Cults use mind control techniques to exert influence over recruits and members. These techniques include milieu control to isolate members from outside influences, loading the language with thought-terminating cliches to shut down critical thinking, demanding public confessions to degrade members and strengthen the cult's authority, and promoting doctrines over individual experience by altering history to fit the cult's ideology. The cult of Freethinkers at Virginia Tech seeks to educate about church-state separation and cult phenomena.

1. Marks of a Mind Control Cult
“Brainwashing” has become almost a household word in the last three
decades or so. In 1961, Robert J. Lifton wrote the definitive book on
the subject, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, after
studying the effects of mind control on American prisoners of war under
the Communist Chinese.
Milieu Control Loading the Language
"Milieu" is a French word meaning Lifton explains the prolific use of "thought-terminating
“surroundings; environment.” Cults are able to control the cliches," expressions or words that are designed to end the
environment around their recruits in a number of ways, but conversation or controversy. We are all familiar with the use
almost always using a form of isolation. Recruits can be of the cliches "capitalist" and "imperialist," as used by antiwar
physically separated from society, or they can be warned demonstrators in the 60's. Such cliches are easily memorized
under threat of punishment to stay away from the world's and readily expressed.
They are called the "language of non-thought," since the
educational media, especially when it might provoke critical
discussion is terminated, not allowing further consideration.
thinking. Any books, movies or testimonies of ex-members
of the group, or even anyone critical of the group in any
way are to be avoided. The Cult of Confession
Information is carefully kept on each recruit by the mother Serious sins (as defined by the organization) are to be
organization. All are watched, lest they fall behind or get confessed immediately. The members are to be reported if
too far ahead of the thinking of the organization. Because found walking contrary to the rules.
it appears that the organization knows so much about There is often a tendency to derive pleasure from self-
everything and everyone, they appear omniscient in the eyes degradation through confession. This occurs when all must
of the recruits. confess their sins before each other regularly, creating an
intense kind of “oneness" within the group. It also allows
Mystical Manipulation leaders from within to exercise authority over the weaker
ones, using their "sins" as a whip to lead them on.
In religious cults, God is ever-present in the workings of
the organization. If a person leaves for any reason, accidents Dispension of Existence
or ill-will that may befall them are always attributed to God's
punishment on them. For the faithful, the angels are always The cult decides who has the "right" to exist and who
said to be working, and stories circulate about how God does not. They decide who will perish in the final battle of
is truly doing marvelous things among them, because they good over evil. The leaders decide which history books are
are "the truth." The organization is therefore given a certain accurate and which are biased. Families can be cut off and
outsiders can be deceived, for they are not fit to exist!
“mystique" that is quite alluring to the new recruit.
Doctrine Over Person The "Sacred Science"
Human experience is subordinated to doctrine, no matter The cult's ideology becomes the ultimate moral vision for
how profound or contradictory such experiences seem. The the ordering of human existence. The ideology is too “sacred"
to call into question, and a reverence is demanded for the
history of the cult is altered to fit their doctrinal logic. The
leadership. The cult's ideology makes an exaggerated claim
person is only valuable insomuch as they conform to the for possessing airtight logic, making it appear as absolute
role models of the cult. Commonsense perceptions are truth with no contradictions. Such an attractive system offers
disregarded if they are hostile to the cult's ideology. security.
Demand for Purity Freethinkers at Virginia Tech is a student
The world is depicted as black and white with little room for organization which seeks to educate the Virginia Tech
making personal decisions based on a trained conscience. community of the importance of church-state separation
One's conduct is modeled after the ideology of the group, as and increase awareness of cult phenomena.
taught in its literature. People and organizalons are pictured info@freeatvt.org
Information
as either good or evil, depending on their relationship to
the cult. Website http://www.freeatvt.org/
Universal tendencies of guilt and shame are used to Annoucement List http://www.egroups.com/group/freeatvt-announce
control individuals, even after they leave. There is great
Discussion List http://www.egroups.com/group/freeatvt-discussion
difficulty in understanding the complexities of human morality,
since everything is polarized and over-simplified. All things Affiliated with
classified as evil are to be avoided, and purity is attainable Campus Freethought Alliance
through immersion into the cult's ideology. http://www.secularhumanism.org/cfa/