Cult research expert Steven Hassan's book on cult brainwashing "Releasing the Bonds: Empower People to Think for Themselves" (Releasing the Bonds: Empower People to Think for Themselves), from behavior (information) The four dimensions of thought (thought) and emotion (emotion) propose an analysis model for brainwashing and thought manipulation (called the BITE model), which is of great help in understanding how people are brainwashed.
The first aspect is "behavior control". Behavior is intuitive. What people can see from each other is not the thoughts in their heads, but the behaviors. Even if a person has any improper thoughts, as long as he dare not act, as long as he controls his behavior, he will actually be controlled. The cult’s method of controlling behavior is to establish strict schedules and compulsory participation in various carefully arranged activities, such as labor, study, group discussions, and mutual exchanges. Activities should be carried out one after another, so as not to allow people to have leisure time. Moreover, there are also regulations and requirements for personal lifestyle habits such as clothes, hairstyle, eating style, etc., requiring them to live in the same mode. Another is to make use of people's vanity and ambition to constantly engage in comparisons, set models, and learn from examples.
(Thought reporting, individuals must submit to the collective name)
The second aspect is "information control". President Reagan famously said, "Information is the oxygen of modern society. It escapes through the cracks in the wall with barbed wire and passes through the fence where the power grid is installed." A person without information is actually a prisoner locked in his own body. Controlling people’s sources of information prevents people’s mental activities from proceeding normally and cannot make correct judgments about their environment. There are many ways to control information: 1. Control the source of information and prevent certain information from being obtained; 2. No comments on cult organizations, dissemination of doubts about the hierarch, or contact with apostates are not allowed; 3. Organize information for external propaganda It is different from the information exchanged internally. The value of "freedom, equality, realness, growth, happiness" and other human pursuits is used externally to attract new members to join, and then conduct organizational discipline education internally; fourth, the information within the organization is hierarchical and confidential.
(Supervision system, believers report to each other)
The third aspect is "mind control". Inculcate a worldview of black and white opposition, either an angel or a devil. Either right or evil. We are all right, and those who oppose us are agents of the devil; we get better day by day, and those who oppose us are going evil and depraved day by day. ,destroy.
Use an internal language that only they can understand, and use language stereotyped thinking to strengthen the separation between "us" and "outsiders".
(No rational thinking allowed)
The fourth aspect is "emotional control". The purpose of emotion control is to change people's emotional ways, shake and disrupt people's autonomy in their emotions (love, hatred, fear, hope, etc.), so as to control people's behavior, and the specific method is "benefit and strength". First, use "love" and beautiful ideals to attract believers, and verbally praise and reward them generously, such as "high level", "angel", "chance of perfection" (equivalent to "high consciousness" and "bright future") , So that believers feel very special and very happy. Then they use fear and guilt to control them. If the earth is about to explode and the end of the world is about to come, it will be forever if you don’t fully repent, so everything must follow the teacher’s teachings and follow his instructions.
(Exaggerate the guilt of believers to make them believe that all problems are their own fault, and high-level members will never be wrong;
Intimidate believers, and the outside world is miserable. If you leave the organization, the consequences will be disastrous. Fear will be planted in your mind;
Fear of making up their minds, fear of losing salvation, fear of leaving the organization, fear of being denied;
Control believers through strong impacts such as public confession)
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