Blog: A Primer on Brainwashing - 2020-11-21

A Primer on Brainwashing November 21, 2020, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It

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If you have watched either The Vow on HBO, or Seduced on Starz about NXIVM, or The Aftermath or Going Clear about scientology, this article will ring a lot of bells. Many of the specific control mechanisms Dr. Burkley cites about NXIVM have direct parallels in scientology.

As she says, "the psychological tricks Raniere used are not particularly special. In face, his ability to ensnare so many victims is rooted in his reliance on several core psychological principles — principles to which each of us is vulnerable."

One of the great accomplishments of The Vow was how it showed why people got involved and how the slow process of brainwashing is carried out.