Cults of Influence: The ADVantage Podcast with Amandha Vollmer (ADV)

Cults of Influence: The ADVantage Podcast with Amandha Vollmer (ADV)

Video Overview

Here it is! Get the ADVantage. My first podcast is live! Enjoy!

During the first installment of her podcast, Amandha Vollmer (ADV) takes us on a deep dive into the psychology of cults and how they operate. With over two decades of experience in holistic health, Amandha expertly unravels how cult-like behaviors and structures can profoundly affect the health, freedom, and community of those involved.

This episode, titled “Cults of Influence,” explores the intricate dynamics of cults, highlighting the manipulative tactics that cult leaders use to exert control over their members. Amandha’s unique perspective not only covers the well-known emotional and psychological impacts of cults but also connects these to broader health implications, including the influence of societal structures that mimic cult behaviors.

Amandha Vollmer invites viewers to explore topics such as vibrational medicine, herbal remedies, and holistic parenting, emphasizing the importance of natural and spiritual remedies in maintaining well-being. Her insights into the determinants of health extend beyond the physical, incorporating socio-economic and psychological aspects that influence our health outcomes.

Join Amandha as she provides enlightening discussions and practical advice on resisting manipulative influences and fostering a supportive community that values truth, honesty, and holistic health solutions.

Cult Notes

Cults typically center around extreme and unusual beliefs, devotion to their leader, and/or an extreme focus on the collective rather than the individual.

Difficult time in life – looking for help with self-esteem, positive feedback, sometimes to absorb you and distract you from your own losses and pain, salvation from the pain.

About 5000 cults in the U.S and growing – often they will expand overseas – 20 million people involved in cults

Can be formed around any content – any topic.

Ever-changing theme for cults – when culture changes, manipulative people take advantage.

The nucleus of a destructive cult – Robert J Lifton = Harvard Uni Paper – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x2mWDq1kzSfXMT8x3TgZQOESbz9JP_NVYO815SikG3Q/edit

3 core characteristics

Leader then becomes the focus of worship
Thought reform and coercive persuasion techniques to gain undue influence
Using this influence to exploit members

TACTICS:

Separation in some way from others. Also an offer of salvation.
Large group awareness training – constantly with other devotes – hearing the jargon
Epiphany is generated which is the hook
Lose the individual – become part of the group – lose autonomy – no longer able to analyze alone – now need a guide for your perceptions
Ironically they do become separated and isolated from others even in online cults – family members or friends are not as wise or know enough and this can lead to conflict in their real lives.
Set up as a privilege to be there.
Top members will address new members
Status increases based on how much money you give.
Controlling their actions in some manner
How is criticism handled in the group?
Promising secrets revealed

Followers surrender over to this so they can get the proposed secrets
Sugar and honey lures
Controlling “thinking time” – destabilization
Dependency
Disconnection from others
Fatigue/exhaustion

Praying at ridiculous hours

Hierarchy created (same with gangs)
Your thoughts are not your own – report all thoughts

Obedience is promoted – OBEY!
Approval for everything – submit

Everyone tells on one another (teaches them not to say too much – maintaining a fake, altered personality).

The pure go to heaven – do this and you will get that (promises of heaven).

Developing the cult Pseudo-personality – pseudo-identity
Mind control -social influence programs – strips away the ability to think for oneself

Trauma leading to dissociation
Any coincidence that happens, the cult leader takes the credit for.
A holy man, someone who gives blessings to you.
Offering salvation and no one else knows except I.

VULNERABILITIES:

People seeking spiritual experiences
Desiring escapism
Isolated, alone, worried – offer of something really good, or else no one would join
Anyone can be sucked in
Unresolved insecurities
Easily manipulated personality types
Obey without question
Avoiding getting in trouble and desiring rewards – childhood trauma not yet integrated
Narcissism is on the rise – many know how to use NLP and hypnotic techniques.
People seeking meaning and purpose
HOPIUM addicts
Wanting to know God

Wanting to be famous, rich, or never alone
Wanting connection and care
Immigrant

Recent death in the family

Starting a new school

Struggling artists

Famous Deprogammers/Cult Teachers

Ted “Black Lightning” Patrick, the father of modern cult deprogramming (https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/07/205521/cult-deprogramming-history-documentary-mia-donovan)
Rick Alan Ross – cult deprogrammer since the early 80’s – https://culteducation.com/warningsigns.html
International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)
Margaret Thaler Singer, Ph.D.

Robert J Lifton: https://ia902202.us.archive.org/35/items/ThoughtReformAndThePsychologyOfTotalism/Thought_Reform_and_the_Psychology_of_Totalism.pdf

Cult Leader:

No empathy
No moral compass – illusion of morals only
Predatory
No compassion
Double set of ethics
Elitist -above other people in the world – so that it is okay to treat those people unfairly or worse

Gather as many members, power, and money as possible.
More focus on the leader rather than the information
Deceptive recruitment – don’t see the bottom line – what this will look like over time
The Leader will grow more powerful but will say he or she is helping them

Absolute authoritarianism without accountability

1. Zero tolerance for criticism or questions
2. Lack of meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget
3. Unreasonable fears about the outside world that often involve evil conspiracies and persecutions
4. A belief that former followers are always wrong or lost for leaving and there is never a legitimate reason for anyone else to leave
5. Abuse of members in some way (taking advantage)
6. Records, books, articles, or programs documenting the abuses of the leader or group – a paper trail of a shady past.
7. Followers feel they are never able to be “good enough” or strive to be more like the leader
8. A belief that the leader is right at all times
9. A belief that the leader is the exclusive means of knowing “truth” or giving validation

Films on Cults –

The Vow
Midsommar
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The Master – L Ron Hubbard
Martha Marcia May Marlene
Holy Smoke
Handmade’s Tale

Dancing for the Devil – 7M Shekinah TikTok Cult – Man of God aka Robert Shinn – NDA, Jesus cult, die to your family, labour exploitation, deep mind control, drain their bank accounts, their take all the sponsorship money, using a lifestyle to woo and give disillusionment. Christian Hollywood Cult

Don’t believe what you hear, damage control when exposed by family. Ran over a decade of cult activity.

Poverty, promises of fame

Promises of being more holy, being closer to God, saved as you are a sinner, if you abandon your family you will save them too. They are sinners but you will sacrifice for them while living in luxury. Die to your life, he teaches.
The more you give to the cult then you will receive even MORE in heaven! More rewards!
Sexual assault allegations
Promises of everlasting life

Outsiders are always made as very evil. Those who leave the cult go to hell, you will be cursed by God.
Fancy work exploitation cult.
If you did well you would be praised in the group, if not you would be called out in the group to create embarrassment and to ostracize them from the congregation. This is a method of behaviour control and training the others not to step out of line.
When caught, rebuking and slandering

Cialdini – 6 basic principles of influence:

Cult Examples:

Gangs – ALL are military/government caused and exacerbated – arrests lead to deportations causing gang spread
Prison gangs – again, institution caused. Segregation leads to racism and increasing hate.
Hare Krishnas
Raelian
Jehovah’s Witness
Scientology
12 Tribes of Israel – attracts “hippie” types – Yellow Deli restaurants being run by the Twelve Tribes! The people there are forced to work there as “volunteers” and get no wages or tips, the money goes straight to the cult. Yellow Delis are popping up everywhere, especially near impressionable college kids and tourist areas! US, Canada, France, Germany, Australia. – Child labour, corporal punishment
Children of God Cult aka The Family
Happy Science – leader claims to be more powerful than God – egomaniac
The Joy
David Koresh presented as very kind and charismatic, self-deprecating, humble – people are taken in by that personality
Unification Church (“Moonies”)
Countries – i.e. North Korea
Shoko Asahara, the leader of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult – Tokyo Subway system bombing
Paul MacKensay – Good News International Church – murdering children
Scientism cults – virology, ball earth, evolution

Medical cult – doctors as Gods

What ISN’T a cult?

Mason’s
7th Day Adventists – Millerites previously – became a mainstream religion when the leader died – can become less controlling
Mormon’s another example – denatured

Even Jehovah’s Witnesses softened

AVOID!
Irreversible damage:
Long-time cult involvement leads to severe issues once they leave the cult (often they collapse or eject old members who may start to figure things out).
It takes a long time to learn to make decisions again.

Hard to leave – old addictions return

Some commit suicide

***

Red flags for possible controlled op (cointelpro), cult leaders, or gatekeeper accounts.

By ADV

History of getting out of jail and suddenly coming into money.

Flaunting or boasting of possessions and/or asking for donations directly.

Using sympathy to gain support. Always playing the victim. Apologies are weak if any.

Rarely laughing, smiling or making light-hearted jokes.

Continually hanging out with known gatekeepers or controlled op agents. Promoting these agents (funneling members, harvesting member data).

Never mentioning the possibility of controlled op or gatekeepers. Dismissing or blocking anyone else who does raise those suspicions. Attacking naysayers (all while claiming not to care what people think or say).

Using word salad, unique words or specialized speech that makes them look smarter or having far more knowledge than anyone else.

Saying a lot without really saying much at all. Huge, long livestreams to monopolize time (classic cult strategy, also helps with donation income).

Making large (and often wild) claims, saying there is evidence without immediately backing them up with said evidence.

Inconsistency of information, confusing information (duplicity).

Using fantasy to pull people out of reality. This often creates a codependent relationship. Taking people away from nature. Divorcing themselves from their own bodies or self-sense.

Making huge claims that can never be proven.

Attracts members with a history of PTSD, other traumas, or loneliness looking for transcendence, alleviation of shame, and meaning.

Using little pieces of truth to hook followers and only dancing around the topic, never diving into it.

Making predictions and claiming specific dates.

Love bombing members in live discussions.

Focusing on fear and/or fantasy and rarely, if ever, giving real solutions.

If you challenge any of the members who follow such people they immediately fall into ad hominem attacks which highlights a psychological deficiency and possible naivety.

Using fear to sell products.

Setting up members for “profound experiences” which can hook them for a long time. Help them enough to keep them grateful to the leader (Stockholm Syndrome).

Continually steering people in a direction away from truth.

The leader has specialized knowledge no one else has.

Information overload – flooding members or listeners with data (Scientology is a great example of this), requirements for much study – keeping members busy on their “enlightenment.”

Generally, if you look, you will find other people calling out their inconsistencies or questioning their authenticity.

Most will attract the intellectually lazy who will not see the leaders’ inconsistencies.

Soon having huge followings and never getting canceled or shadow-banned. If they do it seems like drama or a show and they are back up and running quickly.

Often a goal is to make people turn against their fellow brothers and sisters inside the truth movement or whatever movement they associate with while gaining loyalty.

The dynamic leader (usually narcissistic) will use a specific NLP-style cadence, make the viewer feel like they are being looked at (seen), and make them feel special or better than other people for believing what the leader teaches. – a form of love-bombing

They will give just enough truth to keep their congregation hooked while implanting false ideas.

Symbology is dark and suspicious. If you ask a question about it, you will more than likely be blocked.

Hand signals and facial expressions can also be strange and suspicious.

Generally, they have large production teams although sometimes they will swing the other way and make themselves look like they are “just like us“, with regular tech, even throwing in glitches for better convincing.

Their ultimate job is to destroy cohesion in the counterculture.

Above all, use discernment, hone your intuition, listen to your gut, contemplate your own beliefs and habits and if you aren’t sure, take some space for a while to be with your own energy and to find clarity.

***

ADV’s Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/amandhavollmer/p/podcast-1-cults-of-influence

ADV’s Telegram: https://t.me/amandhavollmer/6074

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​

Amandha D Vollmer
BSc, Herbalist, Reiki Master,
Holistic Health Practitioner,
Degree of Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

About Amandha Vollmer (ADV):
Amandha Vollmer (ADV) is the author of Healing with DMSO and a holistic health educator whose work explores natural health, DMSO, self-care and health sovereignty.

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