evile

Interesting Question!

It’s entirely possible that cult leaders might have Narcissistic Personality Disorder[1]

A cult leader would certainly check off some of these:

Have an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Have a sense of entitlement and require constant, excessive admiration
Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it
Exaggerate achievements and talents
Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate
Believe they are superior and can only associate with equally special people
Monopolize conversations and belittle or look down on people they perceive as inferior
Expect special favors and unquestioning compliance with their expectations
Take advantage of others to get what they want
Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others
Be envious of others and believe others envy them
Behave in an arrogant or haughty manner, coming across as conceited, boastful and pretentious
Insist on having the best of everything — for instance, the best car or office

Or they may have Antisocial Personality Disorder[2] Cult leaders often display most of these traits as well:

Disregard for right and wrong
Persistent lying or deceit to exploit others
Being callous, cynical and disrespectful of others
Using charm or wit to manipulate others for personal gain or personal pleasure
Arrogance, a sense of superiority and being extremely opinionated
Recurring problems with the law, including criminal behavior
Repeatedly violating the rights of others through intimidation and dishonesty
Impulsiveness or failure to plan ahead
Hostility, significant irritability, agitation, aggression or violence
Lack of empathy for others and lack of remorse about harming others
Unnecessary risk-taking or dangerous behavior with no regard for the safety of self or others
Poor or abusive relationships
Failure to consider the negative consequences of behavior or learn from them
Being consistently irresponsible and repeatedly failing to fulfill work or financial obligations

It definitely seems that some fundamental aspect of humanity is missing from a person who seeks to control and use people so ruthlessly!

I find that the BITE model[3] is useful for examining cult dynamics. The cult leader will attempt to control their followers’ Behavior, Information, Thoughts, and Emotions

I have also found a good deal of crossover/bleed between abusive relationships, cults and some polyamorous situations[4] Within the Narcissist’s typical “Idealize, Devalue, Discard[5] ” cycle can also be found the Cycle of Abuse[6]

Focus is on the wants and needs of the cult leader/Narcissist/abuser. Followers/victims/targets are not allowed to have needs, thoughts, or feelings that deviate from those of the leader/narcissist/abuser.

In many cases, the followers are treated as tools or toys rather than human beings. The cult leader/Narc is obsessed with power and control, often preoccupied with maintaining a false image of wealth, beauty, success, or other outward appearance of socially acceptable and desirable traits.

The cult leader/narcissist uses their followers/victims as props, takes their resources without consideration.

The narc/cult leader/abuser blames their followers/victims for any negative outcomes—bad things are never a result of their own behavior, but because the followers didn’t believe or pray hard enough, because the victim disobeyed the leader, or because outsiders are persecuting the leader and their followers.

No matter what happens, the leader will not accept blame or responsibility. The abuser will use whatever consequences occur as a way to solidify their control of their victim(s) and cut them off from friends, family, external sources of support, information that counteracts the cult leader’s lies, or anything that might provide the victim with a path to freedom.

In all honesty, I see cults and narcissistic abuse as basically the same thing--the only difference is a matter of scale, whether the narc has enough energy, time, and personal charisma to cultivate, love-bomb, and then control and terrorize only one person at a time into obedience or impose themselves on an entire group of people. If a narcissist is ambitious and organized, they can certainly become a cult leader and I’d say many have, and are, and do.

Footnotes

[1]

Narcissistic personality disorder - Symptoms and causes

[2]

Antisocial personality disorder - Symptoms and causes

[3]

https://freedomofmind.com/bite-model/

[4]

Group Cohesion As A Coercive Tactic In Poly Relationships

[5]

Relationship Cycle of Individuals with Psychopathy and Narcissistic Personality Disorder - Idealize, Devalue, Discard | Neuroinstincts | Dr. Rhonda Freeman

[6]