As I have come to see it, mind control may be largely understood by analysis of the three components described by Leon Festinger, a psychologist, in what has become known as the "cognitive dissonance theory." These components are control of behavior, control of thoughts and control of emotions.

Each component has a powerful effect on the other two: change one, and the others will tend to follow. Succeed in changing all three, and the individual will be swept away. However, from my experience in researching destructive cults, I have added one additional component which is vital: control of information. If you control the information someone receives, you restrict his free ability to think for himself. I call these factors the four components of mind control, and they serve as the basic reference points for how mind control works. (p. 59)

Cognitive dissonance theory is not as forbidding as its name might sound. In 1950, Festinger summarized its basic principle thus: If you change a person's behavior, his thoughts and feelings will change to minimize the dissonance.

What did Festinger mean by "dissonance?" In basic terms, he was referring to the conflict which occurs when a thought, a feeling or a behavior is altered in contradiction to the other two. A person can tolerate only a certain amount of discrepancy between his thoughts, feelings and actions, which after all make up different components of his identity. Festinger's theory states, and much research since has proved, that if any one of the three components changes, the other two will shift to reduce the dissonance (p.59).

According to Festinger, a person needs to maintain order and meaning in his or her life. He needs to think he is acting according to his self-image and values. If his behavior changes for any reason, his self-image and values change to match. The important thing to recognize about cult groups is that they deliberately create dissonance in  people this way and exploit it to control them (p.60).

Jesus commanded his followers to make his standards their standards (Jn 8:32). The moment one does this, dissonance results. Only by making himself the standard of righteousness can a person avoid dissonance in his life.

What Festinger called "dissonance," Christians might also call "guilt." When one's behavior is different from what one knows is right, a dissonance or guilt exists. Due to human imperfection, some dissonance will always exist in a Christian (1 John 1:8, Romans 3:23). One way that Christians resolve dissonance is through God's grace via confession and forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Another way is through striving for perfection (2 Corinthians 13:11) and enlisting the help of God himself through the Holy Spirit, who transforms his people and enables them to follow him (Galatians 5:22, 2 Corinthians 3:18) according to the standard that God has provided..

The presence of dissonance in the life of a Christian is not proof of mind control, but it is proof of that person having taken on a new standard for his life.

The Four Components
Hassan goes on to discuss these four components in some detail. I will select citations from his remarks to illustrate the detail of each component.

Behavior Control
Behavior control is the regulation of an individual's physical reality. It includes the control of his environment-- where he lives, what clothing he wears, what food he eats, how much sleep he gets-- as well as of the jobs, rituals and other actions he performs.

This need for behavior control is the reason most cults prescribe a very rigid schedule for their members. Each day a significant amount of time is devoted to cult rituals and indoctrination activities. Members are also assigned to accomplish specific goals and tasks, thus restricting their free time and their behavior. In destructive cults there is always something to do.

... The chain of command is cults is usually authoritarian, flowing from the leader through his lieutenants to their sub-leaders down to the rank and file. In such a well-regulated environment, all behaviors can be either rewarded or punished. It serves the leadership to keep the members off balance.

... Obedience to a leader's command is the most important lesson to learn. The leaders cannot command someone's inner thoughts, but they know that if they command behavior, hearts and minds will follow (p. 60-61).

Yet, such "behavior controls" are from faith and not some external means. Jesus did not force people to follow him; in fact he may have talked more people out of following him than into following him. Even when some disciples had a hard time believing what he taught, he allowed them to leave; he even asked the remaining faithful if they wanted to leave too. In a classic response, Peter spoke for himself and many followers of Jesus for all generations-- "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God (Jn 6:68-69)." It is important to see that the only "control" Jesus had over people was that which came from their faith. Because of Peter's faith, he submitted to Jesus. Jesus did not bully people or force anyone to follow him.

Thought Control
Let's follow Hassan's discussion of thought control:

Thought control, the second major component of mind control, includes indoctrinating members so thoroughly that they internalize the group doctrine, incorporate a new language system, and use thought-stopping techniques to keep their mind "centered." In order to be a good member, a person must learn to manipulate his own thought processes.

In totalistic cults, the ideology is internalized as "the truth," the only "map" of reality. The doctrine not only serves to filter incoming information but also regulates how the information can be thought about. Usually, the doctrine is absolutist, dividing everything up into "black versus white," "us versus them." All that is good is embodied in the leader and the group. All that is bad is on the outside. The more totalistic groups claim that their doctrine is scientifically proven. The doctrine claims to answer all questions to all problems and situations. A member need not think for himself because the doctrine does the thinking for him.

A destructive cult typically has its own "loaded language" of words and expressions. Since language provides the symbols we use for thinking, controlling certain words helps to control thoughts. Many groups condense complex situations, label them, and thereby reduce them to cult clichés. This label, which is how the loaded language is verbally expressed, governs how one thinks in any situation.

...Another key aspect of thought control involves training members to block out any information which is critical of the group. A person's typical defense mechanisms are twisted so they defend the person's new cult identity against his old former identity. The first line of defense includes denial ("What you say isn't happening at all"), rationalization ("This is happening for a good reason"), justification ("This is happening because it ought to"), and wishful thinking ("I'd like it to be true so maybe it really is").

Perhaps the most widely used and effective way to control cult member's thoughts is though-stopping rituals. Members are taught to use thought-stopping on themselves. They are told it will help them grow or be more effective. Whenever a cult member begins to experience a "bad" thought, he uses thought-stopping to drown out the "negativity" and center himself, thus learning how to shut out anything that threatens his reality.

Different groups use different thought-stopping techniques: concentrated praying, chanting aloud or silently, meditating, "speaking in tongues," singing, or humming. These actions, many of them ordinarily useful and valuable, are perverted in destructive cults. They become quite mechanical because the person is programmed to activate them at the first sign of doubt, anxiety, or uncertainty. In a matter of weeks the technique becomes ingrained. It becomes so automatic, in fact, that the person is usually not even aware that he had just had a "bad" thought. He is only aware that he is chanting or ritualizing all of a sudden. By using thought-stopping, members think they are growing when in reality they are just making themselves into addicts (p. 61-62).

Jesus taught that one mark of his disciples would be "remaining in" his teachings (Jn 8:32). The Greek term used here (meno) is often translated "abide in" and shows a close relationship between the believer and the teachings of Jesus. Indeed, the follower of Jesus makes Jesus' teachings his own. He is "transformed by the renewing of his mind (Romans 12:2)." As in the case of "behavior control" this "thought control" comes through the believer's faith in God and as a result of considering Jesus' commands.  Meditation upon, or contemplation of, his commands for the express purpose of conforming one's thought to them is an ancient practice indeed (Psalm 1:2, Phil 4:8, Rom 13:14). Condemning the spiritual discipline of conforming one's thoughts to the thoughts of God again reflects an a priori bias that each man should be his own god.

Regarding "totalism," Jesus claimed that his teachings are for all men, for all time, having said absolute statements such as "No one comes to the Father except through me (Jn 14:6), "  "If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins (Jn 8:24)." Jesus himself taught a totalistic faith, and his followers do the same. This does not mean that his followers have a right to regard themselves in a totalistic fashion--- they are mere mortals. But any Christian can (and indeed must) rightly proclaim Jesus in a totalistic manner.

In defining "thought-stopping," Hassan's remarks appear to promote the thoughts of an individual to the same place as the word of God. Men of faith of all generations have wrestled with doubts and negative thoughts in the face of God's word. Hassan may ridicule attempts to hold to one's faith in the face of negativism with terms like "thought stopping," but in so doing it appears that he also ridicules all those whose faith has allowed them to overcome sin and negativism. Prayer and resolving to believe and obey God would be better referred to as "sin stopping" and "faithlessness stopping" than "thought stopping." Anyone who had persevered in faith and dealt with temptations to do otherwise knows that "thought-stopping" is impossible.

Emotional Control
Let's consider Hassan's discussion of "Emotional Control."

Emotional control, the third part of mind control, attempts to manipulate and narrow the range of a person's feelings. Guilt and fear are necessary tools keep people under control. Guilt is probably the single most important emotional lever for producing conformity and compliance. Historical guilt (e.g., the fact that the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima), identity guilt (e.g., a thought such as "I'm not living up to my potential"), guilt over past actions (e.g., "I cheated on a test"), and social guilt (e.g., "People are dying of starvation") can all be exploited by destructive cult leaders. However, most cult members can't see that guilt and fear are being used to control them. The are conditioned to always blame themselves, so that they respond gratefully whenever a leader points out one of their "shortcomings."

Fear is used to bind the group members together in two ways. The first is the creation of an outside enemy who is persecuting you: the FBI who will jail or kill you, Satan who will carry you off to Hell, psychiatrists who will give you electroshock, armed members of rival sects who will shoot or torture you, and, of course, deprogrammers. The second is the terror of discovery and punishment by the leaders. Fear of what can happen to you if you don't do your job well can be quite potent. Some groups claim that nuclear holocaust or other disasters will result if members are lax in their commitment. (p. 63)

Loyalty and devotion are the most highly respected emotions of all. (p. 64)

People are often kept off balance, praised one minute and tongue-lashed the next. This misuse of behavior modification techniques-- reward and punishment--fosters a feeling of dependency and helplessness. (p.64)

Confession of past sins or wrong attitudes is a powerful device for emotional control, too. Of course, once you have publicly confessed, rarely is your old sin forgiven in the true sense-- or forgotten. The minute you get out of line, it will be hauled out and used to manipulate you into obeying.  (p. 64)

The most powerful technique for emotional control is phobia indoctrination.... People are made to have a panic reaction at the thought of leaving: sweating, rapid heartbeat, intense desire to avoid the possibility. They are told that if they leave they will be lost and defenseless in the face of dark horrors: they'll go insane, be killed, become drug addicts, or commit suicide. Actual tales of such cases are constantly told, both in lectures and in hushed tones through informal. gossip. It is nearly impossible for an indoctrinated cult member to feel he can have any security outside the group. (p. 64-65)

Fear of Hell is quite biblical (Lk 12:5), so is a healthy respect of Satan (Mt 6:13, 13:19, Jn 17:15, 2Tim 2:26, James 4:7, Jude 1:9). In fact, the one true enemy of Christians is Satan and his hosts (Eph 6:11-12). Fear is not the primary motivation for a Christian (especially artificially contrived fear on the part of leaders), but it has its place in the arsenal of motivation for the follower of Jesus.

Information Control
Let's consider Hassan's discussion of "Information Control."

Information control is the last component of mind control. Information is the fuel we use to keep our minds working properly. Deny a person the information he requires to make sounds judgments, and he will be incapable of doing so. People are trapped in destructive cults because they are not only denied access to critical information but also lack the properly functioning internal mechanisms to process it. Such information control has a dramatic and devastating impact.

In many totalistic cults, people have minimal access to non-cult newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio. This is partly because they are kept so busy they don't have free time. (p. 65)

Information control also extends across all relationships. People are not allowed to talk to each other about anything critical of the leader, doctrine, or organization. Members must spy on each other and report improper activities or comments to leaders. New converts are not permitted to talk to each other without an older member present to chaperone them. Most importantly, members are told to avoid contact with ex-members or critics. Those who could provide the most information are the ones to be especially shunned. Some groups even go so far as to screen members' letter and phone calls.

Information is usually compartmentalized to keep members from knowing the big picture. In larger groups, people are only told as much as they "need to know" in order to perform their jobs. (p. 65)

Destructive organizations also control information by having many levels of "truth." Cult ideologies have "outsider" and "insider" doctrines. The outsider material is relatively bland stuff for the general public or fresh converts. The inner doctrines are unveiled only gradually as a person gets in deeper. (p. 66)

But the bottom line in Hassan's comments is, does the leader or group control information for the purposes of controlling or manipulating people?

Jesus clearly knew all things (Jn 16:30), yet did not freely disclose these things. He disclosed teaching as he saw fit. He  sometimes chose to disclose certain things to the crowds, and more detail about these things to those closest to him (Mk 4:34). Some teaching were given privately to the small group of his closest followers (Mk 9:28, 13:3).

Similarly, the apostles would teach the concepts of the faith to new converts in a tiered fashion, starting with more basic concepts and elaborating upon details once the foundation was established. This is seen in pretty much all of the preaching and teaching examples in Acts and the Epistles; a short example is the story of the conversion of the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:31-32). He is told "believe" and then the word is spoken to him in more detail. Thus, the concept of "different levels of truth" or "different levels of understanding" is present in Christianity.

Another manner in which there are "different levels of truth" in Christianity is that God says our perceptions and judgments are affected by our spirituality and maturity. Some examples of this are seen in Jn 8:31-32, Romans 12:1-2, there are undoubtedly more. The wisdom of experience and spirituality provide an enhanced perception and new "level of truth" about events and circumstances. Whether one considers this "information control" or not, the presence of these things in a church today does not constitute a departure from the Biblical pattern of Christianity and the early church.

In discussing outside information, the Bible recognizes that public events are generally known. Consider the collapse of the tower (Lk 13:4). Again, consider Paul's citation of pagan poets in his preaching (Acts 17:28). Other examples of familiarity with world events could be shown, the point is that Christianity does not mandate ignorance of the world, nor isolation from it.

Critical information is another thing. Jesus certainly warned that people be shrewd about the teachings of the Pharisees (Mt 16:12, 23:2-3). Paul taught that Christians should have "nothing to do" with godless myths and wives tales (1Tim 4:7). He taught the same regarding foolish and stupid arguments (2 Tim 2:23).

Obviously, to follow such a command requires enough familiarity with the item under consideration to assign it to its proper place. And he told people to "keep away from" those would cause divisions and put obstacles in the path of a Christian contrary to orthodox teaching (Rom 16:17).

Does all of this amount to "information control?" In a sense, yes. Christians recognize that some information is distracting and even harmful. Biblical Christians need to be "guilty," to some degree, of information control. Simply, some information is more relevant than other information. Christianity recognizes this and urges its followers to do the same.

Conclusion
The bottom line for Hassan's elements of mind control is choice. In summarizing his discussion of these four factors, he says:

What matters most is the overall impact upon the individual. Is he or is he not truly in control of his life choices? The only way to tell is to expose him or her to opportunities to reflect, to have free access to all information, to know that there is freedom to leave the environment. (p. 66-67)

Lastly, Christians have a healthy respect of Hell and Satan and the consequences of abandoning God. As Jesus urged people to consider the cost of following him so they would not go back upon the decision later (Lk 14:28ff), Christians are faithful by means of a daily choice to be true to their original commitment. This choice to remain faithful is not a mark of  "phobic indoctrination" but a mark of faithfulness to the original commitment. The Bible praises and assures those who remain faithful to the end (e.g. Mt 24:13, 2 Tim 2:12, Rev 2:26) and it warns those who do not (e.g. Heb 10:26ff, 2 Peter 2:22).

Copyright © 1999 John Engler. All rights reserved.