MOCKINGBIRD'S NEST
The secret of Scientology part 3 : Why are Scientologists so stubbornly obstinate ? : aka why the cognitive dissonance is self defending and criticism denying done selectively in Scientologist's minds .
This post is about a very unusual and extreme phenomena often exhibited by cultists , particularly the heavily indoctrinated in Scientology . I see it as a natural consequence of the indoctrination and other methods . I view indoctrination as among other things using covert hypnosis and forced cognitive restructuring installed via confusion ( aka contradiction or paradox ) and repetition to install new thoughts , feelings and behavior in the mind of the victim which have conflict with the prior thoughts , feelings and behavior that manifests as cognitive distortions . This is in a method that buries cognitive dissonance in the subconscious via denial and dissociation that makes it so long resolved issues and stress are hidden in the subconscious and projected ( often viciously with blind prejudiced hate ) onto " others "
Projection can be defined as “Attributing one’s own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another.” This characteristic is not uncommon, and we have probably all witnessed it. An angry man might accuse others of being hostile and antagonistic. Another example might be a con-artist might be under the impression that everyone else is trying to con him or her.Sources: Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and Variations. Thomson Wadsworth. To describe the burying in the subconscious/unconscious one could call it conditioned repression RegardingPsychologicalDefenseMechanisms -Repression underlies all the others, and it is possibly the oddest of them all. Repression is defined by “Keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious.” There has been much controversy over repressed memories, and many court cases as a result of this. A little girl’s memory of being molested when she was a toddler might become a repressed memory. The little girl will completely forget about this experience, until the memory might resurface years later. The trouble is, there have been various accounts of memories resurfacing that have no truth or bearing to them. Repressed memories then are unreliable and oftentimes untrue. Conversely; there have been several cases of repressed memories being accurate; one must simply take an account of a repressed memory with a grain of salt.
Sources: Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and Variations. Thomson Wadsworth.
. But that does not truly handle the underlying causes and makes the anxiety and stress escalate , until it may become constant and may overwhelm the mind as a person does what seems right but only makes things worse . Hubbard resets the identity to a pseudo identity that is entirely submissive and in a double bind as following Hubbard does not really relieve the dissonance and the new identity is so bound by " certainty " er delusion and false validation to the perception of value in Hubbard and his " technology " that any doubt , questioning or use of independent or critical thinking regarding such is also an attack on one's own identity , value , ego and beliefs and triggers negative emotions and beliefs and behavior toward one's self . That is the trick of his rhetoric : he makes his claim of being an authority constantly tied to his claim of a Scientologist's value . He uses identification as defined here :Identification is defined as “Bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group.” This is a fairly common method of attempting to forget about ones troubles, happens fairly often, especially in insecure people. A person joining a sports team, fraternity, social clique or even subcultures are all examples of this.Sources: Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and Variations. Thomson Wadsworth.
Simply , he marries the idea of his ability and methods to his victim's self worth and pride making the victim trapped to either obey the obviously ineffective method and hide from that via self destructive delusions or face it - even slightly - and with the ability to hold conflicting or nonsensical ideas and hold off cognitive dissonance removed ( as the trance logic which held it in place falls when total hypnotic blind domination lapses ) so doubting or looking causes self destruction via intense doubt , confusion , anxiety , negative emotions , overwhelm and many other negative factors manifesting consciously all at once overwhelming the mind and coping mechanisms .
So , this resets the fight or flight to have either one always seem wrong - leave or panic and lose a lot and have your mind crushed . Stay and try to obey and comply and build and build the hidden stress and confusion in the subconscious . All because of one inescapable easily observable fact : Scientology does not , never has and never will work . The person sees evidence over and over that can be confirmed objectively so they must hide the truth from their own mind and bury it . The more that is buried as negative emotions the more trauma is there and retained hidden from the conscious mind manifesting as stress related conditions . The more that is there the more threatening to the victim is any doubt or invalidation of Hubbard and his " tech " , as it is identified almost completely with the ego of the victim .
So , this is why there is a make break point of either being and staying a Scientologist - either the method works and via rhetoric and other methods combined the victim accepts the new identity and joins ego to submission to Hubbard nearly completely or they do not become a Scientologist . KSW has many examples of rhetoric where Hubbard praise Scientologists and ties it to the " tech " and himself all in circular logic . Simply the tech works cause he is so smart and an authority because it works and you are able and smart if you are a Scientologist since " wogs " are not and...many claims and no proof but they each support one another .
Many drives are crushed , distorted and attempted to be reset by Hubbard but the true identity remains underneath fighting to regain control ( figuratively ) so stress ensues and remains . Plainly man is not a clockwork orange : totally annihilating and rebuilding an identity makes a constant state of conflict triggered to manifest when the differences in identities is forced via observation into the conscious mind . Reflection and relaxation may sometimes bring the original identity back , or at least allow conscious awareness to resurface , if only occasionally . That is why " thinking dim thoughts " and many other things are discouraged as well as the insane schedules being routine in Scientology. You could wake up if not exhausted . So the flight - fight drive is both triggered and suppressed in the insane dilemma .
This is to me the double bind Jon Atack and I write on at an extreme level .
I think the following thread is relevant :http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthrea...OT-YOUR-FAULT-!!!
And the escalating hidden stress, which causes the stress conditions is what strengthens and maintains the adamantium wall in my opinion . This is in the Secret of Scientology Part 2 : the Adamantium Wall :http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthrea...DAMANTIUM-WALL
The books Rape of the Mind , True Believer by Eric Hoffer , Battle for the Mind, Hypnotism Comes of Age , Recovery from Cults , Trances People Live and several abstracts from ICSA all have relevant info on this . Battle for the Mind in particular had an excellent chart detailing ideas on stress as it continues people having reactions including breakdowns and stress related conditions . Rape of the Mind has similar info on POWs under stress .
Oh , additionally the degree of the buried negative emotions and dissonance directly influences and fuels the " certainty " ( blind delusional prejudiced conviction ) and the intensity of projection as the buried effects are pushed to the conscious mind by evidence of unworkability or criticism .
Several mental factors determine details about the projection but it is built cumulatively and becomes more unreasoning and intense as the indoctrination and transformation to the new identity continue and more completely suppress the old identity . It also can be triggered more quickly in the long and thoroughly indoctrinated as they have a greater unconscious association between " critics " , " Downstats " etc. and the dissonance resurfacing that prompts , rapid blind hateful attacks . In the victim's mind the critic or downstat must be the " reason for " Scientology not creating perfection of self and group .And this is blindly associated with all the victim's doubts , failures , and negative emotions as if the vaunted " technology " worked visible products would show the workability .
So , Scientology shifts from focusing on making good results - which cannot occur as it has no real beneficial technology - to finding " others " aka scapegoats or "SPs" or " DBs " etc. etc . and attacking them as an acceptable method for expressing mounting frustrations without revealing the fraud . After all the SPs are seen as an " unusual exception " to the " only game in the universe where everybody wins " . That attacking and controlling and disconnecting and declaring etc. etc. happens to tens of thousands is hidden from most cultists - while in . Hubbard borrowed a page from his role model Hitler who is quoted as saying : 'If the Jews didn't exist, we would have to invent them'. End quote source BBC : http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwa...er_audio.shtml
Plainly , a mad irrational mob driven by blind hate ( like the one in to Kill a Mockingbird...something familiar about that title...anyway ) in the demented minds of both psychopathic cult leaders had an enemy to project negative emotions on as a unifying factor and means to control the masses - covertly .
In every model I am aware of cults need enemies or acceptable targets to hate as the promised paradise that never comes needs an excuse and misdirection from why it always fails . All groups having irrational blind hate may follow this and via projection fool the group member . So remember this when you meet race separatists and anti - gays etc. When they have negative emotions as we all do they are " justified " in hating more and more " inferiors " and enough hate leads to inspiration for action . So , intolerance is double damnation - it makes you wrong arrogant , and driven by growing hate and also pressured into crimes against completely innocent victims ! You ruin yourself and your " enemy " ! I would not preach this so hard if Scientology was not such a vicious hate group .
Incidentally to finish my earlier thoughts on this thread , in cognitive dissonance theory is the idea that in situations where a double bind ensues and there is conflict over two or more choices , the option chosen is the one that is seen as benefiting or preserving the ego of the person more. So applied to the pseudo identity and the Scientology doctrine and Hubbard all being tied in the mind of the cultist to the rhetorical stacking of validation of Hubbard , the " technology " and the ego together in a large ( hypnotically received ) circular argument of Hubbard knows because he made the " tech " that " works " which works because he as an authority says so and you see it as you are superior and wise like him so your value goes up or down with his and the " techs " .
So , following this you get the Scientologist having trance logic hide contradiction that is implanted by Hubbard via the doctrine and hiding ( through denial and dissociation ) especially experiences that challenge the ego . I feel this answers the " why do Scientologists have rational critical thought and perceiving contradictions and fallacies seem to work selectively ? They seem to work to defend Hubbard and his group and methods but fail to see his flaws and the group's and his method's ? " . Well the pseudo identity has all of the ego tied into the validation of Hubbard , his group and methods - including the language . So , as there is heavy dissonance , even if buried in the subconscious , it " keys - in " - really is triggered hypnotically - when threats to the ego tied to the value of Hub and the method , language , group etc. are seen . That is why arguing with a Scientologist is maddening - they can only perceive half or less of the conversation and automatically reject certain ideas and will not even consider certain ideas - any that threaten the stability of the pseudo identity . So , it is irrelevant how well constructed and logical your ideas are - automatic rejection via the implanted fallacies and embedded commands from Hubbard is seen as ego and mind and sanity preserving and the doctrine as being sacred and above any doubt . So this is why the mind is welded shut and stays that way . Now this is not absolute and eternal but relative and the most extreme case . Many consider the argument they never formed an answer for or the proof Hubbard was wrong that they somehow cannot deny if it breaks through the cult identity and filter . So , in talking to Scientologists try to find a nonthreatening way to show them as correct and not crush their ego or trigger an automatic " critic " situation or other that is expressly defined in the doctrine . You have to walk a tightrope of getting the critical factor engaged but not triggering the pseudo identity and commands that guide it to take over and reject you and your info . And then getting something that moves the cultist away from being the pseudo identity and returning to their old identity . Now the pseudo identity takes hold to greatly varying degrees and each is custom built based on what is " studied " and done and what is repeated and what is associated with the trances and other mental changes produced . Each has unique content and strength in different areas and no two are exactly alike in content or strength. This is why recovery is individual as well - what needs to be recovered from varies . This is often especially difficult , but not ever hopeless , for those raised in the cult .
I feel Hubbard knew of and used ALL of the following in taking advantage of his victims minds . He simply " programmed " them to be push button stimulus response slaves using many mental weaknesses and vulnerabilities but by learning them you can find what to look for and avoid triggering when dealing with Scientologists and exes and even others.
The poster at ESMB known as Lotus shared the following which I feel is very useful :
Top 7 Psychological Defense Mechanisms
In every human being, intrapsychic conflicts are bound to occur, usually because of sexual and aggressive impulses and tension. Usually, (or maybe hopefully), these conflicts are resolved by themselves in a short amount of time; however sometimes this is not the case. Every now and then, our internal conflicts can last for long periods of times, and can potentially cause us great harm. Oftentimes anxiety can wear and tear at us, and should not be underestimated. Fortunately, our body has defense mechanisms to defend us from unpleasant emotions and feelings, such as anxiety. These are 7 of them:
1. Rationalization
Rationalization is something that every human being does, probably on a daily basis. Rationalization is defined as “Creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior.” An example of this would be a student stealing money from a wealthy friend of his, telling himself “Well he is rich, he can afford to lose it.”
2. Identification
Identification is defined as “Bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group.” This is a fairly common method of attempting to forget about ones troubles, happens fairly often, especially in insecure people. A person joining a sports team, fraternity, social clique or even subcultures are all examples of this.
3. Displacement
Displacement is defined as “Diverting emotional feelings (usually anger) from their original source to a substitute target.” This frequently occurs in families, where we often see the father getting mad at the mother. The mother then takes her anger out on her son, the son in turn yells at his little sister, the little sister kicks the dog, and the dog bites the cat. Another example would obviously be a boxer taking out his frustration on a punching bag or an opponent.
4. Projection
Projection is defined as “Attributing one’s own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another.” This characteristic is not uncommon, and we have probably all witnessed it. An angry man might accuse others of being hostile and antagonistic. Another example might be a con-artist might be under the impression that everyone else is trying to con him or her.
5. Regression
Regression is defined as “A reversion to immature patterns of behavior.” There are plenty of examples of this (and we all know a couple we are guilty of). One of the more obvious examples might be a teenager not allowed to go on a trip for spring break, so he or she might throw a temper tantrum and scream and cry at his or her parents. Conversely, a teenager might revert back to infant behavior to receive sympathy from his or her parents.
6. Reaction Formation
Reaction formation is one of the odder defense mechanisms, as it entails behaving completely contrary to how one truly feels. It is defined as “Behaving in a way that is exactly the opposite of one’s true feelings.” We see this all the time in relationships, where “I despise him” becomes “I love him.” Similarly, a boss might give an employee who he is frustrated with a raise.
7. Repression
Repression underlies all the others, and it is possibly the oddest of them all. Repression is defined by “Keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious.” There has been much controversy over repressed memories, and many court cases as a result of this. A little girl’s memory of being molested when she was a toddler might become a repressed memory. The little girl will completely forget about this experience, until the memory might resurface years later. The trouble is, there have been various accounts of memories resurfacing that have no truth or bearing to them. Repressed memories then are unreliable and oftentimes untrue. Conversely; there have been several cases of repressed memories being accurate; one must simply take an account of a repressed memory with a grain of salt.
Sources: Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and Variations. Thomson Wadsworth.
Hubbard has his victim rationalize both Scientolgy's many many failures and the actions that are immoral and evil done by oneself and others to " help " Scientology at the expense of everything else . Hubbard has his victim identify the correctness of Hubbard and his " technology " with their own correctness , intelligence , worth ,status and even immortality . He has victims displace doubts about what they are doing in Scientology into automatic doubts of critics and outsiders . He has many negative emotions displaced to hide the utter failure of Scientology to " handle " these as promised by the " technology " . Hubbard relies on getting projection of negative emotions - particularly intense blind hatred - onto acceptable targets to confuse and control his victims and eradicate critical and independent thought on criticisms as claims . He uses selective regression to trigger magical thinking ( often done by the very young ) to " defend " the faith required in Scientology . That means one thinks like a very small child and accepts illogical " proof " and " explanations " why and how Scientology " works " . He has it conveniently turn on and off like a switch . Attacking a critic ? Full adult capacity to tear up their character . Need to explain or defend Scientology ? Mind of a very young child who " knows " Scientology is " just right " - with no need for rational proof ! Reaction formation is used so you love staff - who you hate for exploiting you . Or DM for demanding you be a literal slave in the Sea Org or destroy your family or give all your life savings so he can build another giant building etc. etc . You are tricked progressively to submitting to more and more abuse and exploitation as your hate/love and dread/hope grow . The more you bet on Scientology and lose the more you are desperate for all the efforts and crimes and sacrifices to be redeemed by success that NEVER comes ! Repression is routine in Scientologists . Also defined as denial , it involves burying memories from the conscious mind to protect it from overwhelming dissonance and stress . It is usually developed as a coping mechanism to stress in childhood , in theory . In Scientology you literally can " forget " the failures and proof of Hubbard's flaws and imperfections .
You can deny many unpleasant and contrary things as your conditioned to not doubt ( it is a lower condition ) and never leave as you are " taught " that stems from unhandled evil acts .
I hope this will help people see what manifests in Scientologists and that it is what needs to be learned about by them . Or you will be just playing a game of trigger and chase phenomena round and round . That is Hubbard's game . I want to end Hubbard's games and have people free to choose their own .
Mockingbird's Nest : http://mbnest.blogspot.com/search?up...08:00&max-resu
