Philip Zimbardo created the famous "prison experiment" in the 1970s that demonstrated how group influence can corrupt average folks.

YOU CAN'T BE A SWEET CUCUMBER IN A VINEGAR BARREL [1.19.05]
A Talk with Philip Zimbardo



http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/zimbardo05/zimbardo05_index.html


Joe

Hey Joe..

Thanks for directing us to another excellent information resource.

I did some Google-ing on Philip Zimbardo.... I came across "The Power of the Situation".

The Power of the Situation is the nineteenth program in the DISCOVERING PSYCHOLOGY series.
This program explores psychologists' attempts to understand human behavior within its broader social context.
It also examines how beliefs and behavior can be influenced and manipulated by other people and subtle situational forces.

Video link...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6059627757980071729

"Any situation that makes you anonymous and gives permission for aggression will bring out the beast in most people."

no wonder people are more aggressive and hostile in their being when in a cult...
they dress the same, no one is more or less special (unless you become a 'comrade' )....
no wonder they make chararcter assasinations to those of us who are out.

.....nice barrel within the confines of a wall...

After sending my sister some of the information on this board and simply the one liner telling her "I love her very much" and that "sometimes I feel like I lost my sister"... I just received an angry, hostile mail back from her telling me that "you HAVE lost her, but it is of your OWN doing"..... and that unless I am willing to "go and see for yourself".. she doesn't want to hear from me anymore... In addition, "YOU are the abusive one, and the most self centered, self serving person she has ever encountered".... Since I have had little communication with her for roughly the past 16 years, since every time I disagree with her about anything she walks out of my life for four years or more, I'm not sure where she gets those evaluations of me... Maybe part of the tactic is to stun and hurt your friends and family into just leaving them alone.

Hi Marie, if you go... you will see the pleasant side of this group. The dark side happens away from the eyes of the every day person. If you were to live there, you would know the truth.

How many years has your sister been there, I might know her.

The problem is the beatings and crazy behavior is randon and not every day of the week so the mind can justify the little problems.

Marie-
I am so sorry to hear that news from your sister.
Although, I am not at all surprised.
As I stated before, had anyone told me two years ago I was in a cult, I would have given them the same reaction your sister just gave you.
I was THAT self-righteous, just
as what I THOUGHT were my friends,
are doing to me now: total ostracism.

Cults and mind control make one a very angry and hostile person. I know.
I have witnesses.
I have witnesses to my recovery.

It is not YOU, Marie. It is the years of brainwashing.
I send you hugs from someone who has been there, and I
pray for some sort of healing
for you and your family.

Marie

I am a partner of a long time follower of RSE and we cannot ever discuss anything to do with the school as he is not open at all to the possibility it is not genuine. It leads to enormous arguments and pushes him deeper into the beliefs rather than opening his mind. I am learning to not roll my eyes and to never mention anything I read on these forums as he has answers to everything (isn't that part of cult doctrine to arm members agains any doubt)

I feel and my experience is that the best thing you can do for a loved one in the school is to keep them busy with life. We live in Australia and my partner hasn't been to Yelm since we met two years ago, so that distance helps although he is still very much attached through the internet. Before we met he had lived alone for over three years totally immersing himself in the disciplines, most of this has gone out the window since we met because I am a very social fun loving person and we do stuff together and with other people.

I dont think you can do anything about your sister and it is difficult if your Mom is living in Yelm and you are not. Do you have children? I know my Mom couldn't be away from my children for long. They might be a way to keep her connection with the "real world". If not you just need to love her, let her know you are concerned but dont criticize RSE it just reinforces their belief that they know it all and you know nothing

I posted the Zimbardo reference because he has been one of the most informed academics re cults and the psychology behind undue group influence.

This is also a good article:
http://www.icsahome.com/infoserv_articles/zimbardo_philip_messeges.htm

He was president of the APA in 2002
http://www.apa.org/releases/zimbardo.html

Great post, Joe!

„The solution? Simple. All we have to do is to create an alternative, "perfect cult." We need to work together to find ways to make our society actually deliver on many of those cult promises, to co-opt their appeal, without their deception, distortion and potential for destruction.“ Philip G. Zimbardo, Ph.D.

Now--we are faraway from this!
Perhaps the current so called „cults“ will help to achieve this goal!

I am happy to know, that in the worldwide anti-cult-community, are some, who are more frequency-specific (watchamacallit, I know that this is unsubstantiated!) with facts and experienced knowledge---not all of them are just holy cows!

Thanks Joe!