“First, you must understand what distinguishes Rosicrucians from other people is the attraction they feel toward the mysteries of life. Their thirst for knowledge compels them to explore the universe in which they live, because they are conscious of the fact that they themselves are only reflections of it. They devote themselves, body and soul, to the study and application of our Order’s teachings. Experience has gradually shown them that Rosicrucian philosophy makes it possible to better understand the meaning of life and, therefore, to master it more fully”

Every cult has a currency. There are doomsday cults that rule their recruits through fearful prophecies of an impending apocalypse. There are religious cults that build upon established doctrines with additional rules and regulations until observances and rituals are almost all that remain. Finally, there are those cults that promise meaning and validation in a world that is often bereft of both. This is the function that AMORC serves for its followers.

Here, the Class Master hammers home that dynamic by confirming what most people want to believe, that that they are special, and that due to their uniqueness they have been able to gain access to knowledge that would be inaccessible to lesser souls. In a few sentences, the truth seeker has been elevated above their fellow men and women and subtly separated from them.

If you want to understand how cults are able to recruit intelligent, capable individuals, this tactic is the key. No matter how balanced you perceive yourself to be, the truth is that you are biologically engineered to treat yourself as exceptional. It’s not surprising, when you make mistakes or behave badly you understand your actions and explain the intentions behind them, something that you aren’t necessarily able to do for other individuals. Thus, you develop a picture of yourself that’s kinder, more thoughtful and more intelligent than the reality. In other words, you’re special and you deserve more than other people.

This is the first step of the indoctrination process, next comes the promise of absolute truth.

“AMORC, as a traditional and mystical Order, is interested in eternal values and strives to guide its members toward an approach of Absolute Truth.”

We all seek meaning, but those who dedicate their whole lives to a search for greater truth are far more susceptible to groups that promise all the answers. AMORC promises a future that is filled with spiritual fulfillment and ultimately happiness for each of its members. Of course, these lessons cannot be imparted upon members too quickly. Before you learn the absolute truth you must show your loyalty through wholehearted commitment, donations and daily practice.

“All of these phenomena are connected with natural laws and principles that will be thoroughly covered and explained in our teachings. Most people, due to their ignorance, place them in the realm of superstition or associate them with supernatural facts. Yet people have at their disposal every faculty require for mastering them”

It behooves AMORC to keep these objectives just out of reach of their members so that they’re always working harder to achieve new levels of advancement. After finishing the Neophyte degree you finish the Atrium degrees, and then the Temple degrees and so on and so forth. There is always a level beyond yours and if you begin to have second doubts about your progress in the Rosicrucian system then this simple reasoning can always be used as an explanation.

Those of you who are familiar with marketing theory may see aspects of gamification within this strategy. While this buzzword has only recently entered the mainstream lexicon, the actual practices are tried and tested. AMORC turns spiritual enlightenment into a fantastic quest in which each burst of effort is rewarded with a brief sense of accomplishment, before being replaced by an even greater challenge. Instead of reflecting on the actual lesson you’ve been taught or how much satisfaction you’ve received through them you fall into a repetitious cycle of learning that’s solely dedicated towards achieving the next level of advancement. Nevermind the fact that these promises of telepathic powers, aura reading and metaphysical healing never actually manifest, the intrepid member can always tell themselves that the final answer to their quest lies behind the next door.