But despite the darkness of my actions, I still managed to convince myself that I was doing the right thing. I told myself that I was saving them from a corrupt and evil world, that I was protecting them from harm.

As the group grew, so did my ego. I started to see myself as a visionary, a prophet who had been chosen to lead these people to enlightenment. I began to use more and more manipulative tactics to keep them under my control, including emotional manipulation, gaslighting, and even physical isolation.

As I look back on my time as a cult leader, I realize that I was driven by a desire for power and control. I was charismatic and confident, and I knew how to use those qualities to get what I wanted.

It wasn’t easy, but slowly, I began to rebuild. I started to see that my actions had consequences, that I had hurt people I cared about. I began to make amends, to try and repair the damage I had done.

But I was also driven by a deep-seated insecurity. I had always felt like an outsider, like I didn’t quite fit in. And so, I created my own group, my own family, and I became the leader.

My Life as a Cult Leader**

It wasn’t until I started to use manipulative tactics to keep them in line that I realized I had crossed a line. I would use guilt and shame to control their behavior, making them feel like they were not good enough or that they owed me for my guidance. I would isolate them from their friends and family, telling them that they were the only ones who truly understood them.