First of all, let me say I am quite aware that the premise of Reproducing Coercion, an exploration on the reproduction of ideology in cults and capitalism, is as ambitious as it is radical and provocative. Yet, if some of the suppositions in the work can help individuals alleviate guilt or spot systemic inconsistencies, I will have done a decent job.
In the work, I examine the parallels between the coercive mechanisms of high-pressure groups (what many call cults)and the ideological reproduction apparatuses embedded in capitalist systems. The idea grew out of my own personal experiences: I spent my formative years inside a religious high-demand group, where the weight of ideological indoctrination shaped my perception of the world, my relationships, and even my sense of self.
a brief overview of the thesis
Only after leaving did I begin to recognize the patterns of manipulation and control that had structured my reality. Through research and exchange, I began to notice that coercive groups, regardless of their ideological underpinnings, utilize the same techniques. They have encoded language, a hierarchical access to knowledge, an us vs. them mentality, a black and white outlook on the world, internalized guilt mechanisms, simplified solutions to complex problems, the privilege of offering the one and only solution to end human suffering, and an unwavering idolization of the leaders or elite class. I soon came to realize, these patterns could be traced in many high-demand societies, from religious groups to new-age systems, extremist political ideologies to multi-level marketing schemes.
But what struck me most was how these same patterns were visible in broader systems of power that govern modern life as well. I began drawing parallels and writing about them. Althusser’s work on ideological reproduction helped me identify similarities in how ideology became normalized, the neo-liberal system critique of Braverman, Chamayou, Harvey and Slobodian helped identify societal structures that enforced the ideology and ensure widespread acceptance.
In my work, I approach this exploration as both a survivor and a critical observer, weaving together personal recollections, theoretical frameworks, and the films I’ve created to interrogate these systems. My aim is not just to dissect the tactics of cults but to reveal how similar mechanisms operate in capitalism: how both systems strip individuals of agency, demand absolute devotion, and reproduce their ideologies through repetition, hierarchy, and the suppression of dissent.
I start by defining what makes a group “high-pressure”: the charismatic leadership, the rigid hierarchies, the thought reform that reshapes identity, and the exploitation that masquerades as devotion or progress. Researchers like Steve Hassan, Robert Lifton, and Margaret Singer have mapped these traits in cults, but I see them mirrored in the structures of capitalism itself. Louis Althusser’s theory of Ideological State Apparatuses becomes a critical lens here, helping me understand how capitalist relations of production are not just economic but deeply ideological, relying on propaganda, education, and cultural institutions to naturalize exploitation. The parallels are striking. Just as cults use language, rituals, and guilt to bind their members, capitalism deploys its own apparatuses (mainly media, education, legal systems) to enforce compliance and justify (or force the internalization of) the exploitative relations benefiting those holding the resources and means of production.
The heart of my argument lies in the shared absolutism of these systems. Both cults and capitalism present themselves as universal, unerring solutions to complex human problems. In cults, this takes the form of “sacred science,” whether it’s L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics, Teal Swan’s trauma therapy, or the dogma of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, all of which dismiss alternative knowledge while claiming exclusive access to truth. Capitalism, too, operates as a kind of sacred science, framing its existence as inevitable progress and the natural result of human evolution. The concept of it being “the best system” is repeated over and over again in media, movies, and the education system; while its failures are presented as personal shortcomings. Walter Benjamin’s description of capitalism as a “blaming cult” resonates with my experience: in both systems, guilt is internalized, and resistance is pathologized. The language of each system is carefully constructed to limit critical thought, to reduce complexity to slogans, and to make dissent feel like heresy.
Repetition is key. In cults, mantras, rituals, and loaded terminology are repeated until they become instinctual, shaping how members perceive the world. In capitalism, the repetition is more subtle but no less pervasive (advertising, workplace routines, the relentless pursuit of productivity).
Judith Butler’s theory of performativity helps me understand how language doesn’t just describe reality but creates it, how the words we repeat become the boundaries of what we can imagine. This is how ideology takes hold: not through force alone, but through the slow, steady erosion of other possibilities.
I also explore the role of labor and hierarchy in reproducing these systems. In cults, work is often unpaid, framed as a spiritual duty, and structured to reinforce dependence on the group. In capitalism, labor is commodified, but the effect is similar: workers are alienated from the value they create, just as cult members are alienated from their own autonomy. Both systems rely on compartmentalization, restricting access to knowledge and power to maintain control.
The technical division of labor in capitalism, Althusser argues, is really a social division, a way of keeping the exploited in their place. The same is true in high-demand groups: the further you climb up the hierarchy, the more you’re trusted with the “truth,” but that truth is always contingent on your obedience.
The work helped my dabble in classical Marxist theory and in neo-liberal critique, and forms the basis for my current work on techno-surveillance.
For survivors of spiritual abuse, I hope the work offers validation: you weren’t gullible; you were up against a system designed to overwhelm your critical faculties. For anyone navigating the pressures of modern capitalism, I hope it serves as a warning: the same mechanisms that trap people in cults are at work in the world around us, just in more palatable forms.
Ultimately, Reproducing Coercion is an act of resistance. By naming and identifying these patterns, I’m reclaiming the agency that both systems try to erase. This thesis is my attempt to pull back the curtain on the systems that shape us, and to insist that another way is possible.