Freethought & Rationalism Archive

WinAce · 06-12-2003, 09:38 PM

This is quite an eye-opening article.

Quote:

Destructive Mind Control Components

I. Behavior Control

1. Regulation of individual�s physical reality

a. Where, how and with whom the member lives and associates with
b. What clothes, colors, hairstyles the person wears
c. What food the person eats, drinks, adopts, and rejects
d. How much sleep the person is able to have
e. Financial dependence
f. Little or no time spent on leisure, entertainment, vacations

2. Major time commitment required for indoctrination sessions and group rituals

3. Need to ask permission for major decisions

4. Need to report thoughts, feelings and activities to superiors

5. Rewards and punishments (behavior modification techniques- positive and negative).

5. Individualism discouraged; group think prevails

6. Rigid rules and regulations

7. Need for obedience and dependency

II. Information Control

1. Use of deception

a. Deliberately holding back information
b. Distorting information to make it acceptable
c. Outright lying

2. Access to non-cult sources of information minimized or discouraged

a. Books, articles, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio
b. Critical information
c. Former members
d. Keep members so busy they don�t have time to think

3. Compartmentalization of information; Outsider vs. Insider doctrines

a. Information is not freely accessible
b. Information varies at different levels and missions within pyramid
c. Leadership decides who "needs to know" what

4. Spying on other members is encouraged

a. Pairing up with "buddy" system to monitor and control
b. Reporting deviant thoughts, feelings, and actions to leadership

5. Extensive use of cult generated information and propaganda

a. Newsletters, magazines, journals, audio tapes, videotapes, etc.
[b]b. Misquotations, statements taken out of context from non-cult sources

6. Unethical use of confession

a. Information about "sins" used to abolish identity boundaries
b. Past "sins" used to manipulate and control; no forgiveness or absolution

III. Thought Control

1. Need to internalize the group�s doctrine as "Truth"

a. Map = Reality
b. Black and White thinking
c. Good vs. evil
d. Us vs. them (inside vs. outside)

2. Adopt "loaded" language (characterized by "thought-terminating clich�s"). Words are the tools we use to think with. These "special" words constrict rather than expand understanding. They function to reduce complexities of experience into trite, platitudinous "buzz words".

3. Only "good" and "proper" thoughts are encouraged.

4. Thought-stopping techniques (to shut down "reality testing" by stopping "negative" thoughts and allowing only "good" thoughts); rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism.

a. Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking
b. Chanting
c. Meditating
d. Praying
e. Speaking in "tongues"
f. Singing or humming

5. No critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy seen as legitimate

6. No alternative belief systems viewed as legitimate, good, or useful

IV. Emotional Control

1. Manipulate and narrow the range of a person�s feelings.

2. Make the person feel like if there are ever any problems it is always their fault, never the leader�s or the group�s.

3. Excessive use of guilt

a. Identity guilt

1. Who you are (not living up to your potential)
2. Your family
3. Your past
4. Your affiliations
5. Your thoughts, feelings, actions

b. Social guilt
c. Historical guilt

4. Excessive use of fear

a. Fear of thinking independently
b. Fear of the "outside" world
c. Fear of enemies
d. Fear of losing one�s "salvation"
e. Fear of leaving the group or being shunned by group
f. Fear of disapproval

5. Extremes of emotional highs and lows.

6. Ritual and often public confession of "sins".

7. Phobia indoctrination : programming of irrational fears of ever leaving the group or even questioning the leader�s authority. The person under mind control cannot visualize a positive, fulfilled future without being in the group.

a. No happiness or fulfillment "outside"of the group
b. Terrible consequences will take place if you leave: "hell"; "demon possession"; "incurable diseases"; "accidents"; "suicide"; "insanity"; "10,000 reincarnations"; etc.
c. Shunning of leave takers. Fear of being rejected by friends, peers, and family.
d. Never a legitimate reason to leave. From the group�s perspective, people who leave are: "weak"; "undisciplined"; "unspiritual"; "worldly"; "brainwashed by family, counselors"; seduced by money, sex, rock and roll.

Any comments from our resident fundamentalists?

winstonjen · 06-12-2003, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WinAce

Any comments from our resident fundamentalists?

HEY! They stole our idea!

Radorth · 06-12-2003, 10:03 PM

Oh come on. II isn't that bad.

Rad

Radorth · 06-12-2003, 10:09 PM

Sounds like Stalin's regime, to a T, actually. You'd think the Christians would have fit in better.

Criminy. I don't suppose this has anything to do with human nature in general, and not just theists?

Rad

winstonjen · 06-12-2003, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Radorth
Oh come on. II isn't that bad.

Rad

Good to see you have a sense of humour.

I was quoting WinAce's post, and posting from the point of view of the fundies and their tactics.

Radorth · 06-12-2003, 10:30 PM

My comment applies somewhat to your statement, but actually it was in response to Winace's list.

Hehe

Rad

WinAce · 06-13-2003, 10:34 AM

No one ever said only religious cults could use mind control, did they?

enrious · 06-13-2003, 11:09 AM

Michael Shirmer points out in Why People Believe Weird Things, in the chapter entitled The Unlikeliest Cult that cults can come from vitually any source or foundation.

The cult in question?

Ayn Rand's organization centered around Objectivism.

callmejay · 06-13-2003, 11:31 AM

Having grown up Orthodox Jewish, I continue to be amazed at how effectively the system manages to keep out outsider ideas even while living in the middle of a modern society, having many people (small percentage, but significant number) who leave, a decent percentage who see movies and read books and go to normal colleges, etc. And the most interesting thing about it is that nobody seems to be consciously doing it -- the system itself manages to keep out ideas.

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06-12-2003, 10:03 PM	#3
Radorth Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,872	Oh come on. II isn't that bad. Rad

06-12-2003, 10:09 PM	#4
Radorth Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,872	Sounds like Stalin's regime, to a T, actually. You'd think the Christians would have fit in better. Criminy. I don't suppose this has anything to do with human nature in general, and not just theists? Rad

06-12-2003, 10:30 PM	#6
Radorth Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,872	My comment applies somewhat to your statement, but actually it was in response to Winace's list. Hehe Rad

06-13-2003, 10:34 AM	#7
WinAce Beloved Deceased Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Carrboro, NC Posts: 1,539	No one ever said only religious cults could use mind control, did they?

06-13-2003, 11:09 AM	#8
enrious Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Home Posts: 895	Michael Shirmer points out in Why People Believe Weird Things, in the chapter entitled The Unlikeliest Cult that cults can come from vitually any source or foundation. The cult in question? Ayn Rand's organization centered around Objectivism.

06-13-2003, 11:31 AM	#9
callmejay Regular Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 466	Having grown up Orthodox Jewish, I continue to be amazed at how effectively the system manages to keep out outsider ideas even while living in the middle of a modern society, having many people (small percentage, but significant number) who leave, a decent percentage who see movies and read books and go to normal colleges, etc. And the most interesting thing about it is that nobody seems to be consciously doing it -- the system itself manages to keep out ideas.

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