When Reverend Jim Jones founded the Peoples Temple in 1955, few could have imagined its horrifying end.
当1955年吉姆·琼斯牧师创立了人民神殿教时，几乎没有人能料想到它会带来可怕的结局。
This progressive religious movement rose in popularity and gained support from some of San Francisco's most prominent politicians.
一开始，这种革新性的宗教活动逐渐流行起来并且获得了一些在旧金山最为著名的政客支持。
But in 1977, amidst revelations of brainwashing and abuse,
但在1977年，洗脑和虐待事件被揭露，
Jones moved with several hundred followers to establish the commune of Jonestown in Guyana.
琼斯带着数百个教徒来到圭亚那创立了琼斯镇公社。
Billed as a utopian paradise, the colony was more like a prison camp,
这个殖民地被标榜是乌托邦天堂，实际上更像是个集中营，
and when a congressional delegation arrived to investigate its conditions, Jones executed his final plan.
一个国会代表团正要过来调查情况时，琼斯展开了他的终极计划。
On November 18, 1978, 909 men, women, and children died after being forced to drink poisoned Flavor Aid.
在1978年11月18日，909名男人、女人和孩子丧生，他们被迫喝下有毒的增味饮料。
That grizzly image has since been immortalized as shorthand slang
这种灰暗的情景随之成为了永久性的速记俚语，
for single-minded cult-like thinking, 'They drank the Kool-aid.'
用来形容极端的异教思想，“他们喝了酷爱牌饮料。”
Today, there are thousands of cults around the world. It's important to note two things about them.
如今，世界上仍存在数千个异教。关于它们有两点需要注意。
First, not all cults are religious. Some are political, therapy-based, focused on self-improvement, or otherwise.
首先，不是所有异教都带有宗教性质的。有些是带有政治色彩的，还有基于医学疗法的，专注于自我发展的，还有其他内容等。
And on the flip side, not all new religions are what we're referring to as cults.
另一方面，并不是所有的新兴宗教都要被定义为是异教。
So what exactly defines our modern understanding of cults, and why do people join them?
那么对异教准确的现代理解应该是怎样的，为什么人们会加入异教呢？
Broadly speaking, a cult is a group or movement
一般来说，异教是一个团体或者行动，
with a shared commitment to a usually extreme ideology that's typically embodied in a charismatic leader.
他们通常会对一个极端意识形态有共同的意志，这通常在一个富有魅力的领导者身上得以体现。
And while few turn out as deadly as Jonestown or Heaven's Gate,
虽然很少有像琼斯镇或天堂之门那样致命性的宗教，
which ended in a mass suicide of 39 people in 1997, most cults share some basic characteristics.
在1997年致使39人集体自杀，但绝大多数异教都共有一些基本特征。
A typical cult requires a high level of commitment from its members and maintains a strict hierarchy,
一个典型的异教需要教徒高度服从并且要坚守严格的等级制度，
separating unsuspecting supporters and recruits from the inner workings.
毫无戒心的支持者和新成员会从内部运作团队中分离出去。
It claims to provide answers to life's biggest questions through its doctrine,
异教宣称可以给出人生中最大问题的答案，只需通过它的教义，
along with the required recipe for change that shapes a new member into a true believer.
还有需要作出改变的妙法，将新成员塑造成一名真正的信徒。
And most importantly, it uses both formal and informal systems of influence and control to keep members obedient,
最重要的是，异教会同时使用正式和非正式的影响和控制体系让信徒保持顺从，
with little tolerance for internal disagreement or external scrutiny.
绝不容忍有内部分歧和外部监视。
You might wonder whether some of these descriptions might also apply to established religions.
你可能想知道这些情况是否也存在于成熟的宗教体系中。
In fact, the world 'cultus' originally described people who cultivated the worship of certain gods
实际上，“崇拜”这个词本来是用来形容崇拜神灵的人，
by performing rituals and maintaining temples.
他们通常会举办祭拜仪式和维护寺庙。
But in time, it came to mean excessive devotion.
但现在发展为过度崇拜的意思。
Many religions began as cults, but integrated into the fabric of the larger society as they grew.
很多宗教都是作为“异教”兴起的，但发展起来后，它们会被合并到更大的社会组织中。
A modern cult, by contrast, separates its members from others.
相比之下，现代异教则会把它们的信徒从其他组织中分离出来。

Rather than providing guidelines for members to live better lives, a cult seeks to directly control them,
异教没有给信徒提供过上更好的生活的指引，相反是想要直接控制信徒，
from personal and family relationships, to financial assets and living arrangements.
从个人和家庭关系，到财务资产和生活安排。
Cults also demand obedience to human leaders who tend to be highly persuasive people
异教还要求信徒服从由人类领袖，这个领袖通常具有非常强的说服力，
with authoritarian and narcissistic streaks motivated by money, sex, power, or all three.
他们独裁而自恋，会受到金钱、性、权利这三者诱惑的驱使。
While a cult leader uses personal charisma to attract initial followers,
异教领袖会利用个人魅力吸引首批追随者，
further expansion works like a pyramid scheme, with early members recruiting new ones.
随后的扩张就像是传销组织的运作，早期成员会招揽新成员。
Cults are skilled at knowing whom to target, often focusing on those new to an area,
异教徒非常清楚谁是他们的目标人群，常常会盯上那些初来乍到、对周边环境还很陌生的人，
or who have recently undergone some personal or professional loss.
或者是最近刚经历过个人或者职业损失的人。
Loneliness and a desire for meaning make one susceptible to friendly people offering community.
孤独并有着对寻找意义的渴望，这些人很容易受到友善而又能提供归属感的对方的影响。
The recruitment process can be subtle, sometimes taking months to establish a relationship.
这种招揽过程很微妙，有时要花费数月才能建立起关系。
In fact, more than two-thirds of cult members are recruited by a friend, family member, or co-worker whose invitations are harder to refuse.
实际上，超过三分之二的异教信徒都是被朋友、家庭成员或者同事招引进去的，这些人的邀约往往很难推却。
Once in the cult, members are subjected to multiple forms of indoctrination.
一旦进入异教，信徒们会受到各种形式的教化。
Some play on our natural inclination to mimic social behaviors or follow orders.
有些会利用我们模仿社会行为和执行命令的自然倾向。
Other methods may be more intense using techniques of coercive persuasion involving guilt, shame, and fear.
其他方法可能会变本加厉，会使用胁迫式的牵涉到人的内疚、羞愧和恐惧的说服技巧。
And in many cases, members may willingly submit out of desire to belong and to attain the promised rewards.
而且在很多情况下，信徒们可能会出于对被接纳的渴望和为了获得承诺奖励而心甘情愿地服从。
The cult environment discourages critical thinking,
异教环境会抑制批判性思维的发展，
making it hard to voice doubts when everyone around you is modeling absolute faith.
让人难以发出质疑之声，因为在你身边的所有人都树立起绝对的信仰。
The resulting internal conflict, known as cognitive dissonance, keeps you trapped,
由此产生的内部冲突，也称之为认知失调，会让你陷于困境，
as each compromise makes it more painful to admit you've been deceived.
尤当你承认自己被骗，但又不得不妥协，会让你倍感痛苦。
And though most cults don't lead members to their death, they can still be harmful.
虽然绝大多数异教都不会让信徒走向死亡，但还是会对信徒造成伤害。
By denying basic freedoms of thought, speech, and association,
因为异教拒绝给予他们思考、言论和结社的自由，
cults stunt their members' psychological and emotional growth,
异教会阻碍信徒的心理和情感发展，
a particular problem for children, who are deprived of normal developmental activities and milestones.
这对孩子们来说是一个尤为严重的问题，它会夺走孩子们正常成长中重大事件。
Nevertheless, many cult members eventually find a way out,
尽管如此，很多异教信徒最终还是能找到办法走出来，
whether through their own realizations, the help of family and friends,
不管是通过他们个人的觉醒，家庭和朋友的帮助，
or when the cult falls apart due to external pressure or scandals.
还是因为异教由于内部压力或丑闻而土崩瓦解。
Many cults may be hard to identify, and for some, their beliefs,
现仍有很多异教团体隐藏的很深，因为一些异教的信条，
no matter how strange, are protected under religious freedom.
不管有多么地荒谬，都受到宗教自由的保护。
But when their practices involve harassment, threats, illegal activities, or abuse, the law can intervene.
但当它们的活动牵涉到骚扰、威胁、非法活动或者虐待时，法律有权进行干预。
Believing in something should not come at the cost of your family and friends,
要相信任何事情都不应该以你的家庭和朋友作为代价，
and if someone tells you to sacrifice your relationships or morality for the greater good,
如果有人告诉你可以通过牺牲自己的情感关系或者忠诚来换取上上善道，
they're most likely exploiting you for their own.
他们很有可能是为了自身利益而选择利用你。