How do the pros get someone to leave a cult?

Immediate reactions & related stories

• Several commenters were gripped by the linked story’s “enema cult” and by an additional link about the Élan School, describing both as horrific and disturbingly engrossing “rabbit holes.”
• Some said they’d lose work time to reading these accounts, underscoring how shocking and compelling such narratives are.
• Others thought the article would make an excellent TV or detective-style series, highlighting the emotional, investigative, and even quirky aspects of cult intervention work.

Methods of exit & psychology of cults

• Commenters liked the “light touch” / long‑game approach: building trust, validating the needs that the group fulfills, and slowly widening perspective rather than attacking beliefs.
• Framing things as “cultic relationships” resonated; people saw parallels with mainstream therapeutic approaches and with more ordinary psychological problems.
• A recurring theme: cults exploit the same needs that underlie normal human connection (loneliness, grief, lack of control). No one is fully immune; vulnerability spikes during life crises or unhealed trauma.
• Some noted overlap between cult methods and those of deprogramming groups, suggesting a gray zone where “rescue” organizations can themselves become cult-like.

Health, MLMs, and ‘microcults’

• The “40–60 enemas a day” detail sparked debate about logistics, hyperbole, and whether this overlaps with fetish, addiction, or extreme “cleansing” practices.
• Personal anecdotes described alternative‑health regimens (fasting, enemas, ayahuasca, frog venom) that felt cult-adjacent.
• MLMs and wellness schemes were repeatedly cited as fertile ground for “microcults.”

Where to draw the line: cult vs religion vs politics

• Long subthreads debated definitions:
  • Some leaned on dictionary-style “extremist/false religion with charismatic leader.”
  • Others argued the core is control and difficulty leaving: cutting off outside ties and financial/relational dependence.
  • “High‑control groups” was proposed as a better term.
• Many argued the cult/religion/political-movement boundary is largely social: what’s normalized vs. stigmatized.
• Modern political movements (MAGA, “woke,” party wings) were discussed as having cult-like fringes; there was disagreement over how far that label fairly applies.

Media, UX, and HN self‑reflection

• A large side thread complained about the Guardian’s ads, page flicker, and new paywall, with tips about ad‑blockers and reader mode.
• Another side thread joked about Hacker News itself as a kind of mild cult (handles, hierarchy, revered texts, difficulty quitting), with distinctions drawn between coercion and simple addiction.

Empathy vs blame

• Some commenters dismissed believers as “idiots,” but others pushed back, stressing compassion: illness, trauma, and context can make anyone susceptible, and even very intelligent people can be drawn into mind‑control dynamics.