No one has all the answers. selfish, and petty in the face of the great overriding mission This requires And guess what? Cult Indoctrination through Psychological Manipulation by Professor Kimiaki Nishida 9. And they use various ways to achieve their goals. Lets repeat that one more time for clarity. I was in 4th grade. 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). Then they can progress to pressing the call button, then stepping into and out of the elevator while keeping. Physical abuse. Stay tuned for Part Two coming in a few days. This one is a rather easy one to explain. responsehe has been deprived of the opportunity to exercise his capacities In the thought reform milieu, This way the reader could take in the first four points and have a few days to ponder what was presented before considering the last four points. Welcome to IndoctriNation: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control. The member's confidence in all previously trusted social . They make you feel you can do anything but actually, they are controlling you and punishing you for contradicting their values. 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. that he participate actively in the manipulation of otherswhatever his There is no free time to think or analyze. If Will Allen's documentary, Holy Hell, teaches us one thing, it's that there's no easy answer. 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. Cults may keep new recruits from talking to other new recruits. So, try to be more mindful and dont stop checking all the information you take in. Doctor Lifton decoded the tactics that were used by the Chinese to completely reform a persons thoughts, practically changing who the person was so drastically that they became unrecognizable to who they used to be. About. There is no single path to a cult, but there are patterns, and by recognizing his own, Remski was able to understand what Joseph Campbell famously stated regarding Arthurian tales, among other mythologies: freedom is in the wound. 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? Cults may hide any signs of illegal, immoral or hyper-controlling practices until the recruit has fully immersed himself in the group. They may even be used on you. on Facebook, Share How Do People Become Indoctrinated Into Cults? It was like he was me, but perfected in this way that I imagined. 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. Military indoctrination in U.S. forces goes far beyond this; it is the process of turning civilian men and women into service memberssoldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. Potential new members are led, step by. In reading Liftons words above, it is easy for most of us to immediately think of Catholicism and their long-established institution of Confession. Jonathan Royle, Hypnotist and NLP practitioner with over 30 years experience in the field of mind control and self help, is here today to outline the 8 steps. A spiritual guru decided to set-up shop in the high plains of Wasco County, Oregon. 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. You must use their methods to achieve success or happiness. Sleep and food deprivation, coupled with rigid rules, help to break down a person's sense of self. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Many religions, spiritual teachings and philosophies use the 12 Steps. It will only happen when they are personally re. He outlined several ways to identify cults. They might use fear or guilt as a tool to get you to believe their message. Groups like ISIS don't use just violence to get their messages across, they use psychological techniques to recruit and keep members. There are cults that are huge and religions that are small. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him. You might even hear that if it wasnt for them, youd be dead. Cults and controversial religious groups gain followers and . Thats how you can avoid being indoctrinated. Mr. Liftonif somehow you manage to read this article, I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to you. 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. It is their unwavering belief that Armageddon will destroy every single person on this planet that is not devoted to Jehovah God and living as an active Jehovahs Witness. 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. Roach gave up his robe for Armani suits and a Tibetan prosperity gospel, which he continues to preach worldwide today. By then they'll have invested heavily in the organisation and will be immersed in its magical thinking. A cult answers to no one. Do you understand why you do what you do? Do you understand why you do what you do? For example, a cult may take all the money you make and then demand that you give it to them, or else theyll destroy your business and make your work for free for the rest of your life. 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. Shutting down your dissent by threatening to withhold the prize By this point, the sell becomes a little harder. Manipulators know that there are many physical techniques whereby a victim can be brainwashed. 5. The sum of these techniques constitutes what some people call "mind control." Invite them to come along again, and again, until they're a part of the family. For others, it's a perpetually stressful existence. Have you been told that if it wasnt for them, youd be lost? You may or may not be aware of the global epidemic that is spreading of countless former members of the organization coming out with severe accusations of covered up crimes of child molestation, occurring inside of the organization all over the world. In the social sciences, internalization means that the individual accepts a groups values and norms. Why? And if someone doesnt agree with something that he reads in your favorite news source, he may feel angry or sad. Follow. 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. This problem is not new to Jehovahs Witnesses. Sounds scary, right? This is a central doctrine of their belief system. Lets take an example from one of my favorite movies, Fight Club. 16 There is little non-group leisure time or vacation time away. While the U.S. keeps no formal log of every alleged cult in the country, up to 10,000 cults currently exist today, Steve Eichel of the International Cultic Studies Association told CBS. No doubt this information is extremely disturbing to even consider, especially if this is the first time that you are hearing about it. Milieu is a noun that denotes a persons social environment. If you have mass, you must go slower. 1. as in all situations of ideological totalism, the experiential world is sharply This is why its important to always be aware of what you are being influenced by. Author Douglas Rushkoff lists 20 common steps of indoctrination in destructive cults. Why? You are not in control of your own mind. Thats one of the most negative sides of the cults. Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. So, dont forget to keep track of your actions to avoid being brainwashed. 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. Does this make sense to you? So why arent any neutrinos slow? Some are drawn in by the leader; others for social support. Photo / Getty Images. Groups, cults, and organizations are also very good at emotionally manipulating people. Cult behavior involves a fervent devotion to a particular person, object, or idea. Opposing critical thinking 2. Here is how it is achieved: First, one must become acquainted with and become used to the correct terminology pertaining to religious indoctrination. You cannot make rational decisions without their guidance. She dreams to create an uplifting documentary one day, inspired by her experiences with strangers. Reduce autonomy, induce dependency. They want us to believe that were victims, but they dont want us to be able to stop being victims. Directory of Cult Recovery Resources. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. Scientologists often target celebrities for recruitment due to their influence and wealth. 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. And this is an effective way of controlling people. Yes, there's actually a standard psychological step-by-step guide, for building your very own cult. This is a common feature of small groups or cults. Even though were aware of the dangerous mechanisms of cult machinery, people continue to fall, again and again. Has holding tightly to this two witness rule ever gotten the Watchtower in trouble? There are religions lead by "charismatics" and cults lead by dullards. "Phobia indoctrination is the programming of irrational fears of ever leaving the group, or even questioning the leadership's authority. It's also known as "thought reform," "brainwashing" and "coercive persuasion," and it involves the systematic breakdown of a person's sense of self. Here are the four steps to getting sucked into a cult. This makes up their milieu or environment. 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. Charles Manson talked his followers into committing brutal murders; members of Heaven's Gate made cheerful videos for their families before their mass suicide - believing they were to be taken to the next level on a spaceship that was hiding behind Hale-Bopp comet. How did it happen? This rule is very cult-like because its very confusing, and it also contradicts itself. Unfortunately, that means you've taken the first big step into identifying with the cult. The good and the pure are of course those ideas, feelings, and Increasingly, groups use the internet. 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. Records, books, articles, or programs documenting the abuses of the leader or group. Cults appeal to our in-group mentality. For that, we can follow a convenient eight step process. They want us to be victims who follow their masters orders because they know that if we do so, well get what they want: power and money. Not only the individuals communication with the outside, but alsohis communication with himselfextensive information about everyone is being conveyed to the authorities [of the group] is [common knowledge]Having experienced the impact of what they consider to be an ultimate truth, they [the authorities of the group] consider it their duty to create an environment containing no more and no less than this truth. [The group member] is deprived of the combination of external information and inner reflection which anyone requires to test the realities of his environment and to maintain a measure of identity separate from it. 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. Guilt is . 15 The internet serves as a 24/7 indoctrination tool for mind controllers to keep members fully committed. Access to necessities depends on the leader's favor. Codifying Consent w/Joyce Short & Nina Lucas. Cult tactics include inducing fears and phobias (strong, irrational fears) in group members to allow the leadership to maintain control. In 2010, I was finally completely awake. Lifton preferred to call it thought reform as opposed to mind control from a psychological standpoint. It is not magic and it is not fake. Isnt it something fascist authorities used to do? You'd expect the focus to be on troubled youngsters, but many groups target people with useful skills or access to money. Please take a minute and read about this on nbcnews.com. I began to start freaking out a bit. Indoctrination is the process of inculcating a person with ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies or professional methodologies (see doctrine).. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) Picking the. Doctor Lifton is the expert who has spent most of his life and education in this field. 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. This table demonstrates the major similarities falling into each of the three categories. 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. Just make sure it's positive, good, and harmless. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is a publishing company that has been established (sometimes under different names) for around 140 years. NPR's Tovia Smith took a look inside the practice of deprogramming. There were so many scars to heal, too many insecurities to face. You cant choose for yourself whether or not you believe in their beliefs because theyre telling you that its right for your life. Born to a mom who . For example, if a group tells you that you have to have faith in them, then youll have no choice but to internalize that belief. This is the whole point of a cult. Patty Hearst, heiress to the Hearst publishing fortune, became famous in the 1970s after she was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army (the SLA, which some deem a "political cult") and allegedly brainwashed into joining the group. Parents should look for radical changes in their college student's beliefs and demeanor, Rockwell said. It was originally formulated in 1881 by Charles Taze Russell and has gone through several major changes and revisions since then. 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. One can be punished for contradicting their values and beliefs. As we were putting this information together, it became clear that the material being presented could potentially be lifesaving to someone in need of help. Lifton uses the word milieu very often in his work. 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But perfected in this way that I imagined many groups target people with useful skills or access to depends...