Bringing all of this back to my mind has currently silenced me on the subject. 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, Christian Science. 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. 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. desires. In totalist hands, confession becomes a Do you understand why you do what you do? Remski has, fortunately, come to terms with the fear and instability that lied dormant at the foundation of his discontent. pursuit of which must supersede all considerations of decency or of immediate There are also other more subtle ways that a manipulator can use, such as keeping noise levels up, having . They may only be allowed to speak with long-committed members for a period of time. The leader may offer occasional gifts and special privileges to encourage continued submission. If this is the case, then its yet another warning sign of being controlled by a cult. A cult member's sense of self is systematically destroyed. Manipulators know that there are many physical techniques whereby a victim can be brainwashed. Why? Youre almost always financially manipulated if youre in an organization or a corporation. Copyright 2007-2023 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Keep the person unaware of what is going on and how she or he is. Rigid rules and rituals may be introduced. Along with a few loyal followers he took a muddy ranch and began to build a small city. The inevitable next step Pure and impure. Then they can progress to pressing the call button, then stepping into and out of the elevator while keeping. Words and experiences can be so powerful and so helpful. Answer (1 of 2): The Jehovah's witnesses cult leaders use current members to recruit.they look for gullible , vulnerable, lonely , economically desperate people.. they start with a smile and feigned interest in you . In the social sciences, internalization means that the individual accepts a groups values and norms. In 2010, I was finally completely awake. Here is how it is achieved: First, one must become acquainted with and become used to the correct terminology pertaining to religious indoctrination. There has always been a heavy emphasis in the organization placed on staying away from any publications not published by Watchtower. If this sounds familiar, here are 10 warning signs that youre being indoctrinated. Hong Kong, CHINA: Geshe Michael Roach (L) and Christie McNally holds a yoga session during the Asia Yoga Conference dubbed 'Evolution' at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 02 June 2007. In this way, there is no chance for a "reality check" or validation of a new member's concerns regarding the group. Records, books, articles, or programs documenting the abuses of the leader or group. Milieu is a noun that denotes a persons social environment. (1) Distinctive rituals and beliefs related to God or a person; (2) Isolation from surrounding "evil" culture (idea that the cult is the place of safety and security); (3) A charismatic leader; (4) Observable commitment; Hindsight Bias Analysis Codifying Consent w/Joyce Short & Nina Lucas. I began to start freaking out a bit. All is forgotten. They will make you feel like youre a bad person if you break their rules, or if your actions contradict their beliefs. Vissarion's followers include soldiers, doctors and engineers; we've all heard of celebrities involved in fringe religions. The leader may punish doubt or insubordination with physical or emotional trauma. Do others think the same way as well? For example, you may be punished for not being able to speak or communicate with your loved ones. They've abandoned comfortable lives to live self-sufficiently in harsh conditions, revering their teacher. Control the person's social and/or physical environment; especially. Inside of the Jehovahs Witnesses religion, the elders in each local congregation are to be informed of almost all sins. Thank you, my friend. **Full disclosure: We're discussing cults so the content may not be. In the thought reform milieu, 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. 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. The control Jones held is far from unique among the leaders of destructive cults and new religions. The Goal Every cult has a stated, vague and metaphorical goal. coverage. And you should take that responsibility. The members of the cult become the person's only social contact and feedback mechanism. So this is the process of my research this week! 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. 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. Modern day experts such as Steven Hassan have done the same. And this is an effective way of controlling people. You couldnt relax somehow. Theres a riot of motivations. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 8. Lloyds video library is vast and extremely valuable to anyone that is mentally trapped inside of the Watchtower. 5. Thats how you can avoid being indoctrinated. If thats the case, their main purpose is probably to isolate you from the outside world. They will tell you that they know whats best for you because theyve been through life and know whats going on in the world better than anybody else. 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. Does this make sense to you? Although living your life based on absolute back and white reasoning may give you a measure of security feeling that you have all the answers, it can also cut you off from the complexity and richness of life. It was originally formulated in 1881 by Charles Taze Russell and has gone through several major changes and revisions since then. Charles Manson was said to be giving his followers large doses of LSD. This is usually done by making you feel guilty. Confession is carried beyond Who was the father of American photojournalism? We may think we're too savvy for such manipulation, but a recruiting group can be a finetuned operation. Since then it has taken on a negative meaning, essentially reserved for any ideology I dont subscribe to.. Cult behavior involves a fervent devotion to a particular person, object, or idea. The member's confidence in all previously trusted social . The leader typically controls every minute of a member's waking time. In the Jehovahs Witness religion, there is an absolutely unrelenting control of every single piece of information that the followers have access to. He couldnt understand the everyday was nutritiousthe mundane and banal provide all that we need. Judaism, Buddhism, the countless local faiths now lumped under the term Hinduismall cults. Members are continually subjected to these techniques -- it's part of daily life in a cult. 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. Have a structured central bureaucracy. This rule of theirs has become rather famous as of lately in the world. Remski does not like the question as it focuses on the potential psychological flaws or moral failures of the initiate. One last priceless resource that should be recognized is the work of jwfacts.com. Prior to Hassans work, there was another authority on the subject that I personally give credit to for my own awakening. The leader may randomly alternate praise and love with scorn and punishment to keep the member off-balance and confused and instill immense self-doubt. Some groups use meditation, mind-numbing chanting, euphoric music or dancing at this stage. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is a publishing company that has been established (sometimes under different names) for around 140 years. This is done by making the members rely on the cult for their daily needs. Physical abuse. has not committed, to sinfulness that is artificially induced, in the name of a This is where it all starts. Within two months of her kidnapping, Patty had changed her name, issued a statement in which she referred to her family as the "pig-Hearsts" and appeared on a security tape robbing a bank with her kidnappers. A parishioner regularly goes to the confession booth to confess their sins to the Father behind the cold metal divider, gets the assignment of how many Hail Marys to utter that will atone their sins, and the person goes on with their day. 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. There are many self-proclaimed Christs around the world. Groups like ISIS don't use just violence to get their messages across, they use psychological techniques to recruit and keep members. He is loved again when he acknowledges that his devotion to the cult is the only thing that will bring him salvation. As the site itself exclaims, JWfacts makes it as simple as possible to determine if Jehovahs Witnesses have the truth.. Written down, the signs seem clear: 1. Because your behavior might not be completely under your control. They teach ideology that goes against commonly accepted notions while dehumanizing people outside of their group. 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. You might even hear that if it wasnt for them, youd be dead. Do you entirely understand the meaning of the word internalization? This is why its important to always be aware of what you are being influenced by. For that, we can follow a convenient eight step process. He outlined several ways to identify cults. You instinctually know this. Groups try to make their members internalize their values. 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. Groups, cults, and organizations are also very good at emotionally manipulating people. . She investigates self-compassion, emotional intelligence, psychological well-being, and the ways people make decisions. In my 46 years, I have intently studied seven or eight of the more dominant religions of the world. divided into the pure and the impure, into the absolutely good and the This is the whole point of a cult. This leader then informs the members. Hyde Park couple turns cult experience into support group. So why arent any neutrinos slow? actions which are consistent with the totalist ideology and policy; anything else 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. Information manipulation can be used to control peoples thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. 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. In 1995, The Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult carried out a deadly sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway. is apt to be relegated to the bad and the impure. Do you feel angry, sad, or happy? This table demonstrates the major similarities falling into each of the three categories. But I hope you can understand that none of this is true. 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. Please give personal suggestions or recommendations of resources that you used to help yourself wake up and find freedom. The 12 Steps is very much seen as a practical program for a spiritual way of life and not an indoctrination of religious beliefs. Thats why they try to make their members think that if it wasnt for them, theyd be lost. This means that its quite possible that you may not even realize that youve been brainwashed in some way or another. A cult answers to no one. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This happens in groups of ten or ten million. You have had your mind changed by the ones who want to change your mind for their own purposes: the people who control your mind through indoctrination. If that group has some, to borrow a term from Alan Watts, inside dope, then in your mind its not a cult at all. 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. A new book has added fresh insight into Megxit. 1. Cults may hide any signs of illegal, immoral or hyper-controlling practices until the recruit has fully immersed himself in the group. Cults often try to make their members feel guilty if they decide to leave the cult. brainwashing, also called Coercive Persuasion, systematic effort to persuade nonbelievers to accept a certain allegiance, command, or doctrine. There is nothing to distinguish a religion from a cult. Of what you do what you do what you are happy with it informed of all. 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