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What is a cult? Why do people join them? Why do they leave?
Taking on these questions is cult intervention specialist Ashlen Hilliard, who is set to present a live, educational show at the Bankhead Theater this month dubbed “Psychology of Cults”.
Hilliard will walk audiences through a timeline representing one’s entrance into and exit from a cult, equipped with a master’s degree in the psychology of coercive control and nearly eight years of experience working with cult survivors.
But beyond discussing infamous groups like Jonestown and NXIVM, Hilliard connects everyday life to the subject of coercive control — an intentional pattern of abuse inflicted over time aimed at gaining power.
The forthcoming show at the Bankhead on Nov. 23 marks the last stop on Hilliard’s nationwide tour.
“I’m really trying to take them into the experience of someone who has been in a cult, so that they better know not only how to protect themselves, but also how to see others who have been in cults through the lens of less judgement,” Hilliard told the Pleasanton Weekly.
She began working in the field as a case manager helping those who were exiting diverse, fundamentalist Mormon polygamous groups including Warren Jeffs’ Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Currently, she serves as a consultant and educator supporting cult survivors with resources and resource-navigation as well as families who have a loved one in a cult.
Through her work in the field, she has seen that there is no agreed-upon definition of a cult.
Hilliard defines a cult as “a group that is united by a particular cause, person or idea that involves thought-reform, coercive control and a restriction of autonomy”.
As few as two people can be considered a cult, she added. For example, domestic violence relationships where someone is an abuser and controller over somebody else can be a very cult-like relationship.
“We have more documentaries now than ever on cults and so we have more literature out there, but oftentimes this subject matter is still very misunderstood or stigmatized as to who can get in them,” she said.
It’s a common misconception that people are stupid or uneducated for joining cults, she said.
“I want to de-stigmatize the fact that anyone can actually end up in a cult,” Hilliard said.
Early in the timeline of one’s involvement with a cult, there is an introduction to new ideas that may seem appealing, Hilliard explained. There may also be a charismatic leader or community that offers the individual a lot of attention.
If the individual is being introduced to the group by a trusted person, they may not be alert to red flags, Hilliard explained.
Through video and audio of well-known groups, Hilliard illustrates to audiences a variety of experiences in cults.
As for someone’s departure from a cult, an individual may be financially broke, disillusioned, abused, kicked out or simply not interested any more, she said.
Coercive control is subtle and often difficult to recognize, she said.
It can look like isolation from support, financial abuse, emotional harm and physical harm, she added.
“I hope that they take away from the show tools and education to further empower themselves so that they know how to look for red flags in relationships and groups,” Hilliard said. “I think this is a really timely topic right now because of how polarized people are right now in this country.”
After the presentation, Hilliard is set to hold a Q&A session with the audience.
The most frequent question on the tour so far, she says, has been: Is MAGA a cult?
But the term cult can be a thought-terminating cliche, she said, meaning it can be wielded against a group ultimately causing defensiveness and a shutdown of critical thinking.
“It can be more beneficial for people to be able to recognize what are the harmful or cultic dynamics at play that can exist within MAGA, for example, so that they can analyze it and also to protect themselves from being harmed,” Hilliard said.
“Psychology of Cults” is set to begin at 3 p.m. next Sunday (Nov. 23) at the Bankhead Theater in downtown Livermore.
The show contains graphic and disturbing content and is intended for mature audiences only, according to the Livermore Valley Arts website.
For tickets, visit livermorearts.org. For more information about Hilliard’s work as a cult interventionist, visit her website at peopleleavecults.com.
At the core of virtually every cult is a singular, unyielding prime directive: recruit and retain. Recruitment is not just a goal—it is often framed as a moral or spiritual imperative. Cults thrive on expansion because each new member brings not only validation to the group’s ideology but often material resources—money, labor, or influence—that fuel the cult’s survival. Leaders instill a sense of urgency and righteousness in spreading the message, framing recruitment as an act of salvation or truth-telling. This mission is often cloaked in noble language—“awakening others,” “liberating minds,” or “sharing the light”—but it serves a critical functional role: fortifying the cult’s structure by expanding its base of psychological and financial support.
Once a person is brought into the fold, however, the rules change dramatically. Cults are notoriously resistant to letting people go. They use emotional manipulation, isolation, indoctrination, and sometimes threats to make exit feel impossible or catastrophic. Leaving is often portrayed not just as betrayal, but as a descent into moral failure or existential doom. Members may be told that outsiders are dangerous, that dissent leads to punishment, or that abandoning the group severs them from love, safety, or even eternal life. In high-control groups, individuals are systematically cut off from former support systems—family, friends, outside institutions—making reintegration into mainstream life profoundly difficult. This dual strategy of aggressive outreach followed by suffocating containment is what allows cults to grow and persist, even in the face of external scrutiny or internal collapse.