Hermeneutics, derived from the Greek for 'interpret', is a philosophical tradition concerned with the nature of interpretation and understanding of human behaviour and social traditions. An influential contributor to this tradition was the German philosopher Wilhelm Dilthey (1833 - 1911), who argued that the 'human sciences' could not employ the same methods as the natural sciences, but needed to use the procedure of 'understanding' (Verstehen) to grasp the 'inner life' of an alien culture or historical period. To understand the inner life of a belief system, an investigator has to go native and enter into the belief system to some extent. They have to become a believer, or at least suspend disbelief.
A belief system has both objective and subjective aspects; there are the formal doctrines and tacitly agreed behaviour codes of a particular faith or culture or group, and there is the complex of sometimes conflicting ideas, convictions, attitudes, and affiliations within the mind of an individual member of that particular faith or culture or group. Understanding a belief system requires some ability to empathise with the mind and outlook of a believer, and some ability to experience the emotions of a believer.
Clearly, there is a tension between being an impartial investigator and being a believer. Hermeneutics is sometimes divided into the 'hermeneutics of suspicion' and the 'hermeneutics of faith'. The French philosopher, Paul Ricoeur, wrote of this tension: 'Hermeneutics seems to me to be animated by this double motivation: willingness to suspect, willingness to listen; vow of rigor, vow of obedience.' [15]
A hermeneutic of faith allows an investigator to enter the inner world of a belief system. However, there is the danger that this may compromise an investigator's impartiality and objectivity, because an investigator has to make a paradigm shift and adopt, at least temporarily, a new set of beliefs. They have to go native to some extent, if they hope to understand the inner life of the belief system and see it through the eyes of a believer. Otherwise, they will always be an outsider, and not really able to comprehend the belief system. However, if they do adopt a new belief system, even partially and tentatively, how can they at the same time maintain an impartial and objective perspective on it? Their old belief system may be incompatible with the new belief system, and in time the original reasons for undertaking an investigation may no longer seem entirely valid under the new belief system. An investigator needs some equivalent of Ariadne's thread,[16] if they want to be confident of finding their way back out of the new belief system.
Of course, no-one is forced to join a cult. No-one is forced to adopt a new belief system, either as a whole or in part. Equally however, no-one, be they an independent academic investigator, a curious onlooker, or a potential new member, can understand a belief system, without trying it out first. Its not really a belief system, if you don't believe in it. Without some ability to see a belief system through the eyes of a believer, and to experience the emotions of a believer, an investigator will always remain an outsider. Without a hermeneutic of faith, and a 'vow of obedience', in Paul Ricoeur's phrase, an objective investigation ('vow of rigor') will be impotent and ineffectual.
Consequently, it is not really possible to make an informed choice in advance about whether or not to adopt, either wholly or in part, a new belief system. It is only really possible to make an informed evaluation of a belief system after having tried it out it and lived it for a period of time. However, cult belief systems tend have a particular set of characteristics which make it dangerous even to experiment with them. The dangerous characteristics of cult belief systems is that they are hierarchical and bi-polar in nature.
Hierarchical, Bi-polar Belief Systems
In general, cult organisations promote utopian ideals of self awareness or self-transcendence, ostensibly for the benefit both of the individual and of the world at large. For example:
'The central teaching of the Buddha is that we can change our lives. Buddhism offers clear and practical guidelines as to how men and women can realise their full potential for understanding and kindness. Meditation is a direct way of working on ourselves to bring about positive transformation. We teach two simple and complementary meditations. One helps us develop a calm, clear, focused mind; the other transforms our emotional life, enabling us to enjoy greater self-confidence and positivity towards others.' [7a]
The type of belief system implied above is not unique to cults. Many belief systems could be described as aspirational and soteriological, and even utopian, in the sense that they proclaim an ideal to be realised, and propose a path or a lifestyle for believers that leads towards realisation of that ideal.
However, cult belief systems have two additional characteristics. Firstly, they tend to be strongly hierarchical in perspective, revolving around ideas about lower and higher levels of personal insight. Secondly, cult belief systems also tend to be dualistic and bi-polar, in the sense that they make a clear distinction between lower and higher, between the mundane and the ultimate. For example:
'I see it [the spiritual path] in terms of a very definite transition from what we regard as a mundane way of seeing the world and experiencing the world, to what we would describe as a transcendental way, seeing it in terms of wisdom, seeing it in terms of real knowledge, seeing it in terms of ultimate reality, seeing it in terms of a truer, wider perspective.' [17]
However, this type of belief can be insidious, like a Trojan horse, because it carries the hidden corollary that the believer's present level of awareness and understanding is inferior to the ideal to which they newly aspire. Aspiration has its shadow, self-doubt.E.g.:
'spiritual life begins with awareness, when one becomes aware that one is unaware, or when one wakes up to the fact that one is asleep.' [18]
'We always have to be aware that our. . .um . . . what we think, is not true, until enlightenment.' [19]
It is this ego-dystonic undertow, this artificially created self-doubt, that is characteristic of cult-type belief systems. Essentially, cults undermine members' confidence in their own judgement, or more specifically in the judgement of their unreformed old self, so that they find it difficult to make decisions for themselves, independently of guidance from the group's teachers and preceptors.
Cult belief systems promote a utopian vision in which any individual, through following the group's teachings, can begin to realise their own higher potential, and can ultimately transcend the mundane. As outlined earlier, believers begin to aspire to a 'new life' or a 'new self', one which embodies the ideals and insights of the belief system. Simultaneously, believers begin to see their old self, their pre-cult personality, as having fallen short of these ideals. They begin to see the thoughts and opinions of their old self as flawed and unreliable, and may even begin to see their recalcitrant old self as a drain and a hindrance.
There are two intertwined aspects to this process:
From the ego-utopian side, a cult-type belief system presents a vision of an ideal new self, and this vision can become a source of vicarious pride for believers, as they identify with the ideal and bask in its reflected glory. Believers can begin to experience a feeling of intoxication with the ideals of the belief system, and a sense of pride in being associated with these ideals. As their commitment is recognised and acknowledged by the group's leaders, they may also develop a sense of pride in being admitted into an exclusive coterie. Often, established cult members will tend to divide the world into the saved and the fallen, and seeing themselves as members of an elect, will look down compassionately upon those not yet fortunate enough to be initiated into their belief system. This vicarious pride or hubris-by-proxy may possibly be one of the most attractive and even addictive aspects of cult involvement.
From the ego-dystonic side, a hierarchical cult-type belief system, combined with the aspirational and idealistic ethos of a community of believers, tends to create an ego-dystonic dynamic within the group. Ego-dystonia tends to perpetuate itself given the two necessary conditions, which are a hierarchical, bi-polar belief system and a community of believers. The doctrines of a hierarchical belief system encourage ego-dystonia and also define the community; the community perpetuates the doctrines, and the aspirational nature of the doctrines consolidates the community's appeal as a refuge for ego-dystonics. In other words, the belief system both creates a problem (ego-dystonia) and simultaneously offers a solution (ego-utopia). Like the proverbial chicken and egg, the whole thing can tend to become a self-perpetuating symbiosis.
In the absence of alternative sources of emotional nourishment, a believer can develop a psychological dependence on the feeling of enhanced self-confidence associated with being accepted as a member of an elite group. Like any addict, they may become dependent on their supplier. A believer can become dependent on the granting of recognition and appreciation by the believer's adoptive peer group, and by its leaders and hierachs. This appreciation and recognition can usually be earned, like brownie points, by supporting the group financially or by working for the group in various ways.
Cults don't usually try to induce extreme or pathological levels of ego-dystonic guilt in their members; milder levels can be just as effective. Mild guilt tends to be a good motivator, while excessive guilt tends to be disabling, and a disabled, de-motivated believer is of no use to a cult.
Cult leaders don't necessarily plan all this out in advance; these processes tend to occur naturally, given the necessary conditions. In fact, given the necessary conditions, it takes a positive effort to avoid becoming a cult.
In general, believers feel a pleasant ego-utopia or hubris so long as they remain in favour with the group, and an unpleasant ego-dystonic guilt if they are out of favour. For an outsider to be able to understand whether this type of psychological dependency may be a factor or not, it is necessary to have some understanding of the 'inner life' of the group's belief system, and to be able to empathise with the mind of a believer.
Hierarchies and the Politics of Personal Belief
The two conditions necessary for a cult to form are: a hierarchical, bi-polar type of belief system, and an organisation devoted to promoting that belief system.
Many belief systems, both cult and non-cult, are associated with a church or with an organised community of believers, which ostensibly supports and encourages individual believers in their efforts to realise the ideal for themselves In the earlier section 'Organisations and their belief systems', various criteria were proposed as a means of investigating the nature of a particular community of believers. Enquiring about roughly where the belief system fits in the quasi-religious spectrum, and about who the preceptors and moral arbiters of the group are, can be helpful in gaining an understanding of the group. The particular area of enquiry proposed in this section, is into the interior dynamics or politics of how an individual believer interacts with the organised body of believers.
Is the group's hierarchical belief system, with its beliefs about higher and lower levels of personal realisation, used to justify a hierarchical power structure within the organisation? Do the institutions of the belief system tend to support the aspirations of believers, or do they tend to subordinate believers to the interests of the organisation and its leaders?
It is sometimes suggested that Christianity began as a cult. The Christianity of Jesus and the disciples was unorthodox in its time, and might have met several of the criteria proposed so far for identifying a cult. However, a saying such as 'The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.' [20] does imply a spirit and an ethos centered on the needs of a believer, rather than on the needs of the belief system and its institutions. While it is admittedly rather difficult to know the 'inner life' of believers two thousand years ago, early Christianity would appear to fail Lifton's criterion for a cult of 'Doctrine over Person'.[5b]
Potentially, any belief system can be interpreted either in a cultish or in a non-cultish manner. Personal belief can sometimes become institutionalised and harden into group ideology, and it is not always easy for an outsider to know to what extent this has happened. The Uraguayan theologian Juan Segundo, who considers that 'the alienating sin of the world is ideology', writes that:
'liberation from ideology requires opting for the exercise of an ideological suspicion in order to unmask the unconscious ideological structures which dominate and which favor a powerful, privileged minority.' [21]
In the case of a cult, the 'powerful, privileged minority' are the cult leaders and hierachs. The difficulty is that an investigator (or potential new member) has to exercise a hermeneutic of faith as well as of suspicion, if they are to succeed in penetrating into the mind set of a cult member and in unmasking therein any 'unconscious ideological structures'. Only someone with hands-on experience of the ethos and interior dynamics of the group actually knows the point of view of an engaged believer. Only an insider can really tell us if the 'inner life' of the belief system serves the members or a privileged hierarchy.
This places an investigator in a dangerous paradox. On the one hand, they have to go native and enter into the belief system to some extent, if they want to know whether the 'inner life' of the belief system serves the members or the hierarchy. But the difficulty with experimenting with this sort of belief system is that at no point is it possible for an investigator to know for sure when to stop. Having begun to adopt, cautiously and on a trial basis, elements of a hierarchical, dualistic belief system, it is never possible to know when the belief system has been given a fair trial.
At no stage can an investigator or a newcomer eliminate the possibility that they have failed to attain any more than a mundane level of insight into the group's beliefs. They can never be sure that a breakthrough to a deeper level of understanding is impossible, or that valuable insights will definitely not result from attending the next training course or residential weekend offered by the group. Or from the next course after that. A hierarchical cult-type belief system is like an endless road to a uncertain destination.
This is because a hierarchical type of belief system, with its ideas about lower and higher levels of awareness and understanding, is intrinsically non-falsifiable. [22] No counter observations or criticisms of a hierarchical type of belief system can ever be established as objectively true. It is impossible for an investigator to prove any fault with the tenets of a hierarchical belief system, even after long term personal experience of the belief system, or to censure any of the methods (short of physical force) which might be used to promote such a belief system. It is never actually possible to prove that a group promoting such a belief system has used 'devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents', even if they have, because critics can never prove that their criticisms are not based merely on mundane ignorance and misunderstanding. From the perspective of a hierarchical, dualistic type of belief system, critics are deemed to be at a lower level of awareness, and are thus effectively disenfranchised. [23]
Any attempt at debate with the hierachs of a cult is doomed, because a critic can never disprove the hierachs' claim to a special revelation, or to a more profound understanding of the group's core beliefs. So attempts to reform a cult from within tend to be futile. It may also be difficult to warn outsiders what the 'inner life' of the belief system is actually like, because critics can never actually prove that their criticisms are objectively valid, not just personal and subjective.
These difficulties tend to be characteristic of cult-type belief systems, and help to put cult organisations beyond the reach of any outside authority.
Recruitment by Cults
Recruitment by Cults
By no means everyone who encounters a cult will be drawn in, so clearly mind control 'techniques' are not all-powerful. In general, less than 10%, and probably closer to 1% of people who attend a cult's introductory talk or a short course, might go on to become full members of the group. The process of recruitment involves befriending and then mentoring or discipling a newcomer, and this takes time. An established member may only be able to effectively befriend and mentor two or three newcomers at a time, so there is an arithmetical limit to the rate at which a cult can recruit new members, however many people may attend their introductory events.
There is often an element of deception or disingenuousness in the way that cults present themselves to the public. Someone encountering a group such as 'Sterling Management' (Scientologists) or 'Women's Federation for World Peace' (Moonies) may have no particular reason to be cautious of the group. Initial contact is usually achieved via an ostensibly neutral agency which has no visible cult associations, such as a meditation centre or a stress management course. Once initial contact has been established, selected individuals are targeted by the group's recruiters. In that sense, a person doesn't choose a cult, the cult chooses them.
Established members acting as recruiters will not wish to feel that their efforts have been wasted, and will tend to target individuals who appear more open to the ideals of the group. Recruiters are instinctively able to spot people who are similar in outlook and temperament to themselves, with whom they can simply re-enact the same processes by which they themselves were originally drawn into the group. Of course, recruiters are unlikely to consciously think of themselves as 'recruiters'; they are more likely to see themselves as altruists, reaching out to share their aspirations and beliefs with others. It can be rather like a chain letter or pyramid sales scheme.
A cult recruiter's role is essentially to make a newcomer feel welcome and appreciated, and to encourage them to feel an affinity for the idealistic belief system of the group. If this can be achieved, the belief system itself will largely do the rest. It is the belief system itself which is the primary active agent in cult mind-control.
One of the ways in which established members may gain ego-utopian brownie points is by attracting new members to the group. A successful recruitment tends both to enhance a recruiter's status within the group, and also to confirm their own faith and confidence in the group's belief system. This ego-utopian feedback process provides cults with a well motivated sales force that would be the envy of many conventional businesses.
The young and idealistic may be vulnerable to recruitment, as may individuals who are undergoing some change or uncertainty or re-evaluation in their lives, for example when leaving home to begin college, leaving college to enter the job market, changing jobs, or after a bereavement. This kind of situation can present a chance for a cult recruiter. People who maintain an established career and circle of friends are less likely to be drawn in to any depth.
The processes of recruitment are largely invisible to an onlooker. To understand the kinds of processes that occur within the minds of recruiter and recruitee, it is necessary to have some understanding of, and empathy for, the 'inner life' of the group's belief system.
Leaving a Cult
Disability Arising from Cult Involvement
As discussed earlier, the personal and experiential nature of belief systems in general means that it is not really possible to exercise informed free choice in advance, about the merits or otherwise of a belief system and set of attitudes promoted by a particular group. In order to make a meaningful evaluation of a belief system, it is necessary to go native and become a believer to some extent. Some affirmation of faith in the belief system is usually required of a believer, and there may be formal rituals of initiation into membership.
However, the hierarchical, bi-polar nature of cult belief systems in particular makes it dangerous even to experiment with them. Unless they are an investigator who became involved with a cult purely as a research project, with the clear intention of rejecting the belief system and leaving the cult environment after a set period of time, it may not be all that easy for someone to escape from a cult belief system.
Cults will do their best to ensure initial apparent benefits for new members. A cult might be compared to a card sharp [24], who will let a newcomer win the first few games in order to take all their money in the long run. There is no problem, so long as a member is happy to continue their involvement. However, should a member become unhappy with their involvement, or develop serious doubts about the belief system, the process of disentanglement may not be very straightforward. Rejecting the belief system in its entirety may not be easy, or even desirable. Even after physical contact with the group has ceased, elements of the cult belief system are likely to linger in the mind of an ex-member for some time, depending how deeply and for how long they were involved with the group. They may experience feelings of anxiety and disorientation as they try to rid themselves of the unwanted remnants of the cult belief system and the cult way of relating to the world, while simultaneously trying to regain some confidence either in their old, pre-cult belief system and ways of relating to the world, or alternatively, in some new, post-cult belief system.
For a while, an ex-member may exist in a sort of limbo between the cult world and the outside world, unsure which to believe in. To the extent that the cult belief system retains any degree of respect or credibility within an ex-member's mind, then to that extent leaving the group will seem like abandoning the ideals and aspirations of the group's belief system, and therefore a failure. On the other hand, to the extent that the cult belief system fails to retain credibility and is eschewed, to that extent an ex-member will tend to feel shame at their foolishness and gullibility in having once adopted beliefs and aspired to ideals which they now regard as unrealistic. So either they are a failure, or a gullible fool. Either way their self-esteem takes a knock, and they may find it difficult to have confidence in their own judgement, or in their ability to come to reasonable decisions.
In general, there appears to be little systematic research done into the after effects of cult involvement. Although there is a good deal of anecdotal evidence, it is difficult to quantify this or to put it into an appropriate perspective. It is difficult to agree on the definition of terms, and some researchers consider the testimonies of ex-cult members to be inherently unreliable. The threat of litigation may also inhibit research in some cases. Consequently, it is not clear whether adverse reactions to cult involvement are relatively common and typical, or uncommon and atypical. It is difficult to know to what extent any adverse reactions may be due to cult involvement and to what extent they may be due to other independent factors.
Nevertheless there is a substantial body of concern about cults and the effect that they can have upon their victims. This concern has been expressed for example by former RAF psychiatrist, Dr. Gordon Turnbull, who debriefed Beirut hostages Terry Waite and John McCarthy, and who sees similarities between them and some former cult members. In a BBC Newsnight report on cults, Dr. Turnbull commented that:
'There are, obviously, great similarities between hostages who have been kidnapped, who have been rescued, and cult victims who are re-emerging into normal life. The phenomena, the features of their regaining of control and regaining of responsibility are very similar. The symptoms that they display are similar too. The great difficulty is, however, that the symptoms closely resemble symptoms of major psychiatric illness.' [25]
The difficulties which ex-members may face in regaining a sense of control and responsibility in their lives, tend to result from their difficulties in finding a belief system they can believe in, rather than from weakness of character. A person's belief system includes moral codes and codes of conduct; it includes their beliefs about right and wrong, and about what constitutes responsible behavior. A person's belief system determines the way they behave. When there are two distinct and somewhat incompatible and conflicting belief systems, the cult and the non-cult, vying for supremacy in an ex-member's mind, the conflict between them may cause mental disorientation. It may cause uncertainty and confusion about right and wrong, and about what is an appropriate and responsible way to behave in a given set of circumstances.
The two rival belief systems, the cult and the non-cult, may coexist in an ex-members mind for some time, and an ex-member may oscillate or flip-flop between the two. For a while, they may not know what to believe, what to think, or who to trust. Using the metaphor of two selves, the cult self and the non-cult self, to represent these two states of belief, the psychologist Robert J. Lifton commented:
'The two selves [cult and non-cult] can exist simultaneously and confusedly for a considerable time, and it may that the transition periods are the most intense and psychologically painful as well as the most potentially harmful.' [26]
This analysis argues that understanding the 'inner life' of a belief system is crucial to discriminating between cults and non-cult organisations, and that it is also a key to understanding the particular nature of a cult. This analysis also suggests that the concept of 'bi-polar mind-control', with its implicit pressure to reject the flawed 'old self' in favour of an ideal 'new self' (or cult self), can be a useful tool in understanding the sort of mental space a cult member or former member will be operating in. It can be helpful to understand which self, either the old self with its old set of beliefs or the new self with its new set of cult beliefs, is more dominant at any particular time.
If you criticise a cult member, this may just encourage their tendency to see themselves (their old self) as flawed, and may push them further into the cult. If you criticise their church or group, the cult-member will go into cult-self mode and will see your criticisms as tending to confirm the cult's warnings about the outside world and its negative effects. A better approach may be to acknowledge and encourage a cult member's old self, without criticising or threatening the new cult self. If a cult member feels valued in themselves, and their old self does not feel devalued, then this weakens the cult's attraction for them.
As former Moonie Steven Hassan writes:
'I will never forget the simple gift of a cold drink on a hot day from a stranger as I sold flowers on a New York City street. By treating me with compassion, he helped to undo the Moonie-programmed belief that the ''outside'' world was evil. We should never pass up an opportunity to reach out to a cult member, whether he may be someone we know or a stranger. It could help open the door to his freedom.' [27]
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This page is for anyone looking to enjoy some cool photographs and engage in some thought provoking conversation.
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Jumanji: The Next Level
Spencer returns to the world of Jumanji, prompting his friends, his grandfather and his grandfather's friend to enter a different and more dangerous version to save him.
Genre: Action, Action & Adventure, Adventure, ComedyActor: Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas, Rhys Darby
Director: Jake Kasdan
Country: USA


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With the year coming to an end, a lot of things have changed in the world of cybersecurity and experts are gearing up for a new age of trends that are about to rule the internet in 2018.
At a popular Gartner security summit held this year, well-known security expert Earl Perkins, the VP of research at Gartner's Internet of Things division, recently suggested that no single security measure can be applied to secure all platforms, which is very true.
Be it the world of smartphones, cloud storage solutions or servers, each type of technology is different from the other, which is more evident in 2017 than ever.
Here is a list of some of this year's most anticipated changes in cybersecurity trends, many of which are bound to continue into the future.
#1 Increasing Attention to Cloud Security
Every last organization is increasingly concerned about cloud security, and it is with a reason. Almost every part of user data is saved in the cloud, be it their usage logs, usernames, passwords, personalized profiles and many other details.
Whether it's OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox, users have started storing more on the cloud than ever. Companies have started hiring experts to secure servers and keep them safe against hacking attempts because it may invariably affect their user base if there is a breach.
This trend is bound to reappear and evolve in the following months.
#2 Stop Focusing Only on Prevention
Cybersecurity experts at Security Zap advise that organizations should focus strongly on defending against attacks rather than investing millions of dollars in trying to prevent them. At the end of the day, cyber attacks could be inevitable, and they need to accept that fact.
The best step is to stay safe while also using forensic results to avert attacks from happening in the future. Prediction and prevention is the way to go in the future rather than trying to evade known threats in the short term, say the experts.
#3 Biometrics Became the Authentication Method
Ever since smartphones were implemented with biometrics using fingerprint and facial recognition sensors, the organizations—most notably banks and other financial industry giants—that require authentication have adopted biometrics technology for improved cybersecurity. Smart locks are considered to be the best way to protect private data on devices as well as on the cloud, within companies and so on.
This trend is expected to evolve into a combination of biometric fingerprinting and facial recognition as smartphones have started adopting the technology slowly in 2017 flagship models.
#4 Digital Ecosystem to Ensure Better Security
Instead of focusing on a single device which often gets breached, cybersecurity experts are creating a digital ecosystem of devices in a specific region. They safeguard against attacks by verifying when you are really connected to them. Be it a laptop, smartphone, computer or smart home voice-based devices, their vicinity is being used as a way to secure your setup and will further increase with IoT becoming more common than ever.
Many of the devices that are in use today are being upgraded with two-way authentication, so gaining access to them is next to impossible unless the real user authenticates an entry through their smartphone or e-mail apart from the growing usage of fingerprint sensors.
#5 Development Centers to Protect Apps and Data
The power of servers and supercomputers, which were primarily used in the past only to process large amounts of data, is now being used to protect the data that is used by internet users around the globe. Their computing power makes it easier to detect malware, viruses and other threats.
They are being further expanded this year, providing new opportunities for companies to employ the power of servers the security firms have to offer in order to ensure a safer internet for all.
The power of AI-driven applications and hardware is being utilized to its best extent in their regard. They are capable of understanding a user's habits and optimizing the security accordingly, making it easier to identify if there is an intrusion.
While many of the new security measures implemented today may sound like an intrusion into privacy, people have welcomed them because of how important it is to safeguard the data they store online for easy access.
The world of cybersecurity underwent a lot of changes in 2017, and security experts and IT organizations have made considerable changes in their measures so as to safeguard against external attacks. With a strong sense of balance on risk, resilience and the expenses involved in implementing these measures, they are being altered according to the industry requirements.


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Very hostile work environment. Dont get paid to stock your work truck with parts, dont get paid to bring in cheques cash or invoices that we collect from customers after the job to benefit the company, dont get paid to clean out your truck and only get paid 30 min travel time to each job which the average time to travel is at least an hour. We do an on call shift every 9 days so we give up 24 hours of our time every 9 days for no extra money. Got a sweater as an xmas bonus u have to give back when u quit...( thats right u give back your bonus ) u typically work 10 hours a day to make 7 and if theres no work available they dont care. They would rather give 50 guys 2 hours work in a day instead of paying 15 guys 8 hours a day. Management is the absolute worst they have 0 respect for technicians. Were just disposable to them. 5 guys quite every week. Company is a joke. Stay away
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The Town tendered a road reconstruction and valve repair project for the 2019 Capital Works Project. The contract was awarded to Border Paving Ltd.
The location is 47 A Street from 45 Avenue to 50 Avenue (Hwy 16A) and 45/49 Ave from 47A Street to 50 Avenue (Hwy 16A).
There will be intermittent road closures throughout the project, however, the contractor and the Town will be working diligently to maintain access for local events and businesses.
Please note the Closure of the following:
The 2019 Capital Works Project is underway and the above noted roads are currently closed and will remain closed until further notice. Access to the neighboring public areas and businesses will be maintained by way of main or alternate access routes throughout the project.
Current Closure: NOW CLOSED 49 Avenue from 50 Avenue (Hwy 16A) west to the Cultural Association building.
Previous Closure NOW OPEN 45/49 Avenue from Vantage Builders (West) to the Social Center (in front of the multiplex/curling arena)
47A Street from the Social center (North) to 50 Avenue (Hwy 16A)


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- Customizable container sizes to fit your job.
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his past Labour Day weekend, Geek Hard came, saw and conquered Fan Expo Canada 2016. It was an event for the ages with celebs, comic creators and cosplayers galore. There were even things there that didn't start with a C. Over the next few weeks, we'll be showing you some of Geek Hard's exploits as well as the many great interviews that we were lucky enough to grab. Join us as we take a trip into one of Fandom's greatest's weekends and Canada's biggest convention.
An annual tradition for Geek Hard at Fan Expo, Mr. Green stopped by the Toronto After Dark Film Festival booth to chat with festival director and founder Adam Lopez. Adam was more than happy to share with us a sampling of some of the films that will be featured at this year's fest. Watch as Adam tells us all about In a Valley a Violence (a Western starring Ethan Hawke and John Travolta), Kill Command (A British Sci-Fi/Action that features deadly robots), Under the Shadow (considered one of the scariest films of the year), The Rezort (Jurassic Park meets Zombies) and Anti-Birth (a horror comedy about child birth starring Natasha Lyonne). This is just a few of the films that you can see at this year's Toronto After Dark, celebrating it's 11th year of horror and genre goodness this October 13th to 21st at the Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto. You can find out about an additional 5 films right now, as well as purchase your tickets now at www.torontoafterdark.com.
Be sure to check in with Geek Hard during the festival as we'll be bringing coverage on the films throughout. We've also got more videos on the way featuring interviews with some of the most interesting folks we met at this year's Fan Expo Canada, so keep coming back for more.
Keep checking our Youtube channel for more vids and subscribe. If you like what you see, support our Patreon.
If you're gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!


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Two horses stand next to each other on a tree-lined street, their reins held by a male circus performer, while Oscar Lowande, another male performer stands atop, with one leg positioned on the back of each horse, and his wife, Mamie Lowande, standing on his shoulders, creating a pyramid effect. They are members of the Forepaugh & Sells Bros. Circus. 1899
From the Wisconsin Historical Society.


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German supermarket Aldi has become a firm favourite with shoppers in Kent.
Now we can reveal where it wants to open new stores, with several towns in the county on the wish list.
Aldi plans to expand its fresh produce and baby ranges, as well as introducing a new food-to-go fixture in UK stores after becoming the sixth-largest supermarket chain in Britain.
The chain has listed its requirement towns on its website - and it's good news for Kent shoppers.
Aldi will be opening new stores in the near future, including in the following Kent towns:
Tunbridge Wells
Aldi revealed its desire to develop the Esso garage site on Eridge Road in November 2015, and the chain said they will soon submit details to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council .
A spokesman said: "Many local people commented that they would like to have more food shopping choice closer to home and said that the a new store would give them easier access to Aldi's popular high quality, great value ranges, saving them time and money.
"The new store would also create up to 50 new jobs for local people."
However in a recent update Aldi hinted it may be distancing itself from building behind Eridge Road .
Aldi's website has also listed its requirement towns, with several places in Kent currently on the list.
Some are even in places where Aldi already operates a store, so that's rather exciting.
Aldi's Kent wishlist
Tunbridge Wells
KentLive: We have Kent covered
Do you want to stay up to date with everything that's happening across the county with KentLive?
Here's the link to our main Facebook page where we share our latest stories, including anything from breaking news to features, court coverage and much, much more.
For What's On content such as the latest openings, events, and shopping news see here.
And we have a specialist Facebook group covering traffic and travel across the south east, where we provide the latest updates from any incidents on the roads or trains.
You can also follow KentLive on Twitter here, as well as on our Instagram page where we share great pictures of Kent.
For a round-up of the day's top stories direct to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter here.


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Descriptions for Description
Name: Screens Version: 3.6.7 Mac Platform: Intel Includes: K OS version: 10.9 Processor type(s) & speed: Intel RAM minimum: N/A Video RAM: N/A Activation: Use the included K (By Special K) What's New in Version 3.6.7 Fixed pasteboard transfer issues Fixed French Belgium keyboard mapping Screens now supports TLS authentication. YAY! General stability improvements Screens is the ultimate VNC client for your Mac. Features: iCloud - Synchronize all your stored screens on all your iOS devices, including your Mac. OS X 10.7 Lion-ready: use Screens in fullscreen mode to make it feel your remote computer is right there in front of you. Easy to Use: Screens is the easiest, most user friendly VNC client for Mac. Secure: Screens can connect to your computer through a SSH Tunnel so your session is encrypted and safe. Multi-Touch: Screens supports many multi-touch features, such as pinch and navigation, you're already used to on your trackpad. Screens Connect: Make your computer available from anywhere with this optional helper app. Easy as flicking a switch. No messy router setup.* Versatile: Screens can connect to Macs with OS X 10.4 or later, Linux, Windows PCs and most VNC servers. Works Anywhere: Through WiFi or a 3G network. Screens. It just works. More info: http://edovia.com/screens/#mac Mac App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/screens-vnc-access-your-computer/id446107677?mt=12


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IOD Open House 2018
The Institute of Directors has been holding an annual conference for decades. This year, they decided to create something entirely different - Open House.
Designed to welcome a new kind of business pioneer, as well as its traditional membership, this star-studded event required a fresh new tone to pull in the punters.
I worked with Innovision on everything from the website and social media to the speakers' briefings and schedule.


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Oldest woman on Earth now lives in Turkey
Local register office director Irfan Ertas says that according to the papers, Halime Solmaz, Kurdish by nationality, was born on July 1, 1884.
She was married twice, losing her first husband after three years of marriage during World War I. According to reports, with her second husband she had seven children (four sons and three daughters) and is grandmother to 54 and great-grandmother to 150. Even her relatives do not know how many great-great-grandchildren she has.
For the past 40 years she has been blind. She has no chronic illnesses but because of her age sometimes she forgets even to eat and drink unless she's reminded.


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Football activities for all ages
Do you or you child want to get involved in football?
Are you looking to have fun and make new friends?
If the answer is yes then we are sure to have the right activity available for you or your child.
Football Development offer a wide variety of football activities that are available for everyone from pre school children through to adults.
The aim is to encourage and motivate people of all ages and abilities to have fun, learn, improve and compete in a safe environment. However, more importantly, develop life skills such as respect and responsibility, confidence and compassion, resilience and friendship through football.
To register for online booking and payment fill in your details here
Already registered - you can book and pay here.
Alternatively, you can book over the phone by calling 0141 577 3008 Mon - Fri 8:45am - 4:45pm.


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Lyon Coffee Rum Liqueur
Coffee Liqueurs
Lyon // Maryland, USA
Maryland's Lyon Distilling Co. has added a variety of spirits to its roster since it opened in 2013, from white and dark rum to rye whiskey. Launched in 2018, their flagship liqueur uses rum as a base and is infused with coffee from a local roaster. Before being bottled at 72 proof, it's sweetened with a touch of chocolate.
Coffee LiqueursCoffee liqueurs are often dark in color and tend to use real coffee in its creation. However, artificial flavors can be used. Often neutral spirits are used as the base but any liquor family can be used.
Cask Type
Tasting Notes
"With notes of vanilla, chocolate and coffee on the nose, Lyon Coffee Rum Liqueur is reminiscent of chocolate-covered espresso beans. At 36% ABV, there's significant heat from the rum base on the palate, followed by notes of bittersweet chocolate. It has a slightly oily texture, so the spice lingers on the tongue for a while, but eventually fades to a nice, rich chocolate and creamy coffee finish. This liqueur would work well in cocktails or served over ice for slight dilution."


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The Top Austin Attorney listing was compiled through an online peer-voting process.
Austin Monthly magazine has named 12 Husch Blackwell attorneys as Top Austin Attorneys for 2019 in its August issue.
Recognized were:
To compile the list, Austin Monthly partnered with DataJoe Research, a software and research company specializing in data collection and verification that conducts various nominations across the United States on behalf of publishers. DataJoe facilitated an online peer-voting process, confirming that each published winner had, at time of review, a current, active license status with the appropriate state regulatory board.
Subscribe to receive Husch Blackwell's news and insights.
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By clicking [I agree] or continuing to use the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For information on what cookies we use and how to manage our use of cookies, please visit our Privacy Policy.


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The discussion around sharing financial data today is most often in reference to major industry happenings, like PSD2, Open Banking and the sudden influx of APIs in the financial services space. But within the enterprise itself, data sharing is now paramount to achieving a single source of truth: real-time visibility into cash positions, payments, the status of various processes and beyond.
Deployment of apps is now standard for most businesses, but multiple systems are plaguing firms with "app fatigue." On average, business professionals use 9.4 apps at work, according to research from Harmon.ie released last year. The industry using the most apps? Information technology (IT), whose professionals juggle more than 10 apps in the workplace, on average.
It's unsurprising, then, that managed service providers (MSPs), which often specialize in providing IT services to their business customers, have been forced to quickly address data management challenges – not only for the MSP itself, but for their clients, too.
"MSPs are essentially given the keys to the kingdom," said Jim Lippie, GM of cloud computing at Kaseya, which provides IT management solutions for managed service providers. "Every single one of their customers relies on their technology infrastructure to run their business. They're entrusting that MSP to make sure their systems are up and running, and that the data is secure. That's a lot of pressure on an MSP to make sure they're not only able to maintain that infrastructure, but to make sure it's optimal and secure."
Increasingly, MSPs are tasked with handling more financial data as well, from sources like invoices and payments of their customers. That, too, is a challenge for any business: EY research published in 2015 found that the biggest financial reporting challenges for CFOs is a lack of integration between IT systems.
Two-thirds noted that they plan to increase their dependence on managed service providers to handle corporate reporting, meaning MSPs are taking on new burdens of data collection and analysis for their clients.
"A huge part of running a business is making sure everything you do, from a CRM [customer relationship management] or a PSA [professional services automation] perspective, is tied in with the organization's financial metrics," the executive noted.
Kaseya recently announced a direct integration with small business accounting platform Xero, adding onto the firm's existing integration with QuickBooks. The collaboration, Lippie explained, aims to provide clients with "a complete ecosystem, to be able to look at financial information and let financial professionals have operational oversight."
Trust in cloud-based systems is on the rise among business professionals, and research released earlier this month from Sapho found that nearly all of the 1,000 surveyed CIOs, CTOs and other executives plan to upgrade those apps in the coming year. But making sure these platforms communicate with each other – that is, share data – and provide professionals with a streamlined view of what's going on is becoming a growing hurdle. Sapho's report found that 84 percent of survey respondents require data integration solutions.
"There is a desperate need to modernize the employee experience of enterprise applications," said Sapho co-founder and CEO Fouad ElNaggar in a statement when the report was released. "Enterprises have spent trillions of dollars on applications to increase employee productivity and satisfaction, and yet employees avoid them due to their complex workflows and hard-to-use interfaces, which haven't changed in years."
According to Kaseya's Lippie, the ability to manage data between apps is especially important for MSPs.
"It is an industry that is dependent on data," he said. "At the same time, I would say that small businesses in general, not just MSPs, are starting to understand the importance of creating better data warehouses and better data systems for business intelligence. They know that if they have better information, they can make better informed decisions about their businesses and clients."
Integrating with apps that contain financial data is a key component of that effort, the executive added, though explained that it can be more difficult for MSPs to gain that insight due to the data-dependent nature of this market.
"Stand-alone businesses are concerned with their own financials," he said. "But MSPs have a range of customers, from ADHCs to a dentist to a financial services organization. Their customer base is really widespread, so they have to make sure they have the proper tools in place to manage all of those different types of customers."
Lippie added that MSPs need a "single point of truth" to operate as efficiently as possible. With financial data, that means understanding their own customer's finances, like outstanding invoices and payments, as well as their own.
"Taking that data means making better hiring decisions, better purchasing decisions, understanding whether to build an app or buy one," Lippie said. "The information they're able to share and see and understand, together in a collaborative environment, creates better decision-making.
"I'm a big believer in Big Data," he continued. "Organizations of all sizes need to leverage tools and applications to gain as much insight into their business as possible."
New PYMNTS Report: Preventing Financial Crimes Playbook – July 2020
Call it the great tug-of-war. Fraudsters are teaming up to form elaborate rings that work in sync to launch account takeovers. Chris Tremont, EVP at Radius Bank, tells PYMNTS that financial institutions (FIs) can beat such highly organized fraudsters at their own game. In the July 2020 Preventing Financial Crimes Playbook, Tremont lays out how.


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No doubt on what the most famous ultra-trail is: the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. It starts in Chamonix, France and features 10.000mt D+ and 170km development across 3 countries: France, Switzerland and Italy. Two years ago I won the lottery for CCC – one of the 6 course of the UTMB event – but in the end I didn't go. I then decided to check out the places where I should have raced.
While planning my travel to Chamonix, I made an extensive search for good trails where to run. One of the first results I got from Google was the Vallee du Trail website (www.valleedutrail.com), that offers a mobile App with suggestions for trails divided by levels. Once installed the App, I looked for suggested readings to find out the bestseller was the book by Kingsley Jones "Trail Running – Chamonix and the Mont Blanc region" (more info at this link). It isn't easily reachable online and almost impossible to find it in book stores in Italy. In the end, it was too late and I only I bought a 1:50.000 map of the region and made my way to Chamonix.
Immediately after crossing the Mont Blanc tunnel I felt in a magic place. Chamonix is situated at 1.000mt altitude in a valley between very high mountains. Two cableways from Chamonix directly takes you to Aguille du Midi at 3.842mt and, on the opposite side, to Le Brevent at 2.525mt.
Using the incredibly well made Vallee du Trail App I planned a big tour for day 1. I woke up early feeling like I child at Christmas Eve and wore shoes and camelback. My wife drove me to Vallorcine, the town immediately after Argentiere. The App marked the trail as Difficult with 1.600mt D+ and 26km development but I was not afraid, since I dealt with something similar in the past and I was euphoric. It was great fun from the beginning jumping up big rocks along a river. The trail brought me to a pass covered with snow and then to the highest peak of the trail at Col de Salenton at 2.526mt.
From there the slight downhill didn't allow speed because of muddy slippery terrain. Water pour from stream and waterfalls everywhere. The environment was wild and silent. At km 15 I found the Refuge de Moëde Anterne (http://www.refuge-moede-anterne.com) where I filled up my flask. After another couple kilometers I had a blast seeing Lak de Pormenaz, a small Lake at 2.000mt altitude with a crystal clean water. From there it was a way down to Servoz where I met my wife at the train station waiting for me with very appreciated and fine food!
On Day 2 I rested because of bad weather conditions and went to Annecy for a fast day trip, that I recommend.
On Day 3 I went for what the App described as an "Easy" level trail. The course started in the centre of Chamonix and brought me up to Chalet Floria at 1.355mt. The Chalet was beautifully built on the side of the mountain, a wonderful balcony reached out the valley. Unfortunately, that day was very cloudy and foggy, so I couldn't enjoy the view, anyway it was great fun. The way back was very slippery, so I had to slow down the pace to avoid a fall.
On Day 4 I had sore legs but I didn't want to waste the opportunity of a final run before going back home.
I planned to go with my wife on the top of the first cableway stop to Le Brevent at 1.999mt, so instead of taking the cableway I ran up the steep 1.000mt D+. There are two trails climbing up the mountain: one is below the pylons with a final climbing and the other one seemed easier. I decided to go for the easier one. I found the trail interrupted by two different landslides so I had to climb the rocks to get back to the trail twice. The trail was not clean so I couldn't run, but the view on Chamonix and Mount Blanc was amazing. I never experienced something comparable before. At the cableway arrival station, I found a lot of people doing paragliding and finally a fresh bottle of water. The way back I decided not to run, in the end who like descending!
My days in Chamonix are now over but I'm absolutely sure I will be back. Chamonix it's a beautiful city, well served and full of countless trails in all directions. It can be described as the trail runner paradise, indeed. However, Chamonix has much to offer to anybody likes nature.
I love you Chamonix, I love you Mont Blanc!