Destructive cults tend to use methods of mind control to influence followers into becoming absolutely dependent on the cult leader. However, when the term mind control is mentioned, it is common to picture torture, handcuffs, and even extensive interrogation that break a person down physically, emotionally, and mentally. That is one of the prime reasons that the mention of the term, as often voiced by concerned loved ones of a cult member, leads to the member feeling more misunderstood and developing a deeper connection with the cult itself.

The truth though is that mind control need not be so extreme. In fact mind control, as used by cults, is nothing but the use of destructive social influence to change a person’s character and personality entirely. Social influence has been defined by social psychologists as a method to use the presence of people within society, whether real, imagined, or perceived, to determine the thoughts, behavior, and feelings of individuals. This is an effective method, when used positively or negatively, because human beings are inherently social beings who behave through the influence of those around them, which can be categorized into six major categories:

• Reciprocation, where people are more willing to behave as per the wishes of another who have previously extended assistance towards them
• Consistency, where people are willing to take that decision over another that is consistent towards already taken decisions
• Authority, where people are more willing to take the advice of any person who they view as one with knowledge or expertise on the topic
• Social validation, where people are more likely to take decisions that are commonly taken by others too
• Scarcity, where the appeal of an item or opportunity is inversely proportionate to its available quantity
• Friendship, where people are more likely to take advice from persons they like and are close to

The main point of social influence is that it is tacit – people believe that they have taken decisions or that they behave as per their wish alone. However, social influence continues to play a role in their decision making process, without them rarely realizing the effect. When social influence is used to change a person’s character in a way in which he can, and will, not take decisions for himself and instead will be led by a single person, it becomes destructive; and this destructive social influence is the tactics that cults use to turn members into ardent followers of the leader.

Steven Hassan, an ex-cult member, has developed a model called the BITE model to explain the tactics implemented for destructive social influence. This includes the following:

• Behavior Control

This involves controlling the member’s physical environment and includes tactics such as altering or restricting sleep, food, friends, and living habitat. It also includes keeping the member physically busy so that he or she has no time to let their thoughts wander freely. This ensures that the person becomes dependent on the leader for permission to do everything, including daily tasks which are often carried out as per a set routine.

• Information Control

Information control ensures that members only receive the information that can further their dependence on the cult. This is achieved by hiding the bigger picture that may offer more perception, by altering universal information such as the news to suit the cult’s desires, and openly refusing to provide certain information until the members prove their worth to receive such information. This ensures that a member’s vision and understanding is narrowed and limited to that which the cult desires them to believe.

• Thought Control

Thought control works towards convincing the member that the cult and the cult leader are the only ones who care about the member and that their beliefs and words are correct, while everyone else stands against them. It develops an attitude of us against the world which leads the member to being more dependent on the cult and less accepting of anyone else’s words. This is one of the prime reasons that cult members often paint their loved ones in a bad light when they speak up against the cult.

• Emotional Control

Emotional control is used to ensure that members disregard the instinctual doubt that every person has within them. By using a mixture of praises and tactics to create dependence, cults keep members perpetually trying to find their balance, until finally, they are molded into the ideal member. This ensures that the basic, self preservation instinct that exists within everyone and can keep a potential member away is snuffed out and not allowed to take effect.

Through the use of these four aspects of control, cults turn their members’ personalities completely around. This is achieved through the following three steps:

• Unfreezing, in which the original personality is shaken through different types of control and the member kept off balance
• Changing, where the member is given a new personality that is in line with the cult’s requirements
• Refreezing, where this personality is then hardened, making the member a completely different person

Helping a loved one who has been pulled into a cult begins with recognizing this process and its effects. The new personalities are often made to reject ideas from anyone other than the cult leader and members. So, it becomes imperative for a loved one to recognize the original personality and the altered personality, and differentiate between the two. Only then can you chalk out a path by which to reach the true person within and do so without him perceiving you to be against his beliefs.