a group that deliberately uses deception, manipulation and psychological abuse to control the thoughts and actions of its members as opposed to a group that acts morally and ethically
an authoritarian regime, which uses deception when recruiting as well as mind-control techniques to make a person dependent and obedient, he said
a pyramid-shaped authoritarian regime with a person or group of people that have dictatorial control
The term "destructive cult" (sometimes called doomsday cult) is sometimes used to refer to that small number of religious groups that have intentionally killed people, either the group members themselves or others outside of the group.