Cult is a term, sometimes considered pejorative, for a relatively small group which is typically led by a #charismatic and self-appointed leader, who excessively #controls its members, requiring unwavering devotion to a set of #beliefs and practices which are considered deviant (outside the norms of society).
 This term is also used for a new religious movement or other social group which is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This sense of the term is weakly defined – having divergent definitions both in popular culture and academia – and has also been an ongoing source of contention among scholars across several fields of study.
There are #religiouscults #politicalcults, and #self-improvementcults