What is a cult? What makes a person join a cult? For several years, numerous individuals have wondered what event must occur for someone to be pulled into a cult and completely consumed by their ideals. There are a variety of cults around the world, varying from religious cults to scientific cults. I do not believe that all cults are dangerous but many are due to the way that they can convince people to follow them and their values without another thought. Many people cannot escape their cult until it is too late. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary’s definition of a cult is, “a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous." I think a cult is a specific group of people that follows a leader and truly believes what that specific leader is preaching. My opinion on cults varies on the cult. There are several cults that are extremely dangerous whereas there are only a few that are not problematic. There have been many inquisitions in our society about why people join cults. People can join cults for several different reasons including; feeling disconnected with society and the people around them, overwhelmed with loneliness, the loss of a loved one or career, and fear of the future. They are overcome with emotion and when approached by a cult member/leader, they get pulled in for plethora of reasons. For example; a charismatic leader, the sense of warmth and community they receive from the cult, and many other factors. Once one joins a cult, it is tremendously challenging to get out of. They use many different methods to get their members to stay. An example of this is breaking down a person’s sense of self. It has been known that cults may lock their members into dark rooms for hours without any nourishment and thus violating human rights. In addition, they isolate their members from the outside world to diminish their doubt of the