Re: Former SGI members
Date: December 15, 2009 09:15AM
This excerpt is from "The Battle For Your Mind," by Dick Sutphen, a professional hypnotherapist. Fascinating -- and terrifying! I've edited it for space -- the full article is on this site:
www.the7thfire.com
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How Revivalist Preachers Work
If you'd like to see a revivalist preacher at work, there are probably several in your city. Go to the church or tent early and sit in the rear, about three-quarters of the way back. Most likely repetitive music will be played while the people come in for the service. A repetitive beat, ideally ranging from 45 to 72 beats per minute (a rhythm close to the beat of the human heart), is very hypnotic and can generate an eyes-open altered state of consciousness in a very high percentage of people. And, once you are in an alpha state, you are at least 25 times as suggestible as you would be in full beta consciousness. The music is probably the same for every service, or incorporates the same beat, and many of the people will go into an altered state almost immediately upon entering the sanctuary. Subconsciously, they recall their state of mind from previous services and respond according to the post-hypnotic programming.
Watch the people waiting for the service to begin. Many will exhibit external signs of trance--body relaxation and slightly dilated eyes. Often, they begin swaying back and forth with their hands in the air while sitting in their chairs. Next, the assistant pastor will probably come out. He usually speaks with a pretty good "voice roll."
The "Voice Roll" Technique
A "voice roll" is a patterned, paced style used by hypnotists when inducing a trance. It is also used by many lawyers, several of whom are highly trained hypnotists, when they desire to entrench a point firmly in the minds of the jurors. A voice roll can sound as if the speaker were talking to the beat of a metronome or it may sound as though he were emphasizing every word in a monotonous, patterned style. The words will usually be delivered at the rate of 45 to 60 beats per minute, maximizing the hypnotic effect.
The Build-up Process: Inducing Altered States
Now the assistant pastor begins the "build-up" process. He induces an altered state of consciousness and/or begins to generate the excitement and the expectations of the audience. And the result is the audience's attention span is now totally focused upon the communication while the environment becomes more exciting or tense.
[ie, The pastor is producing that adrenaline rush in the congregation, making them more likely to remember and absorb what is said...and less likely to critically think about it.]
Assured Continuation: Fleecing the Flock
Right about this time, when an eyes-open mass-induced alpha mental state has been achieved, they will usually pass the collection plate or basket. In the background, a 45-beat-per-minute voice roll from the assistant preacher might exhort, "Give to God...Give to God...Give to God...." And the audience does give. God may not get the money, but his already-wealthy representative will.
Bonding by Fear and Suggestion
Next, the fire-and-brimstone preacher will come out. He induces fear and increases the tension by talking about "the devil," "going to hell," or the forthcoming Armageddon. [More adrenaline]
Testimony: Creating Community Spirit
In most revivalist gatherings, "testifying" or "witnessing" usually follows the fear-based sermon. People from the audience come up on stage and relate their stories. "I was crippled and now I can walk!" "I had arthritis and now it's gone!" It is a psychological manipulation that works. After listening to numerous case histories of miraculous healings, the average guy in the audience with a minor problem is sure he can be healed. The room is charged with fear, guilt, intense excitement, and expectations.
Miracles
Now those who want to be healed are frequently lined up around the edge of the room, or they are told to come down to the front. The preacher might touch them on the head firmly and scream, "Be healed!" This releases the psychic energy and, for many, catharsis results. Catharsis is a purging of repressed emotions. Individuals might cry, fall down or even go into spasms. And if catharsis is effected, they stand a chance of being healed. In catharsis (one of the three brain phases mentioned earlier), the brain-slate is temporarily wiped clean and the new suggestion is accepted.
For some, the healing may be permanent. For many, it will last four days to a week, which is, incidentally, how long a hypnotic suggestion given to a somnambulistic subject will usually last. Even if the healing doesn't last, if they come back every week, the power of suggestion may continually override the problem...or sometimes, sadly, it can mask a physical problem which could prove to be very detrimental to the individual in the long run.
A Game in Which the Rules Keep Changing
The techniques and staging will vary from church to church. Many use "speaking in tongues" to generate catharsis in some while the spectacle creates intense excitement in the observers.
The use of hypnotic techniques by religions is sophisticated, and professionals are assuring that they become even more effective. A man in Los Angeles is designing, building, and reworking a lot of churches around the country. He tells ministers what they need and how to use it. This man's track record indicates that the congregation and the monetary income will double if the minister follows his instructions. He admits that about 80 percent of his efforts are in the sound system and lighting.
Powerful sound and the proper use of lighting are of primary importance in inducing an altered state of consciousness--I've been using them for years in my own seminars. However, my participants are fully aware of the process and what they can expect as a result of their participation.
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So what does the Revivalist pastor do that SGI does? That 45-72 beats per minute music inducing trances is interesting! I looked up "Forever Sensei" on Youtube. Not sure I counted correctly, but "Forever Sensei" is faster than 72 beats per minute." Maybe that induces adrenaline and excitement rather than trance. The newer songs, "I Seek Sensei" and "My Mentor and I" were slower, I believe in the high fifties, as in beats per minute. (Did SGI learn about the music speed/trance induction connection and thenconsciously introduce songs within this range?) And let's not forget chanting, which is a great trance-inducer. Sutphen has more on that, further in the article.
I believe it was Nichijew who posted some of the speeches from SGI's latest "Rock the Era," big meeting? It sounded like that was a lot of repetition (hypnotic) voice roll going on, followed by ratcheting up the excitement -- "Yay oneness of mentor and disciple" -- get the audience entranced and then excited -- and then repeat "oneness of mentor and disciple" again and again.
And then, there's the appeal to fear -- fear of evil priests, and disloyal members, fear that you won't gain enlightenment, fear that if you leave SGI, your life will just go to hell in a handbasket. Fear that you won't get these great benefits everyone else seems to be getting!
Spectacles like the Young Men's Division roller-skating pyramid also build excitement and adrenaline.
And of course, the testimony -- what SGI calls "Giving an experience." You hear so many stories of people who had financial, health, relationship, job, family problems -- chanted a lot, worked for the organization, realized their one-ness with the mentor, Ikeda....you DO feel like you could change anything in your life.
Even smaller, more spontaneous neighborhood meetings have some elements of this -- chanting, for trance induction, appeal to fear, community-building testimony (I overcame my problem and you can too!).
Bigger meetings with out-of-town, higher ranking leaders can really pull out all the stops and work the audience's emotions with dramatic speeches, performances, music. Surely some senior leaders have been trained in the voice roll and the selection of hypnotic music. If churches are using this covert manipulation, why wouldn't SGI?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/2009 09:24AM by tsukimoto.