The Top 10 Signs of a False Messiah

Originally Submitted on 7/26/97.

False messiahship: Heaven's Gate and Jonestown are but two examples. How is it that so many intelligent and well-meaning people can be so disastrously led astray? More importantly, how can you be sure that you aren't following a similar path at the hands of an artful guru, teacher, messiah, etc.? Here are ten ways to separate the counterfeit from the genuine article, ten signs that your leader may be a fake!

1. Privileged custodianship.

False messiahs, sects, cults, and some religions are alike in that each claims to possess its own special unique truth with which its adherents must agree. In most there is a hypocritical hint of humility in that their truth is revealed, given, channeled or imparted, but the presumed specialness prevails nonetheless.

2. Promise of miracles.

Smoke and mirrors have all too often been employed to confuse rather than clarify--in circus acts, politics, religion, and in all manner of so-called consciousness raising efforts. It's so much easier to convince if you can throw in a little magic along the way--a brilliant white light, a sudden conversion, or a quick injection of peace and tranquility. Yes, miracles do happen, but not with the frequency and reliability that those in the salvation business would have you believe. So, if you're new to the group and suddenly, you bump head-on into a truly miraculous happening, your best bet is to walk away--quickly! For most people, revealed truth comes gradually, slowly, like sand, a grain at a time.

3. Exclusiveness.

It helps too if you can wear a special uniform--a bright colored robe, a magic stone, or even the right brand of running shoes. Throughout history, false messiahs have capitalized on humans' need to belong and to let others know that they belong. Going it alone, finding your own truth is not the stuff that fake gurus are made of.

4. Slick packaging.

Make no mistake. The competition for your mind is intense. Give it another ten years and million dollar infomercials may be a requirement for selling truth. The fact is, much that is real comes unpackaged as a gradual awareness, a shared feeling of joy, or a gentle intuitive nudge.

5. Concealed requirements and implied threats.

There's always a price of admission. To get into the big tent, to share the miracles, you've got to meet the standards set for (not by) the group. If you don't or won't, the prediction is that there may be severe consequences, sometimes stipulated in clever verbiage, more often subtly implied--but worrisome nonetheless.

6. Leading from a clouded past.

It's amazing how many of these store-bought messiahs have skeletons in their closets--screwed-up childhoods, curious reversals in their lives, and secrets known only to a few. I recall one renowned leader of the flock who regularly brown-bagged lunch, only his bag contained a bottle of Jack Daniels! All too often, these folks who are so willing to lead you down the garden path become distinctly uncomfortable when challenged about their paths.

7. Programmed response.

If you've spent much time with zealots, you've probably been impressed with the sameness of their responses to different questions. They have memorized the answers and are adept at making them fit your questions. But, somewhere in the dialogue, if you're really listening, you'll understand that there's a script, an intricate mix of dogma, doctrine, and drivel carefully learned and routinely repeated ... until you believe.

8. Designed control.

Most cults, and their self-appointed messiahs, employ a common set of tools designed to brainwash the new entrant, to turn him or her from an objective rational being into a faithful follower. Repetition, fatigue, promises coupled with threats, chanting and other forms of controlled meditation are all aspects of carefully contrived thought control aimed at getting non-believers to suspend judgment in favor of answers to every problem or question.

9. An artful mixture of fact and fantasy.

If you want someone to believe a lie, begin by telling the truth. Tell them what they already know, add a bit of truth, and then veer off into the realm of half-truths, fantasy, and outright lies. It works! The key lies in the skill of the manipulator in leading from what is known and accepted to what is unknown and doubted. Remember: fake messiahs are very good at what they do! They practice constantly, weaving fact and fiction into an apparently seamless garment of truth.

10. Confusion of emotion, intuition, and spirituality.

Do you FEEL it? ... a frequent challenge to new believers. In the world of fake messiahship, emotion is used to convert the unsuspecting. Although emotion and intuition are light years apart, in the hands of a skilled practitioner, they can be drawn together with one simple word: feeling, a feat that works even better if the new entrant is unhappy, disturbed, or in doubt. From there, it's only a small skip to making the case that this new found emotion/intuition is really a spiritual message born on the wings of enlightenment. The fact is, emotion, intuition and spirituality are each distinctly different, one from another. Being able to recognize the difference, in yourself, can be a significant armament against the phalanx of false messiahs that have arisen in such numbers!

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