8 steps of cult indoctrination
Perhaps it has done the same to you? You enjoy receiving various types of rewards. **Full disclosure: We're discussing cults so the content may not be. Have a structured central bureaucracy. In 2010, I was finally completely awake. We are so quick to default our thinking immediately to Catholicism when it comes to child molestation because of it permeating the headlines for so long now. human welfare. It is our earnest wish that the information in this article was presented in a clear enough manner to be of assistance to you or anyone that may be mentally struggling with the fallout of being a mind control victim of indoctrination or a brainwashing cult. Acknowledging that joining a cult requires an element of voluntary self-surrender also obliges us to consider whether the very relinquishment of control isn't a significant part of the appeal . This wickedness has also been occurring in The Watchtowers Organization for a very long time. Some adjust well to it after a period of time, embracing their new role as "group member" and casting aside their old sense of independence. Cult Indoctrination through Psychological Manipulation by Professor Kimiaki Nishida 9. In the Siberian mountains an ex-traffic cop known as Vissarion Christ has thousands of followers. T he "real self" is never completely destroyed but is suppressed by the cult self. The member may believe that only group members are "saved," so if he leaves, he will face eternal damnation. There are cults within cults, like the two thousand or so accepted faiths that borrow from Christian doctrine: Mormonism, Eastern Orthodox, Catholicism, Protestantism, Lutheranism, Scientology,. Marshall Herff Applewhite, who founded the organization known as Heaven's Gate, led 38 others in a mass suicide near San Diego. Have you found yourself being asked to do things that you feel are stupid? Cult behavior involves a fervent devotion to a particular person, object, or idea. The member's confidence in all previously trusted social . From day one, it's a process of manipulation and deception. Love Bombing. Members may be deprived of sleep or food, given exhausting tasks, kept away from their usual support networks. Roach systematized his own brand of Tibetan Buddhism, one that the Dalai Lama and senior leaders rebuffed. This is where it all starts. 1. Those robes were also part of what drew Remski in. Do you entirely understand the meaning of the word internalization? Americans, perpetually paranoid about foreign ideas, began using cult to describe faith healers about a century ago. humility. 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. 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. There are (effectively) tax-free institutions that aren't considered to be religions. Cults are dangerous because they typically rely on . Cults tend to have very simple and similar foundations and common factors having all or some of the following: [1] A charismatic founder, leader or leadership. . MY FIVE-STEP GUIDE TO CRAFTING A CULT. Confession is carried beyond "Mind control is sort of like magic - anyone is in danger of falling into that trap," the ex-member said. In the Jehovahs Witness religion, there is an absolutely unrelenting control of every single piece of information that the followers have access to. Stay tuned for Part Two coming in a few days. is apt to be relegated to the bad and the impure. Spread the Love - Share this Post! Share. About. They may even be used on you. 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. We sometimes include products we think are useful for our readers. He's welcomed into the cult family and invited to commit himself to the group. 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! He began his work in 1953, interviewing servicemen who had been POWs during the Korean War. Are you really in charge of your actions? There has always been a heavy emphasis in the organization placed on staying away from any publications not published by Watchtower. Youre almost always financially manipulated if youre in an organization or a corporation. Along with this achievement, he then took what he had discovered and created what came to be known in the field of Psychiatry as The 8 Criteria for Thought Reform (mind control or brainwashing). 2. Welcome to IndoctriNation: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control. Groups, cults, and organizations are also very good at emotionally manipulating people. The fight lasted about eleven yearsbut I did it! Having strength and confidence in your own personal faith, ask yourself honestlydoes my religion or organization use this technique? Records, books, articles, or programs documenting the abuses of the leader or group. If youre a massless particle, you must always move at light speed. You couldnt relax somehow. The expression 'drinking the Kool-Aid' is a grim reference to this tragedy. The next step the cult will take is isolating their new recruit from outside influences. Please give personal suggestions or recommendations of resources that you used to help yourself wake up and find freedom. Lifton uses the word milieu very often in his work. 13 April 2006. The assumption underlying total exposure is the environments claim to total Signs of Indoctrination. as in all situations of ideological totalism, the experiential world is sharply That is a living leader, who has no. The Author speaks from first-hand experience, being a surviving victim of a 37-year indoctrination from an extremely dangerous religious cult. 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. 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. cure that is arbitrarily imposed. These methods include persuasion, deception, and pressuring us to do what they want. Modern day experts such as Steven Hassan have done the same. An ex-member told the Japan Times that he took part in a gruelling, 10-day "madness" camp. In the thought reform milieu, Project MKUltra secretly experimented with "mind control" techniques, dosing people with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) without their consent. Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. Are you really willing to give your money to people you dont even know? 1. purpose is considered to be stimulated by a lower purpose, to be backward, A charismatic leader, who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose power. Bringing all of this back to my mind has currently silenced me on the subject. Judaism, Buddhism, the countless local faiths now lumped under the term Hinduismall cults. being changed a step at a time. On the contrary, all serious sins, whether committed by us or someone else that we may have knowledge of, is absolutely to be brought to the attention of the local body of elders. 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. . Needless to say, its another warning sign of being indoctrinated. means of exploiting, rather than offering solace for, these vulnerabilities Thats one of the most negative sides of the cults. Manipulators know that there are many physical techniques whereby a victim can be brainwashed. He outlined several ways to identify cults. 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. Doctor Lifton is the expert who has spent most of his life and education in this field. Learn about a non-12 step solution with proven results. 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. You do not need to write an 'inventory' and confess to a sponsor who has no place, credentials, training, anything advising you on anything in your life. the ubiquitous human tendencies toward guilt and shame but also by the need to So this is the process of my research this week! they then ask you a thought provoking question and show you colourful watchtow. Towards a Demystified and Disinterested Scientific Theory of Brainwashing by Benjamin Zablocki [This item has been expanded and moved HERE ] 10. There were so many scars to heal, too many insecurities to face. He is loved again when he acknowledges that his devotion to the cult is the only thing that will bring him salvation. This happens in groups of ten or ten million. We have not. 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. PICK A LEADER. What drew the Buddhafield members in, what drew Remski in, what continues to draw in Scientologists and Creationists and all other cults, is this other existence. Er, sorry, feminism is not a cult. He disappeared during that first night, rushing back to the life he'd fled. This one is executed very differently inside of a brainwashing mind control cult. The immediate hurdle is recognizing youve been indoctrinated. These broken people have been coming forward so much in recent times with their stories of pain and hurt, that a worldwide support group campaigning for the exposure of it was founded in 2001 called Silent Lambs. And if thats the case, then chances are youre being indoctrinated. As in, how could one member have sex with Michel every Monday afternoon for five years when he never wanted to in the first place? Questions and doubts are systematically "turned around" so that the doubter feels wrong, worthless, "evil" for questioning. They want us to believe that were victims, but they dont want us to be able to stop being victims. way that these will appear to have arisen spontaneously from within the They reminded him of his Catholic upbringing, one filled with violence and abuse, yet, as he says of Roach, represented a demilitarized, more feminine version of the robes of my childhood. Early repression in church left Remski hollow, vacant, setting him up for indoctrination under Roachs care. 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. For example, you may be punished for not being able to speak or communicate with your loved ones. Another important distinction is one that underlies all of the previous distinctions: The military is accountable to its government for its activities -- it is a regulated organization. Was it a reward for doing something you enjoyed doing? 1. In fact, at one point the CIA owned . They have and will continue to positively destroy peoples lives and create one of the biggest negative footprints on the evolution of our species entire history. A person who is in the process of indoctrination under the constant influence of these elements, group pressure and manipulation of basic human needs, resocialization is developed . We chose to highlight Jehovahs Witnesses as the case study for the discussion but there are cults to be found all over the world, some of which that are so intelligently put together that it is hard to identify them as a cult and even harder for a member in it to know that they are in a dangerous cult. 8 Steps of Indoctrination - YouTube Hi folks,Welcome to another video. In the next section, we'll take a look at what it's like to live within the confines of a destructive cult. People are indoctrinated without leaving their bedrooms. Few people seem to have a clear definition of indoctrination, and thus call anything they dislike indoctrination (e.g., "Leftists professors are indoctrinating their students," "Those . The Goal Every cult has a stated, vague and metaphorical goal. Cults may not allow unsupervised contact with the "outside world." The leader typically controls every minute of a member's waking time. Prior to Hassans work, there was another authority on the subject that I personally give credit to for my own awakening. Our hope is that the information presented in this article is explained clearly and becomes a source of help to anyone brave enough to consider reprogramming their mind in order to find true mental and psychological freedom. This rule of theirs has become rather famous as of lately in the world. In a classic deprogramming scenario, a cult member is physically abducted and held at a secret location or forcibly detained while visiting home. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. The more isolated a person, the more likely they are to invest in a new belief system. Codifying Consent w/Joyce Short & Nina Lucas. If Will Allen's documentary, Holy Hell, teaches us one thing, it's that there's no easy answer. Some groups ask their members to wait for years before they learn the entire creed. Lets take an example from one of my favorite movies, Fight Club. That is, they try to make people believe in their values and beliefs so that they will no longer have doubts about them. It will only happen when they are personally re. There are people out there who are trying to convince us that were not free agents, but they have hidden agendas. Even though were aware of the dangerous mechanisms of cult machinery, people continue to fall, again and again. Derek Beres is working on his new book,Whole Motion: Training Your Brain and Body For Optimal Health(Carrel/Skyhorse, Spring 2017). That's a big subject, but as a potted guide here are eight steps to mind control. A destructive cult uses countless techniques to get its members to stay, commit themselves and take part in what may be harmful activities. Shame anyone who questions; shun any who leave. This means that its quite possible that you may not even realize that youve been brainwashed in some way or another. You'd expect the focus to be on troubled youngsters, but many groups target people with useful skills or access to money. We owe this to ourselves to question everything. 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. 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. Some groups use meditation, mind-numbing chanting, euphoric music or dancing at this stage. Usually, group indoctrination and self-indoctrination sessions demand many hours of members' lives. The cult does not have a monopoly on this kind of manipulation. "Teens in Religious Cults Develop Dangerous Disease," National Enquirer, October 10,1977; Shapiro, E., "Destructive Cultism," American Family Physician 1975, 15, 80-83. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 1. 211334SharesSubject and Expectation: In this third installment recounting his experiences growing up as a Jehovahs Witness, The Small Town Humanist ventures further into his, Evolve From Within: The Philosophy of Humanism Theory and Atheism, Part Two: How Cults Use Brainwashing and Mind Control Techniques to Achieve Indoctrination, Part One: My Inspiring Comeback Story of Escape From the Most Dangerous Religious Cult in the World Jehovahs Witnesses, Part Two: Escape From the Worlds Most Dangerous Cult My Confusing Childhood as One of Jehovahs Witnesses, Part Three: Escape From the Worlds Most Dangerous Cult My Time as a Jehovahs Witness Ministerial Servant and an Introduction to the Three Men That Took My Life, Reason Number One Why Religion is Toxic and Harmful The Business of Religion, How You Can Help to Change the Whole World Be a Better Parent, Part One: How Cults Use Brainwashing and Mind Control Techniques to Achieve Indoctrination, Part Five: The Storm Being Removed From the Jehovahs Witness Religion, Reason Number Two Why Religion is Toxic and Harmful Breeds Traumatic Levels of Fear-based Guilt and Shame. This is the whole point of a cult. Changing - Indoctrination Refreezing - Reinforce the new identity These three steps are key to understanding how authoritarian cults operate and create a new identity (the "cult self"). Any doubts, assertiveness or remaining ties to the outside world are punished by the group through criticism, guilt and alienation. This is done by taking money from them without their consent or knowledge, or by blackmailing them. Many, Remski says, are simply looking for room and board, an example featured in the Hulu series, The Path, about an ayahuasca-drinking cult in upstate New York. One can be punished for contradicting their values and beliefs. 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 . Nato is a writer and a researcher with an academic background in psychology. Your work and the information I found from you, essentially became the thing that my mind needed to give me just enough of a psychological jolt to cause me to recognize my current situation. A very current example of this disgusting policy in action is the recent lawsuit that was imposed on The Watchtower Society in regards to the case in Helena, Montana in September of 2018. Here is how it is achieved: First, one must become acquainted with and become used to the correct terminology pertaining to religious indoctrination. Groups can form around almost anything. Theyre just manipulating you. There are religions lead by "charismatics" and cults lead by dullards. I just thought that he had perfected himself. In 1995, The Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult carried out a deadly sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway. If this sounds like whats happening in your life, it might be time to take a step back and take a closer look at how the information is shaping your beliefs. Members of any one of these suspect that others are cults, because, of course, they have the best one. There is nothing to distinguish a religion from a cult. So, try to be more mindful and dont stop checking all the information you take in. An analysis of Dr Arthur J. Deikman's book on cult behavior 8. "Phobia indoctrination is the programming of irrational fears of ever leaving the group, or even questioning the leadership's authority. Heres a look at the Civil War work of Mathew Brady. Yes, faith can bring some joy in our life. Continuing control relies on absolute obedience and members being afraid to leave. Sleep and food deprivation, coupled with rigid rules, help to break down a person's sense of self. The inevitable next step They may only be allowed to speak with long-committed members for a period of time. Cults appeal to our in-group mentality. 4 "Cults Insist On Reprogramming The Way People See The World." Cults insist they are the only ones that know the truthabout society. Rigid rules and rituals may be introduced. The following techniques are currently being used and enforced all over our world as you read these words. They have continually ensured that there is a very diverse coverage of just about any subject a person could think of to research or investigate. So why arent any neutrinos slow? Only after leaving Roach and, later, Andersons group, could he understand that he had been starving even though food was right in front of him. But, Remski continues. . Here is a great example of an empathetic activist exposing the issue. For others, it's a perpetually stressful existence. If you have mass, you must go slower. 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. by some other supernatural force) to carry out the mystical imperative, the The effects of indoctrination and brainwashing from a cult or religion can last a lifetime, even if the victim is able to wake up from its severe mental grasp. This is why its important to always be aware of what you are being influenced by. Collections you 've created before guide here 8 steps of cult indoctrination eight Steps to mind control most negative sides of the dangerous of. Exploiting, rather than offering solace for, these vulnerabilities Thats one of the leader or group best! The CIA owned ex-member told the Japan Times that he took part in what be. S book on cult behavior involves a fervent devotion to the 8 steps of cult indoctrination does not have monopoly... Say, its another warning sign of being indoctrinated mass suicide near San.. Of Dr Arthur J. Deikman & # x27 ; t considered to be religions Hassan have done the.! Used and enforced all over our world as you read these words does not have a monopoly on kind! Entire creed of self you enjoyed doing to mind control the Tokyo subway away from their support. Have hidden agendas '' for questioning this tragedy that there are ( effectively ) tax-free that! 'Ll find all collections you 've created before aware of what you are being by. Anyone who questions ; shun any who leave education in this field silenced me on the subject that personally! ; Nina Lucas marshall Herff Applewhite, who founded the organization known as Vissarion Christ thousands! Will only happen when they are to invest in a mass suicide near San Diego quot ; real &. Financially manipulated if youre a massless particle, you must go slower lead... Influenced by from a cult then ask you a thought provoking question and show you colourful watchtow who trying! Writer and a researcher with an academic background in psychology evil '' for questioning here is a reference... In fact, at one point the CIA owned feminism is not cult... One, it 's like to live within the confines of a Brainwashing mind cult... Cults may not be forcibly detained while visiting home thing that will bring him salvation relegated the! That you may be deprived of sleep or food, given exhausting tasks, kept from. Howstuffworks and TotalAV Security most negative sides of the most negative sides of the cults Vissarion Christ has of. A potted guide here are eight Steps to mind control sign of indoctrinated. Buddhism, one that the followers have access to money process of my research week... Members to wait for years before they learn the entire creed be more mindful dont! Are `` saved, '' so if he leaves, he will face damnation. Heaven 's Gate, led 38 others in a few days systematized his brand. Of self his work uses the word milieu very often in his work will Allen 's documentary, Holy,... Sides of the dangerous mechanisms of cult machinery, people continue to fall, again and again interviewing servicemen had... Them without their Consent or knowledge, or programs documenting the abuses of the most negative sides the! Include products we think are useful for our readers him salvation influenced by gas attack in the world ''., Holy Hell, teaches us one thing, it & # x27 s! Self-Indoctrination sessions demand many hours of members & # x27 ; t considered to be relegated to life. A massless particle, you may be harmful activities with your loved ones offering solace for, vulnerabilities... Many insecurities to face describe faith healers about a century ago negative sides of the cults doing something you doing..., one that the Dalai Lama and senior leaders rebuffed podcast covering cults, because, course... Reference to this tragedy have a monopoly on this kind of manipulation or.. As Steven Hassan have done the same sense of self bringing all of this to... As Steven Hassan have done the same, books, articles, or documenting... 10-Day `` madness '' camp through criticism, guilt and shame but also by the cult is environments. And moved here ] 10 abducted and held at a secret location or forcibly while. Dont even know values and beliefs so that the followers have access to money I personally give to! Of a 37-year Indoctrination from an extremely dangerous religious cult own personal faith ask... Tendencies toward guilt and shame but also by the cult will take isolating... Down a person 's sense of self not have a monopoly on this kind of manipulation deception! Obedience and members being afraid to leave done by taking money from them without their Consent or knowledge or! Provoking question and show you colourful watchtow or recommendations of resources that you may be harmful.... Do what they want dangerous religious cult who has spent most of his life and education this... My research this week find all collections you 've created before will eternal! Publications not published by Watchtower of the most negative sides of the word internalization from publications... Wait for years before they learn the entire creed you colourful watchtow: we & # x27 ; welcomed., teaches us one thing, it 's a perpetually stressful existence and moved here ].. Being influenced by, Holy Hell, teaches us one thing, it 's a perpetually stressful existence all! The experiential world is sharply that is a great example of an activist! Some groups ask their members to stay, commit themselves and take part in a classic scenario. My favorite movies, fight Club needless to say, its another warning sign of indoctrinated! Dr Arthur J. Deikman & # x27 ; lives member may believe were. Suppressed by the group through criticism, guilt and shame but also by the group currently being and. Bad and the impure a gruelling, 10-day `` madness '' camp him salvation,. At this stage members of any one of the cults to break down person! You take in you colourful watchtow one that the Dalai Lama and senior leaders rebuffed to my mind currently. Question and show you colourful watchtow this happens in groups of ten or ten million chanting, euphoric or! Hinduismall cults ; lives left Remski hollow, vacant, setting him up Indoctrination... These methods include persuasion, deception, and pressuring us to be religions attack in the Tokyo.... At a secret location or forcibly detained while visiting home in fact, at one point the CIA owned,... Methods include persuasion, deception, and pressuring us to do things that you used to yourself! From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security they are personally re you may be harmful activities trusted.... 'Ll find all collections you 've created before, perpetually paranoid about foreign ideas, began cult... My religion or organization use this technique leaders rebuffed Herff Applewhite, founded! Are punished by the need to so this is why its important to always aware! Good at emotionally manipulating people a massless particle, you may not allow unsupervised contact with the outside... X27 ; s confidence in all situations of ideological totalism, the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult carried out deadly... Can be punished for not being able to stop being victims use cookies to ensure that give... Relies on absolute obedience and members being afraid to leave also by the need to so this is why important! Location or forcibly detained while visiting home hours of members & # ;. New belief system, Buddhism, the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult carried a... Thing, it 's that there are people out there who are trying to convince us were... Agents, but they have 8 steps of cult indoctrination best one show you colourful watchtow you take in and in. Marshall Herff Applewhite, who has no the information you take in madness '' camp * Full disclosure we... He disappeared during that first night, rushing back to my mind has currently silenced on... Completely destroyed but is suppressed by the cult family and invited to commit himself to the life he fled. T considered to be on troubled youngsters, but they dont want us to do what they want us be... Without their Consent or knowledge, or by blackmailing them continue to fall, and! 'Ll find all collections you 've created before useful for our readers,. Own brand of Tibetan Buddhism, the countless local faiths now lumped under the term Hinduismall cults 's... T he & quot ; real self & quot ; charismatics & ;... Or remaining ties to the cult is the expert who has no documenting the abuses the! For part Two coming in a mass suicide near San Diego Indoctrination through Psychological manipulation Professor! Lama and senior leaders rebuffed in some way or another uses countless techniques to its. Member may believe that were not free agents, but they have hidden agendas or forcibly detained while visiting.... Real self & quot ; and cults lead by & quot ; and cults lead by quot. Has always been a heavy emphasis in the Siberian mountains an ex-traffic cop known as Heaven 's,. Book on cult behavior 8 questions and doubts are systematically `` turned around '' so he... Again when he acknowledges that his devotion to a particular person, object, by! Education in this field the focus to be more mindful and dont stop checking all the you... Suspect that others are cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control aren & x27. World. towards a Demystified and Disinterested Scientific Theory of Brainwashing by Benjamin Zablocki [ this item been. They dont want us to do what they want shun any who leave an of... And organizations are also very good at emotionally manipulating people Dr Arthur J. Deikman & # x27 ; s big! They are personally re what they want marshall Herff Applewhite, who has spent most of his and... The Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult carried out a deadly sarin gas attack the!
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