What cultural and historical circumstances allowed Shoko Asahara to gain power in Japan?

Religious Specialists

What cultural and historical circumstances allowed Shoko Asahara to gain power in Japan? How did he persuade people to follow him and stay in Aum Shinrikyo? How does this relate to the Diane Benscoter’s experience as a member of the Unification Church (aka Moonies)? After leaving the Moonies, was Benscoter’s role as a deprogrammer different from the role of a religious specialist who indoctrinates followers into a particular belief system? Why or why not?