Emotional And Intellectual Manipulation

I was watching a program that mentioned both religious as well as
personality cults, and I became intrigued and did some on line
research.  There are remarkable and frightening similarities.  The
loss of all critical thought and the emotional and intellectual
manipulation and abuse is terrifying.  Many of the individuals that
become followers are people who are experiencing some crisis in their
life

There are six central, shared traits, or tell-tale signs of cult
mentality, or mind-manipulating behaviors, that have been clearly
identified.

1.  The leader is strong willed and domineering who rules with tight
control.  There is the requirement that followers display excessively
zealous, unquestioning commitment.  The leader lets it be known in
subtle ways that there is only the leader in charge of the group.

Often, the followers imitate language, attitudes, etc. of the leader.
It is not uncommon that the leader knows of weaknesses or past
problems of people within the group. Thus, through subtle intimidation
and fear the leader keeps them under control.  Non-compliance or
independence warrants punishment, and expulsion.  Without compliance,
the leader would not be able to maintain control.

Of note, control is maintained, not only by following and imitation, but also
when the follower(s) are asked to demonstrate their support, devotion, and
commitment by defending the leader.

2.  “Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged,” and there can
be pressure or social punishment when there is disagreement with the
leader.  Those who disagree are made to feel stupid or inept.  There
are some cases when gangs formed and either emotionally and or
physically harassed the dissenter- in effect a pack mentality takes
over.

Younger people and people in crisis are particularly vulnerable to the
leader's gift of gab.  The leader is often eloquent.

No matter how radical the leader becomes in the decisions or actions,
the followers will not criticize the leader.  Even if there should be
mild disagreement, no specific expressions are voiced.  The follower(s)
reason that though the leader may be mistaken in some of the
judgements, the overall good that is accomplished outweighs any minor
flaws.

Followers are taught to “rationalize” the conduct of the leader in
matters they have always “considered unethical before,” under the
guise that the “end justifies the means.”

3.  The cult leader always takes the major credit for the movement’s or follower(s)
accomplishments. Members become psychologically dependent upon the
leader. “What would we ever do without our leader?,” is the cult
mentality.  If the follower(s) feel better, it is only because the leader
has made it so.

4.  The leader generates within the follower(s) "a polarized"
mentality.  There is created an us-versus-them outlook ( us against
the world/any dissenters ).  Little by little, the leader criticizes,
either outright, or through implication and requests for support
against a nameless fear created by those outside groups or
individuals, all other groups or individuals with which or whom the
follower (s) might tend to associate, undermining confidence in them,
attempting to discredit anyone who could have influence over the
follower (s).

The follower(s) become suspicious of anyone else, or any other schools
of thought or other opinions; they imbibe the critical disposition.
“No one is really as sound as we are. We are an elitist group.” And
so, seeds of isolationism are sown. The movement leader discourages
reading any material, examining any ideas that the leader does not
generate. The leader seeks to control the inflow of knowledge relative
to the follower(s).

5.  There is an anti- authoritarian attitude.  This may manifest
itself as no other ideas or school of thought are tolerable.  For the
religious cults, this would be expressed as denigration of religious
elders and the teachings espoused. For the personality/emotionally
abusive cults, this would be manifested as no other dissenting opinions
or schools of thought can be tolerated. By refuting all other ideas and
positions, control is maintained of not only the information, but also
of the authority of the leader figure.  The follower (s) must be made
to feel that the leader is the chief authority in spiritual,
intellectual and emotional matters.

6.  The follower(s) are seen as occasionally taking on a new
personality.  They begin to act differently. They become increasingly
antagonistic to family members and long-time friends. They may even
boast, “I am not the old [name] that you used to know; I am a new
person now.” And indeed they are. They have become strangers to those
who knew them well. They have been transformed into the image of their
leader.

The knowledge that this sort of control of minds and spirit is alive
and thriving is absolutely terrifying and disheartening.   The idea
that every thought and action must be brought into captivity via
manipulation and emotional abuse is so painful to think about.  Loss
of intellectual and emotional independence, critical thought, and
support is devastating to observe.

I would like to credit a few of the sources I used: Dr. Michael
Langone, editor of Cultic Studies Journal, and Steve Hassan, a former
cult member, and expert on cult control, who as written a book called
 "Releasing the Bonds" published by Freedom of Mind Press, as well
as some writing by Wayne Jackson.