Recently I read an article about the Heaven's Gate Cult, and I wondered why on earth would someone get involved in a cult whose purpose seemed so ridiculous. I decided to do some research to find out a little more about cults. I found out that cults are really not all that uncommon, and that almost anyone can fall victim to a cult. Most people do not set out to join a cult. They get involved with a group of interesting people. These groups usually promise to fulfill a person's individual needs or to compensate for societies failures. The leaders of these cults usually promise to have all the answers to whatever problems these people have. These groups become cults when they are seen as misleading, dangerous, or they oppose the basic values of society. Usually people get involved with cults when they are at a vulnerable period in their lives. People who are at a transitional period in their lives, like people who recently lost a job, or someone who just moved to a new area may be at risk. Another reason why people get involved with these groups could be that they are unsatisfied with their religion, their education, or their social lives. The cult seems to fill the void of whatever is missing in a person's life. People find instant friendships and a plan for every day life. Most people recruited into cults; are recruited by people who they feel they can trust. Family, friends, neighbors, co-workers or teachers do the recruiting. Recruitment often takes place in familiar places like school, home, work, churches, workshops, or as in the case of Heaven's Gate over the Internet. People don't feel like they are getting involved in a cult instead they feel like they are joining the crowd. Cult leaders offer simple answers to the complex problems of everyday living. They claim to know a simple path to happiness, and success. People who follow these simple rules and simple lifestyles will be on this path. Cult leaders g...