![Picture](/uploads/2/6/1/5/26157826/9278642.jpg)
This picture was taken of me in the crypt under the Pantheon of Paris. The place had a really cold and eerie atmosphere. There was no filter used on the camera that captured this picture, but it's an interesting shot.
" Go, seize fast hold of the skirt of knowledge,
For learning will convey thee to everlasting abodes.
Seek nought but knowledge if thou art wise,
For it is neglectful to remain without wisdom.
From learning there will come to thee perfection as
regards religion and the world."
Scroll of wisdom by Sadi
" Go, seize fast hold of the skirt of knowledge,
For learning will convey thee to everlasting abodes.
Seek nought but knowledge if thou art wise,
For it is neglectful to remain without wisdom.
From learning there will come to thee perfection as
regards religion and the world."
Scroll of wisdom by Sadi
My name is Vanessa Magallon, I’m an undergraduate student at
the University of California, San Diego.
It
took me a few years to finally find my way through the, "what-do-I-want-to-do-for-the-rest-of-my-life," labyrinth. I wouldn’t
exactly say that I’m out of it yet because my education is still ongoing, but
I’m close to the prize. I know how I can help contribute to society. I figured
out that it’s harder to fix what’s already damaged than investing to improve it
from the very beginning. For example, starting a storm water management program
where all water that drains through the streets is guaranteed to go through a
series of filters before it can be reused again. Water in California could be
recycled and reused after it had been stripped of all pollutants. Our society
is currently at a standpoint where the only choices left are ones that help in
the elimination of negative environmental impacts. I want to become part of the
solution and I know that earning a degree in Urban Planning is the way to do
it.My major is Urban Planning and
although I love it, but another passion of mine is cultural anthropology.
The diverse mindsets and ideologies of people have always interested me. I am from a Mexican culture and although I was born and raised in California, my few trips across the border have opened my eyes to the beauty of primitive ideas that are still harbored inside the minds of the modern generations. Superstition is still deeply rooted within the traditional Mexican culture. For instance, some of the best medical practitioners are known to reside within the city of Guadalajara, yet people still seek brujas and curanderos to ameliorate maladies that they believe are caused by some sort of curse. These spiritual healers are still around because the demand is high. The Mexican culture isn’t the only civilization that believes in supernatural forces, it is also deeply imbedded in the African, European, Asian and American cultures.
When I reflect upon my reasons for designing a website that delineates the makings of religious cults, I must confess it’s not the normalcy of their nascence that intrigues me. The origins of a cult may have fundamentally been created to give its members a sense of belonging and community, but its future development may morph the cult into an entirely different reality. The leaders of the cults and their inner sphere of close-knit members have the largest influence on the lesser members and through them, the congregations are controlled and molded. My interests fall upon the leaders, because the followers are just reflections of the conduct and philosophies of the chain of command.
I’m curious about their psychology. What makes cult leaders who they are? And how is it possible that some are able to commit atrocious acts against humanity and still find support from the ingenuous? I wish to analyze the methods that must be taken in order to generate the power to control and herd the “sheep.” I do not believe religion is evil, I’m open-minded and respect people’s beliefs, but it’s the perverted humans who use religion for destructive purposes that I don’t commend. Ultimately, my research goes into how cult leaders use religion to pursue ulterior motives and how the chain of evil can only be broken through death.
The diverse mindsets and ideologies of people have always interested me. I am from a Mexican culture and although I was born and raised in California, my few trips across the border have opened my eyes to the beauty of primitive ideas that are still harbored inside the minds of the modern generations. Superstition is still deeply rooted within the traditional Mexican culture. For instance, some of the best medical practitioners are known to reside within the city of Guadalajara, yet people still seek brujas and curanderos to ameliorate maladies that they believe are caused by some sort of curse. These spiritual healers are still around because the demand is high. The Mexican culture isn’t the only civilization that believes in supernatural forces, it is also deeply imbedded in the African, European, Asian and American cultures.
When I reflect upon my reasons for designing a website that delineates the makings of religious cults, I must confess it’s not the normalcy of their nascence that intrigues me. The origins of a cult may have fundamentally been created to give its members a sense of belonging and community, but its future development may morph the cult into an entirely different reality. The leaders of the cults and their inner sphere of close-knit members have the largest influence on the lesser members and through them, the congregations are controlled and molded. My interests fall upon the leaders, because the followers are just reflections of the conduct and philosophies of the chain of command.
I’m curious about their psychology. What makes cult leaders who they are? And how is it possible that some are able to commit atrocious acts against humanity and still find support from the ingenuous? I wish to analyze the methods that must be taken in order to generate the power to control and herd the “sheep.” I do not believe religion is evil, I’m open-minded and respect people’s beliefs, but it’s the perverted humans who use religion for destructive purposes that I don’t commend. Ultimately, my research goes into how cult leaders use religion to pursue ulterior motives and how the chain of evil can only be broken through death.