How People Get Recruited Into Cults - Stories

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I consider myself a slightly skeptical person, but I’ll also try most anything once, and I’m always willing to listen to someone who’s benefited from something. Which is how I ended up being recruited by NXIVM — the organization that’s recently been accused of sex trafficking and forced branding, and resulted in the arrests of founder Keith Raniere and Smallville actress Allison Mack, among others.

I was recruited by a friend; at first, I thought all the people he introduced me to were fairly interesting, and certainly smart. It wasn’t until I read those headlines that I thought, “Holy shit. Perhaps that party was sketchy.”

So how does one actually get recruited by a now-infamous sex cult? For me, it began with a professional development workshop a former job of mine paid for, aimed at “optimizing our potential.” This group had no affiliation with NXIVM, but it opened a gateway into a community of self-improvement aficionados.