Aftermath

Acknowledging that joining a cult requires an element of voluntary self-surrender obliges us to consider whether the very relinquishment of control isn’t a significant part of the appeal. In HBO’s NXIVM documentary, “The Vow,” a former member says, “Nobody joins a cult. Nobody. They join a good thing, and then they realize they were fucked.” The man speaking is a veteran not only of NXIVM but also of Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment, a group in the Pacific Northwest led by a woman. To join one cult may be considered a misfortune; to join two looks like a predilection for the cult experience.