Tag Archives: public education

What Are Mind Control Religions?

Is Tom Cruise the poster boy for alternative religion?
Is Tom Cruise the poster boy for alternative religion?

In most western-world countries, laws protect consumers from fraud and unethical business practices. But to date, there are no laws on the books that recognize destructive mind control, much less prohibit the use of it by cult-like groups of religion. However, if my colleague Steven Hassan,  the pioneer of exit counseling for cult members and a critically acclaimed author, and thousands of  other ex-cult members have any say about it, that may soon change.

The mind, despite all of its strengths, depends on a stream of coherent information for it to function properly. Put a person into an  environment where the senses are overloaded with incoherent information and the mind becomes numb. In this confused state, critical thinking skills don’t work and the mind becomes suggestible to those who would replace an individual’s self-interest with the group’s best interests.

Everyone, like it or not, is vulnerable to mind control. Everyone is looking for something better in life: more happiness, more meaning and more security. Recruiters prey upon these basic human needs. People don’t join; they are recruited, and more often than not, during a stressful time in their lives.

Mind-control religions use our fantasies of an ideal world to draw us in. The “love bombing” and the sincere, committed members that newcomers initially encounter prove far more attractive and convincing than the doctrines.

Recruitment doesn’t just happen.

“It’s a process,” Hassan says, “imposed on people by other people.”

During that orientation process—it could be a seemingly innocuous six-month Bible study—irrational phobias are placed in the potential member’s unconscious mind. The first is that no one can really be happy and successful if they’re not a member of that particular religion.

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After they become members, life is about sacrifice and living in a fantasy world created by the group. The need to live in the present is continually reinforced with warnings like “Armageddon is just around the corner,” giving members a sense of urgency about the tasks at hand. Those who begin to doubt will find leaving painful, as one of the penalties will be extreme shunning.

Children raised in these groups typically receive an inferior education, are taught that the world is an evil place controlled by the devil, and must rely on church leaders’ interpretation of reality.

Mind-control clichés like “we alone have the truth” or “all non-members will die at Armageddon” are continually reinforced, which puts up an invisible wall between believers and outsiders. This makes members feel special, believing they are counted among God’s chosen few.

Behavior control, Information control, Thought control and Emotional control (the BITE model) has great power and influence on the human mind. Together, these four control mechanisms are used by destructive religious groups to form a totalistic web, which can manipulate even the strongest-minded people. (Hassan provides a thorough explanation of how BITE works in his three best-selling books.) And if that’s not enough, mind-control religious members are required to proselytize; research in social psychology shows that nothing confirms one’s beliefs better than trying to sell those beliefs to other people.

Given freedom of choice, people will choose what they believe is best for themselves. However, the criteria for determining what is “best” should be one’s own, not someone elses.

Freedom of choice is the first thing that one loses when one becomes a member of groups like Scientologists, Moonies and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Unchecked, these groups will continue to wreak untold psychological and physical damage on millions of people who have no idea of what constitutes unethical mind control. Unless action is taken to make destructive religious groups accountable to society for their violations of the basic civil rights of their members, in particular the children of members, they will continue to deceive the public into believing they are a harmless group of people, deserving the same constitutional guarantees as benevolent religions.

Grant money for research projects and treatment of mind-control victims is needed now. Reform within public education must be made to encourage people to think for themselves, to understand the psychological principles of mind control and to teach students to be suspicious of any environment that discourages them from asking critical questions. If you would like to help, go to www.aawa.com  and www.freedomofmind.com. For the Silo, Richard E. Kelly.

5 Dog Myths That Can Lead To Tragedy

It’s the kind of headline that makes dog behaviorist and author Melissa Berryman’s blood boil: “Dog on Trial after Attacking Child.”

According to the report, a pointer-hound mix named Milo, a dog that had never caused any problems, was napping on the couch in his home in January when a 6-year-old neighbor arrived. The boy sat down on the couch and started petting the sleeping dog.  The child was bitten in the face after being left alone with the dog.  No one witnessed the incident.

“The dog was put on trial for an accident that’s preventable when people understand what our behavior means to dogs,” says Berryman, who has spent years studying dog bites and is the author of “People Training for Good Dogs:What Breeders Don’t Tell You and Trainers Don’t Teach”. She also teaches classes on safety and liability protection for dog owners, provides community safety solutions andpromotes the right way to behave around dogs through The Dog Owner Education and Community Safety Council

Author Melissa Berryman (right) is a US national dog bite consultant.
Author Melissa Berryman (right) is a US national dog bite consultant.

“Dog owners are set up for failure because our default is to blame the dog. Owners get fined or sued for repeated human mistakes. Dogs often pay with their lives for mistakes made by people,” Berryman says.

That’s the case for the American canine Milo. At his Feb. 27 hearing in Mansfield, Mass., selectmen voted to euthanize him.  The owners have 10 days to appeal.

“Prevention has to be the priority,” Berryman says. “Sure, it’s cute to us when the baby hugs the dog. But dogs do not say ‘I love you’ with a hug. When one dog ‘hugs’ another, it’s an act of domination. It should be a given that people do not hug dogs. Yet the message for children to hug dogs is prevalent in our culture and the facial bites continue.”

What are some other common misperceptions people have about dog and human behaviors – and how you can change to prevent catastrophes?

Berryman shares 5:

1.     Myth: When greeting a new dog, you should extend your hand for it to sniff.

Fact: Dogs don’t sniff each other’s paws when greeting and like us prefer to be asked before being touched by a stranger. Instead, ask the owner and then also ASK the dog by tapping your hand on your thigh simulating a wagging tail and act friendly.  The dog will relax and nuzzle you, need to sniff more to get to know you or will stay away.

2.     Myth: Breed dictates temperament.

Fact: Dogs, first and foremost, are predatory canines that live in groups. Breeds are generalizations that enable breeders to better market the product they sell.   What dictates temperament is their pack position, the role you, the human, play in the group and the rank of group members.  Dogs have superior/inferior interrelationships and command and defer accordingly.  And just as siblings in a family have the same parents yet are very different, one cannot purchase behavior by buying a dog of a certain breed.

3.    Myth: When a dog charges, there is nothing you can do.

Fact: When a dog charges you, it’s trying to decide if you are friend, foe or prey.   Their eyesight is poor so hats, sunglasses and other objects you may push or carry can scare them.  Act like a friend and pretend you are not afraid. Stand facing the dog with relaxed body language, tap your thigh with your hand and use a high-pitched voice for a friendly greeting like “good girl.” Fake it if you are afraid.

4.    Myth: Posting a “Beware of Dog” sign will protect you from liability if your dog injures someone on your property.

Fact: Dogs can only read body language.  These signs make people react to your dog in a fearful manner, which is more likely to cause a dog to consider visitors prey and bite them.  Use No Trespassing and Dog At Play signs instead.

5.    Myth: Only bad dogs owned by bad people bite.

Fact:  Even responsible dog owners operate under the same false beliefs about human and canine behavior.  They are also encouraged to take a passive role concerning their dog.  Any dog can bite especially when it feels personally threatened, is exposed to prey behavior or thinks that someone lower in rank threatens its resources, such as food, toys, bedding and the attention of its owner.

About Melissa Berryman– author of  People Training for Good Dogs:What Breeders Don’t Tell You and Trainers Don’t Teach

A Massachusetts animal control officer from 1993 to 1999, Melissa Berryman is a US national dog bite consultant who founded the Dog Owner Education and Community Safety Council (www.doecsc.org) and works with communities, rescue groups, dog owners and bite victims. She also designed and teaches a safety and liability class for dog owners, from which “People Training for Good Dogs” is derived. She has worked with more than 10,000 dogs. Berryman holds an undergraduate degree in Animal Science Pre-Veterinary Medicine, and a master’s in Public Administration.  For the Silo, Ginny Grimsley. 

Free Presidential Helicopter Game Via White House Historical Association

NEW GAME Added to White House Experience App

“Fly Like Ike”

Players Can Pilot Presidential Helicopter Around Washington, D.C.

August, 2019 (Washington, D.C.) – The White House Historical Association has just launched a new game in its WHExperience mobile app called “Fly Like Ike.” This interactive game allows users to pilot the president’s helicopter and make stops to learn about several monuments and historic sites in Washington, D.C. before testing their aviation skills by landing on the South Lawn of the White House.

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Helicopters have played an important role in transporting the president since 1957 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to use a helicopter. The helicopter used in this game is a replica of the Official 2019 White House Christmas Ornament.

“Fly Like Ike” currently features these seven destinations: U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Capitol, National Mall, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial/Tidal Basin, Lincoln Memorial, and the White House.

“Fly Like Ike” is the latest feature on the White House Historical Association’s WHExperience app, which is free to download on iOS, Android devices.

The WHExperience app also provides information and a link to purchase the  2019 Official White House Ornament, which commemorates President Eisenhower’s commitment to innovation as the first president to fly in a helicopter while in office in July 1957.

“Fly Like Ike” requires Wi-Fi or a data plan, and is compatible with iPhone 7 and up and devices running Android version 7.0 and up.  

The WHExperience app also includes virtual tours of the White House and a “Presidential Lookalike” selfie feature, which is powered by Amazon Rekognition technology. For the Silo, Jessica Fredericks.

About The White House Historical Association

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. In 1961, the White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the White House Historical Association has contributed more than $50 million USD in fulfillment of its mission.