Note: In attempts to be fair and objective (although the post comes across as quite acidic), there is no way of knowing whether Thomas Sheridan believes at least part of what he tells followers, perhaps not realising, at this point in time, how damaging his guidance is. The focus of the post is to observe the impact on followers. What is interesting about this group is the push towards paranoia being out in the open; in many such cases, the toxicity is only blatant behind the scenes.

There seem to be two distinct cult categories in terms of leadership: those primarily based on a doctrine or formula and those based on following a person into the metaphorical ether. Cults based on a doctrine, such as Scientology or Landmark, replicate it regardless of who is in charge at the time. They are rigid in their beliefs and extremely anal in terms of rules and hierarchy.

Cults based on one person involve following said person’s directives blindly, in real time, however frequent and turbulent the changes in their views, morals, predictions, politics, advice to followers and so on. Trust in the guru’s wisdom is such that consistency in those (otherwise crucial) aspects no longer matters. The group treats the leader’s every feeling or observation as one of utmost significance for them and at times for the world.

The leader doesn’t have small problems, like the average person. He/ she is too important for minutiae to be just that. It’s a picture-perfect manifestation of solipsism and reminiscent of self-help authors who think their every shower thought should be the title of a best-seller.

As an example, the communist group dubbed the “cult of Jackie” (Jackie being an all-powerful military machine) once believed a natural disaster they were seeing on TV (or major accident, I can’t remember) had been caused by their leader being disturbed by a delivery guy knocking on the wrong door.

The equilibrium of the planet had been disturbed. The leader was angry, leading to Jackie being angry and lashing out at the world. The message for the cult was, of course, “don’t ever make me angry; here’s what happens”.

The worldview that comes and goes

If a cult leader has a negative interaction, or a bad day, it may result in a rant based on a momentary negative mindset. This may come out of nowhere and project a bleak worldview to followers, who hang on to their every musing. The leader is narcissistic enough to worry or scare unsuspecting (often unwell) people with a straight face, looking dead serious, as if trying to protect them from a real threat.

If the anger persists at a certain person or group, the acrimony can be nicely placed on the reality map the leader designs for his/her followers.

An example would be Hubbard, who fell out with psychiatrists over their rejection of Dianetics and proscribed the entire field of study as corrupt and damaging. To this day, people brought up in the cult, or newbies (should there be any) believe this portrayal of it, which started from no more than Hubbard’s personal acrimony. It forms part of their worldview.

In Thomas Sheridan’s case, it’s been interesting to observe, as these radical shifts in perspective are so frequent. They do seem to depend on something as simple as his mood while recording. An average person wouldn’t fluctuate that way based on something momentary. Not on their perception of reality, anyway. Examples:

  • Early summer 2024: The white race is being replaced. This is extermination. Vote for Waters. There will be civil war if you don’t. I speak for the majority. Look at these brown faces running for office. Let’s all unite.
  • A few weeks later: We are the minority. The majority of people are too stupid to vote. They shouldn’t be allowed to. Avoid them all. Limit yourself to a tight-knit group of likeminded people. Riots are superb, the gods endorse them.
  • A few weeks later: Don’t riot. It’s not the time yet. Just lie in wait for now.
  • Later that summer: It’s all good. This is just a phase in history. Immigrants can’t take out culture away. Keep calm and carry on.
  • November 2024: The Renfields are out in force. Stay indoors to avoid them. They will seek people like us to start conflict. Things are bad at the moment.
  • Later that November: It’s all wonderful now that Trump has won. Equilibrium has been restored. You may leave your basements.
  • January 2025: Palestinians should be eliminated. Trump is doing wonderful things.
  • Later in the year: I don’t care about skin colour, everyone knows controlled immigration is a good thing.
  • May 2025: I will stop talking about immigration because our side accuses me frequently of not being xenophobic enough (I’m not against white immigrants, like the Polish).

Etc. etc. etc.

His following mirrors him and shifts as well, each time, from doomsday scenarios to serenity and hope, then back again, like a hypnotised kennel. It must be mentally and emotionally draining. It’s worth documenting in case things become more extreme with time, as they seem to be escalating, in terms of what he tells followers to do.

They take it very seriously indeed.

Logically, followers would take a step back and run through these inconsistencies, realising that if he is correct (in their view) on some issues sometimes, he is incorrect when stating the opposite shortly after. So why take his every statement about the world so seriously, especially when it’s presented with no evidence?

Renfield invasion

Recently, with a sense of urgency, Sheridan claimed the streets were full of “Renfields” and followers should lock themselves inside their homes to avoid them. He had observed it directly (strangers had been rude to him in public or something) and had concluded that the psychic weather of the planet had changed. Followers were now at risk of interacting more frequently with these humanoids, at their own peril.

To be facetious, maybe he had learned it from Jackie.

His message, between the lines, is very clear: stop interacting with potential detractors.

A second aspect is also blatant: the terms he uses for groups opposing the Tribe, some fictitious, are interchangeable: normie, NPC, Renfield, woke, leftist. He just means the enemy. He uses different terms to create an appearance of critiquing groups based on a variety of issues; however, the approach he recommends is the same: avoid them at all cost. It’s their world against ours. Us vs them.

“I ran some experiments”

To confirm the Renfield invasion, he had “run some experiments” on “control subjects”, trying to get them to “fire up”, which he had managed, and there was “great instability there” (namely his mind games had successfully destabilised specific targets).

In common parlance, he had messed with some people’s heads for reactions and had obtained them. If ever his flock needed proof of him not operating in good faith, using manipulation and baiting – for any purpose whatsoever – this would be it.

It flew right past their heads though. Surely he wouldn’t do it to them – they’re special. They’re part of the Pureblood Tribe (until the very first time they contradict him on social media, which is when they get ousted).

Playing mind games is obviously a hobby and something he does often. Or an experiment. A person operating in good faith doesn’t need any artifice in order to express an opinion, refute a statement etc.

It’s unnecessary to tell members what that’s indicative of, as they’ve probably read his books about people who calculatedly mess with the minds of others towards a goal, particularly humiliation or dehumanisation, such as applying the Renfield label (or any other label).

Either way, one would take Sheridan’s “ability” to identify Renfields, the demon-possessed etc., sui iuris, with an ounce of scepticism if they had 2 working neurons. After all, we don’t live in mediaeval times, when one could point to a person and shout “witch”. To an entire group of strangers, even less. It boggles the mind how some take that seriously.

The trick is in telling followers something vague, that they can connect to events (ever minuscule) in their own lives, concluding that it’s true or at least plausible. Their main motivation is the openness to believing the guru based on trust. The guru’s intent is to condition them, if he/she is psychopathic (an example would be the crises created by Tilly on a regular basis to keep his targets frightened), or simply to obtain narcissistic supply from being taken seriously and obeyed. Equally, from being mirrored.

The advice being extreme, such as barricading oneself indoors, doesn’t stick out when coming from the guru, whereas it would when coming from anyone else.

I’m slightly curious as to what qualifies someone as a top astrologer, among other astrologers, but never mind. Normies disagreed with this person, hence something of global proportions was happening. The paragraph above can be translated as I shut my eyes and ears to any information or opinions contrary to what I believe. It’s notable that disagreements are given a whole other dimension.

Their path to guaranteed dysfunction deserves a modicum of sympathy, as racist and deluded as they are; they probably have underlying conditions, since this is working so well on them.

Renfields

It’s hard to discern how Renfields differ from the other made-up enemies of the Tribe, such as NPCs or normies. From what I gather, Renfields are unstable and have behavioural issues in their immediate environment; however, there’s a substratum of brainwashing behind it. Sheridan came up with the verb “renfielding”, which he doesn’t detail and must be loaded language, only understood by members. As you can see in comments below, just about any bothersome behaviour can lead to this label and instant dehumanisation.

As with other labels, this one can be placed arbitrarily on just anybody, from complete strangers in public to one’s own family.

Sheridan doesn’t explain what these Renfields are doing at the moment, just that they are out in force, looking for people like the Tribe-minded to start conflicts. How exactly is left to the imagination of the listener. Renfields must be able to sniff someone’s political affiliation from half a block away, since interactions with strangers as seen as such.

Tribe members are so special that they are not inconvenienced by garden variety assholes; they are targeted by supernatural forces through these zombies. Mind that Sheridan often claims to be against applying labels arbitrarily, like that of psychopath or narcissist. However, Tribe members should feel free to apply the Renfield label (possessed zombie of sorts) whenever they please.

The video is roughly 5 minutes long. Followers don’t need convincing and resonate immediately. Mind that these are people from different parts of the world, with presumably different lifestyles. Regardless of where they live, they seem to “experience” (self-induce) the same paranoia:

The last comment is ironic, as Tribe members are specifically prone to psychotic states, such as those causing them to avoid human interaction out of fear, as the enemy is everywhere. That is psychosis.

As described in other posts, the intent is for them to fear even minuscule, insignificant interactions with the cashier and fellow shoppers queuing at the till. It’s that bad.

“People are acting crazy and I’ve seen nothing like this probably ever” – this is a direct quote from the video. False of course, as I recall him making similar claims before. It seems to be a tactic to agitate, scare, push people into self-isolating.

As an example of perceived renfielding, this paragraph, apparently, doesn’t depict the occurrence of dogs barking at each other in the street, as they are known to; their owners are by default Renfields. It’s main character syndrome – those randos, inconsiderate or not, were not there simply to walk their own dogs, as the author of the comment was, but specifically to annoy her, as a cosmic joke.

This also speaks to Tribe members’ feeling of being special. Presumably their conduct is not perfect 24/7; however, they could not be Renfields by default (for some unknown reason). This is an outgroup category only.

Rebound: a “post-woke world”

Some time after Sheridan’s warning, Trump was elected, amidst the chaos and revulsion caused by Democrats’ support of the genocide in Gaza and massacres committed by Israel in several of its neighbouring countries, with US weapons and political backing. US citizens had a choice between two psychopathic factions; two wings of the same bird infected with rabies. Many voted third party in protest or didn’t vote at all. They were unwilling to endorse an administration that was actively funding (and is still funding) a genocide.

In Sheridan’s narrative, woke-ism was defeated by the common sense approach of Trump supporters, marking the end of an era of extreme leftism.

This is as nonsensical as it gets, not just given the circumstances of the election, but because Democrats are as leftist as a shoe, being sold to the same lobbies as Trump and corrupt to their last strand of hair (as is the case with Labour in the UK, in its current form).

Sheridan’s depiction of reality is a caricature meant only for the painfully uninformed (again, in the interest of fairness, he might actually believe these things).

His followers are oblivious to the widespread disgust of the actual left towards Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party. To them, the left is a monolith opposing their saviour, convicted criminal Donald Trump. Again – oblivious.

Progressiveness had been the “demon world trying to invade this world” (exact quote). Thanks to their lord and saviour, Donald Trump, the sun now shines upon Tribeland again. The intergalactic Marxist aliens he referenced in a different video have been defeated.

Members, all the way from Australia to Canada, can now leave their homes with the confidence of relative safety. The psychic weather has changed again; the zombie attack is over; Antifa and other radical leftists have been killed off by the Covid vaccine (!), as Sheridan hypotesised recently; they are not seen that often anymore.

“I told you to wait and things are fine now”, he took credit for guiding the group through an imagined crisis. I can’t help but wonder how many times he has put them through these completely made up global phenomena.

Who is he even addressing when claiming Trump’s election restored the equilibrium/ psychic weather in general? Americans? The Irish? Everyone? How would he justify such a bold claim in practical terms (not that his audience is alert enough to examine it)?

It’s imperative for cult leaders to oversimplify reality in order for their claims to simulate making sense. Orwell described it accurately in Animal Farm: “four legs good, two legs bad“. In this case, every non-fascist has two legs. Snowball, the ousted pig living outside the farm, blamed for every mishap the group is facing, is represented by woke globalists and other loaded terms synonymous with the enemy. This notion is not examined anymore. Any kind of dissatisfaction Tribe members experience in life, personally or collectively, can be traced back to woke policies or ideas, with no room for nuance or logic.

Meanwhile, in the real world…

In November of 2024, we are still witnessing a genocide in Gaza and the ICC has finally issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, which is an unprecedented move. There are mass protests against the genocide all over the world (which Sheridan ignores completely, as if it weren’t happening, although it’s the most discussed geopolitical issue right now).

It’s worth mentioning, again, that right wing/ far-right types have been talking about state tyranny for many years, always in reference to the left/ the woke.

Currently, journalists are being arrested and investigated in England for covering the genocide. Professors are being fired from universities for speaking out. Students have been brutalised in the US for protesting on their campuses. Holocaust survivors are being arrested at peace protests, under unjustified suspicion that they support or engage in terrorism, to scare them into shutting up.

The clear authoritarianism and censorship don’t bother anyone on the right/ far-right, as long as the boot goes on the necks of people they hold in contempt, such as those protesting genocide. This needs to be insisted on.

Lastly, Sheridan can’t get enough of satirising the lying mainstream media. Current circumstances have proven more than ever before that the media is lying, manipulating, manufacturing consent for atrocities. Anyone interested in said deception would have a field day. Sheridan, however, says nothing and continues to pretend the media is leftist, as he is now a propagandist for the far-right.

There are no Renfields in the bushes, drawn by the angelic light of Tribe members, waiting to attack. Every single comment I read exemplifying the renfielding listed common issues, including drug use, reckless driving, shouting in public etc. It was a case of members striving to come up with examples just to be in agreement, to butter his ego. Bears also shit in the woods, pardon my language.

Later edit

If you listened to this person for a while, you might’ve noticed how conflicts and criticism are quickly attributed to demonic attacks, as in demons possessing people and attacking Sheridan through them.

As a follower, you might wonder whether despite the constant navel gazing, he can’t actually reflect on his words and their potential impact on other people (such as emboldening them to commit racially motivated violence).

Either way, for someone to instantly attribute criticism (which most people have to deal with) to literal demons, they would have to be downright delusional, if not psychotic. If they were sincere, that is (probably not the case here). It’s fair to assume most of his followers don’t apply that filter to their own mundane conflicts, or they would be referred for treatment pretty quickly.

It’s interesting to see the claims someone can get away with if they provide something to a crowd, such as the appearance of wisdom and companionship.

It’s also interesting that it’s precisely the free speech crowd, decrying non-fascist snowflakes, all caught up in their feelings, that tends to have the most virulent reactions to criticism. Granted, Sheridan takes the cake, with his claim of being attacked by demons.