The cult/thought reform information was useful for me but it may not be for everyone. There are ways to understand it that don't involve seeing yourself as a victim. As a teacher my first instinct in learning about this aspect of groups was to decide that I couldn't ethically teach the system to others. I decided that before I stopped meditating. I felt as though the way the information was imparted was not done in a manor that I was comfortable with. But everyone has to decide for themselves if this information is useful for their lives.
Once I learned about it, I sought it out. That was my choice. It may not be yours or you may have already checked it out and decided it doesn't apply. But learning about how groups can shift beliefs doesn't make you a victim unless you want it to. It is just an influence. There are a lot of factors that influence its effectiveness. We are social primates and that had implications. I liked Margret Singer personally, and felt she was making a contribution to our understanding of group belief dynamics. Her heart was in the right place and she was a deep thinker. May she rest in peace. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > [...] > > > > After looking at a detailed report prepared by the major > > advocates of this perspective [including Singer--JS], the > > American Psychological Association concluded that the idea of > > brainwashing and mind control as popularly applied to the new > > religious movements was scientifically unacceptable. It had been > > arrived at through a sloppy metholology and poor scientific work. > > > > Subsequently the American Sociological Association and the > > Society for the Scientific Study of Religion reached a similar > > conclusion. As a result, testimony concerning brainwashing and > > mind control have properly been banished from consideration by > > American courts as an idea lacking any scientific credibility. > > > > Singer sued the APA over this and lost, BTW. But, it's nice for cult-followers to be able to > blame the cult rather than themselves--whether it's the TMO that serves their needs for a > cult to belong to or some other group--so they keep dragging out the "cult victim" claim > and then complain that someone is "blaming the victim" when people point out that not > everyone has had the same experience with the TMO that they do. > To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
