self hypnosis 

How cults operate (ii)

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There are rules which govern churches which are often not stated or written down. Beware if they say the only statement we have is the Bible. Since the rules are not spoken verbally, you don't find out that the rule (s) exist until you've broken one. It is taken for granted that you should know them. Or you taught them after you have joined. The unspoken rule may come across like this: Do not disagree with the church authorities especially the pastor or your spirituality and loyalty will be questioned. Silence becomes a fortress wall of protection; many will shield the pastor's position of power from any scrutiny or challenge. If one questions what is said or the rules they are seen as being against them and God or divisive. They can't talk .to others rule is probably the most consistent one used. If you speak about the problem to others, YOU JUST BECOME THE PROBLEM. You must become silent and just ignore it or will be asked to leave. Neither can you discuss things with others who left while you are still in the group or it will be considered betrayal.


Conversion techniques: Conversion into a cult is done by dynamic interactions. They look for those who are new to the town or school. The easiest to involve someone is when they are weak and vulnerable, they instantly become a potential recruit. This vulnerability can be enhanced by transitional situations in life such as divorce, depression, abuse, handicapped, a job or career change, moving away from home or leaving college, few friends, an illness, or death of a loved one, new to an area, loneliness, loss of job, or someone backsliding. Those who have had numerous bad experiences with love in their lives, feel rejected by people and insecure are attracted to cults. These groups make them instantly feel accepted and superior giving them friendship and acceptance. Many people who become discontent and disappointed in their prior church experiences are open to something new, even something radically different. The tactics used to convert indoctrinate the members. Some groups attempt a radical and quick conversion with an intensive weekend retreat or week long seminar such as The Forum or Scientology. Others have a more subtle approach which may take weeks or months, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and International churches of Christ. Although all push for something for quicker decisions to join.


Revelation knowledge: Emotions, intuitions, revelations and mystical insights are promoted over the objective word. They become more important than objective conclusions and what has already been revealed in scripture Critical Thinking is discouraged. independent thought can be looked at as selfish and rational use of intellect as evil.


Mystical altered states: The flesh is considered evil the Sprit is good (Gnosticism). Subjective experiences are accepted more quickly than constructive teaching New age uses Repetition of words. Techniques which include relaxation, chanting, hypnosis, meditation, trance states guided imagery or visualization, deep breathing exercises - all of these bring a person into an altered state, a highly suggestible state. These techniques can cause psychological imbalance. What is relaxation becomes the opposite promoting anxiety. Many cannot handle stilling the mind or visualising. The affects are not immediately noticed and usually catch up late.


Leaders have a prideful unreachable spirit: The altitude that 'no one can Judge me or tell me what to do' is fostered by pride the leader is in deception and promotes deception to the followers. The leader becomes untouchable by anyone. He is accountable to God only and everyone must obey what he says like it is Gods words. Included in this is the attitude that 'we are always right' from the leadership. When Hobart Freeman began Faith Assembly, loyalty to him and his teachings were to be accepted without question. To question Freeman, a self-acknowledged 'prophet of God' was to risk the charge of blasphemy. Many people died including himself from his teaching on healing. This continues today by the word/faith movement and believing for your healing. All false doctrine has pride as its catalyst and arrogance as its practice.


Pride of the group: We are the only ones who are right. If you are not one of us, then you are destined for hell. Correct doctrine is used by them alone to the exclusion of any others; they alone have the truth so one must join them to be saved. They have an us against them attitude which can be very dangerous. They appoint new 'inside' meanings to ordinary words or the use of an exclusive vocabulary subtly moving a person to want to become a member. An appearance of false spirituality is given from the language. What was formerly known by a certain phrase or word now has a new meaning behind it.


Brainwashing: New inductees are brainwashed increment by increment until the convert identities with the Church and its leaders and ties with family society are broken. Many claim no one can be brainwashed if they don't want to be. But who ever wanted to be unless they were convinced first it is a good thing. So it is disguised as what is right and true. While there are some subtle differences between mind control and brainwashing, the results are the same, obedience. A systematic teaching indoctrinates members into the beliefs of the cult. This is a methodical process of seducing and deceiving. A lie is told over and over until it is accepted and believed. A reprogramming of the conscience is done by other members and systematic teachings. Certain techniques used for what is called thought reform and mind is conditioning. Members are kept under physical mental and emotional pressure they can become too fatigued to resist or think for themselves, or they become too busy as they can comply with all the groups activities.


Devotion to convert others to their group and its belief system: Cults demand a strong commitment from their members. They promise rewards for being faithful to their leaders and organization. EX: one can be. kept out of the tribulation if found doing God's work (JW). Service to the church is understood as service to God. Meetings are mandatory. In the I.C.C., one's meetings will keep them so busy they will no longer have time for their friends and family, job or hobbies. They are replaced with a new family and friends and a new view of life. The priority rather than bringing others into a saving relationship will Christ is to have them gain membership. Flattery is used, they can be very crafty and everything is done with an objective. Instead of plainness, openness and honesty. They hide their real motives and teachings until they know one is ready. When they are convinced that you will do anything for God and their group, it is then that they will disclose the full extent of their teachings and mission.


Distorted tithing or excessive giving: Certain members keep track of your commitment of what you're to give. They may have you write down what you can give and keep you to the obligation. More and more money is needed to attain higher degrees of spirituality (International churches of Christ), or complete submission to God requires one to give up everything to the group or leader for the cause. Give to get back from God, the more you give the more God will give back. We must be ready to 'test the spirits' (I John 4: I), and to 'beware of false prophets which come to You in sheep's (Christian) clothing' (Matthew 7: 15). The key to discernment is awareness (Hosea 4:6), for how call one beware unless one is first aware. We become aware by first by familiarising oneself with the truth, but also become aware how the enemy distorts the truth to attract and snare us.


Attempting to bring in the kingdom now: It is up to us to change society and government. Force may even be promoted. Distrust and paranoia may empower the cult as they could feel that they are threatened and subject to attack. This causes them to stockpile food and weapons and take extreme measures to insure protection from their imagined enemies. In Christianity some want to take over the world and Christianise the government and the people so that after it is done Christ will come back. Total commitment: is expected of the followers to the leader[s]. Their commitment requires that property and money be given in the hands of the leader[s]. Ones time, talent, and money are all at the disposal of the church or leaders, it is all focused on their mission who is interpreted as Gods. While many do use the great commission as a basic concept they change it to mean something than it actually does.


Individuality is sacrificed for the group: The group's concerns supersede an individual's goals, needs, aspiration, conformity is the key. The end Justifies the Means 'C Any action or behavior is justifiable as long as it further the group's goals. To lie to others outside the group is ok since they are serving Satan.


Inconsistent disciplined life: very strict rules in some areas and completely loose ill others. Will make up extra rules to either forbid things normally done (legalism such as movies male or female swimming) or will allow total freedom to the extreme, such as in the family and sex for Jesus. There is no balance but only extremes.


Martyrdom complex: Cultists may be willing to die for what they believe to be true, out of loyalty to the man or God they follow. Even to the point of mass suicide as we have seen with Jim Jolles Koresh, Heavens Gate etc. Others such as the Christian Science and Jehovah witnesses convince individuals of suicide by denying medical treatment or blood for their life.


Curses and Threats: Are put on those who leave the group or oppose them afterwards. They are told their is no where else to go. Threats are made subtly or to their face. Once one is in their is no easy way out. The hardest part is when friends and family are involved. One will often have to give up their friendships and fight for their family. Are you frustrated trying to figure out how to leave? Don't let this be you. There are ways out, they don't own you, and you can be set free.

'measure for measure' minus present-day politics

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Measure for Measure 'C one of Shakespeare's darkest comedies 'C holds a magnifying glass up to the heart of corrupt politicians trying to rid their society of impure desires.

Its characters closely resemble present-day politicians who hide their skeletons with a fa?ade of holiness, but the Hipgnosis Theater Company's recent production took pains to avoid pat comparisons to American politics.

'The world that Shakespeare creates in these plays is more interesting than our own, so it would be a disservice to the play to straightjacket it into modern examples,' said the show's director, John Castro. But he didn't deny that the cast was somewhat inspired by the modern-day role of religious fundamentalism in government. 'There is no direct analogue, but there is a sort of similar dynamic in the way that fear is being used in the control of people to get them to sacrifice their personal freedom for what is dubious security,' Castro added.

While many of the actors have performed together as part of the Compass Rose Theater Company, this is the first production of the newly formed Hipgnosis. The company's often mispelled name is a combination of hipness, hypnosis, and gnosis, or the pursuit of knowledge through inner exploration. (Castro admits he stole the idea from a design company in the 70's that did album covers for Led Zepelin and Yes.)

The performers are confident and facile in their Elizabethan tongue, and well-versed in the bawdy brutality of the Bard, with cast credits including 'As You Like It,' 'Winter's Tale,' and 'Taming the Shrew.' Rife with contradictions, 'Measure for Measure' is just what the company had in mind to catapult them into a future of challenging dramatic performances.

'We are going to try to focus on plays that are thorny, difficult, and classical. The hardest thing is to open these ambiguities up and let them fly,' said Castro.

The play's battle between the licensed and the licentious takes place on a well-lit stage, with the audience seated in a surrounding rectangle of fold-out chairs, facing one another in uncomfortable judgment that blurs the lines of who is on and off stage.

The Duke of Vienna (Nick Brooks) has briefly abdicated his throne to the self-righteous Lord Angelo (David Look), who promptly begins to fill the jails with lovers, prostitutes, drunkards, and bookies.

Isabella (Erika Bailey), an incipient nun, begs Angelo to loosen his grip on the city's vices, and pardon her brother, who is condemned to die for premarital sex. The straight-backed and austere Angelo crusades against the weakness of the flesh, until he is so overtaken by his own ruthless desires that he offers Isabella an outrageous trade: her virginity for her brother's life.

Dressed all in white, as the token character who is pure of heart, Isabella craves the strictures of the nunnery. In her pitch-perfect performance, Bailey, a classically trained voice teacher, embodies Isabella with a tortured severity.

The total counterpoint is Brooks' gleefully manipulative Duke, who believes that all problems can be solved with simple substitutions of costumes, bedmates, and death row inmates. Traveling incognito as a man of the cloth during Angelo's restrictive reign, the Duke brokers the play's deals in a monk's robes, like a card shark for the cloister.

The play deals in ironic dualities, with Pompey (Francis Kelly), the local pimp, humorously bartering his freedom through the role of hangman's apprentice, and an incompetent cop Elbow (Demetri Bonaros) impotently chasing the town's hustlers in circles.

Providing comic relief in the face of dark truths, Elbow joins Lucio (Julian Rozzell, Jr.) the town gossip, and Pompey (Francis Kelly) in hilarious shenanigans that soften the play's harsh angles.

The sheer physicality of their performances enlivens a story that focuses on the lengths people will go to imprison the baser desires of the body.

'We started doing physical workshops with the entire company as a way to just build a common language. This play stretched our abilities, interests, and curiosities in ways that may not be evident when you pick up a Shakespearian text,' said Bonaros, who also produces.

And the production doesn't clean up the tawdry desires and hidden agendas in a tidy line of resolving marriages. While un-judgmental, Hipgnosis' 'Measure for Measure' refuses to pardon the gleefully naughty characters, even though the script begs forgiveness with the line, 'They say, best men are moulded out of faults/And, for the most, become much more the better/For being a little bad.'