Hey folks. I have been busy reading Steve Hassan's book, " Combatting Cult Mind Control " and just wanted to share several thoughts now that I'm about 25% through the book. It has been a real eye opener of how the power of a cult like the " Jehovah's Witnesses works.
One thing he mentioned is that in cults, " members are systematically made to feel phobic about ever leaving the group . Today's cults know how to effectively implant vivid negative images deep within members' unconscious minds , making it impossible for the member to even conceive of ever being happy and successful outside of the group. " He continued, " The unconscious mind is made to contain a substantial image-bank of all of the bad things that will occur if anyone should ever betray the group. " He said that of course that most of these thoughts are irrational and nonsensical. But, remember most phobias are irrational .
By the witnesses telling us our lives are doomed if we exit the religion, and that bad stuff will happen if we leave it , it is just another way to control our lives and to get us to stay under the Watchtower Societies controlling spell ! Many of us have found that we ARE much happier being out of the witness cult. So it is an unfounded fear that all will be terrible if you leave the witnesses.
Also, another trick cults, like witnesses use is appealing to our basic human needs , in order to gain control of us. Quoting Hassan , he says, " Everyone, like it or not , is vulnerable to mind control. Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone needs affection and attention. Everyone is looking for something better in life : more wisdom, more knowledge, more money, more status, more meaning, better relationships, or better health. These basic human qualities and needs are exactly what cult recruiters prey upon. It is important to remember that for the most part, people don't join cults. Cults recruit people. " So anybody can be coerced into joining a cult , even someone who feels they cannot be coerced into anything. If just one of these basic human needs that people value is appealed to by a prospective cult , it can suck in even the wary.
So, it has been interesting reading this, quite educational to see how subversive and tricky cults as the Watchtower society can appeal to people, yet control them without even their knowledge of it. So, what do you folks think? Have you seen this in the witnesses and other cults too? What experiences have you had or seen in others to verify what Steve Hassan is saying here ? I look forward to your comments as always