Important information which is available to the general public is withheld from members and potential members.
Deception is the basic feature of all cult recruitment. It is also what keeps people inside cults.
Information is one of the best weapons against cults.
In cults information about the cult's history, purposes, doctrines, financial disclosures, methods of dealing with problems, counseling, training, and discipline for offenses are kept as confidentail as possible.
Only those members with trusted status are allowed inside information.
2) THOUGHT CONTROL:
"Truth" and reality are distorted for those inside the group by subtly changing the definitions of common terms with new meanings through the use of code words, cliches, and slogans.
Different words make the members feel special and separate from outsiders.
These different words confuse outsiders who want to understand what the group believes and talks about.
The change in definitions of significant words keeps even the members from understanding their own beliefs.
Leaders of cults repress questions by conditioning their members to employ "thought-stopping" statements, prayers, hymns, Bible verses, mantras, tongues or rituals to drown out doubt, questions, anxiety or uncertainty. "I can't think about that." "How can you question (the leaders) after all they have done?" etc. The intention is to stop questions regarding the system or leaders.
The word "faith" is employed in a negative sense. Members are conditioned to view "faith" in terms of blind submission to the leaders, rather than positive certainity in God's love.
Members are conditioned to feel guilty for any curiosity about what is going on within the group; curiosity is a lack of faith. (Therefore, even after some people leave a mind control group, they may be afraid to examine information which explains the background of their old belief system.)
Typically, the word "grace" has a different meaning from the Biblical use. The "God" of the group is also different from the God of the Bible. God is defined by, and eventually becomes the group.
3) EMOTION CONTROL:
Guilt, fear and shame are projected onto the members, prompting blame toward themselves for their depression, lack of understanding, anxiety, or inability to cope, rather than examining the leaders, the group's policies, history, doctrines, scandals, and at times, even crimes.
Phobic attitudes or behaviors are sometimes noticeable when attempts are made to converse with members regarding their belief in the group or its leaders.
Fear, anger, rage or repetitious statements which only go in circles keep the members from thinking through to any rational conclusions.
Fear of confrontation with family is common, resulting in very few people being rescued.
4) BEHAVIOR CONTROL:
Tight control of behavior secures the leaders' position of authority and importance.
The behavior control impresses members and outsiders to view the group as especially spiritual or successful.
The leaders link the required behavior to their special "revelation" of a text of scripture. However the required behaviors are usually superficial controls, affecting appearances and outward activity rather than inward character. These can include grooming, daily activities, career choices, clothing, specific technology, posture, speech mannerisms, food choices, recreation, education, even decisions about marriage, sex and children. (They usually do not deter moral sin.)
If a person does not conform, he may be urged to become more like an older group member; to follow the leaders' "example".
OBEDIENCE TO THE HUMAN LEADERS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON TO LEARN.
The leaders cannot totally control one's inner thoughts, but if they can command behavior, hearts and minds will usually follow.
The behavior control isolates the members from society even more effectively.
~~ It's a very subtle process. If you put a frog in boiling water, it jumps out. If you put a frog in cold water and gradually increase the heat, he'll stay there until he croaks. ~~
A Tidbit from Forward Press (a quarterly newsletter for EX-2x2s which is no longer in existence for EX-2x2s):
Dear FP: ...... According to my (2x2) mother, it was almost a sin to show any human emotion, regardless of what emotion it was, laughing, crying, joy or whatever, I was taught to be a "zombie."
In answer: Your assessment of the programming to stifle emotion is right on target!! Not every family instills it but it is prevalent enough to noitice. There are many different reasons for the numerous nervous breakdowns (of those "in" and those who leave) besides this conditioning, but certainly it isn't healthy. Lack of emotion is seen as a sign that one has the "right Spirit". When professing people talk to someone they look for calmness, quietness, pleasantness, and sweetness. Anyone who displays agitation, indignation, excitement, or anger is accused of the wrong spirit and shunned. This is one reason it is so difficult to talk about what "truth" is with professing people. They don't exmine WHAT you are saying, they examine HOW YOU SAY IT. They don't examine the scripture to compare what they believe or what you believe, they examine YOUR APPEARANCE, LIFESTYLE AND PLEASANTNESS. They look for stoicism, self-denial, testimony, experience, feelings, and what the workers say. They DON'T check the meaning of scripture. Professing people really don't trust scripture because they don't understand it.