Cults are a terrifying thing. Truthfully, no one knows just how naive they are until they are sucked into a scam, but nothing hits quite as hard as being involved in a cult.

By their nature, cults prey on the weakminded, shortsighted and downtrodden - but anyone can realistically fall victim to a cult.

Unfortunately, many people mistakenly equate cult to the occult. While cults that are centered around the dark and terrifying exist, they aren't the ones that typically turn up in the news preying on innocent people looking for god or community. Because some people relate cult behavior with something typically scary like witchcraft and strange symbols instead of a perverse take on religion or some other inviting environment, they are ultimately left vulnerable by their naivety.

The most dangerous cults are those that feign a warm and welcoming environment that promises to nourish you to health and riches, often using tactics made popular by religious organizations to sell you on a false ideal. That in turn can lead some people to see all religions as cults, making for a certain circle of irony.

Cults can ruin your life, and the worst of them can threaten your life. They aren't limited to any particular area, though some are more prevalent in some regions than others.

Michigan is not without its cults, though it doesn't appear to have any that are strictly tied to the state. Still, there are plenty of examples in recent history of people finding themselves ensnared in a cult in the Mitten State.

The 11 cults with notable recent activity in Michigan are listed below in no particular order.

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