CultsTechniques ofThought Reform&

Cult (totalist type)A group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control (e.g., isolation from former friends and family, debilitation, use of special methods to heighten suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, suspension of individuality or critical judgment, promotion of total dependency on the group and fear of leaving it, etc.), designed to advance the goals of the group’s leaders, to the actual or possible detriment of members, their families, or the community.

West & Langone, 1986, pp. 119-120

cult, n.1. a) A religion or religious sect generally considered to

be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader. b) The followers of such a religion or sect.

2. A system or community of religious worship and ritual. 3. The formal means of expressing religious reverence;

religious ceremony and ritual. 4. A usually nonscientic method or regimen claimed by its

originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.

5. a) Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing. b) The object of such devotion.

6. An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition

In religious cults, God is ever-present in the w

orkings of the organization. If a person leaves for any reason, accidents or ill-w

ill that may befall them

are always attributed to G

od's punishm

ent on them. For the faithful, the angels are alw

ays said to be w

orking, and stories circulate about how G

od is truly doing m

arvelous things among them

, because they are "the truth." The

organization is therefore given a certain “mystique" that is quite

alluring to the new recruit.

Serious sins (as defined by the organization) are to be confessed im

mediately. T

he mem

bers are to be reported if found w

alking contrary to the rules.T

here is often a tendency to derive pleasure from self-

degradation through confession. This occurs w

hen all must

confess their sins before each other regularly, creating an intense kind of “oneness" w

ithin the group. It also allows leaders from

w

ithin to exercise authority over the weaker ones, using their

"sins" as a whip to lead them

on.

The w

orld is depicted as black and white w

ith little room for

making personal decisions based on a trained conscience. O

ne's conduct is m

odeled after the ideology of the group, as taught in its literature. People and organizalons are pictured as either good or evil, depending on their relationship to the cult.

Universal tendencies of guilt and sham

e are used to control individuals, even after they leave. T

here is great difficulty in understanding the com

plexities of human m

orality, since everything is polarized and over-sim

plified. All things classified

as evil are to be avoided, and purity is attainable through im

mersion into the cult's ideology.

"Milieu" is a French w

ord meaning

“surroundings; environment.” C

ults are able to control the environm

ent around their recruits in a num

ber of ways, but

almost alw

ays using a form of isolation. R

ecruits can be physically separated from

society, or they can be warned

under threat of punishment to stay aw

ay from the w

orld's educational m

edia, especially when it m

ight provoke critical thinking. A

ny books, movies or testim

onies of ex-mem

bers of the group, or even anyone critical of the group in any w

ay are to be avoided.

Information is carefully kept on each recruit by the m

other organization. A

ll are watched, lest they fall behind or get too far

ahead of the thinking of the organization. Because it appears that

the organization knows so m

uch about everything and everyone, they appear om

niscient in the eyes of the recruits.

Hum

an experience is subordinated to doctrine, no matter how

profound or contradictory such experiences seem

. The history of

the cult is altered to fit their doctrinal logic. The person is only

valuable insomuch as they conform

to the role models of the cult.

Com

monsense perceptions are disregarded if they are hostile to

the cult's ideology.

Lifton explains the prolific use of "thought-term

inating cliches," expressions or w

ords that are designed to end the conversation or controversy. W

e are all familiar w

ith the use of the cliches "capitalist" and "im

perialist," as used by antiwar

demonstrators in the 60's. Such cliches are easily m

emorized and

readily expressed.T

hey are called the "language of non-thought," since the discussion is term

inated, not allowing further consideration.

Th

e Cu

lt of C

on

fession

Milie

u C

on

trol

Mystical M

anip

ulatio

n

De

ma

nd

for P

urity

Dispen

sion of Existen

ce

Do

ctrine

Ove

r Pe

rson

Load

ing

the Lan

gu

age

Th

e "S

acre

d S

cien

ce"

The cult's ideology becom

es the ultimate m

oral vision for the ordering of hum

an existence. The ideology is too “sacred"

to call into question, and a reverence is demanded for the

leadership. The cult's ideology m

akes an exaggerated claim for

possessing airtight logic, making it appear as absolute truth w

ith no contradictions. Such an attractive system

offers security.

The cult decides w

ho has the "right" to exist and who does not.

They decide w

ho will perish in the final battle of good over evil.

The leaders decide w

hich history books are accurate and which

are biased. Families can be cut off and outsiders can be deceived,

for they are not fit to exist! Marks of a M

ind C

ontrol C

ult

“Brainw

ashing” has become alm

ost a household word in the last

three decades or so. In 1961, Robert J. L

ifton wrote the definitive book on the

subject, Thought R

eform and the P

sychology of Totalism, after studying

the effects of mind control on A

merican prisoners of w

ar under the C

omm

unist Chinese.

ISOL

AT

ION

Recruits are isolated from

society and from

contact with opposing points

of view to prevent critical judgm

ent.

PEE

R G

RO

UP PR

ESSU

RE

Recruits

doubt their own convictions w

hen everyone around them

acts totally convinced of other beliefs.

LO

VE

BO

MB

ING

A beguiling sense

of belonging is contrived through flattery, touching, hugging.

RE

MO

VA

L O

F PRIV

AC

Y O

ne is never left alone to think through and sort out possibly confusing new

experiences.

SLE

EP D

EPR

IVA

TIO

N A

ND

FA

TIG

UE

Adequate sleep it prevented,

work hours are excessive over long periods

of time, m

aking mem

bers vulnerable and disoriented.

GA

ME

S Playing strenuous games w

ith confusing rules builds increasing dependence on group leaders for correct answ

ers, thus underm

ining the mem

ber’s decision-making

skills.

IND

OC

TR

INA

TIO

N M

embers are

conditioned to stop thinking and to accept w

ithout question the ‘revealed truths’ from the

‘master.’ Fatigue prevents the m

embers from

seeing the contradictions.

CO

NFE

SSION

Recruits are m

aneuvered into sharing innerm

ost secrets. This helps

destroy personal egos, induces them to buy

the new ‘truths.’ L

ater any escape possibilities are com

promised by the know

ledge that these exaggerated secrets m

ay be revealed.

CH

AN

GE

OF D

IET

Om

ission of nutrients increases susceptibility to m

anipulation of one’s emotional ‘highs’ and

‘lows.’

GU

ILT G

uilt is used endlessly to force m

embers to w

ork harder and without relief.

Guilt about m

ankind’s sorry state and the m

ember’s personal ‘sins’ are used as levers to

force acceptance of ‘holier’ beliefs.

FEA

R Physical and spiritual fear are

constantly injected to maintain group loyalty.

The slightest negative thought is held to be

soul threatening. Tragic contaquences for self

and family are prophesied for anyone leaving

the group.

CH

AN

TIN

G A

ND

SING

ING

C

onstant repetition of mind-narrow

ing chants block rational thought and induces a quasi-hypnotic state of high susceptibility.

CH

ILD

LIK

E D

EPE

ND

EN

CE

is prom

ated by denying opportunities for normal

decision-making.

NO

QU

EST

ION

S are allowed. B

lind acceptance is m

andatory.

DR

ESS C

onformity in drest rem

oves one’s individuality and prom

otes disorientation.

EL

ITISM

Only the group is righteous:

everyone else it satanic, or at best misguided.

RE

PLA

CE

ME

NT

OF

RE

LA

TIO

NSH

IPS is promoted by

sabotaging comm

unication between m

embers

and families. C

ult-arranged marriages further

disrupt previous ties.

RE

JEC

TIO

N O

F OL

D V

AL

UE

S Old

life values are constantly denounced to make

them seem

worse than they w

ere.

FINA

NC

IAL

CO

MM

ITM

EN

T

Mem

bers burn their bridges to the real world

by donating earnings, savings, cars and other assets to the cult, thereby lim

iting escape possibilities for lack of m

oney to start over again.

Cu

lt Techn

iques of C

oercive Persu

asion