[ot] cult influence and power, 1988-2018

[Rooty]

Great information Karl. Ron Hubbard was not borned. He was delivered by aliens. Please do your research

------- Original Message -------
On Saturday, October 8th, 2022 at 6:54 PM, Undiscussed Groomed for Male Slavery, One Victim of Many <gmkarl+brainwashingandfuckingupthehackerslaves at gmail.com> wrote:


> Chapter 10–Unlocking Mind Control
> 
> Wherever I go—to the supermarket, to the gym, on an airplane—I
> meet people who are involved with destructive cults. My heart goes out
> to them, because I was once in a similar trap. With all the cult
> members I meet, I try to remember that they are enslaved. They are
> also somebody’s son or daughter, sister or brother. Whenever I meet
> people like these, I feel extremely grateful that I am free. I was one
> of the lucky ones who had the opportunity to be counseled out. Since
> people helped me, I try to share my good fortune.
> 
> In these fleeting personal encounters, I know that I will have
> only a few minutes, but I try to say or do something to help. Usually
> I never hear from the person again, but occasionally I find out that
> our brief meeting had some long-term impact.
> 
> Back in 1980, I started to deliberately go out of my way to
> conduct impromptu mini-interventions that are really mini-therapeutic
> interactions. I was eager to research and practice non-coercive
> approaches to helping free someone. I looked at every cult member I
> met as an opportunity to hone my skills.
> 
> These encounters taught me more effective ways of communicating
> with cult members—methods that serve as keys to unlocking cult mind
> control. This chapter offers a summary of those keys, with some
> examples of how I use them—and how you can use them as well.
> 
> Briefly, these are the three most basic keys to helping a cult member:
> 
> Key #1: Build rapport and trust.
> 
> Key #2: Use goal-oriented communication.
> 
> Key #3: Develop models of identity.
> 
> This chapter offers two examples of rescue efforts I have
> conducted, as well as a mini-rescue that was conducted on me when I
> was still a cult member. These examples will help to demonstrate the
> importance of the first three keys, and how they can be effectively
> employed. In the remainder of this chapter, I’ll discuss the other
> five keys, which enable a rescue effort to be carried through to a
> successful conclusion:
> 
> Key #4: Access the pre-cult (authentic) identity.
> 
> Key #5: Help the cult member to look at reality from many
> different perspectives.
> 
> Key #6: Sidestep the thought-stopping process by giving
> information in an indirect way.
> 
> Key #7: Help them visualize a happy future outside the cult.
> 
> Key #8: Offer the cult member concrete definitions of mind control
> and specific characteristics of a destructive cult.
> 
> 
> Key #1: Build Rapport And Trust
> 
> I have already emphasized the importance of building rapport;
> several techniques for building non-verbal rapport can help. The first
> is to simply mirror the body language of the person with whom I am
> speaking. I also use a non-threatening/friendly tone of voice and line
> of questioning and try to avoid judgmental statements. Like riding a
> bicycle or learning a foreign language, rapport building is a skill
> that anyone can learn and develop.
> 
> 
> Key #2: Use Goal-Oriented Communication
> 
> Practiced mainly in the business world, goal-oriented
> communication represents the best way to influence people in a
> deliberate way. This is drastically different from the approach people
> typically use when interacting with family members or friends. When we
> are intimate with people we usually say whatever we think or feel,
> because we are being “ourselves.” We don’t have an agenda to influence
> others.
> 
> In the business world, most people have to think through their
> goals and determine how best to accomplish them. Business leaders
> understand that they often have to establish a step-by-step plan to
> make their dreams a reality.
> 
> In helping someone break free from a destructive cult, it can be
> just as helpful to clarify your goal and then determine how best to
> accomplish it.
> 
> Your overall goal, of course, is to help the person you care about
> to begin thinking for themselves (hopefully, to help them leave a
> cult.) To accomplish this, you need to use communication to find out
> just who it is you’re trying to influence. This means getting to know
> and understand your loved one’s new mind controlled personality. It
> also means learning more about the real person underneath, if
> possible. Next, you need to use communication to build trust and
> rapport. Finally, you need to use communication to help the cult
> member begin to question, investigate and think for themselves.
> 
> 
> Key #3: Develop Models Of Identity
> 
> By gathering information, family members and friends can
> thoroughly research the cult member they hope to influence. In order
> to be most effective, three models, or mindsets, will need to be
> constructed.
> 
> The first model is who the person was before they joined—how
> they thought about themselves, the world, their relationships, their
> strengths and their weaknesses. This is the way they viewed all these
> aspects of their life. This information is best gathered from what
> they have written or have said to friends and relatives.
> 
> The second model is that of a typical cult member of that group.
> Any former member can provide a useful generic model of how members of
> the cult view reality. Former members can serve as coaches and teach
> you how to think like a cult member. Ideally, people can role-play
> what it feels like to be a cult member. Just as the actor rehearses
> their lines in character, what is important here is the
> characterization, even though the lines are impromptu. Different
> family members can take turns interacting with the “cult member” as
> well as “being” the cult member. The more they are able to role-play
> and practice, the better they will understand how the cult member
> thinks.
> 
> The third model is that of the specific person in the cult, as
> they are now. By contrasting this with the models of the generic cult
> member and the person’s real self, you can get a good idea when the
> person is being cultish, and when they are being their real self.
> Remember, though, that in every cult member, there is a war between
> their cult identity and their real identity. At any time, you may
> actually see the person switch back and forth.
> 
> Many cult members try to fight off their cult identities whenever
> they can. For example, in one cult, members were vegetarians and did
> not use drugs or alcohol. Yet I met several members from that group
> who told me they used to sneak off the communal property and drive 35
> miles so they could have a hamburger and a beer. If you have a good
> rapport with someone in a cult, you might discover and be able to make
> constructive use of this type of information.
> 
> When I am brought in to help with a rescue effort, I want to have
> as complete a sense of all three mindsets as possible before I meet
> with the cult member. Then, when I am with the person, I refine all
> three models by asking specific questions. Within three days, I am
> able to develop a sophisticated set of maps.
> 
> Like an actor, I am able to step into a role and imagine myself as
> the person I am counseling. I immerse myself in their reality.
> Throughout the counseling process, I switch back and forth among the
> mindsets. I test out the model of who the person is now—i.e., their
> cult personality—by anticipating how they will respond by having an
> imaginary conversation with them in my head. Then I ask the actual
> person the same question and note how accurately I was able to predict
> their response. As the interaction continues, I am able to refine this
> model more and more.
> 
> The faster I am able to create an accurate model of the person’s
> cult personality, the faster I can “become” them. Once I become them,
> I can then figure out what needs to be said or done to help them
> regain control over their life.
> 
> Ultimately, it is the person’s real identity that shows me how to
> unlock the doors. They tell me what keys are necessary to use, where
> to find them, and in what order to use them. This process of discovery
> can be demonstrated in the following interaction with a young member
> of a cult that stresses meditation, under the leadership of a man
> named Guru MaharajJi,[ibid] aka Prem Rawat.
> 
> 
> A Sample Rescue Effort: Gary and the Divine Light Mission[170]
> 
> A young man and I were both waiting for the bus. I noticed some
> brochures he was carrying.
> 
> “I’m curious,” I said. “How long have you been involved with
> Divine Light Mission?”
> 
> “For about seven years,” he answered. His eyes moved up slowly
> until they focused on mine.
> 
> “That’s a long time,” I said. “How old were you when you first got
> involved?” I tried to sound innocent, as though I were an old friend.
> 
> “I was 20.”
> 
> “Hi.” I said, giving my name, and holding out my hand to shake
> his. “I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. What’s your name?”
> 
> “My name is Gary,” he said, somewhat bewildered. He looked as
> though he didn’t know what to make of me.
> 
> “Gary, I’m just curious: what were you doing at that time in your life?”
> 
> “Why do you want to know?” he asked with a look of puzzlement.
> 
> “I love to talk to people who have made unorthodox choices in
> their life. I like trying to figure out why people do what they do,” I
> shrugged my shoulders a bit.
> 
> “Oh. Well, back then I was working for a construction company,
> putting up buildings.”
> 
> “Anything else?” I asked.
> 
> “Yeah, well, I liked to hang out with my friends. I was also into
> animals. I had two dogs, a cat, some tropical fish and a rabbit.” A
> warm smile lit up his face as he recalled his friends and his pets.
> 
> “You certainly were into animals. Was any one your favorite?” I asked.
> 
> “Well, my dog Inferno was pretty special. He and I used to be best buddies.”
> 
> “What made him so special?” I asked.
> 
> “He had an independent spirit. He loved adventure. He loved to go
> with me into the woods.” It was obvious to me that he missed his dog a
> great deal. I shared that I grew up with dogs and love them too. This
> increased rapport.
> 
> “So, you love an independent spirit. Do you admire anyone who
> stands up and does what they feel is right no matter what others say?”
> I was trying my best to empower Gary by reminding him of the qualities
> he used to admire.
> 
> “That’s right. Inferno did what he wanted to do. And I loved him
> for that, too.” Gary’s tone was somewhat defensive and self-righteous.
> 
> “So, Gary, tell me—what was it that made you decide that the
> Divine Light Mission was the group you wanted to spend your life in?”
> 
> “I never thought of it that way,” he said, his face growing sullen.
> 
> “Well then, what was it that got you involved?” I asked in an upbeat voice.
> 
> “At the time, my girlfriend Carol started going to satsang—you
> know, group meetings—and I went along. We listened to the people all
> talk so glowingly about their experience of Knowledge, and how high
> it made them feel.”
> 
> I continued to probe. “Did you decide to get initiated first, or did Carol?”
> 
> “She did. At first I thought the whole thing was a bit strange.
> But after she started meditating, I got curious and decided to do it,
> too.”
> 
> “What year was this?” I asked.
> 
> “1973.”
> 
> “And at the time, what did you think of Guru Maharaj Ji?”
> 
> “I thought he was this young dude from India who was going to
> usher in an age of world peace,” he said, with a touch of sarcasm.
> 
> “Were you at that big meeting at the Houston Astrodome?” I asked.
> 
> “Yes,” he answered.
> 
> “And what ever became of Carol?”
> 
> “I don’t know,” Gary said, his face darkening again. “We sort of
> broke up a few months after we got involved with the group.”
> 
> “When was the last time you spoke to her?” I asked.
> 
> “About four years ago she wrote me that she had decided to go back
> to school and wasn’t going to practice Knowledge anymore.”
> 
> “Why did she say that she wasn’t going to be part of the group anymore?”
> 
> “I don’t remember,” he said, staring at the pavement.
> 
> “So the person who got you involved left the group four years
> ago?” I repeated.
> 
> “Uh huh.”
> 
> “And you have never really sat down with her to find out why she
> left, after belonging to the group for three years?”
> 
> “Why are you looking at me like that?” Gary said, looking up at me.
> 
> I smiled, looked down, then looked him right in the eye. “Well, I
> don’t understand, Gary. If my ex-girlfriend left the group that she
> introduced me to, I would certainly want to sit down with her and find
> out everything I could from her. She must have had some really good
> reasons why she left after three years. And she obviously cared enough
> about you to contact you and let you know her decision.”
> 
> I paused. Gary stood there, silent. I waited some more. Then I
> continued, “I suppose there’s no way for you to get in touch with her
> anymore.”
> 
> “Actually, her parents probably live at the same address. I’m sure
> I could find it.”
> 
> My bus pulled up to the stop. “Might be a good idea. Well, I wish
> you good luck, Gary. It was really good talking to you. Thanks.”
> 
> He waved to me as my bus pulled away.
> 
> The preceding conversation demonstrates just how much can be done
> to help someone in a mind control cult in only a few minutes. During
> that time I was able to quickly establish rapport, collect very
> valuable information about Gary, and use what I learned to help him
> take a very important step away from his cult group.
> 
> If I had used a threatening or condescending tone, I would never
> have gotten anywhere with Gary. However, because I used a curious,
> interested tone, Gary was happy to kill some time and chat with a
> friendly stranger.
> 
> Once I found out how long Gary had been involved, l was able to
> quickly determine that he wasn’t enthusiastic about the cult. It was
> relatively easy for me to get Gary to reminisce about his pre-cult
> life. When he remembered what he had done before, he was able to
> reaccess his real identity and get in touch with how he thought, felt
> and acted before being indoctrinated. He not only remembered his
> favorite dog, but also talked about how he used to value an
> independent and adventurous spirit. This was a valuable resource—one
> he would need to help him walk away from a seven-year commitment to
> Guru Maharaj Ji.
> 
> Gary also remembered what he had first thought of the group before
> becoming involved. He stepped back in time and looked at the group
> with his pre-cult eyes, thinking that it was a bit weird. Back then he
> certainly never intended to join the group for life.
> 
> An important strategy for reality testing is to go back in time
> and ask, “If you had known then what you know now, would you have made
> the same decision?” For Gary, apparently the answer would have been
> no.
> 
> Then, as I was fishing for more information, Gary stunned me by
> telling me that Carol, who initially recruited him, had left the
> group. Since everyone under mind control has been made to be phobic
> about leaving the group, it didn’t surprise me that Gary didn’t know
> why she had left. Four years earlier, he was probably not able to
> consider talking with her. However, it was clear to me that Gary was
> still curious as to why Carol left the group. He was now at a point in
> his life where he was more open to this possibility. I gave him a
> nudge to go talk to Carol.
> 
> 
> My Own Experience of a Mini-interaction
> 
> When I first got out of the Moonies, I searched my memory for
> times when I had questions or doubts about the organization. I
> remembered several times when I was momentarily thinking outside the
> Moonie framework. Even though these experiences weren’t enough to get
> me to leave, they proved significant when I was being deprogrammed.
> 
> One experience involved a caring person I met by chance. During my
> first year as a cult member, I was fundraising on a steamy summer day
> in Manhattan. I approached a man who must have been in his sixties,
> and asked if he wanted to buy some flowers.
> 
> “What are you selling flowers for, young man?” he asked with a warm smile.
> 
> “For Christian youth programs,” I answered, hoping I could sell
> him a dozen carnations.
> 
> “My, my, you look very hot,” he said.
> 
> “Yes, sir. But this cause is very important, so I don’t mind.”
> 
> “How would you feel if I took you inside this coffee shop and
> bought you something cold to drink?” he asked.
> 
> I thought, This guy is nice, but he has to buy some flowers;
> otherwise he won’t have a connection to Father. Then I remembered
> Jesus saying that anyone who gives water to a thirsty person is doing
> the will of God.
> 
> “Just for five minutes,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “It
> will refresh you, so you’ll be able to sell even more flowers.”
> 
> “Okay. Thank you very much.”
> 
> We walked into the air-conditioned shop. It felt so good to be out
> of the sun.
> 
> When we sat down at a table, he said, “So, tell me a little about yourself.”
> 
> “Well, I grew up in an ethnically religious family in Queens.”
> 
> “Oh, so you’re ethnically religious,” he said with a warm smile. “Me, too,”
> 
> I thought that perhaps God had sent this person for me to “witness
> to” (a term we used for recruit). We had been instructed that while
> fundraising, we should never spend more than a couple of minutes with
> any one person. But since my main job was recruiting, and I had been
> sent out on Saturday to fundraise, maybe it was okay to spend a few
> extra minutes with him.
> 
> In the end, I must have spent at least half an hour with him. He
> got me to do most of the talking. During that time I became incredibly
> homesick—not only for my family and friends, but for playing
> basketball, writing poetry and reading books.
> 
> Before I left, he insisted that I call home and walked me to the
> phone. He put in the dime himself. I remember feeling that this man
> reminded me of my grandfather, someone I loved dearly. I didn’t have
> the willpower to refuse. Besides, it would look bad for the group if I
> refused to talk to my parents.
> 
> I spoke with my mom for a few minutes. After that, I felt that I
> had to pry myself away from this man. My cult identity was strongly
> exerting itself. I started to feel guilty that I hadn’t been out
> raising money and allowing people to “pay indemnity” and connect
> themselves to the Messiah.
> 
> But I was “spaced out” and couldn’t sell for the rest of the day.
> 
> Eventually, a Moonie leader told me that I had created a “bad
> condition” by going inside for a cold drink; that Satan had tempted
> me; and that I had failed. He told me that, in my weakness, I had
> crucified Jesus on the cross one more time. That evening I prayed and
> repented and tried to quash any memory of what had happened. I never
> thought of that experience again, until after I was deprogrammed.
> 
> Now, let’s take a look at another full-scale intervention, this
> time with a Krishna devotee.
> 
> 
> Phil and the Hare Krishnas/ Iskcon[171]
> 
> Although most Americans don’t realize it, the Hare Krishna sect,
> also known as ISKCON or the International Society for Krishna
> Consciousness, is still very much around even though its founder
> passed away in 1977.
> 
> Below is an account of my efforts with Phil, who had been a member
> of the Hare Krishna sect for over three years. Phil had become
> involved with the group about six months after his twin brother, Tom,
> was killed in an automobile accident while walking to a neighborhood
> store. The death hit his family hard, and sent Phil into a severe
> depression. He seriously contemplated suicide. He received medication
> and therapy, but nothing seemed to help him. Then one day, while
> walking downtown, he was approached by a Krishna. Not long afterward,
> he became a member.
> 
> I met Phil during one of his infrequent visits to his family, and
> was introduced as a family counselor who had been working with his
> parents and his two sisters for many months. I told Phil that I felt I
> needed to speak with him alone, before I could do any sessions with
> him and the whole family. I told him that in my view he was a very
> significant member of the family, and that his participation was badly
> needed.
> 
> After introducing myself to him, I suggested we go outside for a
> walk, so that we could get acquainted. He was dressed in full Krishna
> clothes, including sandals. I spent the first few minutes explaining
> my background as a counselor who specialized in communication
> strategies and family dynamics, and who was committed to helping
> people grow and enjoy better relationships with their loved ones. He
> told me that he now went by the name Gorivinda.
> 
> “So, Gorivinda—Phil (it is best to use the pre-cult name)—would
> you mind telling me about how you feel toward your family now?” I kept
> my hands in my pockets and my eyes directed toward the pavement.
> 
> “I don’t know,” he responded, shrugging his shoulders slightly.
> 
> “Well, are you happy with your present relationship with your
> mother? Your father? Your siblings?”
> 
> He answered, “Things have gotten a lot better since they stopped
> criticizing my religious commitment.”
> 
> “How do you feel when you come home for a visit?” I asked, as
> gently as possible.
> 
> “To be honest, it’s a bit strange,” he said.
> 
> I was glad at his response. “What do you mean?” I probed for more
> information.
> 
> “Well, it’s like coming to another world. It’s so different from
> devotional life at the temple.”
> 
> “Are there any good feelings you feel when you come home?”
> 
> “Yes,” he said warmly. “I love my parents and my sisters and
> brother very much.” Then he caught himself and added, “But they’re
> living in the material world.”
> 
> “I see,” I said, a bit disheartened that he had caught himself and
> injected the cult perspective. “Would you mind telling me about your
> twin brother and what his death meant to you?” I was hoping to steer
> him back into his pre-cult identity.
> 
> “Why?” he asked suspiciously.
> 
> “Because, as a mental health professional, I believe that your
> whole family is still suffering from that tragedy,” I commented,
> hoping he would accept my sincerity.
> 
> When I said that, Phil started to cry and choke up. I was struck
> by the power of his feelings. Then he stopped walking, put his hands
> together, and started rocking back and forth. He was chanting to shut
> himself down. Thought-stopping. After a few minutes he was recomposed.
> 
> “Tom and I were very close,” he said, already beginning to lose
> control of himself again.
> 
> “Tell me about him when he was alive. What was he like? What did
> he like to do?”
> 
> Phil’s face started to shine as be reminisced about his brother.
> “Tom was bright, energetic, had a great sense of humor. He was the
> more aggressive of the two of us. He helped motivate me to do things,
> all of the time.”
> 
> “Tell me, Phil, what do you think he would be doing today if he
> hadn’t had the car accident?” I was hoping to get Phil to think again
> about the kind of life Tom would have had
> 
> “That’s a hard one,” Phil answered.
> 
> “Do you think he would have joined the Krishnas?” I asked with a smile.
> 
> “No, never,” Phil said definitively. “Tom was never into religion
> much at all, although he was very spiritual.”
> 
> “So what do you think he would be doing?” I repeated.
> 
> “He always said that he wanted to go into the media—to work in
> television. He wanted to be an anchorman for the six o’clock news.”
> 
> “So he liked news. Did he like investigative journalism?” I knew
> that if he said yes, I would have another angle to work with later.
> 
> “That was his favorite!” he said.
> 
> Bingo. I decided to explore another angle first, though. I asked,
> “Back then, what did you see yourself doing?”
> 
> “Back then? I wanted to become a musician,” he said with enthusiasm.
> 
> “That’s right,” I said. “Your sister mentioned to me that you used
> to play electric guitar. You used to write songs, too.”
> 
> “Yeah.” I felt that Phil was making some of the important
> connections I was hoping he would make.
> 
> “So, did you want to have your own band and make records—the whole
> bit?” I wanted Phil to remember as much detail as he could.
> 
> “Sure. I loved music so much. I remember singing my songs with
> Tom. He would help me with the lyrics sometimes, too,” he said with
> considerable pride.
> 
> “So you could imagine being a successful musician, living a happy
> and spiritually fulfilled life?” I asked, nodding my head. I wanted
> him to create as powerful a mental image as he could.
> 
> “You bet!” Phil said, his eyes defocused. He was obviously
> enjoying what he was imagining.
> 
> “Can you imagine how good it feels to be up on stage, singing your
> songs, touching people with your creativity, making them happy?” I
> asked. I wanted Phil to get in touch with how good he would feel as a
> musician.
> 
> “Yes! It’s a wonderful feeling,” he said.
> 
> “Great. Just imagine enjoying your music, and perhaps see your
> friends there, too. They must admire and respect your talent a great
> deal. Perhaps you are even happily married, maybe have kids.” I knew
> that I was taking a risk, but he seemed to enjoy adding the wife and
> kids to his fantasy. I waited a few minutes in silence until Phil
> returned from his pleasant imaginary voyage.
> 
> “Now I have another question.” I paused for a deep breath. “What
> do you think Tom would say now if he saw you in the Hare Krishnas?”
> 
> I have to admit I was caught off guard, when Phil burst into
> intense sobbing, which continued for a full five minutes. By this time
> we were sitting together in a quiet park. Phil clutched his chest and
> rocked back and forth. The loud crying seemed to echo from deep
> within. I debated with myself whether or not to put my arm around Phil
> and console him; I decided not to interrupt. Eventually, he stopped
> and collected himself once more. I looked compassionately at Phil and
> decided to try the question again.
> 
> “Really, what would you tell Tom?” I asked.
> 
> Phil wiped his eyes and stated quite categorically. “I don’t want
> to talk about it anymore, okay?”
> 
> I nodded and remained silent for a while. I decided to let him
> think about the question some more, hoping he would answer it within
> himself. I suggested we get up and walk some more. I wanted him to
> shift his frame of mind.
> 
> “There are a few more things I would like to discuss with you
> before we go back to the house.” I started up again. “If you could put
> yourself in your parents’ shoes, how would you feel to lose a son?”
> 
> “What?” he asked looking up at me.
> 
> “Imagine being your mother,” I said. “She carried Tom and you,
> gave birth to both of you, nursed, diapered, washed both of you. Cared
> for you when you were sick. Played with you, taught you, watched you
> grow to adulthood. Can you feel what it must have been like for her to
> lose Tom?”
> 
> “Yes. It was horrible,” he said. He was, indeed, talking as though
> he was his mother.
> 
> “And your father. Can you stop and think about what it was like
> for him?” I added.
> 
> Phil said. “Dad was always the closest to Tom. It hit him real hard.’’
> 
> “Yes,” I said. “Now can you imagine what it felt like to watch
> your other son become suicidally depressed and then a few months later
> change his name, shave his head, and move in with a controversial
> group?”
> 
> “It would be horrible,” he repeated. “I would feel angry. I would
> feel like I lost two sons.”
> 
> “That’s exactly how they told me they felt,” I said. “Can you see
> that now? That is why they were so critical of the group when you got
> involved.”
> 
> I paused and let him think for a few more moments before I went
> on. “I’m curious to know what was going on in your mind when you first
> met the member of the group. What was it that caught your attention
> and attracted you to learn more?” I asked.
> 
> Phil looked up at the sky for a moment, looked down at the ground,
> took a deep sigh, and said, “Well, when he asked me why I looked so
> depressed, I told him about Tom’s death. I told him that I just
> couldn’t understand why it would happen to such a wonderful person. It
> just didn’t seem right. He began to explain the laws of karma to me
> and how this material world is just illusion anyway, and how I should
> be happy that Tom left his material consciousness, so that he could
> come back as a more highly evolved being in his next life.”
> 
> “I see—so the devotee helped you understand what had happened to
> Tom in a way that took away your fear and confusion,” I said.
> 
> “And guilt,” he added.
> 
> “And guilt?” I probed.
> 
> “Yes, you see, I had asked Tom to go to the store that day to buy
> me another guitar string. He was on his way there when he was killed,”
> Phil said.
> 
> “So you blamed yourself for his death because you figured that if
> you hadn’t asked him to go to the store, he never would have been in
> the accident?” I asked.
> 
> “I guess so,” Phil said, sadly.
> 
> It occurred to me that I had better try to offer Phil some other
> perspectives on the incident. I began by saying; “If Tom had been
> killed in a swimming accident, at the far end of the lake, would you
> have blamed yourself for not staying closer to him?”
> 
> He thought for a moment. “Maybe.”
> 
> “Can you imagine any way Tom could have died that wouldn’t have
> been your fault?” I asked.
> 
> He paused again before answering. “I guess not. But the fact
> remains that he was going to the store for me.”
> 
> “Is it possible that he also had some other things to buy, or some
> other errands to run? Is it possible that he decided to take a
> different route to the store than he ordinarily took, and that was
> where the accident occurred?” I asked.
> 
> Phil seemed nonplussed.
> 
> “How would Tom feel, now, if it had been you who had gone to the
> store one day and were killed in a car accident?” I asked. “Would he
> get depressed, think about committing suicide, and then join the Hare
> Krishnas?”
> 
> Phil laughed.
> 
> I knew this was a bull’s-eye. Within a few minutes it was Phil who
> started asking me questions.
> 
> “How do you feel about the Krishnas, Steve?” Phil asked.
> 
> I thought he was genuinely trying to test his “reality,” not just
> trying to find fault with me and write me off.
> 
> “Boy. That’s a tough one,” I said, scratching my head.
> 
> He then said, “I want to know.”
> 
> “My role as a professional, Phil, is to do counseling and not to
> make value judgments on what people do with their lives. I do have
> personal feelings though,” I said.
> 
> “I want to know what you think personally,” said Phil, quietly.
> 
> “Well, to be honest, I am very concerned. You see, fourteen years
> ago I myself joined a religious group that my family disapproved of. I
> too had been depressed before I met the members and wasn’t completely
> sure what I wanted to do with my life. Back then, I thought that they
> were trying to interfere with my rights as an adult to choose what I
> wanted to do.”
> 
> “What group?” Phil asked, with curiosity.
> 
> I decided to give the formal name first. “The Holy Spirit
> Association for the Unification of World Christianity. It is also
> known as the Unification Church,” I said. “Anyway, I was a devoted
> member of the group for more than two years. I slept three hours a
> night, and even did several seven-day fasts, drinking just water.”
> 
> “That’s a long fast,” Phil said admiringly. I could tell that he
> was listening to every word I said.
> 
> “Yeah. I lost an average of fifteen pounds at the end of the week.
> Anyway, in my group we revered the leader as one of the greatest
> spiritual masters who has ever lived. In fact, we believed that he had
> met with Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Krishna and every other great
> spiritual leader.”[172]
> 
> “You believed that?” He was amazed.
> 
> “Yes. We believed in a spirit world. In fact, we believed that
> whenever someone died, like Tom, it was to pay indemnity for some past
> sin in the person’s lineage. In this way, another member of the family
> could join the group, serve the man we revered as the living Messiah,
> and then later intervene to save the person who had passed on to the
> spirit world. In this way, God could not only restore the whole world
> back to its original state of goodness, but restore all of the
> spiritual beings in the spirit world who were unable to advance
> without earthly ‘vitality elements’ provided by those on earth.”
> 
> Phil’s jaw hung open a bit. He asked, “You really believed that?”
> 
> “At the time, absolutely,” I said. “You see, in the Church,
> members were not allowed to ask critical questions of anything the
> leader said or did. We were taught to believe that anything that
> challenged the leader or the group’s beliefs was ‘negative’ and was
> caused by evil spirits. We were taught to do thought-stopping to shut
> down our minds. In my group we did this by praying intensely as well
> as chanting whenever we started to doubt, or whenever we felt
> homesick.”[173] “What was the name of the group again?” he asked.
> 
> “The Unification Church,” I said. “You probably know it as the Moonies.”
> 
> “You were in the Moonies? No—I don’t believe it!” Phil exclaimed.
> 
> “It’s true. In fact, I was a devoted follower of Sun Myung Moon. I
> would have gladly died on command, if he had told me to,” I replied.
> 
> “That’s incredible!” Phil said.
> 
> “Not only that, but we were literally made to feel that if we ever
> left the group our lives would fall to pieces,” I continued. “We were
> told that we would be betraying God, the Messiah, ten generations of
> our ancestors—the whole world, in fact—if we ever left. We were told
> that all of our relatives now in the spirit world would accuse us
> throughout eternity for betraying God.[174] It was quite a heavy trip.
> We were told to avoid all former members because they were controlled
> by evil. If someone we were close to left the group, we were made to
> feel that he or she was now a Benedict Arnold and was possessed by
> demonic spirits.[175] Can you put yourself in my shoes and imagine
> what I felt when I was in there?”
> 
> “Yes.’’ Phil said. “Amazing. How did you get out?”
> 
> “Well, I was in an automobile accident in which I was almost
> killed,” I said. “After two weeks in the hospital and an operation on
> my leg, I was able to get permission to go visit my sister. She had
> given birth to my nephew over a year earlier, but I had never seen
> him. I had never been able to get permission from my central figure.
> Anyway, my parents hired some former Moonies to come talk with me.”
> 
> “Didn’t you try to resist?’’ asked Phil.
> 
> “Of course. I had been taught in the group about deprogramming,” l
> said. “I was told that they would torture me and try to break my faith
> in God. Of course I tried to get away, but, with a broken leg and no
> crutches, I couldn’t get very far.”
> 
> “So then, what made you decide to leave?” said Phil. I could see
> he really wanted to know.
> 
> I explained to him all the things I had learned during my
> intervention. I told him I had realized that former members still
> loved God and were genuinely good people. I described them as people
> who had decided to leave the group, because they no longer wanted to
> follow a demagogue who was interested in creating a world in which
> everyone was identical in thought, feeling and action. The ex-members
> told me of their belief that God gave them free will, so that they
> could choose to do the right thing, and not be forced by mind control
> to do what the leader thought was right. I told him that any group
> that told its members not to think, but rather to obey their leaders
> blindly, was dangerous. I told him that any organization that told
> members not to talk to former members or read critical information was
> exercising information control—an essential component of mind control.
> 
> I told him that during my counseling I began to remember specific
> questions I had buried, and specific contradictions that l had
> observed, but had never had time to ponder, while I was surrounded by
> members, because as a “good” member I had to use thought-stopping
> nearly all the time. Once encouraged to get in touch with who I really
> was and rethink my entire experience objectively, I was able to see
> that I had really been very unhappy in the group: I had given up my
> individuality, my creativity, my autonomy.
> 
> “I was also involved in bringing others in the group and forcing
> them to be the same way. I had a lot of guilt over things that I had
> done while a member, Phil.”
> 
> We talked for a long time before we went back to the house. I told
> the family that maybe we should take a few hours out before we started
> family counseling. Not surprisingly, Phil wanted to be by himself for
> a while and do some thinking.
> 
> The family counseling that took place later built on the work I
> had done with Phil. By the time we stopped for the evening, the family
> had communicated their intense desire to Phil that he give himself a
> chance to really listen to the “whole story.” Phil agreed to spend
> several days listening and talking to former members, and
> re-evaluating his involvement in the Hare Krishna group. Several
> people were brought in to assist him in this process. I was able to
> help the family resolve some of their pain and conflict, and Phil
> eventually made the decision to leave the cult.
> 
> I’m very happy to report that Phil is presently pursuing a career in music.
> 
> 
> For Every Lock There Is a Key
> 
> In my intervention with Phil, I built rapport, used goal-oriented
> techniques of communication, and developed models of his identity. I
> also deliberately tried to get Phil to look at his situation from
> another perspective. I then intentionally applied the keys to the
> remaining locks of his mind control, and he responded positively.
> These keys can often reach into the deepest levels of a person,
> beneath any mind control virus, into the hardware of their real self.
> Phil’s sudden collapse into cathartic sobbing and surrounding his pain
> and guilt of his twin’s sudden death was his key. The changes these
> keys unlock can be profound.
> 
> 
> Key #4: Put the Person in Touch With Their Real Identity
> 
> When a person begins to remember who they were before becoming a
> cult member, I am able to re-anchor them to a time when there was no
> cult identity and, consequently, no mind control. I enable the person
> to review what they thought and felt at each stage of the recruitment
> process. Almost always, the person had significant doubts or questions
> at the time, but these were long ago suppressed.
> 
> It is within this pre-cult personality that I can learn exactly
> what the person needs to see, hear or feel in order to walk away from
> the group. For some people, this can be seeing how their leader
> misinterprets the Bible. For others, it may be to learn about the cult
> leader’s criminal background and dealings. For still others, it is to
> be shown specific contradictions within the group’s doctrine.
> Contradictions in the leader’s biography can also be pivotal. For
> instance, Scientology’s creator, Ron Hubbard, claimed in My
> Philosophy, issued in 1965, that he had been lamed with ‘physical
> injuries to hip and back’ and ‘blinded with injured optic nerves’ at
> the end of WWII, but this is contradicted by a 1957 lecture, where he
> claimed to have won a fight against three petty officers, only two
> weeks before the war finished.[176]
> 
> The question, “How will you know when it’s time for you to leave
> the group?” can help to reveal that individual’s bottom-line
> criterion. Will they leave if God tells them to? Will they leave if
> they discover that they’ve been lied to? As soon as a member can tell
> me explicitly what they would need to know to leave the group, then I
> can try my best to find them the proof they require.
> 
> In Phil’s case, before joining the Hare Krishnas he was a
> depressed, suicidal person wracked with guilt because he felt
> responsible for his brother’s death. If I hadn’t been able to help him
> face his feelings and reframe his brother’s fatal accident, he never
> would have been able to leave the group. (One could speculate that, on
> some unconscious level, he was punishing himself for his “sin” by
> being involved in the group.) Until he could rethink the circumstances
> of his brother’s death and verbalize what he felt, he would never be
> able to take a fresh step forward.
> 
> In this, and other cases like it, if the individual was not happy
> or healthy just before joining the group, it is imperative to find
> some positive reference point for the person to use as an identity
> anchor. If there are no strong positive experiences to use for this
> purpose, then one has to be either created or cultivated.
> 
> Imagination can be used to create positive experiences. For
> example, one might ask, “If you had had a warm, loving family, what
> would it feel like?” or “If your dad had been everything you wanted
> when you were growing up, what qualities would he have had, and what
> kinds of things would you want to do together?”
> 
> In order for Phil to even consider leaving the Krishnas, he needed
> to remember his previous, authentic self, and recall how good it felt
> to play guitar, write songs and have fun with his friends and family.
> He needed to remember Tom as a person full of life, not just as a
> victim. In Phil’s inner life, he was able to resurrect Tom—his desire
> to be an investigative journalist, his dislike of organized religion,
> and his assertive stance toward life. Since twins are almost always
> extremely close, it was imperative that Phil reestablish his positive
> emotional link with Tom.
> 
> 
> Key #5: Get the Cult Member to Look at Reality From Many Different
> Perspectives
> 
> During my interaction with Phil, I asked him to look at himself
> from a variety of viewpoints. When I asked Phil to switch
> perspectives, and think like Tom, a dramatic shift occurred. I asked
> him, “What would Tom do, if you were the one who had died? Would he
> have joined the Krishnas?” Phil had become so frozen by grief that he
> had never been able to find a perspective on it. When I asked him,
> “What would Tom say, if he knew you were in the Krishnas?” the answer
> came back, “He’d laugh at me and tell me to rejoin the real world.”
> 
> Another important perspective I wanted Phil to have was that of
> his parents. He needed to connect with their grief and sense of
> loss. Phil had been so wrapped up in his own pain that he hadn’t
> realized how deeply everyone else had been affected. Indeed, his
> parents had kept themselves together in order to help their children.
> As a result, they had never been able to go through all the stages of
> mourning properly.
> 
> Helping Phil remember and process the experience of being
> recruited into the cult was also important. When I asked him to
> verbalize what he thought and felt when he first met the devotee,
> Phil’s long-suppressed guilt feelings about asking Tom to buy him the
> guitar string came to the surface, for the first time in years.
> Furthermore, by recalling his recruitment, Phil was able to remember
> some of the questions and doubts he had at the time. He also
> remembered that when he first started chanting, it made the pain go
> away. He remembered thinking at the time, This is a whole lot better
> than feeling suicidal.
> 
> In all rescue efforts, it is important to introduce different
> perspectives. Each time a cult member takes a different perspective,
> the cult’s hold on them is weakened.
> 
> In addition to asking a person to remember who they were before
> joining the group, it can also be quite valuable to ask them to
> imagine the future. What will they be like in a year, two years, five
> years, or even ten years? What do they realistically see themselves
> doing then? Selling flowers on street corners? If not, how would they
> feel if they were unable to do anything but sell flowers on the street
> in ten years?
> 
> Another valuable perspective can also be that of the cult’s
> leader. In one rescue effort, I asked a Moonie, “If you were the
> Messiah, would you live the way Sun Myung Moon is living—in a palatial
> mansion, with two $250,000 personal yachts, limousines and an array of
> high-end luxuries?” She answered, “Definitely not. I would give all my
> money to help the poor. I would live very simply.” I was then able to
> ask her why she thought Moon lived as he did. She told me, “It
> troubles me. It has always troubled me!” Most cult leaders lead
> opulent lives, while their followers live relatively poorly.
> 
> When I told Phil what it felt like to be in the Moonies, I
> especially tried to convey what it felt like to be around Moon—the
> excitement, the honor, the awe. I could have asked him to imagine what
> it feels like to be a Moonie who believes that Moon is ten times
> greater than Jesus Christ, to feel the incredible honor of living on
> earth and meeting the Messiah in person. When Phil stepped into the
> shoes of a Moonie, his experience as a Krishna devotee was altered
> forever.
> 
> Each time the member is able to step out of his shoes and into the
> shoes of another—whether a member of a different group, or even his
> parents or his leader—he is weakening his psychological rigidity.
> Indeed, encouraging a cult member psychologically to take another
> perspective enables him to test his reality. In this process, the
> virus of mind control that they have been infected with, is exposed to
> healing light.
> 
> The way to undo blind faith is to introduce new perspectives.
> 
> 
> Key #6: Sidestep the Thought-Stopping Process by Giving
> Information in an Indirect Way
> 
> Every person in a cult has been programmed to stop all negative
> thoughts about the cult’s leader, its doctrine or the organization
> itself. This thought-stopping process is triggered whenever the person
> feels that someone is attacking the validity of the group. In this
> way, thought-stopping acts as a shield to be held up against any
> perceived enemy. They have also been indoctrinated to believe that
> their group is superior to all other groups and distinct from all
> other groups.
> 
> However, a cult member does not use thought-stopping when there is
> no perception of danger. Since the person believes that they are not
> in a cult, but that certain other groups are cults, it is relatively
> easy to have long, detailed conversations with them about cults
> without them ever feeling that you are attacking their leader or their
> group.
> 
> Therefore, the way to communicate with a cult member is
> indirectly. If the person is a member of The Way International, they
> will not feel threatened in the least if you tell them about the
> Moonies. If you’re talking with a member of the Moonies, they will not
> feel threatened if you tell them about The Way. In this way it becomes
> possible to outline mind control processes and techniques in a soft,
> subtle manner. Meanwhile, you will provide the person’s
> unconscious—their real self—with some essential frames of reference to
> begin to analyze what has happened to them.
> 
> Notice that in Phil’s case I was careful not to attack the
> Krishnas. If I had done so, he probably would have become defensive
> and started chanting; if I had kept up my attack, he would have walked
> away. All the information I gave him was based on the Moonies and
> other groups. This indirect method of conveying information bypasses
> the thought-stopping mechanism.
> 
> 
> Key #7: Help the Person Visualize a Happy Future Outside the Cult
> 
> Phobia indoctrination—fear of ever leaving the group—is usually
> accomplished on an unconscious level. The cult identity never thinks
> of leaving the group. Indeed, they are perpetually happy, enthusiastic
> and obedient to their superiors. It is the authentic self which has
> been enslaved.
> 
> I helped Phil begin to unlock the phobia indoctrination, by asking
> him to visualize a picture of the future that he would really
> enjoy—playing music, friends, a wife, kids, being close to his family.
> Then I asked him to step into the picture and enjoy the experience. By
> doing this, I was helping Phil open a door out of the Krishnas. This
> simple visualization technique began to dismantle his phobia
> indoctrination. It became a bridge to another possible life.
> 
> In other cases, I often ask cult members, “If you had never met
> this group, and you were doing exactly what you wanted to be doing,
> what would that be?” I usually have to repeat the question several
> times. “Really, just imagine, if you were doing exactly what you
> wanted to be doing, so that you were totally happy, spiritually and
> personally fulfilled, and you never knew the group even existed, what
> would you be doing?”
> 
> The answers vary. “I’d be a doctor and work in a clinic serving
> poor people.” “I’d be a tennis pro.” “I’d be sailing around the
> world.”
> 
> Once the person verbalizes the fantasy, I try to persuade them to
> step inside their visualization of a new life, and become emotionally
> involved in it. I am then able to begin neutralizing their programmed
> negative fears about doing something outside the cult. Once this
> positive personal reference point is established, the cult-generated
> picture of a dark, disaster-filled life outside the group begins to
> change.
> 
> When a positive picture is in place, a bridge to other
> possibilities opens. People outside the group can be seen as warm and
> loving. Lots of interesting things can be learned outside the group.
> There are lots of pleasures to be experienced. Religious and spiritual
> fulfillment can be found.
> 
> Once the outside world is seen as potentially filled with positive
> experiences, the cult loses some control over the person’s sense of
> reality. They are then in a better position to decide whether they
> want to stay where they are or do something more valuable and
> fulfilling.
> 
> 
> Key #8: Offer the Cult Member Concrete Definitions of Mind Control
> and Specific Characteristics of a Destructive Cult
> 
> My intervention with Phil shows the importance of giving a cult
> member specific information about cults. Because I established good
> rapport with Phil, I was able to get a lot of personal information
> from him, so that I could better help him. In the process, Phil became
> curious about me and wanted to know my opinions.
> 
> At that point, I was able to convey specific information about
> cults and mind control through my own story of being in the Moonies. I
> was able to explain what happened during my deprogramming, and show
> how it enabled me to understand that I had been subjected to mind
> control and that, in fact, I was in a destructive cult.
> 
> In my own case, until my counselors taught me what the Chinese
> Communists of the 1950s were doing, I did not truly understand the
> process of “brainwashing.” Until my counselors were able to show me
> how other destructive cults, like the Krishnas,[177] were structured
> in the same authoritarian manner as the Unification Church, I had
> believed that the Moonies were different from any other group.
> 
> I was also able to show Phil that, as strange as they sounded,
> some of the Moonies’ beliefs did seem to make sense, if you believed
> in Moon and therefore the whole doctrine. I made sure to include the
> Moonies’ view on accidental deaths, so he could see that there were
> alternative belief systems that offered other explanations. It was
> also important for him to see that there are other groups which are
> led by people claiming to be spiritually superior. When I eventually
> told him that there were over 3000 cult groups, and that if one of
> them was in fact led by the one legitimate great leader (which I
> seriously doubted), then the odds that he would have found the right
> one on the first pick were 3000 to one. Not very good odds.
> 
> I also showed him that I had been a dedicated cult member, and
> that I chose to leave the group for the “right” reasons. I wanted to
> challenge his indoctrination that people who leave do so because they
> are weak or undisciplined, or want to indulge in materialism. I wanted
> him to know that I left the Unification Church out of strength and
> integrity. I came to see objectively what I had been doing. I had
> devoted myself to a fantasy created in the Moonie indoctrination
> workshops. I thought I was following the Messiah—the person who would
> be able to end war, poverty, disease and corruption, and establish a
> Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. I didn’t mind sacrificing myself for these
> noble causes. I thought that as a member, I was teaching people the
> ultimate standard of love and truth, and living an exemplary life.
> 
> Instead, I realized that I had learned to compromise my integrity
> in the name of God. I realized that the higher I rose in the
> organization, and the closer I got to Moon, the more obsessed I
> became. Power had become almost an addiction, and I began making
> choices based on what would protect and enhance my power, not on what
> was morally right.
> 
> I left when I realized that deception and mind control can never
> be part of any legitimate spiritual movement, and that through their
> use, the group had created a virtual Hell on Earth, a kingdom of
> slaves. Once I was able to realize that even though I wanted to
> believe that Moon was the Messiah and the Divine Principle was Truth,
> my belief didn’t make it true. I saw that, even if I remained in the
> group for another 50 years, the fantasy I was sacrificing myself for
> would never come true.
> 
> By being given clear definitions of mind control, I was able to
> see clearly how I had been victimized and how I had learned to
> victimize others. I personally had to come to terms with my own
> values, beliefs and ideals. Once I did that, even though I had
> invested so much of myself in the group, become a leader, and
> developed close bonds with many members, I had to walk away. I could
> never go back to becoming a “true believer” again.
> 
> 
> Endnotes for Chapter 10
> 170. Elan Vital, Inc. is a newer name than Divine Light Mission.
> See Michael Finch’s Without the Guru: How I took my life back after
> thirty years, (Babbling Brook Press 2009).
> http://www.MikeFinch.comhttp://www.ex-premie.org/pages/hinduismtoday83.htmhttp://www.apologeticsindex.org/r23.htmlhttp://arthurchappell.me.uk/cults-divine.light.mission.htm
> 171. Steven J. Gelberg’s, India In A Mind’s Eye: Travels and
> Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim, (Spiraleye Press, 2012) and
> http://surrealist.org/betrayalofthespirit/gelberg.htmlEx-Krishna Nori
> Muster’s Betrayal Files
> http://surrealist.org/betrayalofthespirit/betrayalfiles.html And her
> book, Betrayal of the Spirit: My Life behind the headlines of the Hare
> Krishna Movement. Urbana: U of Illinois, 1997. Print.
> 172. Indemnity and Unification,” Master Speaks (Feb 14, 1974),
> 11-12.Christopher Edwards, Crazy for God (Englewood Cliffs, New
> Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1979), 173-174.
> 173. Douglas Lenz, “Twenty-two Months as a Moonie,” Lutheran
> Church of America Partners (Feb 1982). 14.
> 174. Steve Kemperman, Lord of the Second Advent (Ventura,
> California: Regal Books, 1982), 87.
> 175. Ibid.
> 176. Hubbard, PAB No. 124, (15 November 1957), Communication and Isness.
> 177. John Hubner and Lindsay Gruson, “Dial Om for Murder,” The
> Rolling Stone (April 9, 1987), 53.