She's changed drastically. She's lost interest in her degree which worries me. I have to believe that one day she'll break free, but I realise that the real problems might only surface then. Ex-members of cults are usually so indoctrinated that they can't make decisions for themselves. Outside, there's a vacuum in their lives.
Some organisations recruit among the particularly impressionable and insecure.
The Birmingham Church of Christ, which denies being a cult, stands by its recruitment policy. The Church's training manual, Shining Like Stars, says that first-year students are the geese that lay golden eggs, individuals who, once recruited will go out and spread the message among their peers. They are easy prey to someone who comes along offering supposedly unconditional love and the chance of a new beginning. Older high earners who are disillusioned with their careers, may also fall victim, particularly those who have, perhaps, sacrificed an active social life in the pursuit of their careers but, having enjoyed professional success, find there is still an emotional void in their lives. For these individuals a structured social routine and the chance of spiritual fulfilment can be particularly appealing.