Occultism and Cults in the 21st Century

  There have been so many religious practices that have surged through time and by far, occultism is one among many that has surprisingly remained strong. A cult refers to a group with its own set of religious beliefs and rituals that are regarded as unorthodox or spurious. On the other hand, the occult pertains to the mystical, spiritual or supernatural practices as well.

Like known legitimate religions, cults have their own leaders who only needs to be charismatic for them to be one. These are what various churches refer to as false prophets. A very calculating indoctrination is a cult leader's strongest weapon. It is this extraordinary appeal they have on their members that gives them a powerful influence over latter, to the extent that this leader can make a member do anything he wishes.

But before the leader could be successful in completely luring a person into the group, the former must first make the latter feel important, needed and special. Here, the person is made to believe that he will never experience anything like it from anywhere else. At the same time, the leader will make himself appear to the member that he has powers beyond human comprehension, that he is a god's son or a god's prophet or even the very god in human form.

Some activities a cult is involved in would include Satanism, voodoo or witchcraft, practice of black magic and spells, paganism, vampirism, conjuring the dead or evil spirits or cannibalism. These are the extreme form of occultism wherein hurting and killing animals or people and giving offerings of the life and limbs, usually of virgins or innocent children, are involved. There are other milder forms as well like mere worship of idols and images, superstitious beliefs and practices, astrology, healing and meditation, short trances and hypnotism and other rituals.

One will never understand occultism and why people could still be drawn into joining cults. But it is quite clear what their ruthless leaders are doing - they mercilessly feed on power and wealth that their hapless victims obligingly furnish them.