Critical Thinking on Cults & AntiCults
“Brainwashing” Theories in European Parliamentary and Administrative Reports on “Cults” and “Sects” JAMES T. RICHARDSON MASSIMO INTROVIGNE This study examines the recent rash of official reports done by governmental agencies in Western Europe to guide … Read more
Reza Aslan’s episode of “Believer” on CNN regarding Independent Scientology changed my life for the better. It reminded me of an approach to belief and spiritual pursuits that is positive, constructive, and life-giving.
The following is a compilation of scientific studies which have thoroughly debunked the idea of brainwashing.
Mike Rinder: “I did the original program to find “religious experts” who would write “expertises” on the subject of scientology. Every single one of them was paid for their “work,” though that fact was not made public.’
This is an excerpt from Benjamin Zablocki’s book “Misunderstanding Cults” which is one of the best representations of the 90’s era debate on Cults and Brainwashing. What’s funny is that all the players, such as … Read more
Tony Ortega loves it when a Scientologist commits suicide. He jumps all over every Scientology suicide he hears about. He even blames Scientology mothers for their daughter’s suicide.
The key characteristic of a pseudo-skeptic of Scientology is the furious and dedicated certainty of their position, and their squinting suspicion that anyone who would question them must be an OSA agent.
“If I am correct about brainwashing ideology being a form of totalitarian influence, it would presumably serve the function of ministering to a polarized self-sense and curing identity confusion by enabling converts to it to shift responsibility for undesirable aspects of their personalities and former behaviour onto a scapegoated contrast category, in this case the new religious movement of which they were formerly a member.
I would think that anybody who has ever been through Scientology would be the last group of people to fall for such ham-handed propaganda.
A talk by Rupert Sheldrake, who is a biologist by training from Cambridge, and a graduate of Philosophy and History of Science from Harvard. He worked with Francis Crick, one of the fathers of genetic research, and has published many cited papers in the field of biology.
Ever since October of 1950, when Dr. Joseph Winter publicly left the burgeoning Dianetic movement and wrote a book called “A Doctor’s Report on Dianetics“, L Ron Hubbard had a problem: Books like that made … Read more
The “Father of Deprogramming” Ted Patrick was a devoted Christian who believed he was doing God’s work by kidnapping people & holding them in a room & browbeating them until they denounced their faith. In 1980, he served 1 year in prison and paid a $5000 fine for kidnapping and false imprisonment.
A review of the major problems with the brainwashing theory of recruitment and maintaining membership in a minority religion. By James T Richardson – 2006
Because Scientologists & anti-Scientologists hold emotionally founded beliefs, expect these ideals to be violated on any Blog, Youtube Channel or Facebook group.
A cult is a smaller culture inside the wider culture around it. It has different knowledge, skills & moral values, with a different narrative and different attitudes and acceptable behaviors.
A lot of the members of the anti-cult movement want their targeted minority religion to be destroyed for their own religious and ideological reasons.
Of all the books that have been written about Scientology, if you had only one shot to communicate to someone what Scientology was all about, I would give them John Sweeney’s “Church of Fear”.
I wielded a rage that was compounded by every horror story, ridiculous sermon, and outrage I intentionally sought out.
I am presenting this piece of writing which appeared on ESMB recently as an example of what I believe to be a pathological state of mind for an Ex-Scientologist to develop. This particular Ex-Scientologist has … Read more
The question is, will Rachel Bernstein stick around ESMB and actually post something that is not in her own commercial interests?