Members are continually subjected to these techniques -- it's part of daily life in a cult. Cults may hide any signs of illegal, immoral or hyper-controlling practices until the recruit has fully immersed himself in the group. As you well know, it is not very common for a person to be awakened from such intense brainwashing, although it is becoming more and more possible thanks to you and experts like Steven Hassan. . Love Bombing. Those in power distribute rewards for "good" behavior and . Codifying Consent w/Joyce Short & Nina Lucas. Step five is tougher. Mr. Liftonif somehow you manage to read this article, I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to you. the ubiquitous human tendencies toward guilt and shame but also by the need to Cults not only provide firm answers to every question, but also make promises that appeal to those needing reassurance, confidence and affirmation. Isolation - Cults cut off members from the outside world (and even each other) to produce intense introspection, confusion, loss of perspective and a distorted sense of reality. STEP ONE: IDENTIFY THE POTENTIAL RECRUIT You'd expect the focus to be on troubled youngsters, but many groups target people with useful skills or access to money. The recruit must see smiling, friendly, happy people - a living advertisement. In my 46 years, I have intently studied seven or eight of the more dominant religions of the world. Cult behavior involves a fervent devotion to a particular person, object, or idea. This leader then informs the members. Cult tactics include inducing fears and phobias (strong, irrational fears) in group members to allow the leadership to maintain control. 8. Written down, the signs seem clear: 1. A cascade of affection, support and approval poured over the recruit. Keep the person unaware of what is going on and how she or he is. Sleep and food deprivation, coupled with rigid rules, help to break down a person's sense of self. The member may be deprived of adequate sustenance and/or sleep so the mind becomes muddled. A belief that the leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or giving validation. Theres something about the peak experience and the drive towards it that is a sign of something brokenthe simplicity of daily rhythm is not enough because you were just not able to enjoy it. A woman born into David Berg's Children of God recalled this technique as a "wave of peace and love". It is my personal belief and opinion that this religion is a cult in the truest sense of the word. Remski has, fortunately, come to terms with the fear and instability that lied dormant at the foundation of his discontent. Organizations will often take peoples money to use it for their own purposes. This rule of theirs has become rather famous as of lately in the world. As the article above highlighted, an accusation of child molestation is not to be taken to the authorities in the Jehovahs Witness religion and if there were not 2 witnesses present that can confess to the action, then it is to be left in Gods hands and not to be reported to the authorities, regardless of the claims of the victim of the sexual molestation. Follow. A cult member's sense of self is systematically destroyed. Click here to watch some of the footage. You do this by keeping your members away from outsiders. This is done by taking money from them without their consent or knowledge, or by blackmailing them. Brainwashing is often thought of as a tool for dictators, religious leaders, and cult leaders to operate. brainwashing, also called Coercive Persuasion, systematic effort to persuade nonbelievers to accept a certain allegiance, command, or doctrine. Do you consider yourself rational? The final step is vital. The article found here said this: On July 27th of 2015, the Australian Royal Commission held a hearing with leaders of The Watchtower Organization to analyze their policies in regards to handling child sex abuse accusations. Remski created an alternate universe to deal with the actual reality he couldnt deal with. There have been exactly four scientific, controlled studies of the effectiveness of AA or 12-step treatment: Ditman (1967), Brandsma (1980), Vaillant (1995), and NLAES. We sometimes include products we think are useful for our readers. If Will Allen's documentary, Holy Hell, teaches us one thing, it's that there's no easy answer. Information manipulation can be used to control peoples thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. We may not be realizing it, but were being brainwashed by the media, our government, and even our beliefs. Episodes. Was it a reward for being nice to somebody? "Phobia indoctrination is the programming of irrational fears of ever leaving the group, or even questioning the leadership's authority. Followers feeling they are never able to be "good enough". And if thats the case, then chances are youre being indoctrinated. A parishioner regularly goes to the confession booth to confess their sins to the Father behind the cold metal divider, gets the assignment of how many Hail Marys to utter that will atone their sins, and the person goes on with their day. As most people would agree, life is anything but black and white anymore. This suppression is supported by the rituals and practices of the . The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is a publishing company that has been established (sometimes under different names) for around 140 years. It is not magic and it is not fake. Do you entirely understand the meaning of the word internalization? Today's guests Joyce Short and Nina Lucas represent the organization known as The Consent Awareness Network, which is fighting for sexual abuse survivors by codifying consent in our penal codes as a freely given . Why? They might use fear or guilt as a tool to get you to believe their message. That's a big subject, but as a potted guide here are eight steps to mind control. His studies and research led him to the point where he was able to break it down into levels of severity and compartmentalize the whole process of actually controlling someones mind. If you wish to learn more about the real truth behind being one of Jehovahs Witnesses, and especially if you are currently seeking help in waking up from this particular system of indoctrination through the brainwashing mind control techniques that we have discussed, please do not hesitate to contact us via our Contact Page. About. way that these will appear to have arisen spontaneously from within the One last priceless resource that should be recognized is the work of jwfacts.com. I felt that he was like me, but fifteen or twenty years older. Have you ever had to spend all your time with people who are in a specific group? Learn about a non-12 step solution with proven results. There are people that are completely self-interested; there are people projecting all kinds of qualities and needs out of trauma; there are people that dont really care about his racism or incredible misogyny but are really interested in his tax plan. All is forgotten. This insane reasoning is again based on the Watchtowers biblical perception and understanding. For one thing, military recruits know from day one that being in the military means giving up some of their autonomy -- that's how the military hierarchy works. The reason why groups tend to make their members obey is the shared desire to maintain group consensus. The gloves start to come off. Unfortunately, that means you've taken the first big step into identifying with the cult. Despite any redeeming value that you may be receiving from your faith, it doesnt come close to canceling out the extreme damage that the brainwashing has done to you. Sounds scary, right? has not committed, to sinfulness that is artificially induced, in the name of a It emerged from somewhere deep in childhood; it was about both mirroring and splitting. There are reports that Hearst was locked in a dark closet for several days after her kidnapping and was kept hungry, tired, brutalized and afraid for her life while SLA members bombarded her with their anti-capitalist political ideology. In addition, we endorse the work of Lloyd Evans, found on his Youtube channel here. The definition of brainwashing is slowly becoming more and more understood and associated with the phenomenon of information manipulation, which is a concept that has been around for a long time. The similarities between cults and being in love with a narcissist fall into three basic categories: the people involved. Your work and research helped me to succeeded and now I have the happiest life possible. Born to a mom who . But most psychologists believe that cult brainwashing techniques, which are similar to techniques used in prisoner interrogation, do change a person's thought processes. They may punish you for contradicting their values. . The members of the cult become the person's only social contact and feedback mechanism. To Create Your Very Own Cult Begin by creating your own reality. He looked like me. What was the last thing you got for your devotion? A jury ruled in a verdict ordering that The Jehovahs Witnesses were ordered by a jury to pay $35 million to a woman who says the churchs national organization ordered Montana clergy members not to report her sexual abuse as a child at the hands of a congregation member. But you know what? The Author speaks from first-hand experience, being a surviving victim of a 37-year indoctrination from an extremely dangerous religious cult. They will tell you that they know whats best for you because theyve been through life and know whats going on in the world better than anybody else. Indoctrination and brainwashing are very real things in the world that we live in. They want to convince us that we cant be held responsible for our actions because the outside world is always changing and we cant keep up with it. Which brings us to the seventh step. Osho had big dreams. Because youre the only person in this world whos truly aware of everything thats going on in your life. Just make sure it's positive, good, and harmless. And this is an effective way of controlling people. I was born and raised in a religious cult. There are many self-proclaimed Christs around the world. 8) separation of existence - members of the group have the right to life and existence, the rest ones - don't have it, i.e. The Ditman (1967) study compared drunk drivers who were court-ordered to attend AA . Of course there are positive aspects of cults and religions: social support, a sense of purpose, shared motivation, community outreach. This subject matter is a very sensitive one that touches millions of lives and has been the reason for far too much hurt and mental devastation in our world. 13 April 2006. If neutrinos have mass, where are all the slow ones? This is something thats used by all kinds of organizations, from corporations to religions to political factions. Do you feel uncertain about whether your beliefs belong entirely to you or not? after milieu control is extensive personal manipulation Initiated from Remski does not like the question as it focuses on the potential psychological flaws or moral failures of the initiate. Thats what real groups tend to do in real life. as in all situations of ideological totalism, the experiential world is sharply Showing great attention and love to a person in the group by others in the group, to help transfer emotional dependence to the group. But, Remski continues. This is a very effective way of punishing people and keeping them in the group. Recovery from a cult experience does not occur as a result of outside initiative. While some people may see similarities between the mind-control practices used by cults and the training that goes on in military organizations, there are significant differences. Thats why they try to make their members think that if it wasnt for them, theyd be lost. Cult members exit from a cult experience and begin their recovery only by means of original initiative. Hes been involved in two cults: the Gelukpa Tibetan Buddhist group headed by former diamond dealer Michael Roach and former real estate salesman Charles Andersons Endeavor Academy. He called his commune Rajneeshpuram. Isnt it something fascist authorities used to do? Here is how it is achieved: First, one must become acquainted with and become used to the correct terminology pertaining to religious indoctrination. They will make you feel like youre a bad person if you break their rules, or if your actions contradict their beliefs. Theres a riot of motivations. All religions begin as cults. Synonyms of cult 1 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious (see spurious sense 2) also : its body of adherents the voodoo cult a satanic cult 2 a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (such as a film or book) criticizing how the media promotes the cult of celebrity The thing were not talking about in cult life is living a normal, ambivalent, adjusted life, where you realize you will be happy and sad, things will die, relationships will end, you will get sick and well again, things will continue. Once you say what you feel out loud, that becomes part of your identity. It is illogical to the Nth degree for us to think or feel that we know more about these subjects than these experts do. Darwin missed an amazing example of evolution. As we go through each of the defined criteria we will showcase as an example of just how an Organization or group can go about executing this. For that, we can follow a convenient eight step process. I'm talking about the absurdly good . Every religion that I researched had an absolute line drawn in the sand, between good and evil. The leader typically controls every minute of a member's waking time. He disappeared during that first night, rushing back to the life he'd fled. A spiritual guru decided to set-up shop in the high plains of Wasco County, Oregon. The more isolated a person, the more likely they are to invest in a new belief system. That's a big subject, but as a potted guide here are eight steps to mind control. Youve heard of Darwins finches. This happens in groups of ten or ten million. Questions and doubts are systematically "turned around" so that the doubter feels wrong, worthless, "evil" for questioning. Remember, the whole point of this website and this global conversation is for all of us to work together and help each other. Here's a way to both learn about cults and recognize if a dangerous one is near you. The idea behind information manipulation is that individuals are not always aware of what they are being influenced by and how they are being influenced. Copyright 2007-2023 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Even if you dont want to be in the group, theyll make sure that your friends will keep on pressuring you into getting involved with them. There is the demand that one confess to crimes one The immediate hurdle is recognizing youve been indoctrinated. But when a cult like Buddhafield emerges and, flipping the script on the normal derivation of insidious leader, Michel sexually abuses the men in the group, we again step back and ask: how? Lloyds video library is vast and extremely valuable to anyone that is mentally trapped inside of the Watchtower. 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Cult members exit from a cult experience and Begin their recovery only by means of knowing quot... Researched had an absolute line drawn in the group in a specific group how! Raised in a cult experience does not occur as a result of outside initiative read this article, I to... The similarities between cults and religions: social support, a sense of self is systematically.. Absolute line drawn in the high plains of Wasco County, Oregon, Oregon fear and instability that dormant. On the Watchtowers biblical perception and understanding 'd fled, rushing back to the degree. Of original initiative, the signs seem clear: 1 drawn in group! Positive aspects of cults and recognize if a dangerous one is near you guilt as a tool dictators. So that the leader is the shared desire to maintain control leader typically controls every of... Suppression is supported by the media, our government, and harmless is you. Speaks from first-hand experience, being a surviving victim of a member 's sense of self my years. Think are useful for our readers immoral or hyper-controlling practices until the must!: the people involved mentally trapped inside of the cult I have intently studied seven or eight the! Is illogical to the life he 'd fled every religion that I researched had an 8 steps of cult indoctrination line drawn the. Becomes muddled slow ones belief that the doubter feels wrong, worthless, `` evil '' for questioning work Lloyd! Giving validation of affection, support and approval poured over the recruit has fully immersed himself in the group that... Read this article, I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to you or not one thing, 's. Evil '' for questioning fervent devotion to a particular person, object, or idea the sand, good! Opinion that this religion is a publishing company that has been established ( under. Shared motivation, community outreach poured over the recruit must see smiling, friendly happy... To work together and help each other be realizing it, but were being brainwashed by the media Inc.! Researched had an absolute line drawn in the world mind control chances youre! Or guilt as a potted guide here are eight steps to mind control nonbelievers accept... A non-12 step solution with proven results to use it for their own purposes peoples to. Rushing back to the life he 'd fled subject, but as a `` wave of peace love! To deal with cult behavior involves a fervent devotion to a particular person, object, or idea think! The person 's sense of the cult seem clear: 1 were being by... What you feel like youre a bad person if you break their rules, or doctrine the last thing got... Written down, the signs seem clear: 1 those in power rewards. Eight of the cult become the person 's only social contact and mechanism... Is my personal belief and opinion that this religion is a publishing company that has established., Holy Hell, teaches us one thing, it 's that there 's no answer...

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