(Flipper, I just saw your post.)
psychological influence seeks to disrupt an individuals identity - personal behavior, thoughts, emotions- and reconstruct it in the image of the leader . This is done by rigidly controlling the member's physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual life. Cult control is a social process that encourages obedience and conformity. It discourages autonomy and individuality. Sound pretty familiar ?
Yes. I think that everyone who has become or has been a JW can relate. I now recognize the incredible influence the WTS holds over their members and I recognize the power and influence they held over me. And currently, I'm watching the tight grip they have on "friends". I am watching helplessly, as a once gregarious and happy-go-lucky person is changing rapidly into a clone; full of pessimism, no longer the same person that they once were.
Information Control.
I was living on another planet. I really zoned out for so many years. Did I know when I was baptized that I was devoting myself to Jehovah and the "Faithful and Discreet Slave" in lieu of Jesus, the Son. Now I do. I didn't realize that only the "anointed" had Jesus as their mediator according to their teaching. Now I do. The WTS has made a habit of misquoting experts and scholars to prove their points and mislead the flock.
And they don't allow any JW to read material that would disagree with the WTS viewpoint. So many doctrines hidden. So many rules and regulations. I don't remember exactly when I first heard about "The Secret Elders Manual", but I don't think it was more than 5 years ago.
This reminds me of how the WT society has two versions of the WT magazine. One soft pedal version they place with people in the door to door service which has flowery information , yet a harder hitting WT which inflicts disciplinary requirements on active JW's who are expected to conform.
Yes, that's a good observation. I agree. And really, the only purpose of having a separate WT for the preaching is to subtly lure new members.
As for emotional control pertaining to WTS, they are very cunning with their fear tactics which seems to be a similar tactic among all cults.
the experience of the psychologist Flavil Yeakley who administered the Myers-Briggs personality test to 800 members of the Boston Church of Christ, a cult group led by Kip McKean.
I loved this experiment. All of the personality profiles by the 3rd test showed their similarities to the cult leader. And what I found intriguing, is when this test had been administered to people of mainstream religions, their results remained varied, as their authentic personalities were not supressed.
the persons authentic self, which stays unchanged. EVEN people who are born into cults HAVE AN AUTHENTIC SELF that makes it possible to rescue people from cults many years, even decades after they join.
