This is how religious/cult thought works. It doesn’t have to be a religious organization, just one that uses the pattern. Many modern day social groups use at least some of the techniques. Before you join a group or movement you might want to first look for the signs; it is much harder to do once you have been sucked in.
They isolate their believers by demonizing “the other”. It is the first step of indoctrination. Then they establish themselves as the only source of truth. Often it is claimed that only special people can have access to their secret knowledge; they claim to be the gatekeepers. Resources which cannot independently be verified are sited as validation.
They also stroke the ego of their targets claiming that the person is uniquely qualified to be part of their group. Once the person joins the group people in authority will begin to beat the person down claiming it is the follower’s fault that the initiate is not achieving the assigned goals. It is similar to the actions of an abusive spouse. The group leaders attempt to cut followers off from other information, critical thinking, outside friends and family. From there it is simple to manipulate thoughts and actions. They establish strict codes of conduct and punishment to assure compliance. Anyone that does not submit to the will or ideology of the leader(s) is rejected harassed or even threatened with physical violence.
