People think that a cult is a group with strange beliefs where everybody all dresses the same and they all live in a commune together.

人們認為，邪教是一個有著奇怪信仰的團體，每個人都穿著一樣的衣服，他們都住在一個公社裡。

But in fact, cult-like groups take many forms.

但事實上，邪教組織有多種形式。

Whoever you are, there's probably one attractive to someone like you.

無論你是誰，都可能有一個吸引你這樣的人。

When I use the term cult, I'm using it to describe a psychological system of control and it can manifest itself anywhere.

當我使用 "邪教 "這個詞時，我是在描述一種心理控制體系，它可以在任何地方表現出來。

I know what I went through and it was pretty horrific.

我知道自己經歷了什麼，那是相當可怕的。

Cults have been around for millennia, but they really hit the headlines in the 1960s and 70s as people began to experiment with alternative lifestyles and new religious ideas.

邪教已經存在了幾千年，但真正成為頭條新聞是在 20 世紀 60 年代和 70 年代，當時人們開始嘗試另類生活方式和新的宗教思想。

Some of these experiments turned dark, most notoriously with over 900 people drinking cyanide in Jonestown in 1978.

其中一些實驗結果令人大跌眼鏡，最著名的是 1978 年在喬尼斯鎮有 900 多人喝下氰化物。

But cults didn't die off in the 70s.

但邪教並沒有在 70 年代消亡。

The reality is they're everywhere.

現實情況是，它們無處不在。

There are hundreds and hundreds of cults in the UK.

英國有成百上千的邪教組織。

A common misconception is that a cult needs to be religious or spiritual in nature, but in reality, they can pop up anywhere.

一個常見的誤解是，邪教必須是宗教或精神性質的，但實際上，邪教可以在任何地方出現。

Nobody joins a cult.

沒有人會加入邪教。

They join a group that they think is going to help them understand themselves better or a group that they think is going to help them make a difference in the world.

他們會加入一個他們認為能幫助他們更好地瞭解自己的團體，或者一個他們認為能幫助他們改變世界的團體。

Usually the initial experiences are quite positive and that's part of the reason why people don't really see what they're getting involved in.

通常情況下，最初的經歷都是相當積極的，這也是為什麼人們並不真正瞭解他們所參與的活動的部分原因。

I joined a church.

我加入了一個教會。

It was very different from the church I knew growing up.

這與我成長過程中認識的教會截然不同。

They told me how amazing I was, how treasured I was, and because of that I ignored the warning signs that something was wrong.

他們告訴我，我是多麼了不起，我是多麼值得珍惜，正因為如此，我才忽略了一些不對勁的警示信號。

Over time I got more and more involved and they slowly stepped up the control.

隨著時間的推移，我參與得越來越多，他們也慢慢加強了控制。

I got to the place where I just did not know if what I was seeing and what I was hearing was even real or not anymore.

我到了不知道我所看到的和我所聽到的是真是假的地步。

It's taken a lot of work to pin my mind back onto reality again.

我費了好大的勁，才把思緒重新拉回現實。

So what is a cult?

那麼，什麼是邪教呢？

When do we call something a cult and when do we not?

我們什麼時候該稱某件事為邪教，什麼時候不該？

For me, it's much more helpful to talk about the system of control than it is to talk about cult in terms of, oh, it's a quirky group.

對我來說，談論控制體系比談論邪教更有幫助，因為它是一個古怪的團體。

It's when the practices become harmful to the mental, physical or financial wellbeing of members that problems begin.

當這些做法對成員的精神、身體或經濟健康造成傷害時，問題就開始了。

What's happening in a cult is coercive control.

邪教的本質是強制控制。

We usually use the term coercive control for a relationship.

我們通常用 "脅迫性控制 "來形容一種關係。

A cult is a leader using coercive control in a group.

邪教是指在群體中使用強制控制的領袖。

Hallmarks of coercive control include isolating you from friends and family, monitoring your activity and controlling your choices.

強制控制的特徵包括將你與朋友和家人隔離、監視你的活動並控制你的選擇。

In cult-like groups, when someone questions anything, they're often met with thought-terminating cliches designed to shut down conversations.

在類似邪教的團體中，當有人質疑任何事情時，他們往往會遭到旨在終止對話的陳詞濫調。

Like, everything happens for a reason.

就像，所有事情的發生都是有原因的。

Other warning signs might be labelling outsiders as others, ignoring concerns and vilifying whistleblowers.

其他警示信號可能包括將局外人貼上其他人的標籤、忽視關切問題以及詆譭舉報人。

There's lots of conditioning in order to make the person controllable.

為了使人可控，需要進行大量的調節。

One common feature that you'll get in coercive control in relationships is love bombing.

人際關係中的強制控制有一個共同特點，那就是 "愛情轟炸"。

Over-the-top flattery can be a really powerful tool to buy people's loyalty.

過分的奉承可以成為收買人心的有力工具。

Another tactic is gaslighting, a technique used to get people to question their own reality.

另一種策略是 "煤氣燈"，這是一種用來讓人們質疑自己現實的技術。

You know, Mum, you just imagine things.

你知道，媽媽，你只是在想象。

Often, members will have invested huge amounts of time and money, making it both practically and psychologically very hard to leave.

通常情況下，成員會投入大量的時間和金錢，是以在實際操作和心理上都很難離開。

And lots of coercive control is about convincing you you're the problem.

很多強制控制都是為了讓你相信自己才是問題所在。

You're not good enough, you need to try harder, you're not praying enough, you're not giving enough time.

你不夠好，你需要更努力，你祈禱得不夠，你付出的時間不夠。

And so people don't leave because they think they're the problem.

是以，人們不會因為認為自己是問題所在而離開。

The shame of admitting that you were taken in is also tough to face, but it shouldn't be.

承認自己被騙的羞恥感也很難面對，但這並不應該。

The idea that you have to be gullible or weak to join one of these groups is a myth.

認為加入這些團體必須是輕信或軟弱的人的想法是一個神話。

If you go for a bereavement, if you change jobs, if you move town, the foundations of your life get shaken a bit.

如果你經歷了喪親之痛，如果你換了工作，如果你搬了家，你生活的基礎就會受到一些動搖。

That transition period is a moment of vulnerability.

過渡時期是脆弱的時刻。

So the cults are trying to exploit you while you're in that transition period and say, we've got all the answers, we can help you reach your potential.

是以，邪教試圖在你處於過渡期時利用你，並說我們有所有的答案，我們可以幫助你發揮潛能。

That means we can all be vulnerable.

這意味著我們都可以脆弱。

There probably is a cult for everyone, because what we're talking about here, it's a psychological system of control.

也許每個人都有適合自己的邪教，因為我們在這裡談論的，是一種心理控制系統。

It can be anything.

它可以是任何東西。

As a therapist, I've seen music classes become cult groups, yoga groups, activism.

作為一名治療師，我見過音樂課變成邪教團體、瑜伽團體、激進主義團體。

Pretty much any group can become a cult if there is that person who is running it, who is controlling and manipulating.

如果有一個人在控制和操縱，幾乎任何團體都可能成為邪教。

So it's not for me so much about labelling a group as a cult, it's more about, is the system there?

是以，對我來說，給一個團體貼上邪教的標籤並不重要，更重要的是，這個體系是否存在？

If you're worried that someone you know is involved with a group that is manipulating them, it's important to avoid shaming them by labelling them as brainwashed.

如果你擔心你認識的某個人參與了一個操縱他們的團體，重要的是要避免給他們貼上被洗腦的標籤，從而羞辱他們。

The best thing to do is to keep in touch, to listen, but also to encourage critical thinking and point out potentially harmful behaviours.

最好的辦法是保持聯繫、傾聽，同時鼓勵批判性思維，指出潛在的有害行為。

Are they feeling pressured to make major life changes?

他們是否感到有壓力要對生活做出重大改變？

Are they being encouraged to cut off from friends, family, their hobbies or their job?

是否鼓勵他們與朋友、家人、愛好或工作斷絕關係？

We should be taught about coercive control.

我們應該接受有關強制控制的教育。

The best way to really protect yourself is to learn the psychology.

真正保護自己的最好方法是學習心理學。