The Leader must exert a high level of control over the will of his flock to insure proper behavior. This is usually done by establishing supernatural power with a blend of parlor tricks, psychological/physical abuse, and conditioning exercises. If you do not have a naturally magnetic personality, you can study books on Nazi methodology, Soviet behavior modification experiments, practical psychology, hypnosis, Anton LaVey, and Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. Also, the best advice is usually found in anti-cult propaganda, where the methods of successful cults are often carefully explained.
Drugs will leave followers very receptive to indoctrination. LSD has been shown to increase its users’ suggestibility. Addiction is also a useful tool of manipulation -- followers will follow your every command for a fix, while worshipping you as the purveyor of a needed substance. The object of many religions, especially those on the cultic fringe, is to achieve a "higher state" or trance such as Samadhi, Nirvana, or Gnosis. Hallucinogens (particularly psilocybin and mescaline) are generally used to help induce this state through altered perceptions of reality.
Altering your flock’s diet is also a surprisingly effective means of control. It can be justified in terms of ritual purification or political rhetoric. Reducing the daily intake of proteins and certain necessary vitamins will leave initiates debilitated and disoriented. Their old belief systems can now be dismantled and replaced with your own. Many cults and political groups have won huge followings by encouraging veganism or organic/"health food" diets because of the body’s response to chemical depletion. Most cults begin entry rites with a mandatory fast or "trial period" wherein one can eat nothing but, say, saltines and carrot juice. Claim the initiate is washing his body of "impurities."
The Leader must exert a high level of control over the will of his flock to insure proper behavior. This is usually done by establishing supernatural power with a blend of parlor tricks, psychological/physical abuse, and conditioning exercises. If you do not have a naturally magnetic personality, you can study books on Nazi methodology, Soviet behavior modification experiments, practical psychology, hypnosis, Anton LaVey, and Dale Carnegie’s 
Drugs
Altering your flock’s diet is also a surprisingly effective means of control. It can be justified in terms of ritual purification or political rhetoric. Reducing the daily intake of proteins and certain necessary vitamins will leave initiates debilitated and disoriented. Their old belief systems can now be dismantled and replaced with your own. Many cults and political groups have won huge followings by encouraging veganism or organic/"health food" diets because of the body’s response to chemical depletion. Most cults begin entry rites with a mandatory fast or "trial period" wherein one can eat nothing but, say, saltines and carrot juice. Claim the initiate is washing his body of "impurities."