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Cults That Still Exist Today & How They Manipulate People

Digital graphic with bold cream text on a dark purple background. Title reads: “Cults That Still Exist Today & How They Manipulate People” followed by a bulleted list: “Love bombing, Isolation, Gaslighting, Financial exploitation.” Clean and modern design with a dark, eerie tone.

When you think of cults, maybe you picture the 60s and 70s—flower crowns, doomsday bunkers, and acid trips. But cults didn’t die out. They just got better at hiding.


Today’s cults operate in plain sight—with modern branding, spiritual hashtags, and wellness vibes. Let’s talk about the real ones that still exist—and the dark psychology they use to keep followers in line.



Inside 4 Real Modern Cults (and What They’re Doing Right Now)


1. The Zizians (Bay Area, CA)

Led by “Ziz,” this group is known for extreme isolation, radical beliefs about AI, severe veganism, and even homicide charges. Their tactics? Sleep deprivation, physical abuse, and full control over members’ lives.


2. The Order of Nine Angles (O9A)

This UK-based cult promotes extremist ideology and violence. They isolate members, punish disobedience, and cloak their operations in secrecy—making them even more dangerous.


3. OneTaste

Marketed as a wellness movement promoting “orgasmic meditation,” OneTaste has faced serious allegations: sexual coercion, financial exploitation, and psychological grooming. Classic manipulation dressed up as spiritual liberation.


4. Hope City Church (C3 Hope)

This rebranded church has been accused of coercion, financial exploitation, and control tactics like love bombing and video indoctrination. A glossy front masking deep manipulation.





5 Cult Tactics You’ll Still See Today:

  • Love Bombing: Instant affection to create emotional dependency
  • Isolation: Cutting off outsiders to increase control
  • Gaslighting: Making you doubt your reality until you rely only on them
  • Thought-Terminating Clichés: “Everything happens for a reason.” “You’re just not ready to understand.”
  • Financial Exploitation: Pressuring followers into giving everything—money, time, freedom



Final Words from Penelope

Cults didn’t disappear—they rebranded. Now they wear yoga pants, quote motivational posters, and run flashy websites. But the tactics? Still the same.



Know what to look for. Learn the patterns. Stay free.



With eerie awareness,

Penelope McGrath

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