Defrosting the Mind

STEVE HASSAN was a Moonie for over two years. Then he was deprogrammed and himself became a deprogrammer for a year before concluding that employing physical coercion was ethically and legally unsound, and that it could result in severe trauma for the persons concerned. He is now a professional "exit counsellor", trying to help people leave "destructive cults".

Hassan recounts how, through his deprogramming experience, he came to recognise the mind-control techniques which had lured him, and by which he subsequently lured others, into the Unification Church. He identifies mind control as having four components (behaviour, thought, emotional and information control) and three stages (unfreezing, changing and refreezing) [comment from Monica: actually, Hassan gives credit to Shein for this model, it is not Hassan's model]. He then discusses how people might protect themselves from the movements, and, if they do become members, how family, friends and a good exit-counsellor might help them to reaccess their situation and get back in touch with their "non-cult self".

I had several misgivings while reading this book, many of which could be met by qualifications that appear in the text. I hope that readers will note that Hassan describes "mind control" as a process which is more or less present in a number of different situations, and that it is, moreover, a process that can be resisted and overcome. I hope readers will note that, although Hassan believes it will soon be scientifically possible to tell whether someone's brainwave patterns have been changed by mind control, this has certainly not yet been done. And I hope readers will recognise that many characteristics of the movements which he describes may have changed or apply only in certain instances -- for example, I know several ex-Moonies who keep in touch with friends still in the movement.

Deceptive manipulation, whenever and wherever it occurs, is clearly wrong; people should have as much accurate information as possible, and they should not be physically disoriented or emotionally blackmailed. Readers should, however, be aware not only that well informed, professional trained counsellors do not as yet abound in Britain, but also that self-styled experts may do more harm than good.

This is undoubtedly the best book by a campaigning "anti-cultist" that I have read. Much of the practical advice that Hassan offers is eminently sane and helpful, and for this reason I shall be recommending his book to clergy, counsellors and parents.

Dr. Barker is Reader in Sociology, London School of Economics.

The review is from "Church Times" (UK) 23rd November, 1990 p. 13

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