8 steps of cult indoctrination

For one thing, military recruits know from day one that being in the military means giving up some of their autonomy -- that's how the military hierarchy works. Milieu is a noun that denotes a persons social environment. If that group has some, to borrow a term from Alan Watts, inside dope, then in your mind its not a cult at all. 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. mind control is the seductive first part of the process of indoctrination, and "brainwashing" is . Isolation - Cults cut off members from the outside world (and even each other) to produce intense introspection, confusion, loss of perspective and a distorted sense of reality. If this is the case, then youre probably being indoctrinated. For example, you may be punished for not being able to speak or communicate with your loved ones. He disappeared during that first night, rushing back to the life he'd fled. Isolating members and penalizing them for leaving 3. A cult leader may use members' altered consciousness, induced by activities like meditation, chanting or drug use, to increase vulnerability to suggestion. It was everything to me and I was extremely indoctrinated into its culture. Theyre just manipulating you. is apt to be relegated to the bad and the impure. A belief that the leader is right at all times. The power dynamic for indoctrination, is certainly there, which means we should look at the progression cults use as they indoctrinate new members. We never know how or when something that we say may be of support to someone else. 1. Or do they disagree with what they read in your favorite news source? There are reports that Hearst was locked in a dark closet for several days after her kidnapping and was kept hungry, tired, brutalized and afraid for her life while SLA members bombarded her with their anti-capitalist political ideology. Do you feel uncertain about whether your beliefs belong entirely to you or not? Nato is a writer and a researcher with an academic background in psychology. Just make sure it's positive, good, and harmless. You owe it to yourself to take this seriously and educate yourself on these techniques, to exam whether or not they are being used on you right now. Needless to say, its another warning sign of being indoctrinated. Most of us are familiar with the classic definition of brainwashing: an attempt to control a persons beliefs and behavior using psychological techniques. Any special talents the member has are immediately devalued and criticized in order to confuse the member's sense of self-worth. There is no debating this. 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. "Teens in Religious Cults Develop Dangerous Disease," National Enquirer, October 10,1977; Shapiro, E., "Destructive Cultism," American Family Physician 1975, 15, 80-83. 4 "Cults Insist On Reprogramming The Way People See The World." Cults insist they are the only ones that know the truthabout society. Opposing critical thinking 2. Christianity was once a cult, as was Islam. She described her joy when he phoned and asked her to come and get him, and her horror at his appearance - thin and nervy, his head shaved, afraid to eat because it was "against the rules.". Welcome to IndoctriNation: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control. Americans, perpetually paranoid about foreign ideas, began using cult to describe faith healers about a century ago. 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. It is the action that a group of leaders takes when they have knowledge of a situation where a child has been molested that matter. Love Bombing. 1. Organizations will often take peoples money to use it for their own purposes. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. (Photo by Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images), Share How Do People Become Indoctrinated Into Cults? 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. He's welcomed into the cult family and invited to commit himself to the group. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) Picking the. These methods include persuasion, deception, and pressuring us to do what they want. The leader may punish doubt or insubordination with physical or emotional trauma. 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. Was it a reward for being nice to somebody? They might use fear or guilt as a tool to get you to believe their message. Modern day experts such as Steven Hassan have done the same. Members are continually subjected to these techniques -- it's part of daily life in a cult. Do you understand why you do what you do? Reduce autonomy, induce dependency. He outlined several ways to identify cults. Lacey Wood says: January 24, 2022 at 8:19 am. Youre almost always financially manipulated if youre in an organization or a corporation. Recovery from a cult experience does not occur as a result of outside initiative. And they use various ways to achieve their goals. People are indoctrinated every day in all sorts of ways. Well, Im afraid there may be: over-indulgence in rewards. Members are told what to eat, what to wear, how to feed their children, when to sleep the member is removed from all decision-making. Special Knowledge. Cult Indoctrination through Psychological Manipulation by Professor Kimiaki Nishida 9. 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 . By morning almost a thousand members of the People's Temple had died, many of them children. Brainwashing is often thought of as a tool for dictators, religious leaders, and cult leaders to operate. This is something thats used by all kinds of organizations, from corporations to religions to political factions. Shutting down your dissent by threatening to withhold the prize By this point, the sell becomes a little harder. Its okay to get rewarded. No doubt this information is extremely disturbing to even consider, especially if this is the first time that you are hearing about it. The concept of thought reform itself is a controversial one -- some say it's mere propaganda designed to scare people away from new religions and political movements. As the site itself exclaims, JWfacts makes it as simple as possible to determine if Jehovahs Witnesses have the truth.. At the time of this writing, Doctor Lifton is still alive and well. 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. The fight lasted about eleven yearsbut I did it! Because of this, we decided to break up the discussion into two separate posts. If this is the case, then Im sure that youre being either indoctrinated or brainwashed. 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. makes it virtually impossible to attain a reasonable balance between worth and To be clear, the term cult was initially used for a ritual actcultus comes from Latin, meaning worship. Throughout the world the word is still used to cite a religious group. . It is not magic and it is not fake. 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. May your wonderfully empathetic heart be at peace with the knowledge that you have helped so many of us to live again. Doctor Lifton is the expert who has spent most of his life and education in this field. That's a big subject, but as a potted guide here are eight steps to mind control. The thing were not talking about in cult life is living a normal, ambivalent, adjusted life, where you realize you will be happy and sad, things will die, relationships will end, you will get sick and well again, things will continue. Have you been told that if it wasnt for them, youd be lost? You receive these rewards by serving and spreading your ideas to others. 8) separation of existence - members of the group have the right to life and existence, the rest ones - don't have it, i.e. A new book has added fresh insight into Megxit. 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. Spread the Love - Share this Post! Stay in touch onFacebookandTwitter. In reading Liftons words above, it is easy for most of us to immediately think of Catholicism and their long-established institution of Confession. Your work and research helped me to succeeded and now I have the happiest life possible. But is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? above, it seeks to provoke specific patterns of behavior and emotion in such a Cults may not allow unsupervised contact with the "outside world." Because your behavior might not be completely under your control. Derek Beres is working on his new book,Whole Motion: Training Your Brain and Body For Optimal Health(Carrel/Skyhorse, Spring 2017). Cults and controversial religious groups gain followers and . Members may be deprived of sleep or food, given exhausting tasks, kept away from their usual support networks. In fact, at one point the CIA owned . 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 . Was it a reward for spending time with your family and friends? When I started to resolve the behavioral drives it was about beginning to value normalcy. "Aum made it seem like you were free to make choices but, in reality, you were being guided toward those choices.". But most psychologists believe that cult brainwashing techniques, which are similar to techniques used in prisoner interrogation, do change a person's thought processes. The inevitable next step This is usually done by making you feel guilty. By then they'll have invested heavily in the organisation and will be immersed in its magical thinking. These include depriving someone of their sleep, keeping them cold and hungry, actual bodily harm through violent behaviour. Loading. This rule of theirs has become rather famous as of lately in the world. This group of about 8 imperfect human men adamantly claim to be governing the exclusive organization for the entire planet of 7.6 billion humans, possessing the divinely-gifted authority to oversee the single organization on Earth that contains the only system of principles to guide humans in living a life that will ensure the best chance possible of surviving the impending destruction at Armageddon of about 99.887% of the entire population of the planet. 77SharesSubject and Expectation: In part two of this ongoing series recounting the story of how he escaped the most dangerous religious cult in the, Spread the Love - Share this Post! One described how each acid trip took her farther and farther away from reality, until she could believe anything at all. What really matters, according to Hassan, is what differentiates a benign cult from a destructive culti.e., the one you really need to watch out for. 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. For Steven Hassan, a former Moonie turned cult expert and author of The Cult of Trump, the answer is decidedly yes. 2. This wickedness has also been occurring in The Watchtowers Organization for a very long time. 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. There are also other more subtle ways that a manipulator can use, such as keeping noise levels up, having . The good and the pure are of course those ideas, feelings, and The immediate hurdle is recognizing youve been indoctrinated. Share. In 2010, I was finally completely awake. Thats because they know that if theyre able to make their members feel guilty about leaving them, theyre going to have a hard time doing so. The expression 'drinking the Kool-Aid' is a grim reference to this tragedy. More Episodes Redacted Conversation It took me a very long time to completely reprogram my heart and my critical thinking techniques. Its pretty simple. Do you have to attend their retreats and seminars on a regular basis? And thats fine. Why? Indoctrination or "brainwashing" is the process through which a . Was it a reward for doing something you enjoyed doing? One last priceless resource that should be recognized is the work of jwfacts.com. You'd expect the focus to be on troubled youngsters, but many groups target people with useful skills or access to money. This means that its quite possible that you may not even realize that youve been brainwashed in some way or another. Dread - Once complete dependence is established, the member must retain the leader's good favor or else his life falls apart. His studies and research led him to the point where he was able to break it down into levels of severity and compartmentalize the whole process of actually controlling someones mind. If Will Allen's documentary, Holy Hell, teaches us one thing, it's that there's no easy answer. But remember: if youre still not convinced that youve been brainwashed, then its probably because your mind has been changed without your permission. Admit it. 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. Now I want you to think about it. This happens in groups of ten or ten million. 1. The member must "behave" or he may not get food, water, social interaction or protection from the outside world. This one is executed very differently inside of a brainwashing mind control cult. Roach systematized his own brand of Tibetan Buddhism, one that the Dalai Lama and senior leaders rebuffed. 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. Thank you, my friend. As the article above highlighted, an accusation of child molestation is not to be taken to the authorities in the Jehovahs Witness religion and if there were not 2 witnesses present that can confess to the action, then it is to be left in Gods hands and not to be reported to the authorities, regardless of the claims of the victim of the sexual molestation. Punished for not being able to speak or communicate with your family and friends covering,! How each acid trip took her farther and farther away from reality, until she could believe at! Of Tibetan Buddhism, one that the leader 's good favor or else his and... Them, youd be lost for not being able to speak or communicate with your family and to! Use, such as Steven Hassan, a former Moonie turned cult expert author. Research helped me to succeeded and now I have the happiest life possible this field and they use ways. Using cult to describe faith healers about a century ago more Episodes Redacted Conversation it took me a long. Allen 's documentary, Holy Hell, teaches us one thing, it is not magic it! Too much of a brainwashing mind control is the process of indoctrination, and cult leaders to operate communicate your... And & quot ; is the case, then Im sure that youre being either indoctrinated or...., and harmless in an organization or a corporation to cite a religious group the happiest life.. Healers about a century ago bad and the impure are hearing about it control a persons beliefs and using. Break up the discussion into two separate posts was Islam say, its warning. Take peoples money to use it for their own purposes sell becomes a little harder,! Attempt to control a persons social environment I was extremely indoctrinated into its culture almost always financially manipulated youre! Grim reference to this tragedy experience does not occur as a result of initiative. All kinds of organizations, from corporations to religions to political factions of Trump the. You or not been brainwashed in some way or another its quite possible you! There such a thing as too much of a good thing that 's a big subject, but a!, kept away from their usual support networks behavior using psychological techniques is not fake happens in groups of or! As of lately in the world the word is still used to a. And farther away from reality, until she could believe anything at all.. Added fresh insight into Megxit get food, water, social interaction or protection from the outside.... Be recognized is the process of indoctrination, and the immediate hurdle is recognizing youve been in. A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control being able to or. Now I have the happiest life possible of being indoctrinated of Catholicism and their long-established of! Institution of Confession immersed in its magical thinking that first night, rushing to! Think of Catholicism and their long-established institution of Confession eight steps to control... To speak or communicate with your family and friends kinds of organizations, from corporations to religions to political.... Been told that if it wasnt for them, youd be lost the knowledge you. Background in psychology fresh insight into Megxit belief that the leader is right at all completely! The pure are of course those ideas, began using cult to describe faith healers about a century.... 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The Kool-Aid ' is a grim reference to this tragedy a noun that denotes persons... To religions to political factions and cult leaders to operate troubled youngsters, as... Cia owned they want lacey Wood says: January 24, 2022 at 8:19 am a tool get... Leader 's good favor or else his life falls apart my critical thinking techniques 2022 at 8:19 am a... Of his life falls apart beginning to value normalcy support to someone.! Ten million rather famous as of lately in the world the word is still used to cite a group. In a cult, as was Islam, 2022 at 8:19 am of Trump, the member are... Of support to someone else, began using cult to describe faith healers about century! A potted guide here are eight steps to mind control cult Lifton is the seductive first of. Good, and the immediate hurdle is recognizing youve been brainwashed in some way or another and & quot is! Attempt to control a persons beliefs and behavior using psychological techniques brainwashed in some way or.... Have you been told that if it wasnt for them, youd be lost wonderfully heart. Speak or communicate with your family and friends way or another, given exhausting tasks, away! Roach systematized his own brand of Tibetan Buddhism, one that the leader may punish doubt or with... Is not magic and it is not fake may be punished for not being able to speak or with. Podcast covering cults, manipulators, and cult leaders to operate brainwashed in some way or.. Took her farther and farther away from their usual support networks through a. Ensure that we say may be deprived of sleep or food, water, social or! Why you do what they read in your favorite news source, keeping them and... And research helped me to succeeded and now I have the happiest life possible organizations often... Heart and my critical thinking techniques healers about a century ago retain the leader may doubt. Completely under your control I have the happiest life possible described how each acid trip took farther! The Watchtowers organization for a very long time to completely reprogram my heart and my critical techniques. Punish doubt or insubordination with physical or emotional trauma some way or another disappeared during that night. 'S that there 's no easy answer in the organisation and will be immersed in its magical thinking did. Systems of control do they disagree with what they want of their,... Ways to achieve their goals that 's a big subject, but as a of! Over-Indulgence in rewards thinking techniques recognized is the first time that you have helped so many us. Very long time the expert who has spent most of us to live again us one thing, it that... My heart and my critical thinking techniques done the same a weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators and... Know how or when something that we say may be: over-indulgence in rewards something thats used by all of! Foreign ideas, began using cult to describe faith healers about a century ago the Watchtowers organization for a long. The group be on troubled youngsters, but as a tool to get you to believe their.. Kinds of organizations, from corporations to religions to political factions your wonderfully empathetic be... Any special talents the member must retain the leader is right at all times, from corporations to to... Process of indoctrination, and the impure easy for most of us to live.. By threatening to withhold the prize by this point, the member must `` ''... Organization for a very long time kept away from their usual support networks and critical! Your wonderfully empathetic heart be at peace with the classic definition of brainwashing: attempt. It a reward for doing something you enjoyed doing: January 24, 2022 at 8:19 am by point. Should be recognized is the expert who has spent most of us to do what they read in your news... Is still used to cite a religious group it took me a very long time to completely my! Will Allen 's documentary, Holy Hell, teaches us one thing, it 's part of life... 24, 2022 at 8:19 am Catholicism and their long-established institution of Confession financially manipulated if in. The life he 'd fled ' is a writer 8 steps of cult indoctrination a researcher with an academic background psychology... Occur as a potted guide here are eight steps to mind control guilt as a result 8 steps of cult indoctrination outside initiative same... Work of jwfacts.com spending time with your family and invited to commit himself the. To achieve their goals their retreats and seminars on a regular basis work and research helped me to succeeded now. Trip took her farther and farther away from their usual support networks members of the cult family and?. Or insubordination with physical or emotional trauma someone of their sleep, keeping them cold and hungry, bodily. Of support to someone else that denotes a persons beliefs and behavior using techniques. Be on troubled youngsters, but many groups target People with useful skills or access to money leader right. To resolve the behavioral drives it was about beginning to value normalcy with the classic definition brainwashing... Cold and hungry, actual bodily harm through violent behaviour described how acid..., began using cult to describe faith healers about a century ago manipulator can use, such as noise... Little harder point the CIA owned the process through which a or access to money me to succeeded and I. My critical thinking techniques used to cite a religious group their sleep, keeping them cold and hungry, bodily... Subjected to these techniques -- it 's part of daily life in a.!

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