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[GentleWanderer]

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[Nía]

How Well-Meaning, Intelligent People End Up in a Cult

Video by The Atlantic

EnlightenNext was an organization, founded by self-styled guru Andrew Cohen, that aimed to facilitate spiritual awakening. Cohen’s most devoted students meditated for hours—at times, months—on end, were often celibate, and lived together. However, what started as an idealistic venture quickly turned into a complicated, often-sinister world that revolved around Cohen. The story of EnlightenNext’s rise and fall begs a deeper question: How do otherwise well-intentioned and rational people end up in a cult? In this documentary, The Atlantic talks to former members, as well as Cohen himself, about their stories in order to uncover the life span of a new religious movement that, after 27 years, collapsed nearly overnight.

Watch the video (16:29 min.) at The Atlantic.

[YinYang]

How do otherwise well-intentioned and rational people end up in a cult?

Cult psychology is a comprehensive subject, and it touches on so many other branches of psychology, that you can't isolate it.

One of the classics in the field is still Lifton's book - Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of 'brainwashing' in China

And then there's Cialdini's Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

(Not specifically a cult psychology book, although the techniques used by advertisers to sell items and cults luring people into harmful movements are remarkably similar.)

Read Cialdini's book, and become immune to snake oil salesmen of every variety, even propaganda! :-)

[YinYang]

Actually for propaganda and manipulating public opinion specifically, Edward Bernays is a good start, the father of public relations and propaganda (and Freud's Nephew)... how that family has impacted the world...

[GentleWanderer]

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[YinYang]

What can make intelligent people thinks somebody is so exceptional that they must bow to him ?

Thought reform, which is the new academic word for brainwashing/mind control.

Another interesting aspect that has come out of the research is that people with higher IQs are more susceptible to cults, because they are the seekers and idealists.

One of the best coming out articles I've read was when Paul Haggis left Scientology. He's certainly no idiot, he's brilliant.

He explains the cognitive dissonance process very well. It's like putting something on the shelf that you don't want to look at, and then another and later another... and one day the shelf collapses.

[Aion]

I think that the idea of 'having a purpose' is a very romantic and powerful notion within humans, so much so that at the sight of realizing it they will drop everything else to pursue it. The problem is that this can be simply an idea in the mind.

[YinYang]

Here's Lifton's 8 criteria for thought reform:

Milieu Control.  This involves the control of information and communication both within the environment and, ultimately, within the individual, resulting in a significant degree of isolation from society at large.

Mystical Manipulation.  There is manipulation of experiences that appear spontaneous but in fact were planned and orchestrated by the group or its leaders in order to demonstrate divine authority or spiritual advancement or some special gift or talent that will then allow the leader to reinterpret events, scripture, and experiences as he or she wishes.

Demand for Purity.  The world is viewed as black and white and the members are constantly exhorted to conform to the ideology of the group and strive for perfection.  The induction of guilt and/or shame is a powerful control device used here.

Confession.  Sins, as defined by the group, are to be confessed either to a personal monitor or publicly to the group.  There is no confidentiality; members' "sins," "attitudes," and "faults" are discussed and exploited by the leaders.

Sacred Science.  The group's doctrine or ideology is considered to be the ultimate Truth, beyond all questioning or dispute.  Truth is not to be found outside the group.  The leader, as the spokesperson for God or for all humanity, is likewise above criticism.

Loading the Language.  The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not understand.  This jargon consists of thought-terminating cliches, which serve to alter members' thought processes to conform to the group's way of thinking.

Doctrine over person.  Member's personal experiences are subordinated to the sacred science and any contrary experiences must be denied or reinterpreted to fit the ideology of the group.

Dispensing of existence.  The group has the prerogative to decide who has the right to exist and who does not.  This is usually not literal but means that those in the outside world are not saved, unenlightened, unconscious and they must be converted to the group's ideology.  If they do not join the group or are critical of the group, then they must be rejected by the  members.  Thus, the outside world loses all credibility.  In conjunction, should any member leave the group, he or she must be rejected also.

[native]

I tend to think there is some delusion in the members in the video. I'm wanting to understand the mechanics this phenomenon. What can make intelligent people thinks somebody is so exceptional that they must bow to him ?

Cohen used to pal around with Ken Wilber, and in that one video you see him on the stage with Deepak Chopra, so it's not as if this guy was much different than others spreading a particular message. What separated him seems to be his harshness behind the scenes. This situation seems to be blown out of proportion by calling all of this a cult. In India the guru/student relationship is common..to the point where people will kiss a guru's feet.

Aside from that, I think we are easily influenced more than we can appreciate. Truly original thought takes effort. The phenomenon you're looking for is what Ra refers to as the power of personality 52.7 89.35

"As each planetary influence enters the energy web of your sphere those upon the sphere are moved much as the moon which moves about your sphere moves the waters upon your deeps. Your own nature is water in that you as mind/body/spirit complexes are easily impressed and moved. Indeed, this is the very fiber and nature of your journey and vigil in this density: to not only be moved but to instruct yourself as to the preferred manner of your movement in mind, body, and spirit."

[GentleWanderer]

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[native]

If that's true it's unfortunate. He seems pretty remorseful, so it's good he woke up out of his own spell.

[GentleWanderer]

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[GentleWanderer]

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