I have tried to help a brainwashed person I love, it kind of work as the person could see by herself the warning signs I just planted the seeds and the person came to me after 6 or 7 months to say that it was not ok what happened in the cult , and started to behave more normal for about 6 months recently the person was brainwashed again and manipulated by someone who believe in the cult teachings and the person itself think is a leader with powers and mega visions, my beloved one is divided again having sometimes aggressive behaviours and sometimes doubting the teachings, I was told to give up by someone who works in cult supportive platform it was very cruel but I did not listen it was discouraging me and my feelings were not acknowledge, I believe one can not fully say yes or no.. who has here successful stories of total recover?

If you're looking for positive examples, there are many.
Look up Paul Haggis, Mike Rinder, Jason Beghe, Leah Remini from scientology. Fully recovered. They're on youtube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHb0BZyF5Ok it's long, but worth it)

If you search the net, most ex-cult and those who left extremist religions are going through many issues, but are fully recovered in terms of never falling for a cult again and realizing a certain kind of wisdom from it.

There is no specific answer on how to reverse or counteract brainwashing. No one has that answer either, not even the pros.

Some people cannot be helped.
Some people have to be left to their own devices, they will come out themselves.
Some people can definitely be helped.

It is up to you to decide whether it is worth the effort.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2018 02:13AM by snel.

snel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you're looking for positive examples, there are
> many.
> Look up Paul Haggis, Mike Rinder, Jason Beghe,
> Leah Remini from scientology. Fully recovered.

"Fully recovered?" How do you know? You don't spend part of your childhood and decades of your adult life in a cult like $cientology and become "fully recovered" in just a few years. These people have long roads to recovery ahead of them and are far from "fully recovered."

I suppose I should clarify.
I assume that OP is asking about recovery in terms of risk of falling for another cult or same cult, along with any mental factors that contribute to that tendency, and a generally better sense of appreciating what they have and being centered.

In that sense, yes, I am of the strong opinion that the people who I mentioned are "fully recovered". Watch the Beghe interview for instance. I'm definitely not stating it is as fact because I don't know them. :-)

Are they "fully recovered" in terms of every aspect of their emotional and intellectual lives? Of course not. But that way, no one fully recovers from anything, even things not related to cults. We just come to terms with it, and attempt to draw wisdom and happiness from experience.

That said, yes, I do know one or two people who have come out of such things (religion, not cults. so much easier), and are very happy with their lives due to being free of what was keeping them down. I've decided to take their word for it.

Fully recovered my foot. These people are far from fully recovered. They have only just begun their recovery.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2018 12:59AM by The Falconer.

Fair enough, I can't really go further down this line of argument.
I do understand what you're saying, though I feel it's a tad pessimistic (you'd say "realist", instead. :) )

However, do you think, as the OP asked, full recovery is possible?
I do, and I've seen it, too.

Yes, I do. So have I.

Speaking from my own personal experience, I dunno. Aside from endless pointless argument about what recover is/was/may be, there will always be aftershocks and emotional landmines that hit you without warning, each with it's own level of severity. I was 2 1/2 years in an pseudo-religious organization that used all the classic mind control techniques and got out 35 years ago. Just the other night I woke from a classic night terror of being back IN AGAIN. Drenched in sweat and hyperventilating, I bolted from bed and slammed the lights on. My dog was in the far corner of the room whimpering out of fear of the severity of my reaction. It was only when she could see I was returned to my senses that she would approach me.

Once these dreams would occur nightly for weeks at a time. Now, maybe once every few months. But I do not JOIN anything requiring any form of commitment beyond membership dues. I have acquaintances, but few friends. And I am incredibly sensitive to lack of sincerity in people (local politicians of all stripe cringe when they see me).

So to talk of recovery, how do we even measure it? We are a sum total of the lifetime's experiences, who is to say any of the decisions today are not based on the ever expanding ripples of prior mind control?

As for me, the lyrics from "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who resonate:
"I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again"

Until I get to the last two lines of the song, and I fear I am just as amenable to mind control now as I ever was:
"Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss"

Yes, but -- falling into two spectral (vs. absolutely polarized) categories (those who are still attached and committed vs. those who are detached and disgusted) -- there are two different approaches.

Ross is himself a deprogrammer willing to do lengthy "rational exorcisms" with those who are still attached, committed and emotionally invested. And there are others out there using such techniques as Albert Ellis's Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy, Jeffrey Young's Schema Therapy, Vincent Ruggiero's collegiate critical thinking and other "thought questioning" strategies with those who are still attached and committed.

More recently, one sees combinations of those methods with mindfulness or "insight" meditation techniques very much like those used by many Asian-style and LGAT / NLP cults... and thus often acceptable to the attached / committed cult member.

In general, "success" rates are not high with the purely rational techniques. We don't know enough about the success rates with the meditation "crossover" strategy. But because MM is self-awareness-raising and can be used to bleed off emotional energy (e.g.: paranoia, rage, grief, shame, guilt, anxiety, depression, manic defensiveness, etc.) resulting from cultic manipulation of an attached / committed / invested member's codepedency (see this article), the latter approach may work with those who are still invested in and identified with the cult.

With regard to those who are more toward the detached and disgusted end of the spectrum (because it is often "partial" rather than purely polarized to one end or the other), "psychoeducation" appears to work well. In no small part, this is because while the exiter may still be depressed, anxious, confused, etc., he or she wants OUT, and is motivated to find whatever path it takes to get free of his or her "withdrawal" symptoms.

Such psychoeducation can include the following:

Coercive Persuasion and Attitude Change: A Commentary

The Effects of Double Binding upon Cult Members & Treatment Thereof

Abuse of Point of Focus Meditation for Mind Control

http://pairadocks.blogspot.com/2016/08/understanding-co-dependence-as-soft.html

And Lord only know how many other effective "crowbars" there may be now that cult deprogramming and exit counseling have grown to the extent and level of sophistication they have in the face of the explosion of cults in "free" societies like those in Western Europe, North America and Australia.