Heya brainfixed, I'm hearin' ya ! actually, impeccable timing, because I was just remembering how one of twi's mind 'warping' seed planting 'ideologies' was their belief that Christian apologetics made for a weak christian. I know Dr. Vic started this bowl of wax when he said
" Christian apologetics is where one learns to apologize for being a Christian ".
Now...certainly some aspects of Christian apologetics does lean towards that mindset,BUT...what was implied by Dr. Vic' statement was that 'we' were to never apologize for anything, because that would show weakness and open up questions as to what else 'we' could have done/said wrong !!!
This I found to be responsible for turning some people overnight into instant ar#@hole&.
Even when some leadership I and others knew were being seriously sexually deviant and were confronted about it, despite the FACTS being GLARINGLY OBVIOUS...still wouldn't admit they were wrong
My road back on track was in the Army in Basic Training and AIT where I could NOT be around other ((WAY PEOPLE)) I got a taste of freedom and reality.
I was a Military Wow at the time and after all that I had to go live with Military Wows but ...the full time job in the Army gave me enough freedom to realize
in the past 3 years I had been living in a box constructed of nothing but The Way eat breath and sleep or lack there of!
It was a weaning process,a learning and unlearning process .
very nice points here and i got some new things to think about about, too, which is very nice too. i am having so much fun getting new thoughts! it's like shopping. :) what is the most satisfying is that my mind isn't getting seared or distorted or all dark and foggy like i was told it would do if i didn't "stay my thoughts" or "steel my mind" and all that way international brain washing cult speak. in fact what is happening in reality is that i'm getting better and better at thinking for myself and thinking on my feet, so it's really like my mind was terribly sick with some awful disease when i was in the way international thinking patterns, but now that my mind is free, it's healing itself and becoming what it was supposed to be all along, and it's doing it quite rapidly from what i'm told, but it did take a while to get the process started, several years in fact, but now it's going good. i'm still amazed at how greasespot cafe was the thing that helped me the most to get over the last real hurdle of the process. i used to think that all the talk about how much the way international hated this place was a bunch of bravado, but now i know that it's the plain truth because right here is where people have their first taste of real freedom when it comes to talking about being victimized by the way international. there's just no place else like greasespot cafe to speak my mind without having to stop every couple of phrases and explain myself, which means that i always lost the full effect of speaking my mind because i wasn't really speaking my mind but was instead stopping to explain the way international's mind. but here i just said what i thought and people said what they thought back and that was that and that was what worked at the point i was at in my healing. and boy oh boy what a thing that was for me to be able just to say what i thought totally unfiltered, undiluted, and unthreatened. anybody in the way international that might be reading this, try it sometime! freedom of thought is not possession or anything like it! but i'd wager that the type of "likeminded" stuff of the way international is as close to being possessed as a person can get because it's not the person doing the thinking, but somebody else thinking for the person. right now that verse about the truth setting you free is in my mind. i know that for me that freedom was for my mind as well as my body. yep, freedom of thought is a holy thing now that i think of it.
------ i'd wager that the type of "likeminded" stuff of the way international is as close to being possessed as a person can get because it's not the person doing the thinking, but somebody else thinking for the person.
there's just no place else like greasespot cafe to speak my mind without having to stop every couple of phrases and explain myself, which means that i always lost the full effect of speaking my mind because i wasn't really speaking my mind but was instead stopping to explain the way international's mind.
Fantastic analysis. I remember this sensation when I returned to college in 1986. I was still working at TWI and yet was able to run away to the branch campus of Ohio State in Lime, Ohio, resume my education and start sorting out the TWI trash from the TWI treasures (yes, there were some) in an environment that was safe. I eventually found my own voice.
because outside of very fundamentalist religious groups most people don't have such a hard time understanding forgiveness and certainly don't discuss the nuances of the concept for days on end
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
This post made me think of experiments that used to be done on dogs(before all the animal rights came out)The experiement I am referring to is dogs who are put in wired cages........
First the left side is wired to shock the dog.so the dog moves to the right side.
Then the right side is triggered so that the dog moves to the left side,then the whole floor is triggered and the dogs jumps and hops until he eventually tolerates
the shock and just SITs in one place ,allowing the shocks to go thru his body.
Then the door is opened the dog is free to go....but stays.
In the early 1960s scientists conducted animal experiments to determine something about the "flight instinct" in humans. In one experiment they wired half the bottom of a large cage, so that a dog placed in the cage would receive a shock each time it set foot on the right side. The dog quickly learned to stay on the left side of the cage.
Next, the left side of the cage was wired for the same purpose and the right side was safe from shocks. The dog reoriented quickly and learned to stay on the right side of the cage. Then, the entire floor of the cage was wired to give random shocks, so that no matter where the dog lay or stood it would eventually receive a shock. The dog acted confused at first, and then it panicked. Finally the dog "gave up" and lay down, taking the shocks as they came, no longer trying to escape them or outsmart them.
But the experiment was not over. Next, the cage door was opened. The scientists expected the dog to rush out, but it did not flee. Even though it could vacate the cage at will, the dog lay there being randomly shocked. From this, scientists speculated that when a creature is exposed to violence, it will tend to adapt to that disturbance, so that when the violence ceases or the creature is allowed its freedom, the healthy instinct to flee is hugely diminished, and the creature stays put instead. [Estes, 1995]
If you see yourself in the same position as one of these dogs in the experimental cage, receiving the administered shocks and staying put while the cage door is open, can you not feel angry at those administering the shocks, for making you like this? Would you not want to inform the other "dogs" in the cages of what is really going on as soon as you figured it out?
Got me thinking about how The so called renewed mind is the key (NOT!) and I just hope new people taking that same old snake oil class check themselves before the wreck themselves!
And those still in the cage ((((Get Out)))) be free!
WORD to your Mother!
the psychology of brainwashing
Brainwashing or thought reform is the technique that all cults use to keep and recruit new members. The goal is to modify the attitudes, behaviors and beliefs of a recruit so that it conforms to the attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs of all of the members.
Let me be clear that this can happen in a variety of situations. It does NOT require an isolated environment, physical abuse, or require complete control of a recruit. These tactics do help to make the brainwashing more effective, however, they are not a necessity.
The important feature about brainwashing is that it is done over and over again to achieve the desired goal. When people stop thinking independently for themselves, when they stop questioning their own personal sense of right and wrong, and when they refuse to listen to information that conflicts with their own beliefs... then they have been effectively brainwashed.
Find or create vulnerable recruits
People experiencing the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, an uncomfortable or frustrating situation, etc. can be considered vulnerable (basically anything that can make you sad, anxious, or angry). Cults are especially good at finding these people. Many large cults will send out missionaries to 3rd world countries and war torn areas where many of these people exist. In more developed areas the cults will target places with lots these vulnerable people, such as college campuses and hospitals.
A cult recruiter will "reach out" to let these people know that they are "missing something." The recruiter will claim to have the solution to this problem. Scientology uses a "personality test" to show a recruit how they can improve their personality. Recruiters for Christianity and Islam will often tell you that you are going to "hell" or will face "eternal damnation" when you die, and that you can be "saved." Buddhist and Hare Krishna recruiters will use the guise of happiness to demonstrate that they posses something that makes them happy despite being poor. Hinduism will tell you that you've got a "lost soul" and offers "spiritual guidance."The cult recruiter's whole intent at first is to exploit the recruit's vulnerability and to make them feel worse about their situation.
Make the Broken Down Recruit Feel Good
The recruiter will then reward the recruit with social support when he or she listens and agrees to the propaganda. Often the recruiter will offer personal assistance to get the new recruit to enter the cult's isolated environment. This positive interaction helps to get the new recruit to a cult owned building. These isolated cult environments go by different names: church, synagogue, temple, mosque, dianetics center, jinja, mandir, kingdom hall, and shrine (to name a few). The encouragement from the recruiter makes the new recruit feel good and boosts their self esteem. This step reinforces that the cult and anything involved with the cult is good.
Use Guilt to Break the Recruit Back Down
In the isolated cult environment a member of the cult will explain to the recruit why he or she is bad/evil/impure. The things that make a person "evil" are usually normal, acceptable human behaviors and thus it is inevitable that the recruit is guilty of these "evils." Things like sex and drug use are almost universally rejected by cults. Behavior that is actually adaptive in many situations, such as dishonesty, theft, and violence, are looked at as always bad. Therefore according to the cult it is NEVER alright to lie, cheat, steal, or maim in any situation, regardless of potential harm or personal gain. Many cults will also claim that a belief in a supernatural being/s is a requirement to be "pure."
The recruit ends up feeling guilty about their impropriety and believes that it is his or her own fault that they were unhappy to begin with. The recruit's self esteem will go down because of this guilt. Christianity and Judaism have the 10 commandments. Islam and Mormonism has an even longer list of commandments. Buddhism has the 5 percepts. Hinduism has the rules of karma and dharma. And every cult has its own unique set of rules.
Bring the Self Esteem of the Recruit Back Up
Now that the recruit has been broken down again by guilt, the members of the cult will go about bringing the recruit's self esteem back up. The cult will ask the recruit to confess all of their wrongdoings to other members. When the recruit exposes their guilt to the cult, the members give the recruit praise and will declare that the recruit is on their way to being "saved." The release of guilt makes the recruit realize that it's not he or she that is wrong, but his or her beliefs that are wrong.
The cult will tell the recruit to follow these rules and return on a regular basis to the "holy" place. This means returning to the isolated cult environment at least every week if not more often. The new recruit then leaves feeling happy and relieved.
Continue the Cycle of Breaking Down and Building Up Cult Members
Within the week the cult member will probably commit one of the "sins" and feel guilty. They will attribute any sadness, anxiousness, or anger to their flawed beliefs. They will return to the cult environment at a low. At the weekly meeting the cult will use the social influence of a large group of people to now induce guilt and break down members further. The confession of wrongdoings and the "goodness" of the cult will once again be used to build up everyone's self esteem.
This cycle is repeated week after week.
The Loss of Self and Exploitation
Eventually the cult member's self worth becomes dependent on the cult. The cult's self worth replaces any independent self worth. The cult member feels that any and all happiness is because of the cult, and the "sins" of the real world are the cause of their unhappiness.
Once the individual has reached this point they will have also lost most of their independent thought. The cult then exploits the member for their time and resources. Donations of money are mandatory in all cults. Cult members will claim that donation is not mandatory, however failing to donate or taking money from the cult is a major "sin." Tithes, voluntary contributions, sacrificial giving, voluntary stewardship, tzedakah, alms, and zakat are some names for these mandatory donations. In all cults donating money is considered "sacred" and met with praise (how odd that even the supernatural obey the almighty $$).
Like businesses the intent of the cult is not really to help members, but to make money from them. Unlike businesses, though, cults do not pay taxes. This distinction is a result of politicians and other government officials being members of cults themselves. The influence of cults is widespread in all countries of the world. Hopefully information like this will help people realize these mind control techniques and manipulation.
I would like to thank cfabbro on Reddit for his great and concise comment inspiring todays post.
"1) Find lonely, desperate people
2) Break them down: Make them feel much worse about themselves
3) Build them back up: make them feel good about themselves again
4) Repeat 2-3 until their sense of self-worth is completely dependent on you
5) Reveal the "true" beliefs of the cult and take all their money
Et Voila. Combine those with other brainwashing techniques and you have yourself a nice little cult.
So it is not so much "what do these people get out of the cult?", as it is "what does the cult take from them?". They take your independent sense of self-worth and turn it into a cult-dependent sense of self-worth.
(note:I did not write this and could not find the link)
In the early 1960s scientists conducted animal experiments to determine something about the "flight instinct" in humans. In one experiment they wired half the bottom of a large cage, so that a dog placed in the cage would receive a shock each time it set foot on the right side. The dog quickly learned to stay on the left side of the cage.
Next, the left side of the cage was wired for the same purpose and the right side was safe from shocks. The dog reoriented quickly and learned to stay on the right side of the cage. Then, the entire floor of the cage was wired to give random shocks, so that no matter where the dog lay or stood it would eventually receive a shock. The dog acted confused at first, and then it panicked. Finally the dog "gave up" and lay down, taking the shocks as they came, no longer trying to escape them or outsmart them.
But the experiment was not over. Next, the cage door was opened. The scientists expected the dog to rush out, but it did not flee. Even though it could vacate the cage at will, the dog lay there being randomly shocked. From this, scientists speculated that when a creature is exposed to violence, it will tend to adapt to that disturbance, so that when the violence ceases or the creature is allowed its freedom, the healthy instinct to flee is hugely diminished, and the creature stays put instead. [Estes, 1995]
While I have read no scientific study as you obviously have, I have observed that many who lived through a violent upbringing will also themselves turn violent in their adult years. Why do you think they do that, are they seeking revenge? There are others who go completely the opposite direction and become extremely passive, too passive. Have you ever covered these phenomenon in your studies?
While I have read no scientific study as you obviously have, I have observed that many who lived through a violent upbringing will also themselves turn violent in their adult years. Why do you think they do that, are they seeking revenge? There are others who go completely the opposite direction and become extremely passive, too passive. Have you ever covered these phenomenon in your studies?
I know there out there,lots under serial murderers,if you check into that maybe.
Shadow of Jonestown – "The WAY"
by Vincent Jennings
Special to The ADVISOR
A security person wakens me suddenly! "God bless, you have ten minutes to assemble for breakfast, or you don't eat!" Today will be a scorcher – it's already very humid. Eight other men scurry around the small room; searching for toothbrushes and socks. I say a quick prayer for "Dad" while I dress. If it wasn't for "The Teacher," I would still be dead in trespasses and sins. Now we are one big, happy family – there must be one thousand of us here in this isolated area, away from Satan's world. God told "Dad" to buy this property; God tells "Dad" everything.
The best thing about being at breakfast is seeing my wife. We have been married two years, yet we've been separated these last two weeks. God's work is more important than our personal lives. Soon it will be over – then we'll be together forever. "Dad" will be at breakfast too! His flashing smile, strength, and charisma overwhelms me. I especially love "Dad's" jokes about the churches and government. This morning he says, "If Jesus Christ was God – he prayed in the mirror to himself." We all roar in laughter. After eating powdered eggs, and juice – "Dad" announces we'll have visitors today. "Oh boy." I think, "we'll eat good tonight."
After breakfast we are to assemble for a teaching. I hug and kiss my wife good-bye. She looks beautiful this morning; her blond hair glistening in the sun. Once a leader asked me, "If you had a choice between sacrificing your wife's life, or denying 'The Work,' what would you do?" Without thinking I replied, "I'd never forsake 'The Word.'" We were constantly being tested; our "breaking point" was stressed a lot. One day the Enemy will try to take over the country, and we must be ready to do anything to preserve "The Truth." "Dad" tells us everyday, "It's The Word and nothing but The Word. If we have to die tonight – we'll die standing on The WORD."
We begin the meeting with singing "Canaan's Land," then my favorite, "This WORLD is not my Home." We are no longer part of the corruption, hate, and darkness of this world. God chose us – blacks, whites – all races, to be one body and mind. "Dad" is angry this morning; he tells us the FBI has infiltrated our group, plus the IRS is after "Dad." "They say I take all your money, and brainwash you," "Dad" roars. "Well," I think, "Dad does have a jet plane, property, motorcoaches, and everything he wants. Stop thinking that way, it's Satan tempting you," an inner voice tells me. "Dad" talks about how corrupt the churches are. He used to be an ordained minister in the Midwest. He resigned because no one wanted to hear "The Truth." The churches have tried to kill him several times. Once God told him to duck, and as he did a bullet whistled over his head. God talks to "Dad," you know.
My "Father in The Word" continues talking with vigor, "All I ever tried to do is help people. I used to preach to trees on the farm when I was a boy. All the world has given me in turn is hell! People like Karen, who leave our family and spread lies about us – is delivered to Satan. I have The Truth, I'm in God, God's in me – We are one!" The crowd thunders! "They say you aren't free to leave – that's a lie," "Dad" screams. (Bless Patrol keeps the world off our property.) "Father" continues, "Sometimes I get so mad I feel like taking the ballbats out! There is nothing outside The Word! The government, controlled by International Jewish bankers, is out to get us. We are ready for anything!" The body rises in unison, clapping and yelling.
After the applause dies down, "Dad" sips his coffee and says, "In 73 AD, 960 Jews took a stand against the tenth Roman Legion on a plateau called Massada. All of them took their own life rather than fall into the hands of the gentiles. That's commitment! We have burned our bridges behind us, there are no escape routes, there is no turning back! God wants us to be committed people. There's nothing to go back to in the world! Nothing." After the meeting – we break for refreshments.
The above story is told by an ex-cult member, who escaped the jungle of a well known cult. The setting isn't Guyana, but Emporia, U.S. The date isn't November 18, 1978 but August 1976. "Dad" isn't Jim Jones, but Victor Paul Wierwille, founder of THE WAY INTERNATIONAL.
Jeannie Mills, who left People's Temple in 1975, tried to help ex-cultists. In a personal letter she writes, "We had several ex-Way members at The Human Freedom Center at one time or another. I saw many similarities between their stories, and the stories we had been telling about People's Temple." She further stated in an interview, "Jim Jones had people totally brainwashed, I think his power over people was so great that he could reach out from the grave." February 26, 1980 an unknown assassin executed Jeannie, her husband Al, and daughter Daphene in their own home.
In a letter from Jeannie dated October 29, 1979, she speaks to us today, "So many people think the horror story ended November 18, 1978. It is still continuing for the millions of cult members around." There is a potential for another Jonestown today. Countless "Jeannie Mills" are warning the nation of other "People's Temples" in the world today. It is in our best interest not to forget Jonestown.
"Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it." Jim Jones
Tapes Reveal Jones as Murderer by Sheila Yohnk - JonestownIt also has some information on the Jonestown cult, with a few usable quotes for my paper. Other than that, it has mostly biased information from the ...
the things that come up over a cup of coffee at the cafe! great stuff! either one day this week or last week dr. phil had a program about a man that would go into fits of rage over the littlest things. the man said he couldn't help himself and asked dr. phil if there was something wrong with him. dr. phil has this whole institute that helps him out a lot that does brain mapping and he asked them to map this guy's brain, and of course this guy's brain showed that he had "hot spots" in the lobes of his brain for impulse control, which meant that this guy had little impulse control. the dr. from the institute explained that the brain of the man had been so long in the habit of not controlling impulses that it had actually worn holes through the lobes that control impulses. i know that's probably a great oversimplification of things and that it was probably put that way for lay people to understand, but the images of the man's brain against a normal brain showed the hotspots and the actual "tracks" (they were more like grooves) on the man's brain. but what i'm trying to say is that there is a physical reality that goes on when people get stuck on a "one track mind" like in a cult or any other closed-minded situation where certain thought patterns are repeated over and over and over again. on the good side of things, it's the same "science" behind "positive affirmations" and such that people practice to help themselves build better self esteem or get courage to do public speaking and things like that. in other words, repeating thoughts and thought patterns over and over and over again actually physically changes the brain, and doing it long enough will permanently change the brain. i just thought that this was very interesting with the turn the conversation has taken. another intersting thing is that the dr. from the institute said that even though the man's brain had permanent damage there were things that could be done to start his brain on a new track around the damage. that was very encouraging!
Recommended Posts
polynesian
Heya brainfixed, I'm hearin' ya ! actually, impeccable timing, because I was just remembering how one of twi's mind 'warping' seed planting 'ideologies' was their belief that Christian apologetics made for a weak christian. I know Dr. Vic started this bowl of wax when he said
" Christian apologetics is where one learns to apologize for being a Christian ".
Now...certainly some aspects of Christian apologetics does lean towards that mindset,BUT...what was implied by Dr. Vic' statement was that 'we' were to never apologize for anything, because that would show weakness and open up questions as to what else 'we' could have done/said wrong !!!
This I found to be responsible for turning some people overnight into instant ar#@hole&.
Even when some leadership I and others knew were being seriously sexually deviant and were confronted about it, despite the FACTS being GLARINGLY OBVIOUS...still wouldn't admit they were wrong
thanks for letting me rant.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
excathedra
being with family and regular people has helped my mind immensely to be on a new track
i always see around me the human condition but it is not in "the way" framework
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cheranne
My road back on track was in the Army in Basic Training and AIT where I could NOT be around other ((WAY PEOPLE)) I got a taste of freedom and reality.
I was a Military Wow at the time and after all that I had to go live with Military Wows but ...the full time job in the Army gave me enough freedom to realize
in the past 3 years I had been living in a box constructed of nothing but The Way eat breath and sleep or lack there of!
It was a weaning process,a learning and unlearning process .
Edited by cheranneLink to comment
Share on other sites
Ham
and if I might respectfully add..
when one finds one's mind on a new track.. make sure it isn't in the same old rut. i.e.. an offshoot or equally fundamentalist organization..
some of us "dogs" return to our vomit.. others run like hell..
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cheranne
Amen Ham! I find it amazing that alot of us here are still so concerned about others getting hurt again.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
brainfixed
very nice points here and i got some new things to think about about, too, which is very nice too. i am having so much fun getting new thoughts! it's like shopping. :) what is the most satisfying is that my mind isn't getting seared or distorted or all dark and foggy like i was told it would do if i didn't "stay my thoughts" or "steel my mind" and all that way international brain washing cult speak. in fact what is happening in reality is that i'm getting better and better at thinking for myself and thinking on my feet, so it's really like my mind was terribly sick with some awful disease when i was in the way international thinking patterns, but now that my mind is free, it's healing itself and becoming what it was supposed to be all along, and it's doing it quite rapidly from what i'm told, but it did take a while to get the process started, several years in fact, but now it's going good. i'm still amazed at how greasespot cafe was the thing that helped me the most to get over the last real hurdle of the process. i used to think that all the talk about how much the way international hated this place was a bunch of bravado, but now i know that it's the plain truth because right here is where people have their first taste of real freedom when it comes to talking about being victimized by the way international. there's just no place else like greasespot cafe to speak my mind without having to stop every couple of phrases and explain myself, which means that i always lost the full effect of speaking my mind because i wasn't really speaking my mind but was instead stopping to explain the way international's mind. but here i just said what i thought and people said what they thought back and that was that and that was what worked at the point i was at in my healing. and boy oh boy what a thing that was for me to be able just to say what i thought totally unfiltered, undiluted, and unthreatened. anybody in the way international that might be reading this, try it sometime! freedom of thought is not possession or anything like it! but i'd wager that the type of "likeminded" stuff of the way international is as close to being possessed as a person can get because it's not the person doing the thinking, but somebody else thinking for the person. right now that verse about the truth setting you free is in my mind. i know that for me that freedom was for my mind as well as my body. yep, freedom of thought is a holy thing now that i think of it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
waysider
Link to comment
Share on other sites
penworks
Fantastic analysis. I remember this sensation when I returned to college in 1986. I was still working at TWI and yet was able to run away to the branch campus of Ohio State in Lime, Ohio, resume my education and start sorting out the TWI trash from the TWI treasures (yes, there were some) in an environment that was safe. I eventually found my own voice.
Cheers to you, Brainfixed.
Penworks
Link to comment
Share on other sites
excathedra
double cheers, brainfixed !
i also have to say i read your opening post again
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cheranne
This post made me think of experiments that used to be done on dogs(before all the animal rights came out)The experiement I am referring to is dogs who are put in wired cages........
First the left side is wired to shock the dog.so the dog moves to the right side.
Then the right side is triggered so that the dog moves to the left side,then the whole floor is triggered and the dogs jumps and hops until he eventually tolerates
the shock and just SITs in one place ,allowing the shocks to go thru his body.
Then the door is opened the dog is free to go....but stays.
Edited by cheranneLink to comment
Share on other sites
waysider
Link to comment
Share on other sites
OldSkool
I love Peter Gabriel's music...good stuff.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cheranne
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cheranne
so...........
If you see yourself in the same position as one of these dogs in the experimental cage, receiving the administered shocks and staying put while the cage door is open, can you not feel angry at those administering the shocks, for making you like this? Would you not want to inform the other "dogs" in the cages of what is really going on as soon as you figured it out?
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cheranne
Got me thinking about how The so called renewed mind is the key (NOT!) and I just hope new people taking that same old snake oil class check themselves before the wreck themselves!
And those still in the cage ((((Get Out)))) be free!
WORD to your Mother!
the psychology of brainwashing
Brainwashing or thought reform is the technique that all cults use to keep and recruit new members. The goal is to modify the attitudes, behaviors and beliefs of a recruit so that it conforms to the attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs of all of the members.
Let me be clear that this can happen in a variety of situations. It does NOT require an isolated environment, physical abuse, or require complete control of a recruit. These tactics do help to make the brainwashing more effective, however, they are not a necessity.
The important feature about brainwashing is that it is done over and over again to achieve the desired goal. When people stop thinking independently for themselves, when they stop questioning their own personal sense of right and wrong, and when they refuse to listen to information that conflicts with their own beliefs... then they have been effectively brainwashed.
Find or create vulnerable recruits
People experiencing the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, an uncomfortable or frustrating situation, etc. can be considered vulnerable (basically anything that can make you sad, anxious, or angry). Cults are especially good at finding these people. Many large cults will send out missionaries to 3rd world countries and war torn areas where many of these people exist. In more developed areas the cults will target places with lots these vulnerable people, such as college campuses and hospitals.
A cult recruiter will "reach out" to let these people know that they are "missing something." The recruiter will claim to have the solution to this problem. Scientology uses a "personality test" to show a recruit how they can improve their personality. Recruiters for Christianity and Islam will often tell you that you are going to "hell" or will face "eternal damnation" when you die, and that you can be "saved." Buddhist and Hare Krishna recruiters will use the guise of happiness to demonstrate that they posses something that makes them happy despite being poor. Hinduism will tell you that you've got a "lost soul" and offers "spiritual guidance."The cult recruiter's whole intent at first is to exploit the recruit's vulnerability and to make them feel worse about their situation.
Make the Broken Down Recruit Feel Good
The recruiter will then reward the recruit with social support when he or she listens and agrees to the propaganda. Often the recruiter will offer personal assistance to get the new recruit to enter the cult's isolated environment. This positive interaction helps to get the new recruit to a cult owned building. These isolated cult environments go by different names: church, synagogue, temple, mosque, dianetics center, jinja, mandir, kingdom hall, and shrine (to name a few). The encouragement from the recruiter makes the new recruit feel good and boosts their self esteem. This step reinforces that the cult and anything involved with the cult is good.
Use Guilt to Break the Recruit Back Down
In the isolated cult environment a member of the cult will explain to the recruit why he or she is bad/evil/impure. The things that make a person "evil" are usually normal, acceptable human behaviors and thus it is inevitable that the recruit is guilty of these "evils." Things like sex and drug use are almost universally rejected by cults. Behavior that is actually adaptive in many situations, such as dishonesty, theft, and violence, are looked at as always bad. Therefore according to the cult it is NEVER alright to lie, cheat, steal, or maim in any situation, regardless of potential harm or personal gain. Many cults will also claim that a belief in a supernatural being/s is a requirement to be "pure."
The recruit ends up feeling guilty about their impropriety and believes that it is his or her own fault that they were unhappy to begin with. The recruit's self esteem will go down because of this guilt. Christianity and Judaism have the 10 commandments. Islam and Mormonism has an even longer list of commandments. Buddhism has the 5 percepts. Hinduism has the rules of karma and dharma. And every cult has its own unique set of rules.
Bring the Self Esteem of the Recruit Back Up
Now that the recruit has been broken down again by guilt, the members of the cult will go about bringing the recruit's self esteem back up. The cult will ask the recruit to confess all of their wrongdoings to other members. When the recruit exposes their guilt to the cult, the members give the recruit praise and will declare that the recruit is on their way to being "saved." The release of guilt makes the recruit realize that it's not he or she that is wrong, but his or her beliefs that are wrong.
The cult will tell the recruit to follow these rules and return on a regular basis to the "holy" place. This means returning to the isolated cult environment at least every week if not more often. The new recruit then leaves feeling happy and relieved.
Continue the Cycle of Breaking Down and Building Up Cult Members
Within the week the cult member will probably commit one of the "sins" and feel guilty. They will attribute any sadness, anxiousness, or anger to their flawed beliefs. They will return to the cult environment at a low. At the weekly meeting the cult will use the social influence of a large group of people to now induce guilt and break down members further. The confession of wrongdoings and the "goodness" of the cult will once again be used to build up everyone's self esteem.
This cycle is repeated week after week.
The Loss of Self and Exploitation
Eventually the cult member's self worth becomes dependent on the cult. The cult's self worth replaces any independent self worth. The cult member feels that any and all happiness is because of the cult, and the "sins" of the real world are the cause of their unhappiness.
Once the individual has reached this point they will have also lost most of their independent thought. The cult then exploits the member for their time and resources. Donations of money are mandatory in all cults. Cult members will claim that donation is not mandatory, however failing to donate or taking money from the cult is a major "sin." Tithes, voluntary contributions, sacrificial giving, voluntary stewardship, tzedakah, alms, and zakat are some names for these mandatory donations. In all cults donating money is considered "sacred" and met with praise (how odd that even the supernatural obey the almighty $$).
Like businesses the intent of the cult is not really to help members, but to make money from them. Unlike businesses, though, cults do not pay taxes. This distinction is a result of politicians and other government officials being members of cults themselves. The influence of cults is widespread in all countries of the world. Hopefully information like this will help people realize these mind control techniques and manipulation.
I would like to thank cfabbro on Reddit for his great and concise comment inspiring todays post.
"1) Find lonely, desperate people
2) Break them down: Make them feel much worse about themselves
3) Build them back up: make them feel good about themselves again
4) Repeat 2-3 until their sense of self-worth is completely dependent on you
5) Reveal the "true" beliefs of the cult and take all their money
Et Voila. Combine those with other brainwashing techniques and you have yourself a nice little cult.
So it is not so much "what do these people get out of the cult?", as it is "what does the cult take from them?". They take your independent sense of self-worth and turn it into a cult-dependent sense of self-worth.
(note:I did not write this and could not find the link)
BainLaby1.bmp
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Broken Arrow
While I have read no scientific study as you obviously have, I have observed that many who lived through a violent upbringing will also themselves turn violent in their adult years. Why do you think they do that, are they seeking revenge? There are others who go completely the opposite direction and become extremely passive, too passive. Have you ever covered these phenomenon in your studies?
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cheranne
I know there out there,lots under serial murderers,if you check into that maybe.
Shadow of Jonestown – "The WAY"
by Vincent Jennings
Special to The ADVISOR
A security person wakens me suddenly! "God bless, you have ten minutes to assemble for breakfast, or you don't eat!" Today will be a scorcher – it's already very humid. Eight other men scurry around the small room; searching for toothbrushes and socks. I say a quick prayer for "Dad" while I dress. If it wasn't for "The Teacher," I would still be dead in trespasses and sins. Now we are one big, happy family – there must be one thousand of us here in this isolated area, away from Satan's world. God told "Dad" to buy this property; God tells "Dad" everything.
The best thing about being at breakfast is seeing my wife. We have been married two years, yet we've been separated these last two weeks. God's work is more important than our personal lives. Soon it will be over – then we'll be together forever. "Dad" will be at breakfast too! His flashing smile, strength, and charisma overwhelms me. I especially love "Dad's" jokes about the churches and government. This morning he says, "If Jesus Christ was God – he prayed in the mirror to himself." We all roar in laughter. After eating powdered eggs, and juice – "Dad" announces we'll have visitors today. "Oh boy." I think, "we'll eat good tonight."
After breakfast we are to assemble for a teaching. I hug and kiss my wife good-bye. She looks beautiful this morning; her blond hair glistening in the sun. Once a leader asked me, "If you had a choice between sacrificing your wife's life, or denying 'The Work,' what would you do?" Without thinking I replied, "I'd never forsake 'The Word.'" We were constantly being tested; our "breaking point" was stressed a lot. One day the Enemy will try to take over the country, and we must be ready to do anything to preserve "The Truth." "Dad" tells us everyday, "It's The Word and nothing but The Word. If we have to die tonight – we'll die standing on The WORD."
We begin the meeting with singing "Canaan's Land," then my favorite, "This WORLD is not my Home." We are no longer part of the corruption, hate, and darkness of this world. God chose us – blacks, whites – all races, to be one body and mind. "Dad" is angry this morning; he tells us the FBI has infiltrated our group, plus the IRS is after "Dad." "They say I take all your money, and brainwash you," "Dad" roars. "Well," I think, "Dad does have a jet plane, property, motorcoaches, and everything he wants. Stop thinking that way, it's Satan tempting you," an inner voice tells me. "Dad" talks about how corrupt the churches are. He used to be an ordained minister in the Midwest. He resigned because no one wanted to hear "The Truth." The churches have tried to kill him several times. Once God told him to duck, and as he did a bullet whistled over his head. God talks to "Dad," you know.
My "Father in The Word" continues talking with vigor, "All I ever tried to do is help people. I used to preach to trees on the farm when I was a boy. All the world has given me in turn is hell! People like Karen, who leave our family and spread lies about us – is delivered to Satan. I have The Truth, I'm in God, God's in me – We are one!" The crowd thunders! "They say you aren't free to leave – that's a lie," "Dad" screams. (Bless Patrol keeps the world off our property.) "Father" continues, "Sometimes I get so mad I feel like taking the ballbats out! There is nothing outside The Word! The government, controlled by International Jewish bankers, is out to get us. We are ready for anything!" The body rises in unison, clapping and yelling.
After the applause dies down, "Dad" sips his coffee and says, "In 73 AD, 960 Jews took a stand against the tenth Roman Legion on a plateau called Massada. All of them took their own life rather than fall into the hands of the gentiles. That's commitment! We have burned our bridges behind us, there are no escape routes, there is no turning back! God wants us to be committed people. There's nothing to go back to in the world! Nothing." After the meeting – we break for refreshments.
The above story is told by an ex-cult member, who escaped the jungle of a well known cult. The setting isn't Guyana, but Emporia, U.S. The date isn't November 18, 1978 but August 1976. "Dad" isn't Jim Jones, but Victor Paul Wierwille, founder of THE WAY INTERNATIONAL.
Jeannie Mills, who left People's Temple in 1975, tried to help ex-cultists. In a personal letter she writes, "We had several ex-Way members at The Human Freedom Center at one time or another. I saw many similarities between their stories, and the stories we had been telling about People's Temple." She further stated in an interview, "Jim Jones had people totally brainwashed, I think his power over people was so great that he could reach out from the grave." February 26, 1980 an unknown assassin executed Jeannie, her husband Al, and daughter Daphene in their own home.
In a letter from Jeannie dated October 29, 1979, she speaks to us today, "So many people think the horror story ended November 18, 1978. It is still continuing for the millions of cult members around." There is a potential for another Jonestown today. Countless "Jeannie Mills" are warning the nation of other "People's Temples" in the world today. It is in our best interest not to forget Jonestown.
"Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it." Jim Jones
Tapes Reveal Jones as Murderer by Sheila Yohnk - JonestownIt also has some information on the Jonestown cult, with a few usable quotes for my paper. Other than that, it has mostly biased information from the ...
jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/JonestownReport/.../tapeyohnk.htm - Cached - Similarâ–º
Edited by cheranneLink to comment
Share on other sites
cheranne
Link to comment
Share on other sites
excathedra
so very sad and true about getting acclimatized to abuse :(
Link to comment
Share on other sites
brainfixed
the things that come up over a cup of coffee at the cafe! great stuff! either one day this week or last week dr. phil had a program about a man that would go into fits of rage over the littlest things. the man said he couldn't help himself and asked dr. phil if there was something wrong with him. dr. phil has this whole institute that helps him out a lot that does brain mapping and he asked them to map this guy's brain, and of course this guy's brain showed that he had "hot spots" in the lobes of his brain for impulse control, which meant that this guy had little impulse control. the dr. from the institute explained that the brain of the man had been so long in the habit of not controlling impulses that it had actually worn holes through the lobes that control impulses. i know that's probably a great oversimplification of things and that it was probably put that way for lay people to understand, but the images of the man's brain against a normal brain showed the hotspots and the actual "tracks" (they were more like grooves) on the man's brain. but what i'm trying to say is that there is a physical reality that goes on when people get stuck on a "one track mind" like in a cult or any other closed-minded situation where certain thought patterns are repeated over and over and over again. on the good side of things, it's the same "science" behind "positive affirmations" and such that people practice to help themselves build better self esteem or get courage to do public speaking and things like that. in other words, repeating thoughts and thought patterns over and over and over again actually physically changes the brain, and doing it long enough will permanently change the brain. i just thought that this was very interesting with the turn the conversation has taken. another intersting thing is that the dr. from the institute said that even though the man's brain had permanent damage there were things that could be done to start his brain on a new track around the damage. that was very encouraging!
Link to comment
Share on other sites
excathedra
perhaps a few retemories would help
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.