Based on Steven Hassan's book Combatting Cult Mind Control
10. Autonomy and individuality are discouraged. Dependence, conformity and obedience are encouraged and sometimes required.
9. A person must shed his old identity and aquire a new one that is desired by the group.
8. The information one is allowed to access and be exposed to is tightly restricted.
7. The doctrine claims to answer all questions and problems. One need not think for themselves, the doctrine does the thinking for him.
6. Members are assigned specific goals and tasks thus restricting their free time and behavior. In destructive cults there is always something to do.
5. The cults "loaded language" keeps members feeling special and seperate from the world around them. It also confuses newcomers and implies that they must simply "study harder" in order to "understand". Understanding simply means believing.
4. Members are trained to disbelieve any criticism. Critical words are explained away in advance as " the lies Satan puts in people's minds"
3. Members are told to avoid contact with ex-members, those who could provide the most information are ones to be especially shunned.
2. People are not allowed to question the leaders or the doctrine. If there is a problem it is always that of the individual's and they are at fault.Since the doctrine is the 'TRUTH' any flaw is viewed as the believer's imperfection.
1. People have the freedom to join but not the freedom to leave a destuctive cult. There's not a legitimate reason for a person to ever leave and those doing so will have evil befall them.