Brainwashing

Many people have come to use the terms "brainwashing" or "mind control" to explain the otherwise intuitively puzzling success of some methodologies for the religious conversion of inductees to new religious movements (including cults).

The term "brainwashing" is not widely used in psychology and other sciences, because of its vagueness and history of being used in propaganda, not to mention its association with hysterical fears of people being taken over by foreign ideologies. It is often more helpful to analyze "brainwashing" as a combination of manipulations to promote persuasion and attitude change, propaganda, coercion, capture-bonding, and restriction of access to neutral sources of information. Note that many of these techniques are more subtly used (usually unconsciously) by advertisers, governments, schools, parents and peers, so the aura of exoticism around "brainwashing" is undeserved. At the same time, nuanced forms of indoctrination and propaganda in religious,political and commercial venues may occasion wider and deeper impacts than do outright coercive tactics. Mirroring George Orwell's doublespeak, strategists of indoctrination and propaganda frequently disguise themselves as promoters of freedom and liberation.

Thought reform is the alteration of a person's basic attitudes and beliefs by outside manipulation. The term usually relates closely to brainwashing and mind control.

I just sit here and wonder if and when under this newly found religous epiphany its members will treck down to Guyanna and pass out the kool aid.

It is not that these people who fall into the trap of this religous programming are inherantly bad people. On the contrary, they are average everday people like you and me who need to feel accepted. The need to know that their beliefs, their actions are approved en masse. They may not find this acceptance and approval from their current circle of family or friends, in fact they may never have. For them it is far easier (psychologically and emotionally speaking) to join a group and be of the group whatever that group may be than to walk to the beat of their own drummer.

Within the group and conforming to the group they find something they have longed for....acceptance and approval.

So when someone says "God is great" or "God is very good" or something similar I can only feel disgust and pity for those people who drivel such nonsense....for it is this utterance that every suicide bomber and terrorist brings to his lips when taking a life. It was said on 9/11 as each plane crashed in a fiery death to all. It was said by the executioners when Daniel Pearl was beheaded. It was said when a roadside IED was detonated to take out a convoy of American Troops.

Those words in Arabic.... ALLAH AKBAR