NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere used some of the same manipulation tactics used by 1950s cult leaders, says cult deprogrammer
In recent years, the world has been shocked to learn of a group called NXIVM, a cult involving sex slaves. However, this was more than just another true crime story. The victims of the cult leaders were truly harmed to the point where they were literally branded. Although the cult’s structure and mysteries were new, the strategies they used to persuade their followers were not. According to one expert, they have been used for generations.
Who is Keith Raniere and what was NXIVM?
According to insiders, NXIVM was originally presented as a multi-level marketing company providing self-help guides. The organization was founded in 1998 by Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman. Over the next two decades, the group offered classes to around 18,000 people, some paying as much as $7,500 per session. But in 2012, experts began accusing NXIVM of being a cult.
It turned out that there was another secret group within the organization led by Raniere. This group was known as the Dominus Obsequious Sororium, which is Latin for ‘lords of the obedient female companions’. In this inner circle, he was known as “vanguard” and he was served by a group of women who tended to his every need, including his sexual desires.
The more details came to light, the more disturbing the picture became. Women who left NXIVM revealed that the secret inner organization was made up of groups of sex slaves. Each group was controlled by a “master”. The women involved were forced to release compromising information to be used as blackmail against them if they ever attempted to leave. These “slaves” were even branded with a badge containing Raniere’s initials.
“The Game Doesn’t Change”
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In a YouTube video for Vanity Fair, a cult deprogrammer named Rick Alan Ross talked about some of these techniques. To illustrate, he used excerpts from the film The masterabout L. Ron Hubbard and how he founded Scientology.
He explained that people have the right to believe whatever they want, but once they use their beliefs as a basis to ask for anything, be it time, money or devotion, people should be careful.
There are some manipulative behaviors to watch out for. Does the person answer your questions or dodge them? Are they aggressive? Are they trying to distract you from the topic of your questions?
Ross pointed out that the techniques used by Hubbard in the 1950’s are the same as those used by Raniere just a few years ago. “The names of the leaders change, but the game doesn’t.” NXIVM may seem like a shocking modern cult, but Raniere’s methods of control are nothing new.
Pure charisma could not save him
By 2018, the group’s secrets could no longer be hidden. Raniere was arrested and charged with a number of crimes including sex trafficking. As more facts emerged, the charges included sexual exploitation of a child, extortion and racketeering.
CNBC reports that several high-profile people involved in NXIVM, including actress Allison Mack, have also been charged with crimes. Raniere was found guilty of all charges against him and sentenced to 120 years in prison.
The people involved in the inner circle were not unintelligent, and many of them had already achieved impressive success. So how were they lured into joining such a twisted plan? Raniere used skills often used to manipulate people, according to a lawyer who works with victims of multi-level marketing scams.
“They use a variety of techniques to get people to lower their alertness and stop thinking critically and treat it not as a business but as a way to fulfill their dreams,” he explained.
TIED TOGETHER: ‘Escape from the NXIVM Cult’: Catherine Oxenberg Says Lifetime Movie Isn’t Her Daughter’s Story
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/nxivm-cult-leader-keith-raniere-used-some-same-manipulation-tactics-1950s-cult-leaders-used-cult-deprogrammer-says.html/ NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere used some of the same manipulation tactics used by 1950s cult leaders, says cult deprogrammer
