Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 27
This isolation from the world, family, friends, and self serves to separate one from his
ordinary frame of reference (Appel, 1983, p. 164 Conway &Siegelman, 1978, pp. 155-
156 Stoner &Parke, p. 263-264), thereby decreasing one‘s base for autonomous reality
testing, as well as promoting a state of narrowed focus of attention, which can be a
manifestation of dissociation (Clark, 179b, p. 103) and a contributor to heightened
suggestibility for later indoctrination. The cult‘s closed system with its rigid boundaries
perpetuates the isolation beyond the conversion proper, thereby aiding the cult in its
retention of its members by maintaining them in their dissociative state of mind (cf. Enroth,
1977, pp. 172-173 Galanter, 1983a, P. 988).
2. Induction of a dissociative state via:
a. Information control, overload, and manipulation --‖information overload‖
(Edwards, 1979 cf. Appel, 1983, pp. 123, 136) via ―intense group pressure,
endless lectures, lies ...singing, chanting and a constant barrage of the kinds of
rhetoric which capture young, idealistic minds‖ (Clark, 1979b, p. 81) or double-
bind communication (Appel, 1983, pp. 100-106) and other language
manipulation, including provision of a new language (Clark, 1978, 1979b
Deutsch, 1980 Enroth, 1977 Roche, 1979 Schwartz &Kaslow, 1981 Singer,
1980 Stoner &Parke, 1977)
b. Emotional overstimulation and/or manipulation --‖gutwashing‖ (Burtner,
1980) and classical conditioning through intense emotional stimulation,
particularly ―sudden, extreme, and unexpected states of high emotion‖ (Verdier,
1977, p. 83) e.g., ―love-bombing‖ (cf. ―search for love‖ references in
vulnerability section above) or the manipulation of negative emotions such as
guilt or shame, e.g., the eliciting of confessions (AFF, 1983 Blackwell, 1980
Burtner, 1980 Clark, 1977, 1979b Envoth, 1977, 1979 Etemad, 1978 Lifton,
1961 Sargant, 1951 Schwartz &Kaslow, 1979 Shapiro, 1977 Spero, 1977,
1980, 1982 Stoner &Parke, 1977 West &Singer, 1980 Yamamoto, 1977), fear
(Burtner, 1980 Clark, 1977, 1979b Enroth, 1977, 1978 Etemad, 1978
MacCollam, 1979 Sargant, 1951 Schwartz &Zemel, 1980 Shapiro, 1977
Verdier, 1977). and doubt ,(or anxiety ,insecurity ,and uncertainty--Appel,
1983 Enroth, 1977 Pattison, Llamas, &Hurd, 1979 Sargant, 1951 Spero,
1977, 1980, 1982 Verdier, 1977 West &Singer, 1980).
c. Physical debilitation via sleep deprivation (Appel, 1983 Burtner, 1980 CFF,
1981 Clark, 1977, 1978, 1979b Conway &Siegelman, 1978 Enroth, 1977,
1979 Etemad, 1978 Levine, 1980 MacCollam, 1979 Schwartz &lsser, 1979
Schwartz &Zemel, 1980 Shapiro, 1977 Verdier, 1977), diet manipulation
(Appel, 1983 Burtner, 1980 CFF, 1981 Clark, 1978, 1979b Conway &
Siegelman, 1978 Enroth, 1977 Etemad, 1978 Lifton, 1961 MacCollam, 1978
Roche, 1979 Spero, 1977 Stoner &Parke, 1977 West &Singer, 1980), and
fatigue from constant activity (Blackwell, 1980 Carr, 1981 Clark, 1977, 1978,
1979b Conway &Siegelman, 1978 Galanter, 1979 Galper in A versa, 1976
Levine, 1980 MacCollam, 1978 Roche, 1979 Sargant, 1951 Schwartz &
Kaslow, 1979, 1981 Spero, 1977, 1980 West &Singer, 1980 Yamamoto,
1977). For Verdier (1977) ―the essential core of the hypnotic phenomenon‖ is an
increase in suggestibility brought on by activation of muscle senses that inhibits
activity in the cerebral cortex, which usually performs the normal, analytic,
thinking function of the brain (pp. 54, 61-62). Verdier sees brainwashing as
―deeper and more permanent‖ than hypnosis, ―a truly profound state of
disinhibition‖ where ―the cortex is more or less completely by-passed‖ because it
utilizes both activation of the muscle senses and the visceral senses via intense
emotional stimulation (p. 81). He is supported by several others who believe

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 28
there is a neurophysiological (brain) component to cult conversion (AFF Appel,
1983 Burtner, 1980 Clark, 1979b Conway &Stegelman, 1978 Roche, 1979
Schwartz &Kaslow, 1981 Shubin, 1980 Spero, 1977 West &Singer, 1980).
d. Continuous utilization of ―not thinking‖ (Note 2) practices such as chanting,
Eastern religious (―mind emptying‖) types of meditation (Note 3,) or speaking in
―tongues‖ (AFF Appel, 1983 Buckley &Galanter, 1979 Clark, 1978‘, 1979b
Conway &Siegelman, 1978 Enroth, 1977 MacCollam, 1978 Shapiro, 1977
Singer, 1979 Spero, 1977 Stoner &Parke, 1977 Verdier, 1977 West &Singer,
1980 Yamamoto, 1977).
e. Religious mystical rituals, such as ―deliverance from demons‖ (Note 4) or
initiation into the cult with a renunciation of one‘s past life and/or acceptance of a
new identity/name (Burtner, 1980 Conway &Siegelman, 1978 West &Singer,
1980).
1. Indoctrination into and reinforcement of exclusive, closed ―family‖ system boundaries
(with dedifferentiation between the individual and the cult) via:
a. Doctrinal ―carrots‖ and ―sticks‖ -criticism of the world and family outside of the
cult (with Manichean, paranoid pseudo-logic cf. Galanter, 1983a, p. 988) offer
of salvation and absolute (sacred science/black and white) answers, usually as
flonly we‖ can provide it/thern (Clark, 1977, 1979b Galper in Aversa, 1976
Haack, 1978 Levine, 1980 Levine, 1979 Martin, 1979 Stoner &Parke, 1977
West &Singer, 1980) and suppression of doubt via forced listening (cf. Galper in
Aversa, 1976 Schwartz &Zemel, 1980 Verdier, 1977 Yamamoto, 1977) and
not allowing, or otherwise dissuading, idiographic expression (Clark, 1979b
Enroth, 1977 Etemad, 1978 Shapiro, 1977) or questions (Blackwell,
1980 Clark 1979b Enroth, 1977, 1979 Levine, 1980 Levine, 1979 MacCollam,
1979 Roche, 1979 Rothbaum, 1980 Stoner &Parke, 1980 Verdier, 1977).
b. Selective group reinforcement and punishment, i.e., the systematic application of
operant conditioning techniques using the rewards and punishments of peer
pressure to promote compliance to closed system rules and promote
dedifferentiation of ego boundaries (Blackwell, 1980 Clark, 1979a, 1979b
Enroth, 1977 Etemad, 1978 Galanter, 1983a Heller, 1982 Isser &Schwartz,
1980 MacCollam, 1979 Roche, 1979 Schwartz &Isser, 1980 Schwartz &
Kaslow, 1979, 1981 Spero, 1977, 1982 Stoner &Parke, 1977 West &Singer,
1980 Yamamoto, 1977).
The conversion process. In distinguishing two primary types of conversion, Salzman (1966)
saw the psychopathological type as being more abrupt than the maturational conversion.
Conway &Stegelman (1978), however, believed cult conversion could come through either
sudden transformation or a more gradual process, albeit the gradual conversion also ending
in an abrupt moment of transformation which they called the point of ―snapping.‖
Those who advocate a gradual process. contend that the individual recruit typically does
make voluntary choices to participate in the cult activities at various points along the way,
but that the induction of dissociation and dedifferentiation via isolation and thought
reform tactics disallows any serious consideration of the overall process (cf. Galanter,
Rabkin, Rabkin, &Deutsch, 1979 Gilmartin in Sage, 1976 Levine, 1980 MacCollam, 1980
Schwartz Kaslow, 1981). The cult milieu control tactics, therefore, promote disengagement
of the critical evaluative functions of the brain, which results from the individual‘s inability to
process an onslaught of conflicting information while under sensory bombardment and while
separated from his/her usual frames of reality/reference (Conway &Siegelman, 1978, p.
56).