Brainwashing

Theories of mind control claim that a person can be "enslaved" through brainwashing, emotional manipulation, and other trickery. Some proponents of the theory, such as Steve Hassan, claim that no one is immune to mind control. A person could just start talking to a someone on the street, and nearly instantly, he is a victim. (Surely this is an unfair characterization of what Hassan says.)

Deprogrammers, believing that cults entrap or enslave members via mind control, have often been able to get judges to issue conservatorships authorizing them to rescue people. There is considerable disagreement about how cults actually operate, however: see cult.

The APA asked the chief proponent of mind control theory (and expert witness) Margaret Singer (sp?) to provide evidence to support her theory. After she failed to do so, courts no longer consider her a qualified expert witness. What is the point of these two sentences?

See also: deprogramming -- hypnosis -- brainwashing

/Talk