When Sarah was in NXIVM, socializing with other celebrities, following teachings she believed could change lives, none of them used the word "cult."

Dr. Steve Hassan, an expert who has worked with Sarah and other cult survivors around the world, said people think they are joining a community, not a cult.

According to Hassan, cults don't target fools or the naive. On the contrary, they target intelligent, talented, wealthy, and influential people like actors, doctors, and government officials.

After being "branded" along with other women in 2017, Sarah learned that the symbol etched into her skin did not represent a secret women's group as she had thought, but rather the initials of NXIVM leader Keith Raniere, who was later sentenced to 120 years in prison for sex trafficking and other abusive acts within the cult.

Upon leaving NXIVM, Sarah used the brand on her body as key evidence to bring down Keith Raniere.

So why do people join cults, how do they operate, and how do people escape?

A meeting of the Children of God in Canada in 1972. Photo: Toronto Star

A meeting of the Children of God in Canada in 1972. Photo: Toronto Star

What is a cult?

Lex de Man, the detective who helped expose Australia's most notorious cult, The Family, and bring its founder Anne Hamilton-Byrne to justice, believes all cults have two main motivations: money and power. Hassan adds a third: "Sex."

There are thousands of groups like The Family and NXIVM (pronounced "nex-ee-um"), but perhaps the group most clearly defined as a cult emerged in the US in the 1950s. Reverend Jim Jones initially built the People's Temple in Indiana, combining elements of Christianity, spiritualism, and progressive socialism.

By the late 1970s, scandal and paranoia led Jim to take his followers deep into the South American jungle, to a "utopian society" called Jonestown. In 1978, when a US congressman led a delegation to investigate this place, which increasingly resembled a prison camp, Jim ordered them killed.

Then, Jim issued a chilling directive: His followers would join him in a mass suicide. More than 900 people, including children, died, either brainwashed into obedience or forced to drink cyanide-laced grape juice.

Destructive cults typically have three main aspects: a charismatic leader, a process of indoctrinating members, and exploitation, which can be economic, sexual, or some other form.

Not every religion is a cult, and not every cult is religious. Cults expand like multi-level marketing schemes, with members often recruiting family and friends. Some operate as literal pyramid schemes, including NXIVM, which sold expensive self-improvement courses under a system that ensured only a few senior coaches could earn money.

In many notorious cults, followers are coerced into horrific acts. The Manson Family murdered wealthy white actress Sharon Tate and four of her friends in 1969, aiming to spark a race war. Aum Shinrikyo carried out the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, killing 13 and injuring thousands.

Even in cults that don't commit crimes against "outsiders," abuse and punishment are often normalized internally. For example, there are allegations of child abuse within the Children of God, founded in the US, and within The Family, kidnapped children report frequent beatings and starvation.

The abuse is often psychological and financial. Anne Hamilton-Byrne persuaded The Family's followers to transfer millions of USD in assets and real estate. She ordered members to divorce and remarry according to her wishes, even taking children to raise as her own.

Why do people join cults?

During a difficult period in her life, Sarah met filmmaker Mark Vicente. Mark had just joined a group called NXIVM and believed it had unlocked his creativity. "I trusted Mark," Sarah said.

Dr. Hassan explains that cults challenge members to ignore their instincts, leave their comfort zones, and cast aside their "hang-ups." "You feel like you're becoming more empowered, but then it becomes a trap," he said.

Tore Klevjer was 22 and backpacking through Europe when he was drawn into the Children of God. "I was very confused, at a crossroads, wondering what to do with my life," Tore said.

11 years later, he left the Children of God with his young family and is now a counselor in New South Wales, helping other survivors, while also running the main support group in Australia, CIFS.

According to Tore, cult recruiters often target vulnerabilities. "Like any good salesperson, they find out what you want and tailor the message accordingly. Once you're in, you learn the tricks too," Tore said.

Sarah also became an expert recruiter for NXIVM before leaving. She says the tactics are similar to the love bombing experienced by domestic violence victims. "It always starts with flowers, chocolates, and romance," she said. There were doubts, but she ignored them because she "wanted community, wanted to feel part of this special group that was changing the world."

"Everyone craves community, craves a sense of belonging," Tore said.

Who are the cult leaders?

Detective Lex de Man had never met Anne Hamilton-Byrne until she was handcuffed and escorted through JFK Airport (New York) in 1993. Following the 1987 raid that rescued kidnapped children from The Family's isolated compound at Lake Eildon (Australia), Lex spent years building a case against Anne for abuse, fraud, and other crimes, working with the FBI to track her down overseas.

Anne was actually the daughter of a woman who claimed to speak to the dead and spent much of her life in mental institutions. In the 1960s, Anne began teaching yoga to wealthy middle-aged women. She also targeted people with mental health issues.

At a private psychiatric hospital owned by a cult member, they dosed patients with LSD, one of the most potent hallucinogens. Then Anne would appear at the doorway in a flowing white gown, with a bucket of dry ice behind her, leading people to believe they were seeing the reincarnation of Jesus.

The Family founder, Anne Hamilton-Byrne, during the cult's peak in the 1970s. Photo: SMH

The Family founder, Anne Hamilton-Byrne, during the cult's peak in the 1970s. Photo: SMH

Anne amassed a loyal following of high-status individuals who could help her kidnap children with falsified adoption papers because they believed she was raising them as a divine being. "A cult doctor would hand a child to a cult nurse, to a cult social worker, and then to Anne," Lex said.

Anne was ultimately convicted only of fraud and fined 5,000 USD. She died in 2019, aged 98. Anne is notorious as one of the few female cult leaders globally, as "90% are male," according to Dr. Hassan.

They all seem to share characteristics, most notably "malignant narcissism" and a lack of empathy for their victims.

Keith Raniere, who told NXIVM members he was the smartest man in the world, combined multi-level marketing tactics with Scientology and covert hypnosis. Keith also studied other cults to learn how to operate one.

What is life like inside a cult?

A cult is like a black hole - the closer to the center, the greater the pressure. What seems harmless on the outer edges can mask darkness within. Most people are "peripheral members," unaware of what’s happening at the upper levels.

For those near the center, the abuse is often kept secret. For example, in NXIVM, only those chosen by Keith and his right-hand woman, Smallville actress Allison Mack, knew about DOS - a sorority where senior members recruited others (including Sarah) as "slaves" and branded them.

Sarah says she had to send nude photos and reveal intimate secrets to be admitted into this mystery program. Even as Sarah began to realize DOS wasn't the life-changing self-development course advertised, she had no idea other women were being coerced into sexual relationships with Keith until her friend, Mark Vicente, called with a warning.

Actress Allison Mack was sentenced to three years in prison in 2021 in the NXIVM sex cult case. Photo: Reuters

Actress Allison Mack was sentenced to three years in prison in 2021 in the NXIVM sex cult case. Photo: Reuters

According to Dr. Hassan, cult involvement can often lead to dissociative disorders, suppressing one's true self and becoming a completely different person.

Cults coerce victims, isolate them from family and friends, and keep them so busy and stressed they can't think things through.

"Joining a cult is like being in love. We don't want to hear what our friends say because we know how we feel," Tore said. And cults exploit this, telling members they don't need to listen to their families anymore.

In the Children of God, Tore endured days of rote Bible study, street recruiting, and menial labor. Living overseas in a pre-internet community, he struggled to keep in touch with his family but was pressured to renounce his father, a Christian.

With NXIVM, Sarah also lived in a "hamster wheel," on a tight budget and pressured to ignore outside friends.

How do you escape a cult?

Tore says most people leave cults on their own after a few years. Sarah had been in NXIVM for over a decade when "suddenly everything became clear."

She and her husband, Nippy, quickly left with Mark. They weren't the only ones. Their connections in the acting world had drawn Hollywood names, like Allison Mack, to NXIVM in the first place. Now their influence caused people to leave in droves.

"We started calling people, telling them what was happening. You have to be gentle, you have to ask questions like Mark asked me, 'How do we know Keith is who he says he is?'" Sarah said.

Dr. Hassan says reawakening a person's critical thinking, helping them see the truth about a cult for themselves, is key to helping them.

"Most people leave cults when they're re-exposed to the real world," Hassan said. However, cults will forbid members from visiting family or send a "cult buddy" along to maintain control. Hassan advises families with members in cults not to confront them but to educate themselves about cults and mind control tactics.

According to Tore, the most important thing is to maintain a relationship with your loved one. It can become their lifeline.

If she hadn't escaped the NXIVM "sex cult" herself, Sarah admits she wouldn't understand why people get drawn in. She says those who think it could never happen to them are more vulnerable, whether it's to a cult, a shady business deal, or a manipulative boss.

"Anyone can be conned," Detective Lex agreed.

Tue Anh (according to Sydney Morning Herald)