Steven Hassan says about mind control as a person who has been a victim of a cult: “It is obvious that nobody is able to understand mind control by the cults without recognizing the techniques for behavioral overhaul and the influences of obeying and following the head. If we consider these concepts which have been originated from group and social psychology as the base, then we will be able to know the mind control companions.
Steven Hassan
Steven Hassan mentions the following several notes:
1) These techniques have been originated from the group and social psychology.
2) We must know the techniques used for mending mind in order to understand the mind control.
Mending mind is founded based on a complicated collection of related components. Then, these components create deep changes in the attitude, behavior and identity of a person quickly or slowly depending on position and subject. On the other hand, these techniques play a basic role in persuading and changing. According to their components, the existence of mind control can be recognized in a cult.
Steven Hassan states: “Mind Control has been extensively stated via the investigations of Leon Festinge as a psychologist in describing three companions of “behavior control”, “thought control” and “sensations control” which is called cognitive dissonance theory. Each of these components influence on other components powerfully. If you change one of them, other two components will be changed. The success in change will influence on other two components. “Anyway; according to his experiences about mind control in the cult and his studies about the destructive cults, one crucial companion called data control will be added to this collection. If you control the person’s awareness, you have in fact limited his/her freedom power in thinking.
Steven Hassan calls this collection as “ four companions of mind control” which is applied as a basic reference to point out the understanding of the method of the function of mind control by the cults. There is a meaningful relationship among behavior control, the control of thoughts and sensation control. In this way, when the behavior changes, a person’s thoughts and sensations will be influenced, too. So, the cults are using these components to create changes which they like to achieve their goals.
- The behavioral control by to the cults:
Behavioral Control means the supervision over the physical reality of the person. The behavioral control includes the control of the person’s environment where s/he lives, the cloth s/he wears, the food s/he eats and the extent of sleep he/she has. It is also related to his/her job, exercises, trainings and other activities. So, the cults are trying to plan for all person’s life to deal him/her with cult jobs.
1-1: The method of giving exercises and planning by the cult organization:
The cults try to make members busy and give them responsibilities to achieve their aims. The members spend a special time to exercise and to be active educationally cos the environmental control is needed.
1-2- The method of coordination of jobs and activities: In some more limited groups, the members must ask the cult head for allowance to do every job and coordinate with him. S/he must ask for allowance to see the doctor, buy clothes or keep in touch with friends and relatives.
1-3- The method of appointing people in group works and the system of reporting:
One the basic questions about the function of cults is: Why is the group work emphasized too much? In some cults, people eat, work, sleep and participate at organizational meeting together.
1-4- The method of organizing the structure of sectarian organization: The other question is: Why do the cults have organizational structure and what is it liked?
The request chain is despotic; it starts from the head to reach to people who are low in rank. The ordinary members are existent in the lowest level.
The structure of cults resembles an upside-down T. The head is on the top and no supervision exists.
1-5-The method of defining organizational actions and behaviors: The question is: Why do the cults design and plan special behaviors, actions and literature for themselves?
Steven Hassan says this regard: “Each sectarian group have distinct and special behaviors towards others including standing up gesture, appearance, the kind of confronting, special deviant mask, practice and educational programs and etc. defined by the head of the cult.
1-6- punishment and encouragement technique: The behaviors are controlled by the system of encouragement and punishment in the cults. If a person behaves correctly, he/she will be praised and will be acknowledged by the head and if a person has a weak function, he/she will be criticized, boycotted and isolated. S/he may be forced to clean or sell. Other forms of punishments include fasting for a long time, cold water shower, staying up and being awake all night and etc. In this case, the character of a person will be attacked.