Mind Control and Jonestown
by John Collins and Steven Hassan
When most people hear of mind control and brainwashing, they often think about the tragedy wrought by Jim Jones. Hundreds of newspapers around the nation printed articles on November 20, 1978 describing former members who claimed they’d been brainwashed while under the undue influence of Peoples Temple or attributing brainwashing to the tragedy that occurred at Jonestown. Articles described the obstacles faced by California state officials as they examined the allegations of brainwashing to investigative reporters, and the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed their difficulties. At that time, according to Benjamin Civiletti, former chief of Justice’s Criminal Division, he had had his doubts that brainwashing or similar thought-control assertions would “support a prosecution under the federal kidnapping statute.”
In reality, brainwashing is only one specific form of mind control, and there were many different forms used to convince the people of Jonestown to drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid and murder 304 children. Mind control is any totalistic system of influence that disrupts an individual’s authentic identity and replaces it with a false, new one. The decisions made by people with this new identity are not always their own, often lacking critical thought process.
As new members were introduced to Peoples Temple, they were love bombed and not given full informed consent to commit their lives to Jim Jones. They were mostly idealists who believed in love, God, and the possibility of making the world a better place. At the time of making their commitment to Peoples Temple, they would have not agreed they would go to an isolated jungle compound and kill themselves. Yet in the days leading up to the Jonestown Massacre, all who lined up to drink had been programmed to be obedient and loyal. Many of these statements are available on the recordings and transcripts of the “death tape.” They truly believed through their indoctrination that their choice was made by their own free will.
by John Collins and Steven Hassan
When most people hear of mind control and brainwashing, they often think about the tragedy wrought by Jim Jones. Hundreds of newspapers around the nation printed articles on November 20, 1978 describing former members who claimed they’d been brainwashed while under the undue influence of Peoples Temple or attributing brainwashing to the tragedy that occurred at Jonestown. Articles described the obstacles faced by California state officials as they examined the allegations of brainwashing to investigative reporters, and the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed their difficulties. At that time, according to Benjamin Civiletti, former chief of Justice’s Criminal Division, he had had his doubts that brainwashing or similar thought-control assertions would “support a prosecution under the federal kidnapping statute.”
In reality, brainwashing is only one specific form of mind control, and there were many different forms used to convince the people of Jonestown to drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid and murder 304 children. Mind control is any totalistic system of influence that disrupts an individual’s authentic identity and replaces it with a false, new one. The decisions made by people with this new identity are not always their own, often lacking critical thought process.
As new members were introduced to Peoples Temple, they were love bombed and not given full informed consent to commit their lives to Jim Jones. They were mostly idealists who believed in love, God, and the possibility of making the world a better place. At the time of making their commitment to Peoples Temple, they would have not agreed they would go to an isolated jungle compound and kill themselves. Yet in the days leading up to the Jonestown Massacre, all who lined up to drink had been programmed to be obedient and loyal. Many of these statements are available on the recordings and transcripts of the “death tape.” They truly believed through their indoctrination that their choice was made by their own free will.
In the past decades, the destructive cult phenomenon has mushroomed into a problem of tremendous social and political importance. It is estimated that there are now over three thousand destructive cults in the United States, directly affecting more than three million people. Each one of them shares the common belief that their ends justify any means, many of them aware that those means are harmful. Convinced that what they are doing is right, they are also convinced that they are above the law. And since cases involving mind control techniques are difficult to prosecute, many of these groups practice unethical strategies to achieve persuasion without fear of intervention by the authorities.
The general public is for the most part still uneducated in this area. Many falsely believe that mind control is a subject matter for fiction TV series and movies and novels. Most people are not educated consumers and are therefore more vulnerable to undue influence. People presently in a cult do not believe they are in a cult. “What is a cult, anyway?” they ask. “Is not any group of people adhering to a common set of beliefs considered to be a cult?” Then they begin to describe the number of similarities between their destructive group and one that is healthy and supportive. But without realizing it, they avoid any differences that violate their rights or causes damage through the abusive techniques of unethical mind control. In doing so, they are demonstrating the effects of mind control over their actions, and further proving the power of control the group has over their identities.
Cult groups having members displaying this level of control are most likely destructive. Destructive cults distinguish themselves from normal, healthy groups by subjecting their members to systematic behavior, information, thoughts, and emotions (BITE) to keep them dependent and obedient. Some of these groups may have existed for centuries, while others are relatively new. As groups of people begin to form around charismatic leaders, new cults begin. But as those groups begin to change the identities of their people through control of behavior, information, thoughts, and emotions, they turn destructive. In recent decades, this process has been enhanced through use of modern psychological techniques that prevent victims from critical thought – allowing others to control their thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Often, the transformation of a new group into a destructive cult is a gradual process, and is not detected by its members.
... Continue Reading
https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=67372
The general public is for the most part still uneducated in this area. Many falsely believe that mind control is a subject matter for fiction TV series and movies and novels. Most people are not educated consumers and are therefore more vulnerable to undue influence. People presently in a cult do not believe they are in a cult. “What is a cult, anyway?” they ask. “Is not any group of people adhering to a common set of beliefs considered to be a cult?” Then they begin to describe the number of similarities between their destructive group and one that is healthy and supportive. But without realizing it, they avoid any differences that violate their rights or causes damage through the abusive techniques of unethical mind control. In doing so, they are demonstrating the effects of mind control over their actions, and further proving the power of control the group has over their identities.
Cult groups having members displaying this level of control are most likely destructive. Destructive cults distinguish themselves from normal, healthy groups by subjecting their members to systematic behavior, information, thoughts, and emotions (BITE) to keep them dependent and obedient. Some of these groups may have existed for centuries, while others are relatively new. As groups of people begin to form around charismatic leaders, new cults begin. But as those groups begin to change the identities of their people through control of behavior, information, thoughts, and emotions, they turn destructive. In recent decades, this process has been enhanced through use of modern psychological techniques that prevent victims from critical thought – allowing others to control their thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Often, the transformation of a new group into a destructive cult is a gradual process, and is not detected by its members.
... Continue Reading
https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=67372
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