Cult =
a few smart, charismatic men, snake oil salesmen
+
many dumb, dumb, dumb, desperate, often young, dumb, dumb, dumb,dumb, dumb, dumb,dumb, dumb, dumb,dumb, dumb, dumb,dumb, dumb, dumb women.
Same thing with the Christian Science cult.
LOTS & LOTS & LOTS of elderly women. (It's a dying cult)