How Cults Work 4 - The Brainwashing Process and Outcomes

This is the fourth post in a series dedicated to the book Terror, Love and Brainwashing by Alexandra Stein.

In this we now take on the brainwashing process and its outcome.

Stein wrote "Brainwashing refers to the overall process set in motion by the leader, operating within the closed structure supported by the total ideology. There are several alternative terms scholars have used to name this process: coercive persuasion (Schein), thought reform (Lifton), resocialization (Berger and Luckmann), total conversion (Lofland), mind control (Singer, Hassan), or, most recently by Lalich, bounded choice. All these thinkers describe variants of the same essential process: the alternation of love and fear within an isolating environment resulting in a dissociated, loyal and deployable follower who can now be instructed to act in the interests of the leader rather than in his or her own survival instincts.
    Replacing followers' prior trusted relationships with the rigid relationships within the group, combined with the extremely strong compound of terror plus "love", entraps the follower within the group. Three important behaviors result from this. First the follower is glued in anxious dependency to the group. Being in a state of constant fear arousal means they constantly seek proximity to the group in a failed attempt to attain comfort." Page 19

   "Second, this seeking of contact with the source of threat causes a cognitive collapse, or dissociation, in the mind of the follower. There is no way out, no useful way to think through the trap that has been set - the mind ceases to function adequately in regard to that relationship." Page 20

 "This sense of chaos and loss is the prelude to the next step." Page 20

 "Many other accounts have vividly described similar moments of collapse: in the face of extreme pressures the recruit gives up the attempt to maintain rational thought about the group and submits to the demand for commitment and obedience." Page 20

  "In the third step, the leadership can now take advantage of this cognitive collapse and introject their own agenda into the cognitive vacuum thus induced. The total ideology is further introduced as both the explanation for the recruit's cognitive collapse, as well as the explanation of all other phenomena. These three elements function together to create what has been termed a "deployable agent" : that is a follower who is hypercredulous and hyperobedient. The process causes a change in beliefs, attitudes and behaviors in the follower that are not congruent with the follower's preexisting traits, nor - should the follower get out of the group - with their beliefs, attitudes and behaviors, after leaving. " Page 21


Now some of my earlier blog posts have ideas that are similar or describe the exact kind of process and experience Stein described here. Her understanding is better developed and has ideas described in a more cohesive and coherent model.

She developed her model over decades and many of my blog posts have far less formal education and were written frankly while I was trying to overcome and understand my experience.

I won't repeat everything here because this material is a lot to take on by itself but I will list some blog posts that are relevant to exactly what Stein is describing here.

The post Why Scientologists Are So Close Minded and Certain has a detailed description of how I went through the process of indoctrination and the cognitive collapse Stein described. It has step by step details of the Scientology method. 

Additionally these posts address this process:

Why Hubbard Never Claimed OT Feats And The Rock Bottom Basis Of Scientology

http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/02/m...never.html?m=0


Humbling Simplicity
http://mbnest.blogspot.com/201...

Regarding mind control in Scientology:

Insidious Enslavement: Study Technology
http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/01/i...ology.html?m=0

Basic Introduction To Hypnosis In Scientology

http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/01/b...is-in.html?m=0

 The book Traumatic Narcissism: Relational Systems of Subjugation by Doctor Daniel Shaw takes on this subject and I have written a few blog posts regarding his book as well. I strongly recommend his book to compliment the work of Alexandra Stein. In my mind they are highly complimentary and compatible.  These authors and books do not restate the same ideas over and over. They have some overlap but far more of each helping to fill in and add to what the other says. 

I think that the persuasion model or relational model that Alexandra Stein puts forth as brainwashing is plausible, and further beneficial for framing the totalist system, whether in a cult or totalitarian regime or one on one abusive relationship. The term brainwashing has had some issues but Stein takes this on in depth later in her book and to me adequately addresses them. 

I think up to this point it is crucial to get the model Stein has of brainwashing as "Replacing followers' prior trusted relationships with the rigid relationships within the group, combined with the extremely strong compound of terror plus "love", entraps the follower within the group." And the result of being entrapped in fear and seeking to be close to the leader or cult to escape or reduce the fear and second this threat without relief setting up dissociation or cognitive collapse, and "the mind ceases to function adequately in regard to that relationship."  THIS is a hallmark of cultic relationships - the cult member has severely impaired or obliterated or annihilated critical and independent thinking SOLELY REGARDING the cult leader, their ideas, practices and doctrine and the group.

They can function without impairment regarding anything outside the box of these subjects. But - and it is a crucial but - the cult may include thousands of ideas under the umbrella of items I described earlier.  Cult ideology often includes all critical ideas regarding the cult to preemptively squash dissent and disobedience.

 "This sense of chaos and loss is the prelude to the next step."

In the third step the cult member is anxious, overwhelmed, confused, and desperate for guidance and stable direction. The leader gives answers to fill this need and by giving a dogma that seeks to take up all issues and answer all important questions for the past, present and future regarding everything. This is intended to leave the member completely enthralled or mentally enslaved by the cult and as Stein described deployable agent. These ideas are the bare minimum you should get regarding brainwashing to understand Stein's model so far.

Have no fears if there are still questions on this because Stein takes it up again later and adds more science to help flesh it out.



Moving onto the outcomes of brainwashing now Stein wrote: " Coercive persuasion within the closed domain controlled by the charismatic and authoritarian leader leads to a triple isolation for the follower. Contrary to public perception, the key experience of membership in a totalist group is one of isolation, not community or comradeship. The follower is isolated from the outside world; he or she is isolated from an authentic relationship to others within the group - allowed only to communicate within the narrow confines of the group-speak and rigid rules of behavior; and, due to the dissociation that is created, the follower is also isolated from his or her self, from his or her own ability to think clearly about the situation.
    The result of this system is a leader with extreme control over hypercredulous and hyperobedient followers; they'll believe anything and do anything. Followers can now be exploited and deployed. " Page 21 - 22


I found this to be completely accurate regarding my understanding of cults and my own experience in Scientology. I kept feeling a sense that nothing was good enough to be in solid relationships in the cult. People kept dangling the promise of friendship and love if I just gave a bit more to Scientology. 

First I was encouraged to check it out, then to join staff then to get through the staff training and then to join the Sea Org and to do courses and on and on. It was strange. I could never get stable relationships in Scientology but it seemed to be easy to be in Scientology because you just have to agree with and obey Hubbard all the time. But it is never quite good enough. 

I after two months on Scientology staff was thoroughly indoctrinated by Scientology and it took seeing the work of Jon Atack at the Underground Bunker in the Scientology Mythbusting series and his articles particularly Never Believe A Hypnotist to realize I had a key experience in indoctrination (described in my posts Escaping Scientology - Overcoming Crushing Certainty, The Lies That Bind and 

Two Roads) that made me a hypercredulous and hyperobedient follower. I was a deployable agent.