Coercive Mind Control Tactics

Terminology note: Today Mind control or brainwashing in academia is
commonly referred to as coercive persuasion, coercive psychological
systems or coercive influence. The short description below comes from
Dr. Margaret Singer professor emeritus at the University of California
at Berkeley the acknowledged leading authority in the world on mind
control and cults.

a short overview

Coercion is defined by the American Heritage
Dictionary as:

1.To force to act or think in a certain manner
2.To dominate, restrain, or control by force
3.To bring about by force.

Coercive psychological systems are behavioral change programs which use
psychological force in a coercive way to cause the learning and adoption
of an ideology or designated set of beliefs, ideas, attitudes, or
behaviors. The essential strategy used by the operators of these
programs is to systematically select, sequence and coordinate many
different types of coercive influence, anxiety and stress-producing
tactics over continuous periods of time.

In such a program the subject is forced to adapt in a series of tiny
"invisible" steps. Each tiny step is designed to be sufficiently small
so the subjects will not notice the changes in themselves or identify
the coercive nature of the processes being used. The subjects of these
tactics do not become aware of the hidden organizational purpose of the
coercive psychological program until much later, if ever. These tactics
are usually applied in a group setting by well intentioned but deceived
"friends and allies" of the victim. This keeps the victim from putting
up the ego defenses we normally maintain in known adversarial
situations.

The coercive psychological influence of these programs aim to overcome
the individual's critical thinking abilities and free will - apart from
any appeal to informed judgment. Victims gradually lose their ability to
make independent decisions and exercise informed consent. Their critical
thinking, defenses, cognitive processes, values, ideas, attitudes,
conduct and ability to reason are undermined by a technological process
rather than by meaningful free choice, rationality, or the inherent
merit or value of the ideas or propositions being presented.

How Do They Work?

The tactics used to create undue psychological and social influence,
often by means involving anxiety and stress, fall into seven main
categories.

TACTIC 1

Increase suggestibility and "soften up" the individual through specific
hypnotic or other suggestibility-increasing techniques such as:Extended
audio, visual, verbal, or tactile fixation drills, Excessive exact
repetition of routine activities, Sleep restriction and/or Nutritional
restriction.

TACTIC 2

Establish control over the person's social environment, time and sources
of social support by a system of often-excessive rewards and
punishments. Social isolation is promoted. Contact with family and
friends is abridged, as is contact with persons who do not share
group-approved attitudes. Economic and other dependence on the group is
fostered.

TACTIC 3

Prohibit disconfirming information and non supporting opinions in group
communication. Rules exist about permissible topics to discuss with
outsiders. Communication is highly controlled. An "in-group" language is
usually constructed.

TACTIC 4

Make the person re-evaluate the most central aspects of his or her
experience of self and prior conduct in negative ways. Efforts are
designed to destabilize and undermine the subject's basic consciousness,
reality awareness, world view, emotional control and defense mechanisms.
The subject is guided to reinterpret his or her life's history and adopt
a new version of causality.

TACTIC 5

Create a sense of powerlessness by subjecting the person to intense and
frequent actions and situations which undermine the person's confidence
in himself and his judgment.

TACTIC 6

Create strong aversive emotional arousals in the subject by use of
nonphysical punishments such as intense humiliation, loss of privilege,
social isolation, social status changes, intense guilt, anxiety,
manipulation and other techniques.

TACTIC 7

Intimidate the person with the force of group-sanctioned secular
psychological threats. For example, it may be suggested or implied that
failure to adopt the approved attitude, belief or consequent behavior
will lead to severe punishment or dire consequences such as physical or
mental illness, the reappearance of a prior physical illness, drug
dependence, economic collapse, social failure, divorce, disintegration,
failure to find a mate, etc.

These tactics of psychological force are applied to such a severe degree
that the individual's capacity to make informed or free choices becomes
inhibited. The victims become unable to make the normal, wise or
balanced decisions which they most likely or normally would have made,
had they not been unknowingly manipulated by these coordinated technical
processes. The cumulative effect of these processes can be an even more
effective form of undue influence than pain, torture, drugs or the use
of physical force and physical and legal threats.

How does Coercive Psychological Persuasion Differ from Other Kinds of
Influence?

Coercive psychological systems are distinguished from benign social
learning or peaceful persuasion by the specific conditions under which
they are conducted. These conditions include the type and number of
coercive psychological tactics used, the severity of environmental and
interpersonal manipulation, and the amount of psychological force
employed to suppress particular unwanted behaviors and to train desired
behaviors.

Coercive force is traditionally visualized in physical terms. In this
form it is easily definable, clear-cut and unambiguous. Coercive
psychological force unfortunately has not been so easy to see and
define. The law has been ahead of the physical sciences in that it has
allowed that coercion need not involve physical force. It has recognized
that an individual can be threatened and coerced psychologically by what
he or she perceives to be dangerous, not necessarily by that which is
dangerous.

Law has recognized that even the threatened action need not be physical.
Threats of economic loss, social ostracism and ridicule, among other
things, are all recognized by law, in varying contexts, as coercive
psychological forces.

Why are Coercive Psychological Systems Harmful?

Coercive psychological systems violate our most fundamental concepts of
basic human rights. They violate rights of individuals that are
guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and
affirmed by many declarations of principle worldwide.

By confusing, intimidating and silencing their victims, those who profit
from these systems evade exposure and prosecution for actions recognized
as harmful and which are illegal in most countries such as: fraud, false
imprisonment, undue influence, involuntary servitude, intentional
infliction of emotional distress, outrageous conduct and other tortuous
acts.

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