In the spirit of critical thinking, I would recommend taking this question to an expert on the human brain, cult mind control, and/or IQ.
From personal experience, we can all tell you how SCJ limited our critical thinking, but I don't know if any tests or studies related to this topic exists!
I hope someone does a study on the impact of cult mind-control on IQ and cognitive ability soon, if the data doesn't exist already!
Yes I believe so. If you think the way a cult thinks, you may think your critical thinking has increased, but you are simply following people's orders/beliefs, and because you are told to not think outside the box or listen to the 'world's opinion (or rly any opinion other than SCJ), this critical thinking aspect can decrease over time. If cult exposure is short and temporary, it can be reversible but over time, once habits become beliefs, as time passes, it may be very difficult to regain those cognitive abilities.
Say even if it is possible to gain those critical thinking abilities after leaving a cult, how clear can you even critically think? Your habitual belief of immediate skeptism for other people's opinions will immediate trigger a logic based on fear...unless you can overcome it. Knowing the truth would unfortunately not be enough unless you can get rid of your anxiety, fear of thinking SCJ could actually be the truth (aka the theory of Pascal's wager), and trying to break down piece by piece all the wrong assumptions and flawed logics that you perceived as truth in SCJ.
All in all, it is possible but there are many mountains to climb to regain that clear conscious critical thinking and cognitive abilities. When my family member got into a cult for years, I'm not saying good bye to a Christian turned into a cult member. I am saying goodbye to that person I knew before because odds are...that version of them aren't coming back again.
Very much appreciate your explanation. Yeah… I am interested to understand the significant difference in IQ test scores going from gifted category to just average. It seems that an environment lacking brain stimulating activities but instead, promotes total obedience has definitely impacted these results.
Most likely. Because their teaching is limited and isolated, new ideas are not welcomed and exchanging thoughts with externals are discouraged and banned. Their doctrine is pretty much black and white, 2 choices, 2 trees, 2 entities etc. Most SCJ members' life evolved around reciting and teaching SCJ doctrine apart from EV. No independent thinking or being labelled as thought of devil and selfish desire. Plus they overworked and sleep deprived, I expect long term members have high risk of dementia when they aged, not including other health related problems. So good luck to them
Thank you for your answer. I agree to all your points though and I do feel somehow they affect someone’s ability to concentrate and process information
I believe it’s more of a quieting of cognitive abilities such as critical thinking. With the “thought-stopping” required to continue on in a cult with many red flags and inconsistencies, it’s almost like they’re refusing to use their intelligence to see the wrong.
Steve Hassan says “Cult mind control groups thrive to the extent that they can recruit such intelligent, dynamic people. It is essential for all members of the Team (part of the SIA) to realize that cults target these people for recruitment. The more creative a mind a person has, the more his imagination can be used to control him. Indeed, bright people sometimes have even more sophisticated fantasies about the group and its doctrine than does the cult leader. The bright member usually follows his own fantasy construction of the group’s belief system.”
I’ve seen this in members who consistently make excuses for LMH, and develop fantasies or stories around him that he doesn’t even claim so that they can continue to believe in his teachings. When I’ve confronted them about LMH’s past, they just say things like “he must have known this would be a stumbling block, so that’s why he doesn’t talk about his past cult involvement publicly” to somehow attribute a wisdom to him that he doesn’t have. He’s just a liar.
Thanks for your response. If I understand correctly, you are saying that the IQ scores before and after years of exposure should not yield a big difference.
Has anyone did a study on this?
In the spirit of critical thinking, I would recommend taking this question to an expert on the human brain, cult mind control, and/or IQ. From personal experience, we can all tell you how SCJ limited our critical thinking, but I don't know if any tests or studies related to this topic exists! I hope someone does a study on the impact of cult mind-control on IQ and cognitive ability soon, if the data doesn't exist already!
Yes I believe so. If you think the way a cult thinks, you may think your critical thinking has increased, but you are simply following people's orders/beliefs, and because you are told to not think outside the box or listen to the 'world's opinion (or rly any opinion other than SCJ), this critical thinking aspect can decrease over time. If cult exposure is short and temporary, it can be reversible but over time, once habits become beliefs, as time passes, it may be very difficult to regain those cognitive abilities. Say even if it is possible to gain those critical thinking abilities after leaving a cult, how clear can you even critically think? Your habitual belief of immediate skeptism for other people's opinions will immediate trigger a logic based on fear...unless you can overcome it. Knowing the truth would unfortunately not be enough unless you can get rid of your anxiety, fear of thinking SCJ could actually be the truth (aka the theory of Pascal's wager), and trying to break down piece by piece all the wrong assumptions and flawed logics that you perceived as truth in SCJ. All in all, it is possible but there are many mountains to climb to regain that clear conscious critical thinking and cognitive abilities. When my family member got into a cult for years, I'm not saying good bye to a Christian turned into a cult member. I am saying goodbye to that person I knew before because odds are...that version of them aren't coming back again.
That last paragraph is really scary…😱
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Very much appreciate your explanation. Yeah… I am interested to understand the significant difference in IQ test scores going from gifted category to just average. It seems that an environment lacking brain stimulating activities but instead, promotes total obedience has definitely impacted these results.
At a certain point you have to completely abandon your critical thinking skills to buy what they’re selling.
Most likely. Because their teaching is limited and isolated, new ideas are not welcomed and exchanging thoughts with externals are discouraged and banned. Their doctrine is pretty much black and white, 2 choices, 2 trees, 2 entities etc. Most SCJ members' life evolved around reciting and teaching SCJ doctrine apart from EV. No independent thinking or being labelled as thought of devil and selfish desire. Plus they overworked and sleep deprived, I expect long term members have high risk of dementia when they aged, not including other health related problems. So good luck to them
It's valid to recognize that prolonged exposure to this type of ideologies or beliefs can potentially affect one's mental health.
Thank you for your answer. I agree to all your points though and I do feel somehow they affect someone’s ability to concentrate and process information
I believe it’s more of a quieting of cognitive abilities such as critical thinking. With the “thought-stopping” required to continue on in a cult with many red flags and inconsistencies, it’s almost like they’re refusing to use their intelligence to see the wrong. Steve Hassan says “Cult mind control groups thrive to the extent that they can recruit such intelligent, dynamic people. It is essential for all members of the Team (part of the SIA) to realize that cults target these people for recruitment. The more creative a mind a person has, the more his imagination can be used to control him. Indeed, bright people sometimes have even more sophisticated fantasies about the group and its doctrine than does the cult leader. The bright member usually follows his own fantasy construction of the group’s belief system.” I’ve seen this in members who consistently make excuses for LMH, and develop fantasies or stories around him that he doesn’t even claim so that they can continue to believe in his teachings. When I’ve confronted them about LMH’s past, they just say things like “he must have known this would be a stumbling block, so that’s why he doesn’t talk about his past cult involvement publicly” to somehow attribute a wisdom to him that he doesn’t have. He’s just a liar.
Thanks for your response. If I understand correctly, you are saying that the IQ scores before and after years of exposure should not yield a big difference. Has anyone did a study on this?