The Brainwashing

Are you being brainwashed? In a post by Stella Morabito (see source below, it is worth the read), she tells the story of Patricia Hearst, who within two months was brainwashed into a totally different person. There were a number of things that she went through but here are some of the techniques her kidnappers ("Symbionese Liberation Army") used:

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patty_Hearst.

• Formed a cycle of "...isolation, threats, and humiliation, punctuated by a little peace (reward) for compliance [this] broke down Hearst’s sense of self." She lost freewill.
• "stimulated in her an overwhelming sense of dependency"

Marabito goes on and notes what Singer, a psychiatrists who eventually became involved with Patricia's recovery, says on how people are brainwashed:

• "Keep the person unaware that there is an agenda to control or change the person and their thoughts"
• "Control time and physical environment"
• "Create a sense of powerlessness, fear, and dependency"
• "Suppress old behavior and attitudes"
• "Instill new behavior and attitudes"
• "Put forth a closed system of logic"

The following are things that people use to brainwash groups of people. These are used by governments, social group leaders, some religious leaders and many charismatic leaders. Sadly these work, usually for devious outcomes.

• "The atmosphere of coercion is reinforced by peer-modeled behavior." This is the good old peer pressure technique. Go into any group gathering or school and you will see this in practice.
• "...you are exposed to a slogan often enough, you will repeat it, even if you don’t understand what it means." I'm convinced that this point alone is very dangerous. There are many slogans that may have some good and some truth, however, many that are used are used for devious purposes and used to shut people up and stop questions from being asked.
• "...a climate in which the agenda is seen as an elitist movement for those who are enlightened. Those who oppose the agenda are labeled as lesser beings." Usually this is not stated outright, but a culture of ignoring one or placing one at a lower level with a derogatory label is often used.
• “collective belief formation –describing how implausible opinions can be manufactured through a system of social/reputational punishments and rewards." Even illogical conclusions are twisted to sound logical. If one dissents, one is punished.

So what are the best ways to protect yourself? Again, Marabito gives some tips to prepare yourself and help guard against mass brainwashing:

• "techniques 'should be studied and revealed so that citizens can be taught countermeasures in order to avoid being exploited by such groups.'" In other words, know the techniques.
• "Education, information and vigilance are constantly needed if we are to keep us, and our minds, free.” The more you know the truth, stronger you will be.
• Expand your "one-on-one personal relationships and conversations. This is where our power lies..." Form connections. You will find you are not alone in your defence. 
• "...remaining silent about our beliefs when we are being abused is that we actually dig our own hole deeper. Every dissenter feels alone, perhaps even in a roomful of dissenters. Every fence sitter resigns himself to signing on with the perceived 'majority.'" In other words, speak!
• "When unanimity is punctured, the group’s power is greatly reduced." The power here lies in the fact that when there is an outcry, the brainwasher's loses some of the control.

In your life watch out for others pressuring you to keep quiet, telling you not talk to others about topics, discouraging you from asking questions, the use catch phrases used without definitions given and "norms" that you are expected to hold to even if they make no sense. Be concerned if your pursuit of knowledge and information is discouraged against. Use the tools given here to prepare yourself for the war on your mind. Know the truth, gain knowledge, ask questions, talk to others and understand the techniques people use to brainwash others. Last but not least, pray for wisdom and discernment!



All quotes came from the following source: http://thefederalist.com/2014/04/15/cults-in-our-midst-patty-hearst-and-the-brainwashing-of-america/

Confidence In Conversation

Should I talk to Non Believers?

Are you afraid to talk to atheists, agnostics, people from other religions and nominal Christians? If there is a God and the Bible is true, then its message compels us to talk to others while living a godly life. We can avoid pitfalls in interaction through learning. This is one aspect of being a disciple of Christ's, learning how to interact. One bad experience can cause some to give up. This is wrong, we can and should be talking and living as Christ commanded. With proper knowledge and wisdom, we can overcome four types of pitfalls.

Losing focus.

Stay focused. 1) Some focus on wining the discussion. Maybe because of pride, lack of understanding or lack of training. Rather, present the truth for the other's benefit, giving them something to think about with love and gentleness. 2) Getting side tracked on "rabbit trails" should be avoided. Keep returning to the central simple issue at hand. 3) Some seem to focus on peripheral Christian topics. Rather, build the foundation first and keep the "in house" topics of Christianity "in house". Focus on the foundation such as the fundamentals of biblical teaching and core world view issues.

Not knowing what you believe and why.

Know what you believe and why. Being well read gives you the knowledge and helps you learn from other's mistakes and knowledge. When one has the truth, one need not be ashamed. This knowledge gives you confidence and it helps you spot error. Knowing what you believe and why may take some work. This may be necessary before getting to the central issues. Having a grasp of what "non-believers" believe helps you with confidence as well.

Not knowing how to interact.

Baseless ascertains, wrong tactics and catch phrases are all dangerous. Sarcastic and antagonistic attitudes  aimed to those on the other side never helps, respect does wonders. Shun Christian lingo, people need clarity, not "foreign language." Never get angry, you are not here to win, you are here to help show the way - eventually to Christ and his kingdom. Follow the example of Christ, Paul and Apollos. Your character and behavior matters from both God's and other's perspective!

Not understanding

You will never know everything so ask questions to learn. Ask clarification questions so you don't misrepresent another. When another makes a claim, allow the other to provide evidence for that claim by asking for it. Only after that should you give your commentary. A Knowledgeable person can many times spot weakness in reasoning when one holds to a world view other then biblical. Allow questions to point out these weakness if possible. Jesus did this. Questions are powerful.

I have noticed that some are used to making unsubstantiated assertions. When asked clarification questions or for evidence, these people may not like it because they are taken off guard. This makes them think, which is good. Also, it means that questions are a powerful tools, so be careful, they can be dangerous if not done with grace, mercy and love.