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Final Paper - Presley
Criminal Justice Research and Writing (Liberty
University)
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THEORIES ON THE CULT AND MURDERS 1
Theories on the Cult and Murders of Charles Manson
Zachary Cushman
Liberty University
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Abstract
Murder is no doubt a problem in modern-day society as well as throughout history. Serial
killers and cult leaders have a much more significant impact on this problem, however.
Scientists and psychologists have tried to figure out why these terrorists do what they do for the
longest time. Charles Manson is one of the most notorious criminals due to his murder of the
pregnant actress Sharon Tate. Although the late Manson never revealed why he snapped and
directed the killings of Tate and four others, many theories have been studied to provide
potential motives. These theories include sociological theories such as the labeling theory,
general strain theory, and the social learning theory; civilizational theories such as puerilism,
anomie, and transmoral consciousness; and religious theories such as the Durkheim theory,
totemism, and the Luhmann theory. Even though Manson is dead, many more murderers, cult
leaders, and serial killers have come and will continue to appear in modern-day culture. As
these theories progress and more ideas develop, they be used and studied to help society reveal
these threats quicker and more effectively. The active use of these theories will allow people to
find warning signs and potentially make changes in the way others are assessed and viewed.
Eventually, this will cause the rate of malicious deaths will plummet.
Keywords: Charles Manson, murder, theories, cult
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Theories on the Cult and Murders of Charles Manson
On August 9, 1969, pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others were brutally
murdered in the residence of director Roman Polanski. Charles Manson led Tex Watson, Susan
Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian, members of the Manson family, to Polanski’s
house and directed the members to kill the five victims. In 1971, the five killers were arrested
and sentenced to death; however, California banned the death penalty in 1972, and their
sentences were changed to life in prison (Masterson & Wallace, 2017). Charles Manson died
from cardiac arrest on November 19, 2017, after being taken to Mercy Hospital without
revealing why he started a cult and why he murdered. However, multiple reasons have been
discovered through research of various sociological, civilizational, and religious theories.
Literature Review
Different theories have been studied and applied to this case, including the labeling
theory and the totemism and religion theory. The labeling theory focuses on the aspect that a
criminal will adopt the label put on them; if society bashes someone and calls them a criminal,
they will eventually see themselves as that label and become locked within the role given.
Atchison and Heide’s (2011) application of this theory shows that Manson was labeled as a
delinquent when he was a child by burning other kids’ toys. He was also labeled as a ringleader
as a teen when he led a prison escape, and a sodomizer by a homosexual encounter in prison.
Nielsen (1984) found that even before prison, Manson committed many sexual acts within his
cult and promoted them as well. In an interview, Manson claimed that if he has already been
labeled as something he is not, then he has nothing to lose in living out that label.
Religious theories are also essential aspects to look at when analyzing this topic. In
Sutton’s (2018) application of the totemism and religion theory, the Manson family had met
all
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the requirements to become a pseudo-religion and ascribed Manson as their god of sorts.
Norman (2019) found that Manson had brainwashed the members of his cult through various
methods, two being Bible readings and speeches about revolution. Niklas Luhmann describes
religion as being concerned with problems of meaning as problems of resolving paradoxes.
(Weaver, 2016). Manson’s own words, as well as the members’ words, and his portrayal in the
media are all seen through a religious distinction and paradox lens.
Sociological Theories
Sociological theories attempt to explain crime caused by the social environment. Facts
such as place, time, and current events are essential to understanding criminal development. This
includes looking at the suspect’s past, family, and society. Typically, murderers will be viewed
as their mark on society, not society’s mark on them (Atchison & Heide, 2011).
Labeling Theory
The labeling theory focuses on formal sanctions put on deviants according to societal
norms (Atchison & Heide, 2011). After a lawbreaker feels the negativity of their label as a
criminal and sees how society reacts to them, they start to see themselves as criminals. They
become locked in these roles and continuously commit crimes.
Manson was involved in petty crimes from a young age, had many entanglements with
the law, and was considered trouble within his neighborhood. At age seven, he was labeled a
delinquent after burning all his classmates’ toys. It was his first run-in with authorities and led to
a life of crime. While he was in the Indianapolis City Juvenile Home at 13 years old, he obtained
the label of ringleader when he stole tools and helped 35 other kids escape. While in the
National Training School for Boys, Manson had a homosexual encounter and was falsely
accused of sexual assault. The “victim” did not want his homosexuality to be outed, so he and
Manson
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agreed that if they got caught, Manson would claim he forced him into the act to protect him.
Manson said that if someone thinks he is something he is not and has to carry that weight, there
is no harm in being what they think he is (Atchison & Heide, 2011). This theory reveals one
possible conclusion is that if society was already calling him all these things, there is no reason
he should abstain from the activities.
General Strain Theory
The general strain theory builds off the Durkheim theory into the idea that if someone
cannot obtain specific goals they have set, they may turn to crime instead (Atchison & Heide,
2011). Some of these failures include failure of financial goals, presentation of negative stimuli,
and removal of positive catalysts.
Manson experienced many of these losses even before his life of crime leaving him
empty of anything but resentment and could have tied into his crimes. Manson claimed himself
that he was insufficient and was constantly reminded of his failures. His mother and family
rejected him rather than loved him and he repeatedly lost loved ones in his early life. The
abandonment further developed his unity and closed emotions. His mother constantly left him
and even robbed a service station leaving him in the care of his grandparents. Manson claimed
he knew real hate when he escaped the Gibault Home for Boys after experiencing punishment
and forced homosexual acts on other kids. While he was in the Indianapolis School for Boys, he
was beaten with a leather strap after an escape attempt and was raped by four other boys. He met
his first love, an Irish waitress, and had his first child; the huge void was filled. However, he was
incarcerated once again, and she left him for a truck driver, bringing the child with her. After
losing true love, he turned to monetary gain and started a prostitution ring once on parole
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(Atchison & Heide, 2011). This theory shows that Manson had nothing left that gave him
belonging leading some to believe the cult and attention gained from it filled his void.
Social Learning Theory
The social learning theory is based on the idea that crime is learned from interaction with
others (Atchison & Heide, 2011). There are four principles of Aker’s social learning theory:
differential association, differential reinforcement, definitions, and imitation. This theory
postulates that the potential for criminal behavior increases as exposure and associations to
lawbreakers increases. This is because of the risk and reward stigma. If the reward, such as
money, fame, or acceptance, is greater than the risk of getting caught, then it is worth the act.
Manson was confined from the very impressionable age of 12. He learned how to beat
the authorities at Gibault Home for Boys from the other kids at the institution. These boys held
resentment against parents, law enforcement, and confinement. These things, along with being
favorable to crime, could easily have rubbed off on Manson. After escaping Gibault, he rode the
rails and lived with hobos and vagrants. After stealing a bike, he was arrested and sent to Boys
Town but escaped again shortly after with a partner. They fled to the other boy’s uncle’s house,
who was a thief himself. The uncle soon put the boys to work by casing jobs, sending them to do
the dirty work, and giving them a small portion of the reward. Eventually, he was housed in a
federal reformatory in Chillicothe, Ohio, where many high-caliber criminals enthralled Manson.
He claimed his heroes were the mobsters that defied the system he was locked up in. He spent
his time learning the ways of these inmates, and his criminal attitude strengthened. He met a
gangster named Frank Costello and claimed he believed everything Costello said (Atchison &
Heide, 2011). This theory allows the thought of Manson adopting his criminal views from other
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criminals he was around, which is why he killed, not only to follow his inspirations but to prove
that he was something in the world to be feared.
Civilizational Theories
Civilizational theories deal with rational thinking, or rather the adoption of irrational
thinking as a regression. Regressions likely occur due to conflicting chaotic sociocultural
changes. Societies affected by these changes usually start at rationalized structures, diminish to
faith structures, and eventually fall to Sacro-magical structures. The loss of meaning by conflict
leads societies to trust mythopoetics, ritualization, and irrational thinking (Nielsen, 1984).
Puerilism
The Manson family’s outlook was primarily affected by puerilism. This is the belief that
all things should be viewed in an infantile mindset, that everything is a joke or game (Nielsen,
1984). People with this view struggle to distinguish reality from the game. Manson wanted to
start a revival of perfect childhood where all evils are gone. He never believed he had grown up
because he did not have an education and did not have a good adult life since he was
incarcerated. Playing was a significant part of the Manson family as well. The members would
have roles that changed daily to “build a reality within that reality of play-acting” (Nielsen,
1984,
p. 323). The groups that adopt this idea never cease their games and look at the consequences of
their actions. One could believe that Manson and his cult did not honestly know that they were
killing innocent people and that it was just part of their game.
Anomie
Anomie is the refusal of trustworthiness and universal rationales (Nielsen, 1984). It leads
to ever-changing social structures and cultural organization as well as groups devoted to one
person who creates social order and functions. In the Manson family, there was not even an
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external order and nothing that entices outsiders. Believers of this view want to erase society in
place of one person who appears to have multiple body manifestations. Manson believed distrust
was a flaw in his members and even banned asking “Why?”. He would also rename and give
pseudonyms to the members in order to confuse police and create a sense that personal identity
was unimportant (Nielsen, 1984). The disassociation with rational thinking severely had an
impact on the validity of their actions. This supports the idea that maybe there was no reason for
the murders other than not thinking.
Transmoral Consciousness
Transmoral consciousness deals with eliminating guilt, right-from-wrong, and
accountability; transcending death, the goodness of works of love, transfiguration; and a God-
like image (Nielsen, 1984). Manson repeated throughout his life that wrong did not exist. Getting
rid of guilt by not believing in this word led to the rebirth to the stage of innocence. This belief
of guilt is a barrier to the spiritual awakening and is shared by many other cults. Manson also
believed that death could be overcome by embracing equality with all earthly things. He tested
his followers to see if they feared death by putting a knife to their throat. The fearlessness of
death was assumed to equal the fearlessness to kill and allowed complete freedom within the
person. Death and love were closely entwined in the beliefs of the Manson family, leading them
to believe murder could be an act of love (Nielsen, 1984). Love as a sense of worldly equality, at
least. This view leads some to think Manson may have started his cult to bring people to this
“freedom” and may have killed because he thought it was an act of love.
Religious Theories
In San Francisco in the 1960s, there was a strong presence of outlaw persona, meaning
any laws that infract someone’s freedoms were utterly ignored. This counterculture was heavily
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involved in the exotic, which, to them, was making music, dancing, and sex a spiritual
activity. Sexual freedom would increase or create someone’s spirituality being summed up as
free love. This counterculture would also use everyday mainstream culture things, such as
shelter, sex, drugs, and food; however, they used them in unnatural ways in order to free
themselves of commercialism (Sutton, 2018).
Durkheim Theory
Durkheim’s theory analyzes intangible social facts while emphasizing morality, collective
conscience, social currents, and collective representation (Sutton, 2018). Religion is the ultimate
intangible fact; it can influence someone’s actions by lifting them higher than their power and
ability. He wanted to discover where the origin of religion was within modern-day society.
Sacredness is a significant part of any religion or cult; Helter Skelter, which was the
belief that the world was ending soon, was just that. Manson obsessed over the Beatles’ White
album, more specifically the song Helter Skelter. He would repeatedly play these songs and
claimed that the Beatles would speak to him, that he had an apocalyptic connection to them. The
viewpoint of Helter Skelter was widely believed and unquestioned by the members. It
emphasized how the black man would overcome the white man, stating that the last war on earth
would be between the blacks and whites and that the Manson family would be the last of the
white people. This unified belief system further drives Durkheim’s theory (Sutton, 2018). One
could assume from this theory that the Manson family was so infatuated with Helter Skelter that
it became their religion. They would do anything for it, even kill.
Totemism
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Totemism is the principle that a person, animal, plant, or thing is held with high regard as
society’s totem (Sutton, 2018). The society will call itself a family despite not being blood
related. The god of this society can influence people to the sacred principle of restraint,
deprivation, and sacrifice.
For totemism to succeed, there must be a totem assigned. For the Manson family, this
totem was Manson himself. As an inductee service, he would seduce the female members,
convincing them they were beautiful and would send the male members on an LSD trip. In many
trips, he would mimic Jesus Christ and specifically the crucifixion. He would even trust their
devotion to him by throwing hatchets at them and asking if they would die for him. Manson
would teach the members that they were independent and had freedom, but they were really just
dependent on him and had no true freedom. One member even said she felt that he was the
second coming of Christ (Sutton, 2018). This gives an apparent reason why the members
wholeheartedly followed Manson’s orders to kill the five people and possibly why he started the
cult in the first place, but not why he ordered it.
Luhmann Theory
Luhmann’s theory tries to illustrate models of doomsday cults. These cults, such as the
Manson family, use ideas from many systems of art, religion, law, and politics (Sutton, 2018).
Their primary purpose is to terrorize and irritate society. In order to survive, they must do what
they can for themselves or, in a religious case, do what they can to reach their god.
Manson claimed to be a miracle maker; he even stated he cured a dying horse and
someone who had a club foot. Some members claimed he levitated a bus and revived a dead bird.
While on trial, Prosecutor Bugliosi’s watch stopped when explaining his skepticism on these
powers. Manson believed in the Devil’s Hole, finding support within the Book of Revelation.
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This theory allows the idea that anyone can have religion and that every leader risks death; in
Manson’s case, it was social death (Sutton, 2018). This idea gives the reason that the Manson
family did whatever they could to find this hole before the world ended, and anyone who got in
their way was an obstacle unless they wanted to join the search.
Christian Worldview
Second Peter 2:1-3 states,
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers
among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master
who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their
sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed
they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their
destruction is not asleep. (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Second Peter 2:1-3)
This passage applies to the topic because Charles Manson led many people astray. Manson’s
greed and pride corrupted his thinking enough for him to start a cult. The attention and power he
gained from his followers filled his cravings fueled by greed. These followers, as well as himself,
considered him God or Christ-like. He used passages in the Bible to feed the members his
wrongful teachings more effectively (Norman, 2019). His followers believed praised Manson so
much that he did not touch the victims of the Tate/LaBianca case, he convinced them to carry out
the murders; this means they were so far gone that they would murder for him. Many people,
including Manson himself, were led to eternal damnation because of these fallacies and
perversions of the text.
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Conclusion
Many possible reasons have been found as to why Charles Manson started the Manson
family and killed innocent people. Which one is true though? However, a singular theory
cannot be wholeheartedly true. The reason derives from a plethora of theories and discoveries.
From past research, Manson was found to have traveled to Hollywood in the first place to make
it big as a rockstar, but the companies rejected him. This plays into the general strain theory. He
likely started a cult because he felt insignificant and that nobody wanted him around. He went
to film festivals, concerts, anywhere he could find young, impressionable people who listened
to him.
From this, he gained a power-high and continued growing this cult until it became a
religion. Once he gained this power and confidence, he returned to Hollywood and was rejected
again. Now that he had a group of loyal followers, he decided that enough was enough. He was
angry and wanted to make a lasting impact of his religion, ideologies, and societal problems. In
conclusion, Charles Manson killed because he was angry at the world for rejecting him, wanted
his beliefs to be heard, and wanted society to change from the daze they were living in.
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References
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sociological theories to multiple murder. International Journal of Offender Therapy and
Comparative Criminology, 55(5), 771–798. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X10371794
Masterson, L. R., & Wallace, J. R. (2017). The Manson tapes: Evidence of murder in bankruptcy
court. American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, 36(11), 12-13,81.
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com
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New American Standard Bible. (1995). The Lockman Foundation.
Nielsen, D. A. (1984). Charles Manson’s family of love: A case study of anomism, puerilism and
transmoral consciousness in civilizational perspective. Sociological Analysis, 45(4), 315–
337. http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com
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Weaver, W. N. (2016). Saturnalia in the theory of Niklas Luhmann: The terror program manifest
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