kBoy,
The "elixir" has also been called "kool-aid" in popular culture.
That is, a synthesis of coercive persuasion, thought reform and influence techniques known commonly as "brainwashing" used to gain undue influence.
No one signs up to be brainwashed, but that is what happens in destructive cults. People lose their ability to critically think and reason independently and instead become dependent upon the leader to think and make value judgements for them. As you say the process is "so potent that it numbed our senses to all that is sensible."
But inside the controlled environment of the group that which seems sensible becomes "the devil" and what seems like irrational behavior to those in the "lost world" is to those under undue influence within the group part of "a lofty vision" that the leader says is "best for heaven."
Psychiatrist and author Robert Jay Lifton writes about this in his book "Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism." In the 22nd chapter he explains the principles of "Milieu Control," "Doctrine Over Person" and the "Demand for Purity" in concise language.
See [
culteducation.com]
Note Lifton's description of "Sacred Science."
"The totalist milieu maintains an aura of sacredness around its basic dogma, holding it out as an ultimate moral vision for the ordering of human existence. This sacredness is evident in the prohibition (whether or not explicit) against the questioning of basic assumptions, and in the reverence which is demanded for the originators of the Word, the present bearers of the Word, and the Word itself. While thus transcending ordinary concerns of logic, however, the milieu at the same time makes an exaggerated claim of airtight logic, of absolute "scientific" precision. Thus the ultimate moral vision becomes an ultimate science; and the man who dares to criticize it, or to harbor even unspoken alternative ideas, becomes not only immoral and irreverent, but also "unscientific." In this way, the philosopher kings of modern ideological totalism reinforce their authority by claiming to share in the rich and respected heritage of natural science."
Now substitute science with the bible and you can better understand how Lifton can explain a destructive cult that claims to be based upon the bible.
It would read like this:
The totalist milieu maintains an aura of sacredness around its basic dogma, holding it out as an ultimate moral vision for the ordering of human existence. This sacredness is evident in the prohibition (whether or not explicit) against the questioning of basic assumptions, and in the reverence which is demanded for the originators of the Word, the present bearers of the Word, and the Word itself. While thus transcending ordinary concerns of logic, however, the milieu at the same time makes an exaggerated claim of airtight logic, of absolute
[biblical truth]. Thus
[their interpretation of scripture and ] ultimate moral vision becomes
[the absolute truth and ultimate understanding of the bible]; and the man who dares to criticize it, or to harbor even unspoken alternative ideas, becomes not only immoral and irreverent, but also
['unbiblical' and against 'God's Word']. In this way, the philosopher kings of modern ideological totalism reinforce their authority by claiming to share in the rich and respected heritage of
[the Holy Bible].
Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/2018 11:57PM by rrmoderator.