TED-Ed

Janja Lalich: Why do people join cults? (2017x66)

: 12, 2017

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. [Directed by Globizco, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Manuel Borda].