07/06/2025
My article for the Reader 10 years ago this month.
Cults remain widespread, with thousands active and millions affected over time.
• Prevalence is difficult to pin down due to definitional ambiguity and secrecy.
• Transience is common — people join and leave relatively often.
• Main demographics: usually recruited between ages 18–25; often rural or semi‑rural locales; heavy use of social media and personal networks.
Recruitment tools prey on innocence and curiosity of young adults, a yearning for meaning and spirituality (one love idealism), with outreach at well-thought-out locations, such as farmers markets. “Eye candy,” (real) examples: a cool retro school bus that’s been modified to look inviting, a woodworking station, a welcoming meditation space, “natural” elixirs such as juices/homegrown products, anything folksy or old world.
Most cults are international  and run in violation of city, county, and state laws, making their criminal behavior difficult to shut down. Cults typically operate unsafe labor practices, violate employee rights, and tax obligations, incorporate, child abuse, and gender discrimination.
My favorite cousin lives in nearby Ocean Beach in a large home with ten other people (kids and adults). It’s something I might call a co-op, but it’s also referred to as shared living. Each resident comes and goes as he pleases. Each may or may not hold some form of job; meals might be shared, o...
