Up to this point in the book, we have only read interviews w/ victims. The rest of the book will be interviews w/ Aum cult members. Before you read these sections, I'd like you to speculate about what makes an Aum cult member. Although the interview subjects are not the terrorists who released the gas, they could have been had they been ordered. What do you think Aum's motivation was in attacking subway commuters? Do you know the term "doomsday cult"? They're cults that believe that the end of the world is not only coming, but that it's imminent. They've existed in every country at different times, but they seem to have proliferated near the end of the last millennium. Sometimes they simply barricade themselves and wait for the end of the world. Sometimes, they bring about their own destruction w/ mass suicide rites. And sometimes, like in Aum, they kill others. What makes them different than us? What type of person is drawn to these kinds of cults? In what ways do you think they're similar to other violent extremists (white nationalists or Muslim terrorist organizations) and in what ways are they different?
Why does someone want to join a cult? The same reason a person joins a gym; for the results (and to waste money not going after the first few weeks!). There are many different people that join cults. They can range from the “quiet ones' ', to the outwardly expressive people. Whatever organization it might be, the people who join are looking for some sort of sense greater than themselves. They have already passed the second step in Maslow’s heigherarchy of needs. They now wish to have some sort of team/family/unit in which to belong. This could be anyone that is searching or being sought. Ever have a friend get really excited about something and they want you to be excited about it too? This is what happens to people when they join a cult. So, the next time you go cray cray over your new phone, remember, other people are going to think you’re “one of those people”
ReplyDeleteI think the main reason was to eliminate people from the road, perhaps people who did not believe in their worship and that is why they decided to attack the people at the train station. I think the term ¨cult of the end of the world¨ are beliefs of some people who congregate and sometimes begin to attack other people for their religious beliefs. The way we act is different from theirs since we often take care of our community and believe in divine justice. Only God is the only one in charge of punishing or blessing us. We do not take actions with our own hands. People who have no beliefs and who have recent feelings with humanity are those who are attracted to this type of cults. What surprised me most about the interviews was that most of the victims said that the attackers were students and that most of them were believed to have been ordered by Aum.
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