When I was working as an intern the company was into a group called PSI Seminars. They are also into Tony Robbins. When I didn’t finish PSI Basic everything changed. I had no future there. How can I explain to a future potential employer that my last employer was in a cult without looking unprofessional? I highly think they are going to throw me under the bus if used as a reference.

I think a lot of companies operate on similar principles to a cult. When it benefits them, they say they are like a family. When it doesn’t, know you can be replaced in an instant. People who don’t have a life outside of work, or they do but it involves people from work almost exclusively. And companies that have cult-like ideas or ideals. Even some aspects of professionalism (such as dress code or uniforms) are cult-like in nature. The military sees value in dehumanising people, by making them simple cogs in the machine, and private industry likes to emulate this. The question is, can you leave? A true cult won’t let you. That’s the difference with a lot of companies. If you get out, you are basically out. They may not re-hire you, but they shouldn’t interfere with your life beyond that point. Cults absolutely will.