Dr. Lifton's work was the outgrowth of his studies for military
intelligence of Mao Tse-Tung's "thought-reform programs"
commonly known as "brainwashing." In Chapter 22, Lifton
outlines eight criteria for when any environment can be understood
as exercising "thought-reform" or mind control. Lifton
wrote that any group has some aspects of these points. However,
if an environment has all eight of these points and implements them
in the extreme, then there is unhealthy thought reform taking place.
1. Milieu Control
Environment control and the control of human communication. Not
just communication between people but communication within people's
minds to themselves.
2. Mystical Manipulation
Everyone is manipulating everyone, under the belief that it advances
the "ultimate purpose." Experiences are engineered to
appear to be spontaneous, when, in fact, they are contrived to
have a deliberate effect. People misattribute their experiences
to spiritual causes when, in fact, they are concocted by human
beings.
3. Loading the Language
Controlling words help to control people's thoughts. A totalist
group uses totalist language to make reality compressed into black
or white-"thought-terminating clichés." Non-members
cannot simply understand what believers are talking about. The
words constrict rather than expand human understanding.
4. Doctrine Over Person
No matter what a person experiences, it is the belief of the
dogma which is important. Group belief supersedes conscience and
integrity.
5. The Sacred Science
The group's belief is that their dogma is absolutely scientific
and morally true. No alternative viewpoint is allowed. No questions
of the dogma are permitted.
6. The Cult of Confession
The environment demands that personal boundaries are destroyed
and that every thought, feeling, or action that does not conform
with the group's rules be confessed; little or no privacy.
7. The Demand for Purity
The creation of a guilt and shame milieu by holding up standards
of perfection that no human being can accomplish. People are punished
and learn to punish themselves for not living up to the group's
ideals.
8. The Dispensing of Existence
The group decides who has a right to exist and does not. There
is no other legitimate alternative to the group. In political
regimes, this permits state executions.
Hopefully, this summary will motivate you to read the entire Chapter
22, if not the entire book. It is considered to be one of the most
important descriptions of political mind-control programs. It is
also important to note, that now there are 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation
mind-control groups and the patterns have evolved and become more
refined and sophisticated.
This booklet was prepared by Steven Hassan with Lama Surya Das.
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