Today, there are thousands of cults around the world. Broadly speaking, a cult is a group or movement with a shared commitment to a usually extreme ideology that’s typically embodied in a charismatic leader. But what exactly differentiates cults from other groups – and why do people join them? Janja Lalich describes how cults recruit and manipulate their members.
View the full TED-Ed lesson here: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-people-join-cults-janja-lalich
Lesson by Janja Lalich. Animation by Gobizco.
I would like to thank TED-Ed for inviting me to write the script for this lesson. And all gratitude goes to the TED-Ed editorial team and the magnificent animator, Hernando Bahanon.