A doomsday cult is a new religious movement or cult that says that the world is about to end. According to these cults, there will be a catastrophe. The only way to be saved is by joining the group, and by doing what it says. John Lofland first used the term in 1966, in a study of the Unification Church. Some researchers believe that the term should not be used by mass media or by governments, because it will reinforce the beliefs of the respective group, and lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. 