What Exactly Does Thought Reform Look Like?
If you just read the post on “How Did I Miss All the Signs I Was Joining a Cult?” and want more information on thought reform, you’re in the right place! reform in cults involves a range of techniques designed to control and manipulate members’ beliefs, emotions, and behaviors. Here are some documented examples with citations:
1. Milieu Control
Cults often control the environment and access to information. For example, in the case of the People’s Temple led by Jim Jones, members were isolated in Jonestown, Guyana, cut off from the outside world and subjected to a constant barrage of the leader’s propaganda.
2. Demand for Purity
Groups often impose strict moral codes and demand confessions. The Church of Scientology, for instance, conducts “auditing” sessions where members are required to confess their thoughts and actions, which are then documented and could potentially be used against them.
3. Confession Sessions
Many cults use confession as a tool for control. The Unification Church, founded by Sun Myung Moon, required members to confess their sins publicly, which was used to keep members obedient and prevent dissent.
4. Sacred Science
In the Heaven’s Gate cult, the group’s beliefs were presented as absolute truth, dictated by a higher authority. Members were taught that only through the group’s teachings could they reach the “Next Level.”
5. Loading the Language
The use of specialized jargon can be seen in many cults. For example, in the Church of Scientology, terms like “Suppressive Person” and “Clear” are used to shape members’ understanding of reality and align their thoughts with the group’s ideology.
6. Mystical Manipulation
Leaders often claim divine authority or supernatural powers. For instance, David Koresh of the Branch Davidians claimed to be the final prophet and used this claim to justify controlling members’ lives and even their bodies.
7. Doctrine Over Person
Members are taught to subordinate their personal experiences to the group’s doctrine. The group Children of God, now known as The Family International, taught that members’ personal feelings and experiences were less important than the group’s teachings.
8. Dispensing of Existence
Groups often promote an “us vs. them” mentality. The Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo, led by Shoko Asahara, divided the world into the enlightened (members) and the unenlightened (non-members), justifying extreme actions against outsiders.
9. Emotional Manipulation
Cults frequently use emotional manipulation to control members. In the case of the NXIVM cult, led by Keith Raniere, members were subjected to intense emotional experiences designed to break down their defenses and make them more pliable.
These examples demonstrate how cults use thought reform techniques to maintain control over their members, often leading to significant psychological and emotional harm. For more reading on these specific areas of thought reform, check out the resources below:
Lalich, J., & Tobias, M. (2006). Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships. Bay Tree Publishing.
Reitman, J. (2011). Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Barker, E. (1984). The Making of a Moonie: Choice or Brainwashing? Blackwell.
Zeller, B. E. (2010). Heaven’s Gate: America’s UFO Religion. New York University Press.
Urban, H. B. (2011). The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion. Princeton University Press.
Breault, M., & King, F. L. (1993). Inside the Cult: A Member’s Chilling, Exclusive Account of Madness and Depravity in David Koresh’s Compound. Signet.
Kent, S. A. (1994). Lustful Prophet: A Psychosexual Historical Study of the Children of God’s Leader, David Berg. Cultic Studies Journal, 11(2), 135-188.
Lifton, R. J. (1999). Destroying the World to Save It: Aum Shinrikyo, Apocalyptic Violence, and the New Global Terrorism. Metropolitan Books.
Edmondson, S. (2019). Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life. Chronicle Books.