The purpose of this research is to analyze the film Ticket to Heaven from the point of view of how religious cults psychologically influence individuals who are emotionally vulnerable and the impact cults can have on their lives. The research will present a plot synopsis and then discuss how the film portrays the cult environment, the social influence of cults on individuals, and the methods of persuasion that are used to bring people into a cult and to take them out of it.
Ticket to Heaven is a story about how a young Toronto man vacationing in California to get over his lost girlfriend gets enticed into a religious cult and deprogrammed out of it. Accompanying a young woman he wants to date to her "group," David is taken to the site of the cult of "Father." David is drawn into forceful sermon-lectures and multiple group activities, being deprived of sleep and of protein in his food and--above all--never having any time to himself to think about what is going on. Soon he becomes a sincere member of the cult, trained to ask for religious donations from people on the street and to be paranoid about Satan. Meanwhile, when his worried family and best friend discover where he is, they recruit a deprogrammer. They track him down, abduct him, and over a period of several intense days expose the fraud of "Father," ultimately reconciling with him.
The entire film of Ticket to Heaven is a detailed dramatization of how cults operate. It reflects the fact that psychological researchers consider cults to be extremely manipulative organizations that abuse their own members in a variety of ways (Langone, 1996). The manipulation is evident from the moment that David is first approached in the city, with the young woman lying about the reality of herself, her friends, and the weekend. The lies multiply over the course of David's indoctrination, along with intense group activity. Ruthie is a very aggressive group leader--enthusiastic and friendly...