While instances like Jonestown and Heaven’s Gate might give the impression that cults are a thing of the past, many have simply changed forms to remain more secretive and escape the stereotypical image of cults.
The NXIVM group (pronounced "Nex-ee-um") is a clear example of this. The name doesn’t officially stand for anything, but was created by Keith Raniere, the cult’s leader, as part of the organization's branding to sound sophisticated and futuristic. It initially presented itself as a self-improvement and professional development organization and was marketed as an exclusive society for personal and professional growth. This allured the likes of celebrities, wealthy individuals, and ambitious professionals who believed in its promise of empowerment.
However, beneath its polished exterior, NXIVM was a hierarchical and exploitative group whose members were pressured into recruiting others and paying thousands for intensive courses that reinforced Raniere’s control, according to a publication from St. John’s University School of Law.
The group, which primarily targeted young women, would lure prospective members into emotionally intensive therapy sessions encouraging independence and sexual liberation. Then, Raniere and his associates would capitalize on this feeling by keeping women in NXIVM through fear, selective praise, and sexual control.
Women at the top of the organization became secretly indoctrinated into an exclusive subset known as the DOS where Raniere would continue to exploit members for sex and submission, threatening to release “collateral” consisting of nude photographs or blackmail should they disobey. Perhaps the most horrifying element of this secret circle was the physical branding of participants, usually against their will and in public. Members had the logo of NXIVM branded on their upper hip, a logo whose design bore an eerie resemblance to Raniere’s initials, KR.
In 2017, former members of the DOS officially asked the state of New York to look into the group. In 2018, Raniere was finally taken into custody and charged on multiple counts for various crimes at his villa near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. A years-long trial ensued from this arrest, eventually culminating 2020 with Raniere’s sentence to 120 years in prison. Notable figures like actress Allison Mack and Seagram heiress Clara Bronfram were involved in the inner DOS circle and NXIVM as a whole, which helped scale the case nationally.
