What “unreasonable fears” do many cult members have?
These are fears often not based upon objective reality, such as bizarre conspiracy theories, baseless projections of an impending catastrophe, crisis and/or physical danger. Members of some cult groups are warned of an extreme punishment beyond death proscribed specifically for those who refuse to submit to the group and its leader. They may also be told stories about those who left or were disobedient and how their lives were tragically ended or impacted as a direct result. Many of these stories may be made up, grossly exaggerated and/or distorted, but they reflect an implicit purpose, which is to intimidate members and thus retain them within the group.
