You’ve just joined a new community — maybe it’s a business opportunity, a spiritual group, or a social movement. The people are warm, energetic, and welcoming.
You’re getting non-stop praise, constant attention, and a flood of messages saying how amazing you are. It feels incredible.
But it might be a trap.
This isn’t just kindness — it could be love bombing, a powerful manipulation tactic used by both cults and multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes to pull people in and make it difficult to leave. And if you’ve ever been caught in one of these environments, you know just how deep the psychological impact can go.
What Is Love Bombing?
Love bombing is the act of overwhelming someone with affection, compliments, promises, and approval to create a fast, intense emotional bond. It’s not genuine love or friendship — it’s a calculated strategy to disarm your skepticism and flood your brain with feel-good chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin.
Psychologists first used the term to describe how cults recruited new members in the 1970s. Today, love bombing is just as prevalent in high-control groups, narcissistic abuse dynamics, and — you guessed it — MLMs.
How Love Bombing Works in Cults
In cults, love bombing typically starts the moment you walk through the door. You’re met with wide smiles, enthusiastic greetings, and a group that seems to “see” you in a way no one else ever has. You’re told you have a special purpose. That you’ve finally found your people. That you’re finally “home.”
This is by design. Cult leaders understand that most people join cults not because of doctrine or ideology, but because of belonging. Love bombing creates that belonging fast — before you’ve had a chance to question anything.
Once that bond is formed, it becomes much harder to challenge the group’s authority or leave, because the loss of that affection feels like emotional withdrawal.
How MLMs Use Love Bombing
MLMs copy these exact tactics. When someone joins an MLM, they’re instantly flooded with love from their “upline.” You’re praised just for signing up. You’re told you’re brave, you’re a boss, you’re destined for success. Strangers in the group chat call you “queen” or “brother.” You’re added to group threads where motivational quotes and emojis fly around like confetti.
This isn’t business. It’s emotional manipulation.
That love and praise are contingent on your compliance. So long as you’re attending meetings, posting on social media, and recruiting new people, the love flows. But the moment you question the opportunity — or worse, decide to leave — the warmth disappears. You’re ghosted. Blocked. Or told you’re “not trying hard enough.”
Just like in a cult.
The Psychology Behind It
Love bombing activates powerful psychological responses. Human beings are wired to seek connection, validation, and acceptance. When we get a sudden flood of those things, especially during vulnerable moments (after a breakup, job loss, or during financial stress), we attach quickly.
This creates what’s known as trauma bonding — a cycle of affection and withdrawal that keeps people emotionally stuck. In MLMs, this can be seen in the way distributors chase praise from uplines while being blamed for their own lack of success.
The dynamic is classic intermittent reinforcement — a known technique in both cults and coercive control. The praise comes just enough to keep you hooked. The threat of losing that praise keeps you compliant.
How to Recognize Love Bombing
Spotting love bombing requires self-awareness and critical thinking. Here are a few red flags:
- You’re told you’re amazing, brave, or chosen — before anyone really knows you.
- You’re overwhelmed with praise or attention very quickly after joining.
- You’re made to feel like you “belong” instantly, without effort or reciprocity.
- You’re discouraged from talking to outsiders or anyone who doesn’t support the group.
- The love disappears the moment you question or challenge the group.
If it feels too good to be true — it probably is.
How to Protect Yourself
Combating love bombing starts with slowing things down.
- Pause before committing. If someone is pressuring you to join something quickly — whether a business, group, or belief system — take a step back.
- Ask questions. Who is benefiting from this setup? Who has power here? Are dissenting voices welcomed, or shut down?
- Maintain outside connections. Cults and MLMs both try to isolate people from their support systems. Stay grounded with friends and family.
- Notice conditional affection. Real love doesn’t require blind loyalty. If affection is only offered when you conform, it’s not real love.
- Trust your gut. If something feels performative or manipulative, it probably is.
Final Thoughts
Love bombing isn’t about love — it’s about control.
Whether you’re being pulled into a cult, an MLM, or a scam disguised as a community, the tactic is the same: flood the brain with affection, create fast emotional ties, then use those ties to control behavior.
Recognizing it is the first step. Speaking out about it helps others. And together, we can make these manipulation tactics less effective — and a lot less profitable.
If you’ve experienced love bombing or want to share your MLM or cult story, reach out to Danny or myself. Or you can leave a comment down below!
You’re not alone — and you don’t have to stay silent.
By Beth Gibbons (Queen of Karma)
Beth Gibbons, known publicly as Queen of Karma, is a whistleblower and anti-MLM advocate who shares her personal experiences of being manipulated and financially harmed by multi-level marketing schemes. She writes and speaks candidly about the emotional and psychological toll these so-called “business opportunities” take on vulnerable individuals, especially women. Beth positions herself as a survivor-turned-activist, exposing MLMs as commercial cults and highlighting the cult-like tactics used to recruit, control, and silence members.
She has contributed blogs and participated in video interviews under the name Queen of Karma, often blending personal storytelling with direct confrontation of scammy business models. Her work aligns closely with scam awareness efforts, and she’s part of a growing community of voices pushing back against MLM exploitation, gaslighting, and financial abuse.
Good stuff on the blog.
I’m still hoping my MLM’s take OFF.