It’s difficult to find God
we stand in the way
Is there a God? How do I find God?
It's all a bit subjective.
One of the best descriptions I have heard, for believing in something or not is if you can feel it, I know things can be relative, but to feel it, if something is hot or cold is the one given by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, who prior to her death, was the words leading Yoga teacher, her view was can you actually feel it for yourself?
Leon Festinger (1950s) — Cognitive Dissonance & The True Believer
If the specific study explicitly involved the idea of being in a cult, belonging to a cult or sharing the belief systems of that organisation, a cult, in reality could be defined as a new religion, but...all new religions including Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, they all start from small beginnings and are not the accepted belief system of their time in history, so to my way of thinking all organised world religions could have the word 'cult' applied at sometime in their history. In my opinion nothing can be excluded from the definition of cult where there becomes the psychological inability to change ones belief system, The research of Leon Festinger represents the absolute gold standard for this, though it took place about two decades later.
The Research: In 1956, Festinger and his colleagues infiltrated a UFO doomsday cult led by a woman named Dorothy Martin. The cult believed the world would end on a specific date and a flying saucer would rescue them.
The Finding: When the world didn't end, the cult members did not abandon their beliefs. Instead of admitting they were wrong, they doubled down, claiming their faith had saved the world.
The Theory: This birthed the theory of 'Cognitive Dissonance'. Festinger proved that when a deeply held belief is tied to a person's identity and community (like a cult), presenting them with undeniable facts that contradict the belief actually makes them hold onto it more strongly.
Wilhelm Reich (1933) — Mass Psychology & Ideological Indoctrination
Another contender from the exact era you mentioned is the psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich.
The Research: In 1933, he published The Mass Psychology of Fascism.
The Finding: While not about a small "cult" per se, Reich examined how entire populations could become indoctrinated into rigid, authoritarian belief systems. He looked at how people identify so deeply with an ideology or a charismatic leader that it forms "character armor"—making their worldview practically impenetrable to outside logic or change.
The Verdict: If the focus of your memory is on the 1930s and experimental psychology, it is almost certainly Muzafer Sherif. If your memory is specifically focused on a cult study and doubling down on false beliefs, it is Leon Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance (you just had the date a little early!).
Message from the author of the blog — Conclusion
Can you break away from your belief system, maybe yes maybe no, you may not want to break away from your belief system as there maybe nothing wrong with it.
I am not asking you to do that, what I am asking you to do is increase your awareness, by increasing your awareness you know for yourself if what you are doing is right or wrong, this meditation helps you become yourself, what does that mean, it means you can see for yourself, feel for yourself if something is right or wrong. So all I ask is try it?