The Battle for Your Mind: Persuasion and Brainwashing Techniques Being Used On The Public Today
The Birth of Conversion:
Brainwashing in Christian Revivalism in 1735.
Conversion is a "nice" word for brainwashing...and any study of brainwashing has to begin with a study of Christian revivalism in eighteenth century America. Apparently, Jonathan Edwards accidentally discovered the techniques during a religious crusade in 1735 in Northampton, Massachusetts. By inducing guilt and acute apprehension and by increasing the tension, the "sinners" attending his revival meetings would break down and completely submit. Technically, what Edwards was doing was creating conditions that wipe the brain slate clean so that the mind accepts new programming. The problem was that the new input was negative. He would tell them, "You're a sinner! You're destined for hell!"
As a result, one person committed suicide and another attempted suicide. And the neighbors of the suicidal converts related that they, too, were affected so deeply that, although they had found "eternal salvation," they were obsessed with a diabolical temptation to end their own lives.
Once a preacher, cult leader, manipulator or authority figure creates the brain phase to wipe the brain-slate clean, his subjects are wide open. New input, in the form of suggestion, can be substituted for their previous ideas. Because Edwards didn't turn his message positive until the end of the revival, many accepted the negative suggestions and acted, or desired to act, upon them.
Charles J. Finney was another Christian revivalist who used the same techniques four years later in mass religious conversions in New York. The techniques are still being used today by Christian revivalists, cults, human-potential trainings, some business rallies, and the United States Armed services...to name just a few.
Let me point out here that I don't think most revivalist preachers realize or know they are using brainwashing techniques. Edwards simply stumbled upon a technique that really worked, and others copied it and have continued to copy it for over two hundred years. And the more sophisticated our knowledge and technology become, the more effective the conversion. I feel strongly that this is one of the major reasons for the increasing rise in Christian fundamentalism, especially the televised variety, while most of the orthodox religions are declining.
Read entire thesis here:
Summary Of Contents
Introduction
The Birth of Conversion: Brainwashing in Christian Revivalism in 1735.
The Three Brain Phases: The Pavlovian Explanation
How Revivalist Preachers Work
The "Voice Roll" Technique
The Build-up Process.: Inducing Altered States
Assured Continuation: Fleecing the Flock
Bonding by Fear and Suggestion
Testimony: Creating Community Spirit
Miracles
The Grey Area of Legitimacy
A Game in Which the Rules Keep Changing
Six Conversion Techniques
Isolation Intimidation, Deprivation and Indoctrination
The "Sell It By Zealot" Technique
Wearing Down Resistance
Increasing Tension
Introducing Uncertainty About Identity
Jargon
Lack of Humor: No Release, No Resistance
Not Always a Bad Thing
Cults: A Captive Course in Stockholm Syndrome
The Only Hope of Immunity
The US Marines as a Brainwashing Cult
Steps in the Decognition Process
Alertness reduction
Programmed Confusion
Thought Stopping
Thought Stopping Techniques
Marching
Meditation
Chanting
True believers and mass movements
Persuasion techniques:
"Yes Set"
Embedded Commands
The Power of NLP
Interspersal Technique
Practical Examples
Shock and Confusion
Subliminal Programming
Does Subliminal Programming Work?
Mass Misuse of Subliminal Programming
Vibrato
Extra-low Frequency Vibrations (ELFs)
The Neurophone
Technological Tools for Mass Manipulation
In Closing
Source......
The Birth of Conversion:
Brainwashing in Christian Revivalism in 1735.
Conversion is a "nice" word for brainwashing...and any study of brainwashing has to begin with a study of Christian revivalism in eighteenth century America. Apparently, Jonathan Edwards accidentally discovered the techniques during a religious crusade in 1735 in Northampton, Massachusetts. By inducing guilt and acute apprehension and by increasing the tension, the "sinners" attending his revival meetings would break down and completely submit. Technically, what Edwards was doing was creating conditions that wipe the brain slate clean so that the mind accepts new programming. The problem was that the new input was negative. He would tell them, "You're a sinner! You're destined for hell!"
As a result, one person committed suicide and another attempted suicide. And the neighbors of the suicidal converts related that they, too, were affected so deeply that, although they had found "eternal salvation," they were obsessed with a diabolical temptation to end their own lives.
Once a preacher, cult leader, manipulator or authority figure creates the brain phase to wipe the brain-slate clean, his subjects are wide open. New input, in the form of suggestion, can be substituted for their previous ideas. Because Edwards didn't turn his message positive until the end of the revival, many accepted the negative suggestions and acted, or desired to act, upon them.
Charles J. Finney was another Christian revivalist who used the same techniques four years later in mass religious conversions in New York. The techniques are still being used today by Christian revivalists, cults, human-potential trainings, some business rallies, and the United States Armed services...to name just a few.
Let me point out here that I don't think most revivalist preachers realize or know they are using brainwashing techniques. Edwards simply stumbled upon a technique that really worked, and others copied it and have continued to copy it for over two hundred years. And the more sophisticated our knowledge and technology become, the more effective the conversion. I feel strongly that this is one of the major reasons for the increasing rise in Christian fundamentalism, especially the televised variety, while most of the orthodox religions are declining.
Read entire thesis here:
Summary Of Contents
Introduction
The Birth of Conversion: Brainwashing in Christian Revivalism in 1735.
The Three Brain Phases: The Pavlovian Explanation
How Revivalist Preachers Work
The "Voice Roll" Technique
The Build-up Process.: Inducing Altered States
Assured Continuation: Fleecing the Flock
Bonding by Fear and Suggestion
Testimony: Creating Community Spirit
Miracles
The Grey Area of Legitimacy
A Game in Which the Rules Keep Changing
Six Conversion Techniques
Isolation Intimidation, Deprivation and Indoctrination
The "Sell It By Zealot" Technique
Wearing Down Resistance
Increasing Tension
Introducing Uncertainty About Identity
Jargon
Lack of Humor: No Release, No Resistance
Not Always a Bad Thing
Cults: A Captive Course in Stockholm Syndrome
The Only Hope of Immunity
The US Marines as a Brainwashing Cult
Steps in the Decognition Process
Alertness reduction
Programmed Confusion
Thought Stopping
Thought Stopping Techniques
Marching
Meditation
Chanting
True believers and mass movements
Persuasion techniques:
"Yes Set"
Embedded Commands
The Power of NLP
Interspersal Technique
Practical Examples
Shock and Confusion
Subliminal Programming
Does Subliminal Programming Work?
Mass Misuse of Subliminal Programming
Vibrato
Extra-low Frequency Vibrations (ELFs)
The Neurophone
Technological Tools for Mass Manipulation
In Closing
Source......
Last edited: