Destructive Mind Control




Lifton's Eight Criteria

1. Milieu Control
Control of environment and communication within that environment. This includes not only what people communicate with each other, but how the group gets inside a person's head and controls his internal dialogue.

2. Mystical Manipulation
The contrived engineering of experiences to stage seemingly spontaneous and "supernatural" events. Everyone manipulates everyone else for the higher purpose.

3.The Demand for Purity
Establishing impossible standards for performance, thereby creating an environment of guilt and shame. No matter how hard a person tries, he always falls short, feels badly, and works even harder.

4. The Cult Confession
The destruction of personal boundaries, and the expectation that every thought, feeling, or action- past or present that does not conform to the groups rules be shared and confessed. This information is not forgotten or forgiven but, rather, used to control.

5. Sacred Science
The belief that the group's dogma is absolutely scientific and morally true, with no room for questions or alternative view points.

6. Loading the Language
The use of vocabulary to constrict member's thinking into absolute, black-and-white, "thought terminating cliches" understood only by insiders.

7. Doctine over person
The imposition of group beliefs over individual experience, conscience, and integrity.

8. Dispensing of existence
The belief that people in the group have the right to exist and all ex-members and critics or dissidents do not.


The Three Stages of Gaining Control of the Mind


Unfreezing
a. Disorientation/confusion
b. Sensory deprivation and/or sensory overload
c. Physcological manipulation- (Sleep deprivation, Privacy deprivation & change in diet)
d. Hypnosis- (Age regression, visualizations, storytelling and metaphors (long sermons), linguistic double binds, use of suggestion, meditation, chanting, long prayers, singing, speaking in tongues, etc.)

e. Get the person to question self-identity
f. Redefine individual's past

Changing
a. Creation and imposition of new "identity" done step by step- Formally within indoctrination sessions. Informally by memberss, tapes, books, etc.
b. Use of Behavior Modification techniques- Rewards and punishments, use of thought stopping techniques, control of environment.
c. Mystical manipulation- Use of confession and testimonials, individual studies, group activities.
d. Use of hypnosis and other mind altering techniques- Repetition, monotony, rhythm, excessive chanting, praying, decreeing, visualizations

Refreezing
a. New identity reinforced, old identity surrendered.
(Seperate from the past, decrease contact or cut off friends and family, give up meaningful possessions and donate assets, start doing cult activities, new name (brother, sister) new clothing, new hairstyles, new language, new "Family")


The Evolution of the BITE model

Control of behavior, control of thoughts, and control of emotions. Each comonent can be affected by the other two. It is by manipulating these three elements that cults gain control over a person's identity. Steve Hassan's experience working with former members, has identified a fourth component that is equally important- control of information. When you control the information that a person is allowed to receive, you limit his capacity for independent thought. These four factors, which can be more easily remembered as BITE (Behavior, Information, Thoughts, and Emotions>, will serve as the foundation for your understanding of mind control.

Continues..........CLICK HERE

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