Last Saturday, the New York City Skeptics hosted a lecture called, Cults and Coercion: How Ordinary People are Turned into Extraordinary Fanatics at the New York Public Library, Jefferson Market Branch. The lecturer was Paul Grosswald, a former Scientologist who left the infamous cult 20 years ago.
Grosswald covered a lot of ground in the lecture, defining what the term “cult” really means, who cults target for recruitment, who joins cults, how they get you in the door, what to do if someone you love is in a destructive cult, tips to avoid being recruited into a destructive cult, as well as breaking down the 8 factors of mind control identified by Robert Jay Lifton in his book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of “Brainwashing” in China, used almost universally in any destructive cult.
These are critical thinking tools that everyone should be taught in high school and college. But since they rarely are, everyone should take the time to learn them because ultimately, just about anyone is capable of being fooled by a cult under the right circumstances. And the only reliable weapon against cults as well as other nonsense being sold to you is knowledge: knowledge of their deceptive tactics, of common logical fallacies, and of the human psychology that makes it easy to be manipulated. Carl Sagan called this knowledge a “baloney detection kit” in his book The Demon-Haunted World.
So what is a destructive cult? Grosswald defines it as: “…a pyramid-shaped organization that is under the control of a charismatic, authoritarian leader, or leaders. Information in the group is tightly controlled by the leadership and generally flows from the top down. Money in the group is raised by the membership and generally flows from the bottom up. The group views the world in black and white terms, with no shades of gray. It has an “us versus them” mentality, an “ends justify the means” philosophy, and little or no regard for society’s laws, ethics or morals. A destructive cult recruits and retains its members by using deceptive practices, and a systematic form of psychological manipulation (called “mind control”). Generally, all eight of Robert Jay Lifton’s criteria for thought reform will be present in a destructive cult.”
Now Grosswald, like most figures in the cult awareness moment, made the point to distinguish regular religions from dangerous cults, and I certainly understand why they feel it’s important to do so. Being seen as anti-religion would undermine the important work that they’re doing as many people looking for information about particularly destructive cults may be members of some more socially accepted religion. But Grosswald does say that more traditional religions do indeed at least belong on the spectrum of groups where social manipulation or pressure takes place.
However, as a religious critic myself, I tend to view more traditional religions as higher up on that spectrum than perhaps Grosswald would, depending on the individual’s required level of commitment to the authority of the church, temple, synagogue, or mosque they belong. Certainly, almost every religion has its moderates who don’t let themselves be completely controlled by their church authorities, but what of the very devout and orthodox members who belong to churches or temples that do require strict adherence to their rules? When asked what was the difference between a religion and a cult, skeptical musician and podcaster George Hrab once responded, “Time and real estate.” I think that to a certain extent, this is true. Yesterday’s cult is today’s religion and tomorrow’s mythology. It seems cults that survive the evolutionary process long enough to thrive reach a point where they graduate into religions. And once they become religions, they can continue to be authoritarian and destructive, only with the added benefit of perceived legitimacy where society will defend their more destructive actions.
Even mainstream religions can contribute to destructive cult-like behavior. For instance, the Catholic Church has actually covered up countless instances of child abuse by their own representatives spanning decades. Further, when the Pope tells AIDS-ridden Africa that not only do condoms not offer protection against HIV but they actually contribute to the problem, I’d have to say that’s pretty destructive. And as with destructive cults, Catholicism has a pyramid structure where its leader is said to be the inerrant mouthpiece for their god. The Church has lots of secret documents about their religion protected from its members stored in the Vatican under the tightest security in the world. Money in the Church is raised by the membership and generally flows from the bottom up. God and Satan as well as Heaven and Hell suggest a pretty black and white worldview. Devout Catholics have an “us versus them” mentality. And as the condom incident illustrates, the Church has little regard for societal rules when those rules conflict with their own. Catholics, like most religions, recruit their members from infancy on and except obviously in liberal households, Catholics expose their children only to Catholicism, discouraging members from listening to alternative views. And there are few things more phychological manipulating than the concept that non-believer will burn in a lake of fire for all eternity or that you’re a filthy sinner from the start who doesn’t deserve Jesus’ mercy. And like Scientology, Catholics are expected to confess their sins, though as Grosswald correctly points out, the Catholic Church doesn’t record and then later use knowledge obtained during confession to exploit and blackmail members. Additionally, many of Robert Jay Lifton’s criteria for a destructive cult can apply to Catholicism.
So is Catholicism a destructive cult? What about other Jewish, Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist sects? These are not easy questions to answer. I know that when I interact with particularly devout born again Christians in Union Square Park on a Saturday afternoon, they seem to me no less brainwashed than any Scientologist. But one thing’s for sure. I’d much rather see skeptics handing out cult awareness pamphlets in Union Square Park on a Saturday.
UPDATE - 9/19/09 - THE FULL LECTURE IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE.
I am now also officially a semi-regular writer at the New York City Skeptics' new blog, The Gotham Skeptic. Check them out.
Comments
WHY CAN'T SCIENTOLOGISTS (RONBOTS) REALLY TALK WITH AN SP?
There is one fact Ronbots won't admit - it is that they are forbidden, restricted, and receive an ethics reprimand, if they talk with, associate with, communicate with any ex-scientologists that have exposed the cult for what it truly is -- a scam, fraud and a lie. They are also forbidden to read anti-cult info. But they receive ethics points if they attack, beat-up, hit, harm, destroy or sue anyone that opposes the cult. They are only allowed communication online where there is NO interpersonal direct contact. When they do get near you--it is to ask you for your sins. Because to them only evil sinners oppose them.
Remember another fact - an SP is not evil being -- but one that turned his back on a science fiction story and who refused to worship a false GOD called LRH.
All Rights Reserved
Excellent article. Individuals wishing to know more should be well aware that the "Church" of Scientology will claim critics are all liars and the only way to truly understand Scientology and thus be able to comment upon it is to take courses (pay them money) and apply it to your life (expose yourself to brainwashing).
Unfortunately, if you DO take this route, then STILL disagree with them, you're called a quitter, a liar, they make up lies about you and say you're just an apostate heretic and thus your criticism isn't valid. In their mind, the only "valid" opinions about Scientology are the ones that agree with what the organization demands.
I think Scientology exercises a whole different level of control over member's behavior and thought, compared to Catholicism. They also introduce they pyramid fee schedule. Lisa M., spending $90,000 in two years, virtually every penny of her savings.
Many Catholics, follow what they want in it, and feel free to lie their butts off during confession, if they even want to go. (They don't attach you to a lie detector.)
On the other hand, Scientology demands much more study, (results in less free thinking and more hard accepting), and the "confession" part is interspersed with hypnotic training routines, to get a person to slowly believe everything L. Ron said is true, that it works, even when it doesn't. That an individual member has super powers, when there aren't any.
In Catholicism, they will talk about many mysteries. Scientology is so total, and totalitarian, they claim to have ALL of the answers. OTVIIIs are supposed to possess not only super powers but the wisdom of the ag
Interesting article but is this a study that can cross all test? Meaning can your studies be duplicated to produce the same results over and over again, or is this just one persons experience made into a movie and taken to the extreme just for entertainment?
Your video is very entertaining but not sure if your studies are accurate.
Obviously the comments on this post are directed toward Scientology, but I am not sure that this post even focused on Scientology.
Lastly do you Michael Rosch even practice a religion? Or are you Atheist. That does not mean you have to be one or another, I just would like to know if you have a religious and / or a spiritual practice. Please let me know.
Sarah, other than Lifton's research, which the lecturer based his material on & which I tend to mostly agree with, I tried not to focus this particular article on analyzing the scientific literature but maybe I'll do that in a future article. & whenever I think of authoritarian groups, I always think of the classic Stanley Milgram authoritarian experiment from the 50's & the study where confederates were used to convince someone to delude themselves as to which was the shorter straw (forget the name of the study & who did it). Psychologists do now have a pretty strong understanding how mind control works & I believe repeatable studies have been done.
Wikipedia has a good breakdown of the major schools of thought on mind control: http en wikipedia org/wiki/Mind_control
And to answer your questions, no, I don't practice any religion and, yes, I'm an atheist.
I like that video, which I've seen before. The reason it resembles Scientology so closely, is that Scientology is a cult, and a very greedy, crazy one at that.
Hubbard is a documented fraudster and compulsive liar. There's a video of him where he lies about how many times he's been married.
The members of the cult of Scientology are so brainwashed, they see themselves as the new man, meant to clear the planet and become the law. It is the ONLY way, for them.
As far as killing for the cult goes, that could very well happen in Scientology's last days. There is a core of Scientology employees who feel so trapped, that they'd probably kill for the cult, rather than leave it.
Scientology has a special way of shifting a member's initial personal goals (self improvement, helping others) into Scientology's goals (money/recruitment). While doing this, Scientology dangles the carrot of super powers and attributes of clear, neither which exist.
Do you honestly think the Catholic church got as powerful as it is by forgetting the sins of its members? Give me a break, Bambi." They, like the National Enquirer or any other spy organization, only want the juicy stuff.
How else do you think we got to the point where the last remaining blackmailable crime is child molestation?
Further, what you are calling a cult, perfectly describes the inner workings of the banking system in this country, right up to the top of the Federal Reserve system and the World Bank!
Don't insult us with your psychobabble.
Danny
If you bring up a child forbidding it to examine alternative views (to those of its cult or church), you injure its growing brain. The child grows up intellectually disabled. This is a very sad thing about the Catholic church, in my opinion.
Daniel, congratulations. You win the award for least condescending comment of the day! Can you please cite specific examples of the Catholic Church blackmailing members w/ information gathered during confession? Or are you just speculating? And I don't think the banking system follows any of Robert Jay Lifton's 8 criteria for mind control or anyone else's criteria either, so I'm at a loss as to how you are making that comparison.
L Milnes, I agree
I'm an atheist now but I went to Catholic Church every Sunday growing up, and I even became a confirmed Catholic in my teens. I was taught that it's always wrong to lie, a good teaching that I still try to apply, despite my atheism. I'd have to say that atheists I've met are usually fairly moral people, I'm not talking about Communists who used it for political reasons though . Scientology, on the other
hand, teaches that it's okay to lie, as long at it "KSW's" or "Keeps Scientology Working". I can't think of another religion
which teaches that lying is okay, it sets off major alarm bells, like when journalists touring Jonestown were lied to.
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