[This is the second article in a four-part series. Read: Part 1, Part 3, and Part 4 here.]
We’re facing a rising number of young people who have been exposed to what appear to be concerted indoctrination methods in their schooling (and through deliberate cultural messaging), or what former cult member and cult expert Steve Hassan might refer to as “undue” or “destructive influence.”
In a video presentation about cults and predators which Hassan delivered to the Asperger/Autism Network of New England, Hassan shares what he calls his “Influence Continuum” illustrating the difference between healthy and unhealthy influence.
On the healthy side of influence, we see a person capable of and receiving unconditional love; displaying signs of a conscience; exhibiting creativity and humor; and capable of using critical thinking and exercising their own free will.
A person under the influence of controlling people or destructive ideology will display unhealthy signs such as conditional love (you are only acceptable to me if…); their conscience can be bypassed by doctrine, allowing them to do shocking things they would not have considered before; humorlessness and solemnity, fear, and guilt; and their independence being replaced by mindless dependency, conformity, and obedience.
Another sign of undue influence may be resorting to the use of clichés, slogans, and canned responses to sincere questions. Students in the former Eastern bloc, for instance, learned by slogans, through mere memorization and recitation, bypassing critical thought.
Do you know anyone who displays these indicators?
The BITE model
Hassan groups the tactics of highly controlling groups, such as cults, into his BITE model, referencing their influence over Behavior, Information, Thoughts, and Emotions.
People who are more susceptible to undue or destructive influence include people with learning challenges, including autism spectrum disorders; vivid imaginations; unresolved past traumas; magical thinking; lonely people; and those who are easily hypnotized. Hassan points out that there are particular vulnerabilities of those on the autism spectrum, including their attraction to groups with clearly-defined social rules; their strong desire to be accepted by a group and appreciation of the “love bombing” approach; and the fact that their parents might be less skeptical than with a neurotypical youngster if they feel relief that the child has established social ties and new friends. He points out that ASD kids are prone to difficulties with social pragmatics and self-advocacy, and are thus more easily exploited by others for their own ends.
When a person is under the thrall of undue/destructive influence, Hassan sees a dual personality developing as a form of dissociation. This causes a split between the authentic self and the false, cult identity.
The person becomes “unrecognizable” and unreachable, as a new “consciousness” is formed. This is very shocking, sad, and disconcerting, indeed, but stay calm.
We need to warn you, however, that you are going to have to be very careful about following the next logical impulse, which might be to reach out to a mental health professional. On this score: Caveat Emptor. Many therapists now actively promote the same ideology and could simply reinforce and validate the political groupthink rather than freeing the client to think independently and to exercise his or her own free will. (See recommended resources below for help in identifying reliable therapy.)
There is also a fairly successful movement gaining ground promoting the keeping of secrets between children and non-parental/non-guardian adults, which has always been a bright red warning flag of unwholesome activity. Ask directly if your child’s school has a policy of withholding student information from parents and take appropriate action based on the response.
Beware of giving permission for school personnel such as counselors or social workers to have unfettered access to your children. Some have lost custody in this way. Opt out if you have concerns, if possible, until you are confident of their fidelity to established ethical practices. Ensure that they are trustworthy individuals rather than ideologically captured ones, as is unfortunately common now in the so-called “helping” professions. Also, unfortunately, beware of reaching out to many public cult awareness networks, some of whom are used as fronts to recruit people to join cults.
Recommended resources:
Freedom of Mind Resource Center
Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves
Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs
Ending the Game, a “coercion resiliency” curriculum
The Language of Fanaticism: Cultish
Beyond Cult Deprogramming: The New Goal is to Empower Reality Testing
Desist, Detrans & Detox: Getting Your Child Out of the Gender Cult
A Mother’s Intuition About Gentle Deprogramming
Suggestions when seeking responsible and reliable mental health professionals:
More to Come
This is the second article in a four part series. Part 1 is on Deprogramming Ideologically Captured Kids; Part 3 is on Overcoming the Dangerous Allure of Victimhood Cults; and Part 4 is on Targeted Interventions and Hope.
Bonnie Snyder, D.Ed. is trained as a school counselor and CEO of Terra Firma Teaching Alliance. She is the author of Undoctrinate: How Politicized Classrooms Harm Kids and Ruin Our Schools–And What We Can Do About It.
Christine Sefein, MA, LMFT is a training psychotherapist and Professor of Clinical Psychology specializing in grief, trauma and substance use disorders. She authored the chapter “Miseducation of Psychotherapists” in the book, Cynical Therapies: Perspectives on the Anti-therapeutic Nature of Critical Social Justice.
Neither of us is trained in deprogramming, but we are experienced counselors directing you to appropriate, helpful literature on this important topic.
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