"Cult: The other person's religion."

For example: There is a current cult which preaches that the
true individual is just a temporary passenger in his body. After
death the soul is carried away to Heaven by superior beings [if it is
not first corrupted by malevolent superior beings while still in
human incarnation]. The present cult leader is a charismatic figure
who claims infallibility, and cult members travel widely to recruit
new followers to the cult. Some of the more fanatic cultists close
themselves away from society, dress identically, cut their hair
close to the scalp, abstain from sex, and discipline themselves
in various ways to suppress egotistical or individualistic motives
or behavior. They have only infrequent, if any contact with their
families. Some went to the extreme of castrating themselves.
Over the years cult members have behaved in ways guaranteed to
provoke their premature death through martyrdom, following the
example of the original cult leader, who taught that he was a
superior intelligence temporarily occupying a human body. After
unsatisfactory sexual relationships in his early life, he became
asexual, and both predicted and went voluntarily to his own
premature death. He taught that a moment would come when
only those who had adhered to the cult would be transported
from their earthly bodies to Heaven by the superior beings.

This particular cult has "attracted individuals in the low/low
middle income areas and individuals with less education". It has also
tortured to death millions of persons trying to leave the cult,
or who refused to join, and indeed has exterminated entire
civilizations for their refusal to convert to the cult.

Among the more disturbing practices of this cult are ceremonial
vampirism (the drinking of wine supposed to be human blood) and
cannibalism (the eating of wafers supposed to be human flesh).
Its insignia is a human death-by-torture machine.

I agree that such cults are a serious problem facing society
today.

Michael A. Aquino, Ph.D.