PHA group may be considered a cult if it exhibits some or all of the following characteristics:
- Authoritarian Leadership: The group is led by a charismatic leader who exercises significant control over members' lives. This leader is often considered infallible and demands absolute obedience.
- Isolation: The group isolates its members from family, friends, and the outside world. This can be physical isolation or emotional/psychological separation.
- Us-vs-Them Mentality: The group fosters a strong "us-versus-them" mentality, viewing outsiders as enemies or inferior. Members are taught to distrust anyone outside the group.
- Totalitarian Control: The group exerts control over almost every aspect of its members' lives, including their thoughts, behavior, finances, and relationships.
- Extreme Beliefs: The group holds beliefs that are far outside the mainstream, often involving apocalyptic predictions, conspiracy theories, or claims of special knowledge or divine truth.
- Exclusivity: The group often claims to be the only path to salvation, enlightenment, or truth, discouraging members from seeking knowledge or guidance outside the group.
- Manipulative Techniques: The group uses psychological manipulation to recruit and retain members, such as love-bombing (overwhelming new members with affection), guilt-tripping, or inducing fear of leaving.
- Punishment for Dissent: Criticism or questioning of the leader or group is not tolerated. Dissent is often met with punishment, shunning, or public humiliation.
- Financial Exploitation: The group may require members to donate large amounts of money or work for free, often at the expense of their own financial well-being.
- Deceptive Recruiting: The group may use deceptive practices to recruit new members, such as hiding its true beliefs or goals until the person is more deeply involved
- Fear of Leaving: Members are often made to feel that leaving the group would result in severe consequences, such as damnation, ostracization, or loss of purpose.