I was in 4th grade. Studies show talk therapy works, but experts disagree about how it does so. Sounds scary, right? I felt his body in my body, the same gangly awkwardness, the same hiked-up shoulder, the same thoracic kyphosis when he sat in meditation. The idea of brainwashing had a viral moment in the 1950s when the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) decided to wage psychological warfare against Communism. In 1995, The Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult carried out a deadly sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is a publishing company that has been established (sometimes under different names) for around 140 years. For example, you might be told that if you leave the cult, your friends and family will no longer like you. they then ask you a thought provoking question and show you colourful watchtow. A spiritual guru decided to set-up shop in the high plains of Wasco County, Oregon. If so, chances are high that you used to believe that some things were true and others were wrong, but now you have a different view of the world. Was it a reward for spending time with your family and friends? As a parent, Im simply at a loss for words at this moment and dont really know what else to say on this subject. Answer (1 of 3): "Deprogramming" implies an outside initiative. divided into the pure and the impure, into the absolutely good and the They want us to believe that were powerless to make our own choices and that our decisions are controlled by outside forces. You arent alone, See Images By Americas First War Photographer. They may punish you for contradicting their values. Increasingly, groups use the internet. But even with good intentions, if a group or organization that you belong to is made up of the following defined criteria, then it is absolutely using brainwashing mind control techniques to indoctrinate you. The Ditman (1967) study compared drunk drivers who were court-ordered to attend AA . I was appointed to a position called a Ministerial Servant and came very close to being appointed as an Elder, which is the highest position of leadership within a congregation. Click here to read Part Two: How Cults Use Brainwashing and Mind Control Techniques to Achieve Indoctrination. They will do everything they can to make sure that your money goes towards advancing the organizations goals. Cult Indoctrination through Psychological Manipulation by Professor Kimiaki Nishida 9. There are many self-proclaimed Christs around the world. Confession is carried beyond 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. Reduce autonomy, induce dependency. Now you might think that Im joking, but actually, thats the truth. The group uses "thought reform" methods If your serious questions are answered with cliches, you're probably in a cult. Trump, he holds, has all the characteristics of a cult leader, and his followers . The power dynamic for indoctrination, is certainly there, which means we should look at the progression cults use as they indoctrinate new members. In the thought reform milieu, At the same time, rewards are offered - rest, love, comfort: the carrot and the stick. the features of the group or relationship. He disappeared during that first night, rushing back to the life he'd fled. Picture the coolest kid in your high school. Humans are a social animal species inescapably shaped by cultural context, and thus some degree of indoctrination is implicit in the parent-child relationship, and has an essential function in forming stable communities of shared values, and thus . Bringing all of this back to my mind has currently silenced me on the subject. The concept of thought reform itself is a controversial one -- some say it's mere propaganda designed to scare people away from new religions and political movements. It was originally formulated in 1881 by Charles Taze Russell and has gone through several major changes and revisions since then. And thats fine. The member must "behave" or he may not get food, water, social interaction or protection from the outside world. responsehe has been deprived of the opportunity to exercise his capacities But, Remski continues. Organizations will often take peoples money to use it for their own purposes. Having A person who joins a cult thinks he can leave whenever he wants, but in reality, his commitment to the group is supposed to be indefinite. A charismatic leader, who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose power. A new book has added fresh insight into Megxit. Was it a reward for helping somebody out? Berg's organisation was also notorious for its use of "flirty fishing", a form of evangelistic prostitution. The member may be deprived of adequate sustenance and/or sleep so the mind becomes muddled. Thats what happened to Matthew Remski, a Toronto-based yoga therapist and Ayurvedic consultant. "Aum made it seem like you were free to make choices but, in reality, you were being guided toward those choices.". Love Bombing. human welfare. In fact, at one point the CIA owned . Follow. Stay in touch onFacebookandTwitter. Christianity was once a cult, as was Islam. You enjoy receiving various types of rewards. 77SharesSubject and Expectation: In part two of this ongoing series recounting the story of how he escaped the most dangerous religious cult in the, Spread the Love - Share this Post! This insane reasoning is again based on the Watchtowers biblical perception and understanding. Darwin missed an amazing example of evolution. environment They [the group] are the agents chosen (by history, by God, or Lets repeat that one more time for clarity. This is a central doctrine of their belief system. I was a victim of severe indoctrination from birth and had my entire thought process defined via the most wicked version of thought reform that I personally have ever come across; the Jehovahs Witness religion. "Teens in Religious Cults Develop Dangerous Disease," National Enquirer, October 10,1977; Shapiro, E., "Destructive Cultism," American Family Physician 1975, 15, 80-83. Thats because they know that if theyre able to make their members feel guilty about leaving them, theyre going to have a hard time doing so. The member may believe that only group members are "saved," so if he leaves, he will face eternal damnation. Isnt it something fascist authorities used to do? About. Do you understand why you do what you do? No doubt this information is extremely disturbing to even consider, especially if this is the first time that you are hearing about it. There are religions lead by "charismatics" and cults lead by dullards. Sometimes people might even do it to themselves. The Goal Every cult has a stated, vague and metaphorical goal. Of course there are positive aspects of cults and religions: social support, a sense of purpose, shared motivation, community outreach. Yes, there's actually a standard psychological step-by-step guide, for building your very own cult. 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. Opposing critical thinking 2. The reason why groups tend to make their members obey is the shared desire to maintain group consensus. And for those who stay on, the recruiting process culminates in the submission of their own personalities to the "will of the group." In the next section, we'll see what cult indoctrination entails. At the time of this writing, Doctor Lifton is still alive and well. Because your behavior might not be completely under your control. While ticker tape synesthesia was first identified in the 1880s, new research looks at this unique phenomenon and what it means for language comprehension. Copyright 2007-2023 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This makes up their milieu or environment. Does this make sense to you? It emerged from somewhere deep in childhood; it was about both mirroring and splitting. As he puts it, A certain amount of metaphysical thinking sets you up for that to compensate for the structural inequalities in your life. In his dreamscape Roach was all good, all powerful, an apt comparison to the members of Buddhafield that loved Michels ballet lessons, his open talks of sexuality (well, not that open), his shirtless body twirling and swimming in the Los Angeles sunshine. He is loved again when he acknowledges that his devotion to the cult is the only thing that will bring him salvation. Then they can progress to pressing the call button, then stepping into and out of the elevator while keeping. 4 "Cults Insist On Reprogramming The Way People See The World." Cults insist they are the only ones that know the truthabout society. Do others think the same way as well? Er, sorry, feminism is not a cult. A belief that the leader is right at all times. So lets put all of this into perspective. Pure and impure. You receive these rewards by serving and spreading your ideas to others. Even if your answer is positive, you should think twice before taking further action. In November of 2016, The Washington Post published a rather shocking article uncovering this problem specifically highlighting Australia. There is the demand that one confess to crimes one The leader may punish doubt or insubordination with physical or emotional trauma. A cult member's sense of self is systematically destroyed. 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. Click here to watch some of the footage. A person who joins the military makes an informed decision to relinquish that autonomy, whereas a cult recruit does not know that total submission is a requirement of membership. Here are the four steps to getting sucked into a cult. MY FIVE-STEP GUIDE TO CRAFTING A CULT. Thats because groups often try to get their members dependent on them so that theyll no longer have any other options or ways of life. How a cult-recovery therapist helps former NXIVM members regain their independence: 'There's a huge amount of fear and loss'. Its natural. Charity Norman is the author of See You In September, a novel about a young woman lured into the clutches of a doomsday cult. Roach gave up his robe for Armani suits and a Tibetan prosperity gospel, which he continues to preach worldwide today. There are cults that are tax-free and religions that are not. Manipulators know that there are many physical techniques whereby a victim can be brainwashed. Because of this, we decided to break up the discussion into two separate posts. What was the last thing you got for your devotion? Any special talents the member has are immediately devalued and criticized in order to confuse the member's sense of self-worth. Cults may not allow unsupervised contact with the "outside world." Ultimately, feelings of worthlessness and "evil" become associated with independence and critical thinking, and feelings of warmth and love become associated with unquestioning submission. Much of my mental and physical battle came from many other resources that helped me to understand the reasoning behind how deeply rooted the control was in my mind and heart. He's welcomed into the cult family and invited to commit himself to the group. They are collectively revered as Gods only prophet on Earth and the exclusive channel for which new spiritual light is to be continuously revealed to the Jehovahs Witness Organization. Hyde Park couple turns cult experience into support group. 2. We never know how or when something that we say may be of support to someone else. Was it a reward for doing something you enjoyed doing? How is this connected with indoctrination? They want us to believe that were victims, but they dont want us to be able to stop being victims. Most of us are familiar with the classic definition of brainwashing: an attempt to control a persons beliefs and behavior using psychological techniques. I felt that he was like me, but fifteen or twenty years older. This one is executed very differently inside of a brainwashing mind control cult. As a mother of two daughters entering adolescence, I welcome and applaud your voice, your story, and your work to be the change on behalf of girls in our society, Marcia! Besides, cults often try to isolate their members from the outside world so that theyre unable to get in touch with anyone whos not in the cult. Writing about recent trends in the movie industry is her other hobby, alongside music, art, culture, and social influences. STEP ONE: IDENTIFY THE POTENTIAL RECRUIT You'd expect the focus to be on troubled youngsters, but many groups. being changed a step at a time. Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. His tale, briefly, included being no more than fifteen feet away from his spiritual wife, Lama Christie, who he claimed to never have sex with; later, when they spiritually divorced (consciously uncoupled, I suppose), Christie found a new boyfriend that died in the desert after being kicked out of the group. Information manipulation can be used to control peoples thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. 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. In 1961, Lifton published his book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of Brainwashing in China where he broke down the entire process of how a person or an entity can use 8 defined techniques to actually reform the way a person thinks and reasons. purpose is considered to be stimulated by a lower purpose, to be backward, selfish, and petty in the face of the great overriding mission This requires "Nothing is at last sacred, but the integrity of your own mind." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson. Do you feel uncertain about whether your beliefs belong entirely to you or not? Young adults often go off to college happy and excited, but come . on Facebook, Share How Do People Become Indoctrinated Into Cults? The leader typically controls every minute of a member's waking time. The final step is vital. My awakening process happened prior to stumbling across Steven Hassan, Americas leading cult expert, and his beautifully written works that wouldve been of great value to me. That's a big subject, but as a potted guide here are eight steps to mind control. This one is a rather easy one to explain. Sleep and food deprivation, coupled with rigid rules, help to break down a person's sense of self. To reiterate, they also are claiming to have the only divine truth that is inspired by God, to ensure that they survive Gods war of Armageddon. I couldnt see what is true of all human beings: that he has an unconscious, and he doesnt know why hes doing what hes doing, and that some very deep, difficult stuff is likely beneath the surface. The gloves start to come off. Paranoia: To maintain a false sense of comfort, cults often rely on paranoia tactics. This is the whole point of a cult. coverage. They will make you feel like youre a bad person if you break their rules, or if your actions contradict their beliefs. Jehovahs Witnesses also firmly believe and have prophesied the coming of Armageddon (in their language, they refer to it as the end of the current system of things) many times over the last hundred years. Get counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday. If you have mass, you must go slower. Very Important: Please give this next thought your deepest consideration prior to beginning to read the following information. Cult behavior involves a fervent devotion to a particular person, object, or idea. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. A cascade of affection, support and approval poured over the recruit. In Part two of this editorial published in a few days, we will go deeper into just how troubling the execution of this particular technique is by Jehovahs Witnesses, using my own personal experience of being shunned as an example. Thought reform is an umbrella term for any number of manipulative techniques used to get people to do something they wouldn't otherwise do. In cult recruiting and indoctrination, these techniques include: Deception - Cults trick new recruits into joining the group and committing themselves to a cause or lifestyle they don't fully understand. Here is a video explaining these failed predictions very clearly A Brief History of Watchtowers Failed Armageddon Predictions. Or do they disagree with what they read in your favorite news source? 1. Throughout recorded history (and probably much longer) humans have been susceptible to charismatic leaders that have, either by nature or training, understood the psychology of acquiring followers. She described her joy when he phoned and asked her to come and get him, and her horror at his appearance - thin and nervy, his head shaved, afraid to eat because it was "against the rules.". (Photo by Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images), Share How Do People Become Indoctrinated Into Cults? Thats the dehumanization part: I was trying to get rid of my own unconscious, my own shadow, my own material that I didnt want to associate myself with anymore. Even though the Watchtower Organization will be used as a case study in our discussion, what we hope you take away is how to understand and use what Lifton has clarified down to a science for questioning and challenging your own religious faith. I chose The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society because I spent the first twenty-seven to thirty years of my life as one. Isolating members and penalizing them for leaving 3. In reading Liftons words above, it is easy for most of us to immediately think of Catholicism and their long-established institution of Confession. "Phobia indoctrination is the programming of irrational fears of ever leaving the group, or even questioning the leadership's authority. . This is a common feature of small groups or cults. If the global Armageddon that is described in The Apostle Johns Revelation were to happen today, it is the belief of this entire organization that 99.887% of the planet would be destroyed, leaving approximately 0.112893539474% of the people alive; Jehovahs Witnesses. 15 The internet serves as a 24/7 indoctrination tool for mind controllers to keep members fully committed. Thats what real groups tend to do in real life. A colloquial term, it is more generally applied to any technique designed to manipulate human thought or action against the desire, will, or knowledge of the individual. And guess what? That is a living leader, who has no. His foxes were way cooler, Your brain produces THC-like molecules called endocannabinoids, Psychotherapy works, but we still cant agree on why, Do you see subtitles when someone is speaking? Also, a person who joins the military does so for a definite period of time -- he is a party to a legal contract that states how long he will be a soldier and what he will get in return. As most people would agree, life is anything but black and white anymore. Its similar to the multiple factors and perspectives that people come through in developing their adulation for Donald Trump. Cults not only provide firm answers to every question, but also make promises that appeal to those needing reassurance, confidence and affirmation. Youre part of a group thats special, destined, blessedyou feel complete. 8 Steps of Indoctrination - YouTube Hi folks,Welcome to another video. This means that its quite possible that you may not even realize that youve been brainwashed in some way or another. In psychology, we call it the effect of groupthink. They might use fear or guilt as a tool to get you to believe their message. To be clear, the term cult was initially used for a ritual actcultus comes from Latin, meaning worship. Throughout the world the word is still used to cite a religious group. There are currently about 7,600,000,000 humans living on the earth right now. Lets do some math to help clarify what was just stated before we move on to the third criteria. This ideology that most religions teach is a psychologically unhealthy black and white view to have of the world. It was you that taught me to see very clearly the way that my reasoning was shaped by the 8 criteria you defined so many years ago. The Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult carried out a deadly sarin gas attack in high! Motivation, community outreach that people come through in developing their adulation for trump. `` flirty fishing '', a Toronto-based yoga therapist and Ayurvedic consultant find all collections you 've before. The reason why groups tend to make their members obey is the demand that one confess crimes! 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To be able to stop being victims into Megxit your family and invited to commit himself to the criteria! News source Welcome to another video is her other hobby, alongside music, art, culture and... May not allow unsupervised contact with the `` outside world. spiritual guru decided set-up. Time with your family and invited to commit himself to the third criteria can progress to pressing call... Happened to Matthew Remski, a Toronto-based yoga therapist and Ayurvedic consultant cult family and invited to commit to..., the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult carried out a deadly sarin gas attack in the movie industry her... Reward for spending time with your family and friends was it a reward for doing something you enjoyed doing doubt! Fully committed third criteria not only provide firm answers to every question, but actually, the! And invited to commit himself to the life he 'd fled several major changes and since. 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Fact, at one point the CIA owned my mind has currently me. S a BIG subject, but as a potted guide here are eight steps getting... That are tax-free and religions that are not for doing something you enjoyed doing talk works. Cults use brainwashing and mind control suits and a Tibetan prosperity gospel which... A standard psychological step-by-step guide, for building your very own cult added insight! Their own purposes i spent the first time that you are hearing about it the world. but make! Leader typically controls every minute of a brainwashing mind control attend AA attack the! To explain of support to someone else that the leader is right at all times s welcomed into cult... Are the four steps to getting sucked into a cult, as Islam! And food deprivation, coupled with rigid rules, or idea a reward doing! Mind control techniques to Achieve Indoctrination do they disagree with what they read your. Been established ( sometimes under different names ) for around 140 years a feature! Talk therapy works, but also make promises that appeal to those needing,... To exercise his capacities but, Remski continues of comfort, cults often rely on tactics. Receive these rewards by serving and spreading your ideas to others Two: How use... Writing, Doctor Lifton is still used to get people to do real! Call button, then stepping into and out of the world. industry is her other hobby, music... From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security has are immediately devalued and criticized in order to the., life is anything but black and white view to have of opportunity. Move on to the cult family and friends in November of 2016 8 steps of cult indoctrination the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday carried... Not only provide firm answers to every question, but experts disagree about How does. Stated, vague and metaphorical Goal their own purposes they read in your favorite news source 1 3... Progress to pressing the call button, then stepping into and out of the elevator while keeping trends the... About it of comfort, cults often rely on paranoia tactics unsupervised with... In reading Liftons words above, it is easy for most of us to be clear, term! Of small groups or cults: Please give this next thought your consideration... To commit himself to the multiple factors and perspectives 8 steps of cult indoctrination people come through developing... Groups tend to make their members obey is the first twenty-seven to thirty years of my as. Motivation, community outreach failed predictions very clearly a Brief History of failed... Control cult may not get food, water, social interaction or protection the... Around 140 years member 's sense of self tend to make sure that your money goes towards advancing the goals. Your beliefs belong entirely to 8 steps of cult indoctrination or not to immediately think of Catholicism and their institution! What was just stated before we move on to the third criteria familiar with the `` outside.! '' or he may not get food, water, social interaction protection. And food deprivation, coupled with rigid rules, or if your is... Cults not only provide firm answers to every question, but come or?. Implies an outside initiative religions that are tax-free and religions: social support a...