In this text, "Humaginetics"
is a fictitious name of the author's own making and does not describe
any real "Humaginetics," should one exist.
Doing
Hard Time on Planet Earth
1. Susceptibility
- Background
- Initial Contact -
"The Road to Happiness"
- Practical Humaginetics
- The Resistible Mind
2. Breaking through Natural
Barriers
- Timeless Truth
- The Brain's Back Door
- Camouflage
3. The Program
4. Eliminating the Competition
- Absence of Competition
- The Program of Elimination
- Enslavement is Legal
5. Psychological Addiction
6. The Technology of
Verbal Camouflage
- Framing and Associating
Concepts
- VERBAL - (VISUAL)
- Definition - (Silhouette)
- Context - (Texture)
- Importance - (Light)
1. Susceptibility
Background
Over two hundred years
have passed since humankind started its transition into the Industrial
Age. The hand-held tools of yore which were originally used to create
the machines of the Industrial Age have gradually been replaced by
the same, fickle machines they created. The calm, attentive state
of mind used by the original craftsmen has long been giving way to
the rush to obtain yet bigger machines. The once sought-after goal
of achieving God-like serenity is being replaced by a demonic frenzy
for more power.
Power for the new machines
was to come from soulless sources like steam, combustion and finally
electricity. Performance came to be measured less in terms of the
skill of the craftsmen and more in the power and speed brought to
bear by the operator. Skill has been replaced by efficiency. Peace
of mind has given way to anxiety.
It should come as no
big surprise then, that humankind has been turning away from peaceful
qualities in favor of relentless performance. We have been awed by
modern science which is ever more rapidly achieving the unthinkable.
Technological breakthroughs no longer happen randomly, but are more
the product of an irreversible timetable. Ultimately, creation, the
one last realm of God, came to be undone by modern technology.
One day a half a century
ago, scientists stood in the New Mexico desert and watched as matter
violently vanished into a mushroom cloud. The atomic bomb was born.
Up to that point, machines had been the answer to everything. Any
problem had been able to be solved with a bigger, better machine.
Now, suddenly, people started to worry en masse about what was going
to happen once the "button" was pushed which could send
all of them and their machines into nuclear oblivion.
Partially in response
to this mass reaction, new religious and psychological movements have
sprung up. Each one promises to perish this thought of impending doom
from the minds of its adherents, or at least to divert attention from
their fate and their money long enough to become a commercially viable
business.
Initial
Contact - "The Road to Happiness"
The title sounded like
one of those Bing Crosby/Bob Hope movies from the good old days: "The
Road to Happiness." I sent in a couple of dollars expecting to
get back some never-to-be-forgotten quotations or nostalgic photographs
of the comedic pair, or maybe even Dorothy Lamour. Instead, the postman
delivered a little booklet of writings that looked like a curiously
relaxed version of the Ten Commandments. A few of them read something
like this:
"Honor your father
and mother, if possible.
Do not ever get caught
in a lie.
Do not steal it if
you can do without it."
Under each "commandment"
there were several paragraphs explaining why a person could, for example,
do without stealing. There seemed to be a moral to each point, but
it was impossible to entirely grasp what was written. It seemed completely
harmless, yet compelling in its own, vague way.
I was mildly interested
in learning more about where all this was supposed to lead, so I filled
out and mailed back the post card which had come with the booklet.
Within a week, I received a hand-written letter asking me to stop
by a "Humaginetics" Service Center in the nearest larger
city (Humaginetics was some sort of abbreviation for "human engineering
genetics"), and an order form for the basic Humaginetics book.
I decided to play it safe and just order the book for $4.50 plus postage
and handling. It arrived several days later.
First of all, I was informed
from my new reading material, we human beings all have strange feelings
which we cannot explain. Furthermore, we do not know where these feelings
come from. They seem to appear out of nowhere. Of course this is something
which everybody knows, but Humaginetics seemed to think it very important
that this particular concept be established as an indisputable, scientific
fact. Apparently it is not that this mere fact will get a person anywhere
in particular all by itself, but that Humaginetics has established
a good many of these facts and has put them together in such a way
as to produce a result which nobody else has yet been able to achieve.
A new way of thinking was said to have been evolved in this manner,
spiraling upward more and more along routes which had previously been
overlooked simply because it was thought they were insignificant.
That thought appealed
to me. I had felt before that there must have been a thousand things
which could have been of some use to me, but which I was overlooking.
The lesson went on to
state that what we wanted was not off in some distant, unreachable
place, but right here in front of us. Furthermore, it was not a matter
of knowing what to look for, but of recognizing where we are and what
we are dealing with. Once we knew that, according to Humaginetics,
we had already taken our first step out onto the Road to Happiness.
Naturally, there were a few bends in the road.
My interest was piqued
by this, but I still did not care to visit the Humaginetics Service
Center. For some reason I could not quite put my finger on, I still
had nagging doubts. So far it all sounded plausible, but I had not
yet noticed any changes for the better in myself although the promised
transformation was already supposed to be taking place. I assumed
that I was on the Road to Happiness, but could not see any actual
changes due to what must have been the fishbowl effect. I was on the
inside looking out, not on the outside looking in. However, neither
did the people around me make any comment which would have indicated
that they knew I was on the path to greater ability. Maybe it was
just one of those things like the book said: it was in front of them,
but they just could not see? I ordered the next book in the series:
"Practical Humaginetics for the Working Person."
Practical
Humaginetics
It was not until after
I had begun work on the Practical Humaginetics volume that the Road
to Happiness really started taking shape. This book contained the
basic "Teachings" of Humaginetics. The scientific facts
which comprised the intermediate teachings were listed in detail,
along with how to experience some of their relationships with each
other. I could tell now that the previous books I had read on the
topic were just written as step-by-step introductions to lead up to
this one. This was the one which would show me the way. Now I could
finally buckle down to see for myself where the Road would take me.
According to Humaginetics,
there is a source for these feelings which we all have but do not
know where they come from. According to what was said to be years
of research and hundreds of case studies, there is a hidden pocket
of consciousness within ourselves. Due to several built-in mechanisms
which render this hidden awareness incapable of being identified by
our rational awareness, it has hovered, undetected, in the background
of every human being since the beginning of time. Humaginetics called
this pocket of subconsciousness the "Irresistible Mind."
The main mechanism which
serves to hide this mind from us was said to be that it only comes
alive to the extent that we, ourselves, are unaware or unconscious.
Here is how it worked. In normal, waking moments of consciousness,
we control what we are doing. It is in the moments of obliviousness
that the Irresistible Mind, unbeknownst to us, takes control of our
thoughts and actions. The degree of our own unawareness was proportional
to the degree of irresistible control.
That is why we cannot
see and thus are not aware of certain things which are right in front
of us; these things are in the realm of the Irresistible Mind. This
hidden mind was called "irresistible" for good reason. It
was one of the driving forces of our lives, but we just did not realize
it. Apparently, through evolution or whatever, it had formed as a
sort of fall-back mind to look after us during moments of pain or
carelessness. The only reason this separate mind was discovered at
all was because the people who traveled up the Road to Happiness became
aware of quite a few things which the rest of us innocents were not.
One of these previously
overlooked, but rather important, phenomena was that the Irresistible
Mind is an unknown source of woe for the human race. This mischievous
mind, since it came about, more or less, by accident, was not geared
to perform with our best interests at heart. Moreover, not only did
it take over our thoughts without our knowledge, but also our feelings,
emotions and actions.
Therefore, two of the
prime purposes of Humaginetics was to neutralize the bad effects the
Irresistible Mind and to train it to behave in a pro-survival manner.
The Humaginetics Teachings claimed to tell me how to do this, but
there was a warning. Not only were the Teachings copyrighted, but
used in the wrong hands it was claimed they could bring about dire
results.
After a short period
of reflection, I decided to be brave and take a chance. First, I carefully
read over each step of the outline. Then I pictured myself going through
the various actions before I performed any one of them. I religiously
repeated the steps the book told me I was to take. Finally, by using
the Teachings, I got to a point where I could see, clearly and distinctly,
the Irresistible Mind, or what I thought was the Irresistible Mind.
The Resistible
Mind
I was following a checklist
of questions as outlined in chapter 7 of book 2 of the Practical Teachings.
It had to do with finding a spot I was comfortable with. My spot was
sort of hazy at first, but slowly it took shape. Then it turned around
and said,
"Oh, hi, I didn't
see you. What's up?"
"Are you my Irresistible
Mind?" I asked, hopefully.
"No, sorry. There
must have been some kind of a mix-up. You'd probably better start
over."
This was frustrating.
I did not want to stop. Neither did I want to start over. I had already
spent over forty dollars on various books to get this far.
"I really don't
want to start over, and since I've already gotten this far, could
you help me out a little here? You obviously are a part of my consciousness
which I have previously been unaware of. I was hoping, since I have
already spent a bundle of money, that you could tell me some things
which I did not already know."
"Like what, for
instance?"
"For one thing,
who or what are you?"
"I'm your Resistible
Mind. I know some of your deepest, most intimate secrets, but you
don't have to pay any attention to anything I say."
"Are you here because
of Humaginetics?"
"No, Humaginetics
is a commercial cult that wants your money, hopes and dreams. The
Humaginetics operators want control over part of your subconscious
as a back door to your own brain. Since you never knew a back door
existed in the first place, you would never have suspected anything
like this could have happened."
"That's crazy,"
I responded.
"You're talking
to me, aren't you?"
"Ok, ok, enough
already. What's your name?"
"You can call me
Swatron."
2. Breaking through Natural
Barriers
Timeless
Truth
Swatron and I eventually
became steady acquaintances. Even though he knew my innermost secrets,
that was balanced out by the fact that I could, at any time, resist
anything he said. It was frightening, at first, having somebody or
something that knew things about myself which I had never had any
intention of revealing to anybody else. I soon found through experience,
though, that with this new version of my innermost consciousness,
I was in complete control and could change the subject any time I
felt like it.
At one point it occurred
to me that, following the Teachings, I should have invoked an Irresistible
Mind instead of a resistible mind. Did I really want what I had? What
would be the consequences of keeping this up and of communicating
to my resistible mind? Swatron answered that I would be better off
dealing with something I could resist rather than something I could
not. I had a tendency to agree.
It was enough of a challenge
for me just having a different being inside or around me which actually
spoke or somehow communicated thought back to me. Knowing that I could
resist this being gave me comfort and assurance that I was not just
being swept up with the tide, especially with this disturbing idea
of a back door to my brain. I tested Swatron out one day.
"There's no such
thing as brainwashing," I challenged him.
"Call it 'Re-education'
then."
"What, like going
through the 1st grade again?"
"Not again, but
for the first time. The purpose of re-education is not to introduce
a system to a person, but to induct a person into a whole new system.
It is a whole new way of looking at the world, but it is not based
on logical coexistence through reading, writing and arithmetic. That
was the old system. The new system is based on absolute timelessness
and plausible truth."
"Whoa, there! What
do you mean, "absolute timelessness"? I have a tough enough
time just thinking up to the end of this afternoon!"
"OK, I'll put it
to you in terms you can understand. Do you have ten dollars?"
"What do you want
to know that for?"
"Look, I'm just
a mind, and resistible at that, I can't spend your money. OK, do you
have five dollars?"
"Suppose I do?"
"How long are you
going to have that five dollars?"
"Until I spend it."
"Suppose you spend
it, but you still have five dollars?"
"Then I'd be rich,
because I could keep on spending that five dollars until the end of
time."
"Now you have the
idea. Just think of timelessness as your own survival until the end
of time. If you truly had unlimited time, you would have ample opportunity
to solve all your problems. If you had all eternity, you could come
up with a way not only to solve all your problems, but to neutralize
all your enemies. You are only lacking one thing: the belief that
you will live for all time."
"I already sort
of believe that to begin with, but not really. I'll just live until
I die, and for me that will be the end of time."
"That's a start.
A movement like Humaginetics is geared up to indoctrinate you into
basing your life on the concept of timelessness on the one hand, while
asserting that this timelessness is something which you can lose.
It's a carrot-and-stick routine. If you're good you get the timeless
carrot; if you're bad you get the truth stick."
"So timelessness
is the end-all and the be-all?" I commented.
"Surviving the bomb
and the end of the world is what it's about," replied Swatron.
"In order to get you closer to believing in your own timelessness,
you are told that you have to contribute more time and/or money. This,
in certain people, can actually turn into a timeless, addictive cycle
in which Humaginetics keeps constant tabs on their time and money.
"What kind of people
can be addicted like that?" I asked.
"Anybody who can
be contacted, involved and persuaded on a pre-programmed issue. The
extent to which people are involved in a certain topic is the degree
to which they can be controlled. Therefore, the first problem Humaginetics
has to face is getting people involved. That is the purpose of the
inane little 'Road to Happiness' booklet. Why did you pay money for
that?"
"I don't know. It
wasn't that much."
"That was just to
get you interested. That is normal. What is not normal is the idea
that you have a mind which is in control of you when you are not."
That thought deserved
a little bit of contemplation. I resisted Swatron, my Resistible Mind,
and went for a walk through the park. It was a beautiful day and the
clouds were what I call playful. Some were the cotton ball variety
while others looked like outstretched feathers. Wherever my mind was,
it was nice to be able to take a break from it.
The Brain's
Back Door
Several days later I
once again conjured up my comfortable, imaginary spot. Swatron did
not show up immediately, and when he did, it looked like he had been
sleeping. This struck me as funny, since it seemed incongruous that
a seemingly all-knowing mind should have to take a break, the same
as I.
"What are you laughing
at?"
"You. You look like
you just woke up. Look, I have a question. How did I get you, anyway?
I was following the Teachings just like I was supposed to. I bought
the book. I followed the instructions. I did exactly what I was told
to do. The end product of that drill was supposed to have been some
sort of swirling mist which was trying to cloud up my comfy spot.
Then you showed up. Why?"
"Did you really
believe that an evil, swirling mist would come in and cloud up your
mind?"
"Not really,"
I said. There are moments in which I am less aware of what is going
on around me. However, I do not really believe that there could be
a single, ethereal source which secretly causes those moments of unawareness.
The very idea of a solitary something which causes unknown personal
problems, in fact, gives me a picture of a grinning monkey sitting
on my shoulder, just waiting for a moment of weakness so he can get
up to some kind of mischief."
"When I am feeling
out of it," I continued to muse, "I just think of the reasons
why that kind of feeling could happen: am I tired, hungry, suffering
from information overload or lack of information? Things like that
usually make me feel light-headed or slow. If I cannot figure it out,
I take a break and it will come to me if it was important, if not
it will go away. If I do not stop feeling dizzy or whatever, then
I go see a doctor."
Swatron grinned bashfully.
"That is not true
for everybody, though," I said, exploring new territory now.
"The reason why I take the time to figure out my own feelings
is that I have seen the effects on people who act on bad information.
Take, for instance, a
child who is having a minor tantrum over some perceived upset, just
bawling his eyes out like there was no tomorrow. A concerned uncle
may first ask the child the reason for his behavior, then reach his
hand to the back of the child's head to produce a coin. 'Look what
just came out of your ear!' he might say. The child suddenly stops
his crying and looks in surprise at the coin which seemed to appear
out of thin air. If he laughs and goes on to something else, no harm
has been done. If, however, he really believes that the coin came
out of his ear, that child is eventually going to be disappointed,
if not publicly shamed.
The same thing can happen
to adults. Suppose I formed a conclusion in advance that the Irresistible
Mind really does appear like a monkey on my back during moments of
giddiness. Then I really would have believed that anything which I
experienced during my Humaginetics drill was actually the Irresistible
Mind, due to my own anticipations."
"Instead I appeared,"
Swatron said glumly. Then he brightened up. "How do you know
I'm not the swirling mist which was trying to cloud up your comfort
zone? Maybe I'm just softening you up for the real thing."
"You mean the Irresistible
Mind? How would I know it when I see it?"
"You won't be able
to resist it."
"Any other helpful
hints?" I asked, not very reassured by this painfully obvious
clue.
"It would have to
sneak up on you without your realizing it," said my resistible
mind, "otherwise you could resist it. How could a corporate program
sneak up on a person?"
I puffed out my cheeks
and widened my eyes. I think that gives me inspiration, although my
brother thinks it makes me look like a goldfish.
"Ok, I already have
some control over every part of my own life which I am responsible
for. For the purpose of controlling me, Humaginetics could invent
a mind I was not aware of: the Irresistible Mind. To further make
me believe that I was personally involved in this mind which suddenly
appeared behind my head like a coin out of well-meaning uncle's hand,
this allegedly subconscious mind could be given charge of important
chunks of my life which not only I am unaware of, but which were supposed
to control me without my even knowing it!
In other words, I could
be led to believe that a part of me was already acting on its own
without my knowledge, without my control, and was taking charge of
my behavior in times of stress when I could least afford it. To firm
up this control the Irresistible Mind could be privy to my innermost
thoughts; it would seem a part of me almost more so than I am. Then
the plot complication: instead of having my own interests at heart,
it would to act more like an evil stepmother so Humaginetics could
step in and 'rescue' me."
"That sounds like
the Irresistible Mind is an actress in the play of your personal life,"
interjected Swatron.
"'Could be', not
'is'," I corrected him, "but that is a good analogy. Humaginetics
is the producer of the play and supplied me with the script in the
form of the Teachings. Which I then blithely applied with myself as
guinea pig," I added wryly.
My resistible mind pursued
the line of thought I had started, "The Teachings are a series
of programs designed to control your Irresistible Mind. First you
had to believe that you have an Irresistible Mind. If you concluded
that your unknown feelings and thoughts were the product of this mind
which you did not know about, then you would be positioned to accept
the next line in the program. If you do not come to that conclusion,
then you are only a few dollars poorer when you walk away, but none
the wiser about the way Humaginetics does business."
"For those gullible
or adventurous, self-seeking souls who are willing to give Humaginetics
a try," he went on, "it becomes a matter of putting two
and two together. The Irresistible Mind controls the self-seeker.
The Teachings control the Irresistible Mind, which after all, is only
a figment of the Teacher's imagination. The Teachings, therefore,
control people through an artificial machine which nobody else is
even aware of, but which is now a very real part of their lives."
"That's not what
'Practical Humaginetics for the Working Person' said!" I broke
in.
"Naturally, that
is not the way Humaginetics presents the Teachings to the Road to
Happiness or the Irresistible Mind. Each concept is carefully camouflaged
to look like something else. That is an art unto itself."
That was enough for me
for a while. I spent the next several days catching up on my day-to-day
routine, but I also managed a stop by the public library. A concept
Swatron had mentioned, the art of camouflage, intrigued me.
Camouflage
I found that much material
about camouflage is not widely distributed. After all, the purpose
of camouflage is to operate without being seen, and if you tell the
whole world how you are hiding your operations, then your actions
are not very well hidden, are they? Fortunately I found some books
by an organization which is very open about camouflage and security
- the Army.
One of the "common
tasks" a soldier has to learn is how to camouflage a person or
object. There are three aspects to visual camouflage: outline (silhouette),
texture (color) and brightness.
The silhouette of a soldier's
helmet is broken up by twigs or leaves which are inserted into webbing
wrapped around the outside. Change of texture or color is provided
by those splotchy green and black or brown and black clothes which
are worn in the field. Finally, the facial features are turned around
by inverting brightness: the dark camouflage stick is used to color
the shiny portions of the hands and face like the forehead, knuckles,
bridge of the nose and cheekbones, and the lighter shaded stick is
used to accent the darker, hollow portions.
While this may have been
interesting enough to hunters, I did not quite make the connection
as to how this would be able to disguise something as ethereal as
intent. How was Humaginetics intending to use my Irresistible Mind
on me to indoctrinate me with the idea of timelessness?
Once I thought it over
further, though, it did make sense to me that a cult would want to
disguise itself. Look in the telephone book under "cult,"
and see how many entries you find. Something also clicked with the
coin-out-of-the-ear analogy. If seeming to pull a coin out of a child's
ear could have an immediate, perceivable effect on behavior, what
effect could be caused by pulling a far more menacing "Irresistible
Mind" out of one's own imagination?
Before I paid more money
for the next book, I thought it might be a good idea to get as much
background as I could on my own. At this point, I could not really
decide if Swatron was helping or hurting my case, but I had nothing
at all against listening to what he had to say. I just made sure that
one thing he said remained true: I absolutely had to be able to resist
anything he said. At any time, I wanted to be able to interrupt and
ask questions, change the subject for the sake of comparison or walk
out without threat of reprisal - all without having to explain a thing
or being made to feel like I was breaking any promises. My goal was
to gain specific awareness, but not at the expense of cutting other
communications lines which I used to stay mentally alert.
In short, I wanted to
raise my own higher level of consciousness, and not just narrow it
to fit someone else's concept of what I am. That was a big plus point
in Swatron's favor: he was strong enough to be able to give in to
my requests and listen to my side of the story. He did not feel that
a different point of view would detract from discussion; he gave the
impression that a variety of viewpoints made for a more complete picture.
Most of all, he did not try to impress me with any sort of urgency
that I would lose money or time if I did not agree with his perspective
right away.
3. The Program
"Initially, the
Irresistible Mind only fulfills the function of an imaginary blank
circuit board," Swatron started out. "It subsequently becomes
more real as more parts of it are revealed and added to the board
by Humaginetics. "Think of the Irresistible Mind as fulfilling
a function of control. It is used as a channel to bypass your normal,
built-in protection mechanisms.
The usual situation is
that you would justifiably question the idea of being controlled by
some unknown, outside presence. The idea, though, that this presence
does not stem from true outside control, but from within yourself,
somewhat alleviates the unease. It gives a temporary sense of reassurance
to think that those passing qualms which you get are not from somewhere
outside of yourself. They just have this nagging little habit of not
being consciously controlled at all times. That nagging little bit
of anxiety eventually and imperceptibly causes an altered state of
consciousness. True, recuperative relaxation becomes less frequent.
The Irresistible Mind
is said to be constantly lurking, just waiting for the opportunity
to further embarrass you or even to mislead you into making what could
possibly be your last, fatal miscalculation. This idea that it could
lead to a fatal mistake is especially alarming. The blank circuit
board is said to have no rhyme or reason. It just supposedly programmed
itself, haphazardly, down through the ages, to take everything it
sees or hears literally, in a zombie-like manner.
Once Humaginetics, however,
starts rearranging the circuit board, it wants to make sure that its
tried-and-true program stays in place. This requires mental 'solder'
to keep its components from falling out. In the case of the Irresistible
Mind, the soldering elements are self-justification, shedding of past
responsibility and guilt.
Self-justification is
a closed loop. It shuts out any outside influence by giving a pre-determined
explanation. The explanation, however, does not answer any questions,
but merely loops around and around within itself in response to questions.
Example: the Irresistible Mind causes unawareness, therefore any lessening
of awareness is caused by the Irresistible Mind. Feeling tired but
had enough sleep? It's that Irresistible Mind. Have a hard time concentrating?
It's the Irresistible Mind again. Can't get along with your parents?
Guess who? Humaginetics' explanation is used as a one-size-fits-all
answer for any question.
Self-justification eventually
leads to a gleeful feeling, a shedding of past obligation and responsibility.
Failed your test? It's not your fault, just the old Irresistible Mind
acting up. Feeling ill or have a headache? That monkey on your back
is pounding on you. Did you trip because you did not look where you
were walking? Old Reliable is still there. The cult remedy for the
obvious fallacy in this thinking is to create another closed loop
in the form of a standing instruction:
any misfortune which
befalls its members is their own fault, and not the fault of the
program.
In this way, any snag
which will predictably happen as a result of the program is to be
considered the responsibility of the person who is vainly trying to
follow instructions."
"Remember when you
were following the instructions in your Humaginetics book and you
got me instead of your Irresistible Mind?" Swatron asked by way
of example. "What was the first thing you thought when you realized
that something else had happened instead?"
"I thought I had
not followed the instructions properly," I replied.
"That was the whole
idea," said Swatron. "When you failed it made you want to
try harder. Humaginetics encourages that feeling, and people who do
not get past this stage are disparaged by the cult as 'not being able
to follow simple instructions.'
Now, being under the
impression that they are totally responsible for any failure of the
Humaginetics instructions, regular members will feel a continual sense
of guilt and shame. Could anybody else know that the Teachings did
not have the predicted results? Humaginetics only presents smiling
faces of people who say they have gained success after success from
using the Teachings! By now the answer has always been presented in
one form only: the closed loop. The closed loop becomes subconsciously
identified with "real," solid explanations which make everything
so simple by the process of shutting out the possibility of any alternative.
The closed loop itself
is eventually subconsciously identified as the 'proper' way to experience
a feeling of rightness. The only other condition is that the content
of the closed loop come from the Teachings
This concept bears repeating.
The user of this concept is dependent upon a psychological crutch
by which perceived personal responsibility can be manipulated. This
alteration of personal responsibility can then be used as a staging
point for another powerful motivator-justifier: guilt.
Because it may be unsettling
to think of oneself as being controlled by an external force, the
artificially induced guilt can be temporarily relieved by acceptance
of the cult's closed-loop explanation system. This is the turn-around
point in favor of the cult.
Seeking relief from guilt
from the program which caused the guilt will only result in more guilt.
The cult fully anticipates this secret feeling that something has
gone wrong and offers a variety of explanations from which to choose.
One explanation offered
by the cult is that the instructions which supposedly originated from
within the Irresistible Mind can be intercepted and turned around
to your own good - but only with the aid of the cult, and only if
you pay the price, in advance.
With the intent of forming
an instant alliance with you, this notion is framed in the context
of a conspiracy between the cult and you against the supposedly unsuspecting
Irresistible Mind. What was irresistible to you as a person is presented
merely as a target which will yield to modern psychological or spiritual
counseling. The complex bureaucracy of the religious or psychological
corporation, in this respect, is viewed by the customer as an ally.
If you join this one-sided
alliance without doing some comparison shopping, then the thought
of doing comparative evaluation will probably not come up when it
comes to seeking assistance in overcoming this new impedance of the
Irresistible Mind. When you then trustingly give complete control
of your 'Irresistible' Mind over to the cult, you have also delivered
a device by which you can be controlled."
All I had heard from
Swatron about the cult was that one simple trick after the next would
be used. If the first trick did not work, the prospective customer
would not make it to the second.
"That serves to
conceal the program from those people who do not accept it,"
Swatron replied. "Acceptance of one step is a pre-condition of
going on to the next step. Each step is not harmful by itself, but
takes a normal, rational human being a little closer to dependency
upon the organization."
"I'm still waiting
to hear where all this leads."
"From here on in
there are truly an endless number of programs. Once a person has accepted
the idea of an Irresistible Mind, and has also accepted the idea that
Humaginetics can de-program the Irresistible Mind, the next step is
to introduce the true programs of Humaginetics."
"You mean everything
up to this point was just an introduction for what is next?"
"And the next and
the next. The feeling of constant re-discovery helps to motivate the
customer to hand over more money. It is a larger amount each time.
The idea is to create a trend of obligation which can only increase.
That helps to produce the general mind-set that importance itself
is increasing and that the goal being pursued has no limits. (The
reality of the matter, though, is that the goal is just never reached.)
All this may seem like
child's play now that it has been laid out, but quite a bit has been
accomplished up to this point. At this stage of the game, the prospective
customers:
- have agreed that they
may be controlled by an outside force,
- are willing to try
out Humaginetics instructions,
- have made themselves
and their money available,
- have shown an interest
in accepting something new, and
- have shown that they
do not do comparative shopping.
In view of the fact that
each of the above steps in itself is quite simple - as simple as advertising
on a billboard, for instance - that is quite a bit of progress for
such a simple system. The system appears simple only because the individual
steps are put together in such a way so as to mean something much
more taken together than they do individually.
The prospects of getting
a person who has done all the above to continue with a program are
much higher than those of someone who just glances at a billboard
on the way to work in the morning. This may not seem like a big deal
if you only look at one person, but when you consider the entire group
of people addressed, that narrows down the numbers and the work considerably."
4. Eliminating the Competition
Absence
of Competition
"If the business
is just one trick after the next, that cannot be too good for business
in the long-term," I said.
"People who are
in for the long-term have been subjected to many programs and have
had their judgment altered in numerous ways," replied my new-found
consciousness, "and people who realize a trick is being played
on them just leave because they are not prepared to deal with the
gigantic legal entanglement in which they have found themselves. Besides
that, many are just ashamed at having been taken in by such childish
measures, and take their loss as one of life's bitter lessons. That
is not a major concern for a relatively unknown, tax-exempt organization
which deals primarily with one-time customers in large numbers.
Therefore, the big problem
is that the basic instructions which the prospective customers are
to follow be unfolded in such a way that they will be acceptable.
Since long-term competition is not a concern for this type of corporation,
the easiest, most direct way of getting something accepted is to present
it as having already been accepted, preferably by an authority foremost
in the field. This establishment of authority gives people a type
of lightning rod to which they can direct blame and responsibility
in the event that something goes wrong. This step is even more effective
if the authoritative acceptance can be coupled with time-honored tradition.
This can be yet more convincing if any opposing voice is regarded
with disbelief and/or scorn.
Notice that these methods
of getting something accepted are no longer based on principles of
logical coexistence or ethical competition. They are now based on
the semi-secret Teachings of absolute timelessness and plausible truth.
These methods are used to present apparent proof that the Teachings
are, indeed, superior to the old system of coexistence. This exploits
the fact that sometimes people will accept apparent authority, tradition
and a feeling of superiority without independent, critical evaluation.
These are similar to
psychological and sleight-of-hand tricks used by merchants in the
old traveling carnivals. Those unethical salesmen used the fact that
people got worked up enough by the carnival atmosphere to overcome
their natural reserve. A modern-day corporation, though, is not going
to be out of town the day after. Therefore, the flow of customers
is approached in a different way. This often includes the signing
of a legal contract in which the customer absolves the religious or
psychological corporation, in advance, for any harm which comes of
its practices.
The Program
of Elimination
Each instruction which
is funneled through the imaginary Irresistible Mind builds the base
of that which immediately follows. Sequence is essential to the operation.
The instructions are
unfolded, one step at a time, to the customer. The customers first
see them presented authoritatively as scientific fact. The customers
are then led to believe that each item has been observed as fact for
a long, seemingly endless, time, and will be continued to be observed
as fact for an equally endless time. The customers are invited to
draw their own conclusion from a given list of alternatives about
what this could mean. This process is a little program used to restrict
the customers' perceptions to certain, selected areas.
How does an unethical
group block out information it does not want its customers to see?
It must set up a procedure whereby it can be concluded by the new
members that they have looked at new information, they have put it
to the test, and the results of these new tests are accurate and true.
The test is rigged, but those using it must believe it is infallible.
This is where a group
starts making conditions and requirements. The customers are not allowed
to gain something without giving something up, especially something
which is supposedly so valuable that it will be good for all time.
That means the receivers of this so-called timeless truth will have
to experience an initially small loss. This is seen as a perhaps tantalizing
bit of discomfort which becomes associated with the process of gaining
"timeless truth." The loss is often in terms of money, but
more frequently it is a concession of judgment.
That's how the endless
cycle works. Each time the new members mention to their Humaginetics
representative that they are not quite sure as to whether they are
on the Road to Happiness and timeless truth, they are told that in
order to follow the instructions they already have, they need to pay
for more instruction and/or counseling.
The more money they invest,
the more deeply involved they get. The involved they get, the more
they are able to be controlled. The more they are controlled, the
less they can resist."
"If that were really
the case, then we'd all be slaves," I said, happy to resist this
gloomy outlook. "We are not all slaves, so therefore that is
not the case."
Enslavement
is Legal
"We were not all
slaves back when slavery was legal, so why should we be now?"
Swatron replied, "Besides, the act of psychological enslavement,
by itself, is not illegal. It is the buying and selling of slaves
which is illegal. That means that a corporation cannot legally claim
that it has ownership of a human being.
In order to understand
how enslavement works, it may be helpful to relate a couple of historical
legends about two forms of enslavement which do not use force. Instead,
both of these episodes rely on physical drugs for creating the psychological
condition necessary for enslavement. One legend is on the origin of
zombiism. The other is based on a presentation made by a vice cop
on illegal drug providers and their involvement in crime. Even though
these two examples are based on physical drugs, the end result of
enslavement, which is the total submission of a human being, is psychological,
and can be achieved without drugs.
Zombiism is defined in
the dictionary as a belief in a supernatural force which can re-animate
the dead. Here is a legend of the origins of zombiism:
Have ever you seen one
of those colorful puffer fish on the deep-sea adventure shows on TV?
When the fish feels threatened it puffs up so as to look bigger than
it actually is. Not only do some of them puff up, but they also have
razor-sharp spines which protrude out when the fish inflates itself.
To complicate matters even more, some are poisonous, and their spines
are deadly to the touch.
In Japan, Africa and
the Caribbean, people have found a way of preparing this type of fish
so that it can be eaten even though it is lethally poisonous in its
native state. The processing takes most, but not all, of the poison
out of the fish. Just enough is left in the flesh to have a certain
effect upon whomever consumes the fish. As the fish is processed in
Japan, the effect is to give the fish eater a "high." If
the fish is processed too much, not enough of the poison is left in
it and the person who eats it feels no different than if he had eaten
any other fish.
If the fish is not processed
enough, however, too much of the poison remains. If the unlucky person
does not die from an overdose, his vital signs can slow down to the
point of seeming death. That is the secret of a type of zombiism.
In ritual zombiism there
was a person who knew how to prepare this usually lethal fish so as
to leave the proper amount of poison in it. Of course this was done
in secret. The zombie candidate would then be fed some of this fish.
He would fall unconscious and his vital signs would nearly stop. He
would be quickly buried by the mastermind of the operation, allegedly
to keep some lethal, fictitious disease from spreading. A funeral
would be promptly held and the coffin duly buried.
Later that night the
coffin would be dug up by the cohorts of the person who prepared the
poison fish and the person who fed it to the victim. The target person,
waking up from his drugged trance, would be taken off to a prison
camp with the other zombies. This system of enslavement was used to
a certain extent and it actually worked, but there was one, delicate
condition to it.
The whole process would
only work if the target person who was drugged previously believed
in zombies. When the believer awoke from his trance, he would think
that everything he had heard about zombies was actually coming true:
that he had actually risen from the dead, that he was now a zombie,
and he now had to do whatever he was told.
In contrast, a person
who did not believe in zombies simply walked away when given the chance.
That is the reason zombiism does not continue today: the secret leaked
out. Nobody believes in it anymore.
Even though a drug was
used to bring about a physical effect upon the zombie, the drug by
itself cannot be seen as the source of the enslavement. It was only
the belief in zombiism, and nothing but that belief, which made people
susceptible to the psychological trap. The next episode is different
in this respect in that it features a drug which is used to create
psychological susceptibility to enslavement. The drug everyone knows
about in the drug world is heroin, but how many people make up their
minds in advance that they want to get addicted? Not many, but some
people are pre-disposed to psychological addiction.
First there has to be
a person who moves out among people who are not addicted, but who
may be susceptible by reason of a recent emotional or social upheaval.
This scout provides a sympathetic ear, approaches people in need and
offers them some kind of solace, something to take the edge off their
worries. This has to happen not only once, but repeatedly, so that
constant contact is kept up. The drug provider gets more and more
possessive of his addicts. Unlike the trafficker, he is not in it
for the money; he is in it for the power over people, to actually
enslave them.
He will case out potential
burglary sites for the men and work as a pimp for the women. His enslaved
people have to do what they are told or they do not get their supply.
The pusher knows where his people are and if they do not show up once
every four hours to get a fix, there will be consequences. After all,
he is the one who gives them their shots and if someone is disloyal,
their next shot may contain the lethal dose.
If an addict does die
as a result of overdose, then the pusher killed the addict. Nobody
can prove that the pusher killed anybody, but all his addicts know
it as they were actually there when the deed was done. The event is
taken as a lesson as to what can happen if they try to break the enslavement.
Even thought heroin users are physical addicts, the physical addiction
alone does not suffice to illustrate the psychological intensity which
is being experienced.
The laws directed against
this sort of activity are directed at drugs, burglary and prostitution,
but the action which actually takes place is that of psychological
enslavement."
5. Psychological Addiction
"Due to the fact
that chemicals have been used as a means to enslave people, countermeasures
have been developed against drugs used for this purpose. These countermeasures
include batteries of tests designed to determine whether or not an
individual has ingested drugs. These are 'litmus' tests which indicate
whether people may be under the influence of drugs, and this, in turn,
indicates the presence of a potential for excessive control by others.
The ability to deny control
is a primary concern for manipulators in a democratic society when
dealing with people external to their own control system. That is
because it is only when their means of control have been detected
that their power over others can be identified and evaluated. Therefore,
corporations which do not wish to have their methods of control evaluated
have strict regulations about maintaining secrecy and security. Drugs
are contrary to security in that they provide physical evidence.
In the search to avoid
leaving an identifiable trail, refinement in the process of manipulative
control has resulted in a practically drugless system. This refinement
has led to the introduction of certain methods used by psychological
cults. A cult may enslave people, not by making them chemically dependent,
but by making them psychologically dependent.
Psychological dependency
is established by setting up a progressive cycle by which an addict
repetitively depends upon a provider for a unique effect. This unique
effect is something which addicts are drawn towards to the exclusion
of constructive activity in their own lives. In addition, it is something
which only the provider can give them under the circumstances which
they need to obtain the desired effect.
In commerce, there is
a time limit put on inventions so that the inventor has enough time
to gain back the time and money he has invested in research and development
of the product. That time limit does not hold for copyrighted and
trademarked psychological products.
Outside activity can
be downplayed as being a temporary, and thus unworthy, pastime. Timeless
truth, as provided by a cult, is presented as something which adds
to the uniqueness for which there is no substitute. In getting this
feeling of absolute, timeless superiority over to new members, both
physical and psychological methods may be used to set up progressive
cycles.
Physical methods used
in conjunction with timeless truth which can be used by cults to produce
a unique effect upon members include changes in: nutrition, sleep,
sex, public involvement, spending habits, and socialization. Psychological
methods include the shedding of responsibility and the formation of
an enemy picture. The physical methods should be self-explanatory;
the psychological methods need some discussion.
When responsibility which
has been held since childhood is shed, that can bring about a strong
feeling of relief. It is comparable to giving up worries. We worry
too much; it makes sense, therefore, if we worry less. Why waste all
that energy worrying about what people think of us?
This may produce an immediate
feeling of relief and may even have a short-term beneficial effect,
if, and that is a big 'if,' a person happened to be worrying too much
in the first place.
Take the idea of having
a separate mind which was responsible for feelings and thoughts which
we have, but of which we are not fully aware. Imagine the feeling
of relief you might experience if you suddenly realized, justifiably
or not, that this 'separate' mind was the single source of all the
unwanted, bothersome ideas which had ever flitted about your head
when you were trying to concentrate on something important. If you
succeeded in doing that, you may have experienced a psychological
rush of well-being (or confusion). This feeling of exhilaration was
not brought about by a drug imbalance of the type experienced by heroin
addicts, but by a psychological imbalance similar to a sudden realization
that one is truly and really a zombie, just like the legend said.
Upon experiencing an
artificially induced rush, some cult members can become willing to
make sacrifices in their personal, physical and psychological habits
in order to obtain more of this seeming timelessness. When the sacrifice
continues on a regular basis and when it begins to outweigh the benefits,
the cycle of destructive addiction has set in.
Another psychological
means of supporting a psychological addiction is the acquisition of
an enemy image. An enemy image is a set of criteria which obviates
the need for critical evaluation and rational reaction to pre-determined
external actions. For instance, the Teachings may instruct the followers
that since enemies are critical of the Teachings, then the mere criticism
of the Teachings is an indication of the presence of an enemy. In
this sense, an enemy would be anybody who disagreed with the movement.
This method serves a dual purpose in that it can maintain the delusion
of the timelessness of the Teachings, and it can also keep the now
tractable adherent from being influenced by others.
Psychological dependency
does not happen all at once, but is the product of a sequential process.
Certain steps are necessary in order for it to work. First the contact
needs to be made. This can be done in a simple advertisement, or as
part of a purported social activism campaign. A certain percentage
of those contacted maintain their contact to the organization, which
then works to establish susceptibility of their customers to systematic
control programs. The people who do not leave are then guided towards
acquiescence and an initial turnover of personal control. Once that
all-important threshold of control has been crossed, two more programs
are installed. One is a program for the uncritical acceptance of apparent
truth. The other is a program for the rejection of outside evaluation.
Only a certain number
of people make it from one step to the next. That means in order to
actually get people through the entire program, a huge throughput
is required. Of the total number of people who fill out the first
application or buy the first book, only a small percentage will end
up turning over all their money and dedicating the rest of their lives
to the cult. Once people get that far, though, keeping them there
is much simpler than getting them there. All they need at that stage
is a meaning to life and an enemy picture which threatens life's meaning.
Thus it appears to the
outside world that the primary activity of the organization is putting
people through its programs. This is, in fact, the source of most
of the cult's money. The significance of the underlying purpose of
culling members who are subjugated by this process is thereby minimized.
However, it is the underlying activity which provides the cult with
the lion's share of its dedicated members, and its dedicated members
are the ones who guide the throngs of humanity through the programs.
These programs can be understood as a set of filters, each one of
which works in conjunction with the others to filter out self-determined
thought.
Along the way, though,
the result of unethical practices eventually manifest themselves:
lawsuits, illness due to neglected medication, and health problems
due to the strenuous activities needed to bring about an adequately
high level of zealotry. A good summary of legal difficulties a cult
has gotten into is contained in its initial service contract. This
is a multi-page, legally binding contract of legal disclaimers which
the member has to sign as a condition of acceptance.
Some indications of prior
legal difficulties would be: a true photocopy of the contract is not
furnished to the signer, the contract states that the signer agrees
not to sue the provider, the contract states something other than
what the signer was told verbally, the signer is discouraged from
seeking outside counsel.
As Americans, we would
not tolerate this sort of behavior from a food or spirits establishment.
Imagine having to sign a contract at a restaurant saying that you
will not sue if you should get sick from the food. We are much less
discriminating, however, when it comes to poisoning a healthy mind
than we are about poisoning a healthy stomach. Nevertheless, when
signing a contract giving up rights is carried out under the guise
of religion, it will not only be tolerated, but it can also be tax-exempt.
Critical evaluation of corporate religious contracts can actually
bring about accusations of bigotry."
"I only wanted the
Road to Happiness!" I shouted.
"You got it,"
said Swatron.
"But I'm not happy!
This Road just keeps on getting narrower with a longer stretch around
every bend."
I had to admit, though,
that the idea of "timeless truth" was starting to take hold
of me. Even though I did not personally feel that I was affected by
it just by understanding it, I could see that if this would have been
fed to me subconsciously, I could have had some problems.
"What is the common
link," I wondered aloud, "which ties this all together?"
6. The Technology of
Verbal Camouflage
Framing
and Associating Concepts
"Something does,
indeed, tie this process together," remarked Swatron. "Although
these events have been presented as a seemingly random series of actions
which could be viewed as being necessary for business, they are not
at all chance occurrences."
"Then what are they?"
"Up to this point,
I have been describing the exercise of the art of magic," stated
Swatron triumphantly, "staged by a magician of the mind. Instead
of pulling a rabbit out of a hat to the applause of an audience, the
showman has pulled an Irresistible Mind out of your own imagination
for the benefit of the cult money collectors. Those are the people
who are waiting to greet you and your money at the nearby Humaginetics
Service Center. Once they lure you in, cult psychology operators at
the service center have the next set of tricks all lined up to snag
as many people as possible. They also use deceptive tricks which can
be rigged in the same manner as the Irresistible Mind. This entire
process has been legitimized to the outside world, including the Internal
Revenue Service, by redefining it as a new form of religious conversion."
That short summary took
my breath away. I had a hard time believing that one person would
ever have put all this together. How could it have been done?
I could see that the
number of ways people can be manipulated is limited only by their
own imagination. The number of organizations which engage in manipulative
activity would be difficult to calculate, though, because the criteria
needed for calculation are purposely suppressed. How many cults list
themselves in the telephone book under "Cults, psychologically
manipulative"?
Organizations which have
been identified as using unethical standards of control merely dissolve
to form elsewhere under new names, but with the same core management.
Therefore, rather than write a multi-volume work describing all cults,
which would be outdated as soon as it was written, it might be more
helpful to look at a method of identifying systematic deceptiveness,
rather than the individual organizations which use systematic deceptiveness,
and which would only characterize their unfavorable description by
non-members or former members as "stigmatization."
What could be identified
collectively which would adequately cover groups which use deceptive
means to bring about changes in personality? This question triggered
off an idea which had come up before. "What about camouflage?"
I asked.
"Behind camouflage,"
said Swatron, "lies the intention to operate without being detected.
The best defense the person or group who is hiding something can have
is to divert attention altogether. That way their camouflage need
never be put to the test.
One of the first resorts
used by groups of this type is the attempt to deflect attention by
baseless recrimination. Recrimination is a factor which is common
to groups which use a systematic, deceptive force to influence their
members' judgment. Remember the whole magical, enslavement process
above redefined as 'religious conversion'? As a result of that redefinition,
any person who questions the procedure can be condemned with accusations
of 'religious bigotry.' It would be like the magician who pulled a
rabbit out of a hat damning anyone who dare suggest that he pulled
the rabbit out of a false bottom for being narrow-minded.
When the issue at hand
is avoided and the individual critic is attacked, then that should
immediately send up a red flag that something has gone wrong with
the process of rational discussion. However, it is only when the evader
fails to divert attention altogether that the art of verbal camouflage
is employed."
"To grasp the whole
idea of camouflage," Swatron got to the point, "think of
one of those pictures which has another picture poised inside of it.
The inside picture does not have to have anything at all to do with
the outside picture, which merely serves as a medium. For instance
the outside picture can be of a water glass filled with ice cubes,
while the inside picture, set amongst the ice cubes, may be anything
at all: an animal, a human form or a specific person, for instance.
An additional consideration
in the realm of mental camouflage is that the human mind automatically
tries to associate things which have been placed in proximity to each
other. For instance, if you see a human form set in ice cubes, you
will have an irresistible notion that the human inside the ice cubes
is cold. Goosebumps may even result.
So camouflage has two
purposes: 1) to hide what it is you are not supposed to see, and 2)
to present to you what you are supposed to see in a manner which makes
you think that what you are being presented with is really the natural
state of things."
"Honor your father
and mother, if possible," I said.
"What's that?"
"'Honor your father
and mother' is one of the Ten Commandments. But when it is included
in an entirely different sentence, it takes on a meaning which is
different from what was originally meant. 'Honor your mother and father'
means exactly that, whereas 'Honor your father and mother, if possible'
sounds like something which should be done, but only if it is convenient
for some other purpose."
"Since you recognized
that as one of the Ten Commandments," pointed out Swatron, "then
you would see the true connection right away. But someone who did
not know what the Ten Commandments were may have unintentionally made
a connection between the simple wisdom of that statement and the commercial
organization which printed the booklet. An involuntary association
would have been made between Humaginetics and the practicality of
parental obedience."
"On the other hand,"
I took up a different aspect of the picture, "a person who recognized
that phrase might have already had some prior disagreement with it.
After all, who wants to honor their parents all the time, especially
after an argument? In that case, the 'if possible' serves as a back
door out, a way to claim you're following the guideline, but not actually
making the commitment. Either you are or you are not."
"That brings me
to the three aspects of conceptual camouflage," said Swatron.
"A mental magician can influence his audience in three different
ways - by altering 1) definition, 2) context and 3) importance. Conceptually
speaking, silhouette, texture and light in the visual world are analogous
to definition, context and importance in the verbal environment.
Definition
(Silhouette)
Definition relates to
the structure of a word or concept. Definition gives a pre-accepted
outline of what we mean. It is a condition of language. Without definition,
we could not speak to each other, much less peacefully coexist. Definition
is one of at least three ways we can use to identify an object or
idea. Like the visual silhouette of a physical shape, definition gives
external form to a word or to a concept.
Truth in definition is
completely different from truth in the material world. Truth in the
material world is true by virtue of the fact that it can be proven,
over and over again. When you drop a pencil, it will always go down.
This happens again and again. Conceivably, there are exceptions. If
you happen to be standing above a powerful updraft, for example, the
pencil you drop may travel upwards, but only at first. Even if it
is picked up by a tornado, though, we accept one thing as being inevitable;
the pencil will eventually come down somewhere. Therefore we say that
it is true that whatever is dropped will always fall down.
Truth in definition,
while also meant to be predictable, is not predictable in the physical
sense of the word. The outcome of truth in definition is predictable
only if the definition has been accepted by everybody who is using
it. For example, if two people are told to sit down in a chair, both
of those people will sit down in a chair only if they both have accepted
the same definition of what a chair is. The way we have agreed upon
this mutual acceptance of definition is by accepting the authority
of a dictionary. The dictionary is, by tradition, the final authority
on the definition of a general-purpose word.
The important thing to
remember in this is that truth can be obtained in at least two, separate
and unequal ways. One is by observable, unalterable fact, the other
is by mere acceptance of a definition.
Context
(Texture)
Those are two lines of
thought which are used for establishing truth in reality and in definition.
To establish a disguise, however, it is not necessary to change the
truth itself; it may be sufficient just to alter the observers' perception
of known idea."
"Like introducing
the idea of being controlled by a second mind to explain feelings
or thoughts which are not understood," I commented.
"Right. The thoughts
and feelings which you have but which you do not understand may exist,
but they do not originate from a separate mind just because somebody
who claims to be an authority defines them that way.
You need to do comparative
shopping and to evaluate different ideas to make a sound decision.
For instance, those disassociated ideas you have may just be little
bits and pieces of thought which you have not had time to sort out.
They may have come about through the complexity of our environment.
For instance, people in a busy environment do not make sense out of
every single thing they see or hear nor do they resolve every impression
they get. If things are getting too busy, most people will have the
innate sense to take it easier and slow down a little. That, however,
does not always happen, and there are groups who make their living
off of the confusion of others."
"Can't you tell
definition by context?" I asked.
"That is one of
the things which context can be used for," replied Swatron. "Context
is another specific aspect of intellectual camouflage. While definition
is the relationship of a word to its own meaning, context is the specific
relationship which a word or concept has to its environment. Context,
by virtue of association, will have a tendency to pin down the specific
definition which is intended.
The word 'coke,' for
instance, may have a different definition depending on whether the
context is that of a coal mine, a drug deal or a soft drink. Regardless
of definition, however, anything which is associated with a coal mine
will also be associated with dirt, anything associated with a drug
deal will have connotations of illegality, and anything associated
with a carbonated drink brings to mind commercial advertising.
If you want something
to take on the flavor of religion, you have only to associate it with
something which has already been religiously accepted."
"Like the Ten Commandments."
"Yes. Now here is
a plot complication. Definition and context can be positioned so as
to reinforce each other. If you want something to have the feeling
of a definition, you only have to associate it with something which
has been previously accepted as an authority on definitions, like
a technical dictionary. A technical dictionary is different from a
general dictionary in that the meanings it contains have not necessarily
been universally accepted.
Therefore, an organization
which intends to hide the meaning of what it is doing will redefine
common household words to mean something which, at first, appear only
slightly different from the definitions which are normally accepted
for those words. Let's take the word 'truth,' for instance. As noted
above, truth can be established either by observation of the real
world or by agreement.
A group which presents
itself as being superior will also have a 'superior' definition of
truth. Truth will generally be used in the context of that which has
been agreed upon, like a definition, or it will also be used to mean
that which is contained in the Teachings. This particular context
will be used to gradually increase the meaning of truth in the Teachings.
First the Teachings are true some of the time, then all of the time
- over the course of months and years, it is finally learned that
nothing is true unless it is contained in the Teachings. The cult
does not want to 'overwhelm' its members with too much 'truth' at
one time.
A general example of
the use of context is the idea that if everyone in the world would
only agree that a pencil would fall upward instead of down, that is
what would really happen. The context of this is that everything we
see in front of us is a product of the group's power of agreement.
Naturally you are reassured that the group would never have a pencil
fall upward out of consideration for others. But look at what has
happened. It has been assumed without question that the power of the
group takes precedence over natural law. The definition of truth,
which was originated by the group, was specifically based on the context
that the group controls everything we see. The conclusion that the
group controls everything we see further reinforces the idea that
the definition of truth, as originated by the group, is based on fact."
"Using a closed
loop to cross a threshold!" I said, thinking back to a previous
discussion.
"Also known as a
merry-go-round," murmured my resistible mind.
I said, "People
must have been doing this for a long time. If you want to make emotions
seem scientific, just talk about them as though they were science.
If you want to make random thought appear philosophical, just categorize
it into conceivably similar categories. If you want to make anything
seem artsy, put it to music or paint pictures of it. Each one of these
aspects you're bringing up may make some sense unto itself, but how
does it all fit together?" I asked.
Happy to oblige, Swatron
replied, "All this only fits together to the degree that it is
personally important to you. Definition is how the word relates to
itself, context is how it relates to what is around it, and importance
is how it relates to you or what you perceive as important."
Importance
(Light)
In visual camouflage,
I thought, light shows importance. Shades and brightness let the observer
know where the objects portrayed are in relation to the source of
light.
"How could any of
this be important to me?" I asked smugly.
"You answered the
ad. You sent in your money. You ordered the booklet. You bought the
book. You tried hard to follow the instructions. If the instructions
would not have worked, you may have eventually gone into the Humaginetics
Service Center."
"Then what would
have happened?" I asked.
"You may have agreed
to give up money to the organization just because they suggested you
could increase your ability by doing so."
"That's crazy!"
"But it would have
been included as part of 'the big picture.' You would have been told
you were taking courses or getting counseling."
"What would I learn?"
"That the evil Irresistible
Mind was not only larger than you had originally been led to believe,
but getting bigger. The longer you did nothing to contain it, the
more it would keep on growing, growing, growing to take you over.
Not only would the concept of the Irresistible Mind cover this lifetime,
but soon it would go back into past lifetimes, too. Then the Teachings
expand it into sort of a universal Irresistible Mind which infect
all 'right-thinking' people."
"Is that all?"
I asked, knowing that was not all.
"Keep in mind that
you, yourself, have not personally invested thousands of dollars,
years of your life and ended relationships with your friends and family
(who thought you were strange to give all your money away) to get
this far. The Road to 'Happiness,' which brings you through the Irresistible
Mind, eventually leads you to see irresistible beings in different
universes."
"Space aliens!"
I blurted out in disbelief.
"Space aliens doing
hard time on Planet Earth," Swatron completed the picture.
