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. I was in 4th grade. Your instincts are your friend. He called his commune Rajneeshpuram. Other groups have been associated with the physical or sexual abuse of vulnerable members. "Unless they . It is not magic and it is not fake. As you well know, it is not very common for a person to be awakened from such intense brainwashing, although it is becoming more and more possible thanks to you and experts like Steven Hassan. You can only accept or reject the thoughts of others. There are cults that are tax-free and religions that are not. How a cult-recovery therapist helps former NXIVM members regain their independence: 'There's a huge amount of fear and loss'. Do you believe that what you read is true or that its all made up to make people believe certain things? 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. "Mind control is sort of like magic - anyone is in danger of falling into that trap," the ex-member said. This is where trauma enters. Youve heard of Darwins finches. The members of the cult become the person's only social contact and feedback mechanism. In this way, there is no chance for a "reality check" or validation of a new member's concerns regarding the group. The assumption underlying total exposure is the environments claim to total 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. Have a structured central bureaucracy. Please give personal suggestions or recommendations of resources that you used to help yourself wake up and find freedom. Americans, perpetually paranoid about foreign ideas, began using cult to describe faith healers about a century ago. Seeking a sense of purpose or a substitute family factor in. human welfare. The ensuing information is not for the faint at heart to consider. 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). His steps are quoted in italics with my comments included below each step. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. It was like he was me, but perfected in this way that I imagined. Steps Download Article 1 Learn the organization's foundations. 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. When an innocent child has had its innocence ripped from them, even if the accusations cant be undeniably confirmed, then the only option is to involve the authorities, allowing them to conduct an investigation so that justice can be served. Once all ties to the outside world have been cut, the member feels like his only family is the group, and he has nowhere else to go. 1. That is a living leader, who has no. Manipulators know that there are many physical techniques whereby a victim can be brainwashed. 8 Steps of Indoctrination - YouTube Hi folks,Welcome to another video. He went on to study various people from many situations of either imprisonment or indoctrination of some sort. Called ostracism, shunning or disconnection within cult groups, it is a primary method of control in families as well. Opposing critical thinking 2. "Teens in Religious Cults Develop Dangerous Disease," National Enquirer, October 10,1977; Shapiro, E., "Destructive Cultism," American Family Physician 1975, 15, 80-83. In the social sciences, internalization means that the individual accepts a groups values and norms. The 12 steps are religious indoctrination disguised in lies and thought-stopping mantras. He called himself Osho. The Goal Every cult has a stated, vague and metaphorical goal. 1. To be fair, followers are not expected to confess every little minor sin that they may commit, as we all are imperfect and make mistakes every day of our lives. Has holding tightly to this two witness rule ever gotten the Watchtower in trouble? You now see that there are different sides to every story and that everything depends on how you look at it. Humans are a social animal species inescapably shaped by cultural context, and thus some degree of indoctrination is implicit in the parent-child relationship, and has an essential function in forming stable communities of shared values, and thus . The leader may offer occasional gifts and special privileges to encourage continued submission. For the first 15 years of her life, Daniella Mestyanek Young's entire world was The Family. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. 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. Here's a way to both learn about cults and recognize if a dangerous one is near you. Having 9. I chose The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society because I spent the first twenty-seven to thirty years of my life as one. This leader then informs the members. 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 . The member may be deprived of adequate sustenance and/or sleep so the mind becomes muddled. The following techniques are currently being used and enforced all over our world as you read these words. 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. Cults not only provide firm answers to every question, but also make promises that appeal to those needing reassurance, confidence and affirmation. Get counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday. 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. Similarly, any thought or action which questions the higher If this is the case, then its yet another warning sign of being controlled by a cult. The final step is vital. Darwin missed an amazing example of evolution. Paranoia: To maintain a false sense of comfort, cults often rely on paranoia tactics. 209 Episodes. is apt to be relegated to the bad and the impure. So, try to be more mindful and dont stop checking all the information you take in. brainwashing, also called Coercive Persuasion, systematic effort to persuade nonbelievers to accept a certain allegiance, command, or doctrine. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Julia Layton And if thats the case, then chances are youre being indoctrinated. PICK A LEADER. Have you found yourself being asked to do things that you feel are stupid? 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. Because your behavior might not be completely under your control. This will make this information more reachable online to those that may be seeking help in regards to escaping a cult. I began to start freaking out a bit. The member must "behave" or he may not get food, water, social interaction or protection from the outside world. If so, dont worry because weve all been there. Thats how you can avoid being indoctrinated. Unfortunately, that means you've taken the first big step into identifying with the cult. A new book has added fresh insight into Megxit. "The end justifies any means". 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. Mr. Liftonif somehow you manage to read this article, I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to you. They will do everything they can to make sure that your money goes towards advancing the organizations goals. Indoctrination, or thought reform, is a long process that never really ends. Heres a look at the Civil War work of Mathew Brady. Potential new members are led, step by. This is usually done by making you feel guilty. Lets do some math to help clarify what was just stated before we move on to the third criteria. That is, they try to make people believe in their values and beliefs so that they will no longer have doubts about them. The activism in opposition to this epidemic has been spreading like wildfire across the world. He's welcomed into the cult family and invited to commit himself to the group. And for those who stay on, the recruiting process culminates in the submission of their own personalities to the "will of the group." In the next section, we'll see what cult indoctrination entails. Remski created an alternate universe to deal with the actual reality he couldnt deal with. You receive these rewards by serving and spreading your ideas to others. That's a big subject, but as a potted guide here are eight steps to mind control. Which brings us to the seventh step. Step five is tougher. Physical abuse. 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. Records, books, articles, or programs documenting the abuses of the leader or group. 13 April 2006. Every religion that I researched had an absolute line drawn in the sand, between good and evil. He couldnt understand the everyday was nutritiousthe mundane and banal provide all that we need. 1. 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. environment They [the group] are the agents chosen (by history, by God, or Thought reform is an umbrella term for any number of manipulative techniques used to get people to do something they wouldn't otherwise do. The most basic feature of the thought reform environmentis the control of human communication. The recruit must see smiling, friendly, happy people - a living advertisement. Pure and impure. A belief that the leader is right at all times. The cult does not have a monopoly on this kind of manipulation. According to the official website for the JW organization, they are claiming at the time of this writing that there are around 8,500,000 Jehovahs Witnesses on the planet. Any special talents the member has are immediately devalued and criticized in order to confuse the member's sense of self-worth. Seeking inappropriate. Remski has, fortunately, come to terms with the fear and instability that lied dormant at the foundation of his discontent. Cults mislead new recruits/members as to the true expectations and activities of the group. They may even be used on you. Click here to watch some of the footage. 5. Towards a Demystified and Disinterested Scientific Theory of Brainwashing by Benjamin Zablocki [This item has been expanded and moved HERE ] 10. being changed a step at a time. The idea behind information manipulation is that individuals are not always aware of what they are being influenced by and how they are being influenced. This table demonstrates the major similarities falling into each of the three categories. To Create Your Very Own Cult Begin by creating your own reality. Thats why they try to make their members think that if it wasnt for them, theyd be lost. Learn about a non-12 step solution with proven results. Doctor Robert Jay Lifton, an American physiatrist and author whose work began and concentrated intently on the psychological causes and effects of violence from wars on the human psyche. This way, they can control the communication and ultimately the environment of the entire group. Your beliefs are not yours and you cannot change them. Cults may hide any signs of illegal, immoral or hyper-controlling practices until the recruit has fully immersed himself in the group. He outlined several ways to identify cults. The article found here said this: On July 27th of 2015, the Australian Royal Commission held a hearing with leaders of The Watchtower Organization to analyze their policies in regards to handling child sex abuse accusations. Then, lets get a clearer idea of what indoctrination truly is. 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. That we need think that if it wasnt for them, theyd be.. ; ve taken the first 15 years of my life as one of his discontent the mind becomes muddled the... Way to both learn about cults and recognize if 8 steps of cult indoctrination dangerous one is you... That 8 steps of cult indoctrination imagined an absolute line drawn in the social sciences, means! At the foundation of his discontent ; s foundations it is a living advertisement reality. 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8 steps of cult indoctrination