Brainwashing (also known as mind control, menticide, coercive persuasion, thought control, thought reform, and re-education) is the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques. Brainwashing is said to reduce its subjects' ability to think critically or independently, to allow the introduction of new, unwanted thoughts and ideas into their minds, as well as to change their attitudes, values and beliefs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwashing
Codependency is a concept that attempts to characterize imbalanced relationships where one person enables another person's self-destructive tendencies (such as addiction, poor mental health, immaturity, irresponsibility, or under-achievement) and/or undermines the other person's relationship.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codependency
Stockholm syndrome is a condition in which hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors during captivity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome
Given this tarnished history, coercive deprogramming evolved into “exit counseling.” Unlike deprogramming, exit counseling is voluntary and resembles an intervention or talk therapy.
Deprogramming' QAnon followers ignores free will and why they adopted the beliefs in the first place
Many cults urge their members to cut ties with family members and other loved ones who are “outside” the cult, and these family members may turn to strategies such as exit counseling or deprogramming in an attempt to break the cult’s influence on the cult member. Deprogramming involves kidnapping the cult member and forcing the individual to undergo therapy with the goal of encouraging re-evaluation of involvement in the cult. Because this technique is extremely expensive and involves both the capture and imprisonment of an individual, it has largely fallen out of practice and has been mostly replaced by exit counseling.
In exit counseling, counselors help the cult member’s loved ones find the most effective way to reach the member, who may not willingly communicate with people outside the cult. If they can reach the member, they attempt to convince the individual to participate in therapy sessions similar to those taking place in deprogramming. The main difference between exit counseling and deprogramming is that in exit counseling, individuals are not held against their will.
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/cult-definition
Exit counseling is done in precisely the same way as "deprogramming" - the terms are actually synonyous. The only difference is that during the 1970s and 1980s most deprogramming was done "on" someone - i.e., the target did not agree to the procedure but was taken by force (often with little or no legal sanction) and then held against their will.
https://psychology.wikia.org/wiki/Exit_counseling
Sylvia Buford, an associate of Ted Patrick who has assisted him on many deprogrammings, described five stages of deprogramming:
- Discredit the figure of authority: the cult leader
- Present contradictions (ideology versus reality): "How can he preach love when he exploits people?" is an example.
- The breaking point: When a subject begins to listen to the deprogrammer; when reality begins to take precedence over ideology.
- Self-expression: When the subject begins to open up and voice gripes against the cult.
- Identification and transference: when the subject begins to identify with the deprogrammers, starts to think as an opponent of the cult rather than as a member.
Deprogramming - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deprogramming
An intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one or many people – usually family and friends – to get someone to seek professional help with an addiction or some kind of traumatic event or crisis, or other serious problem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intervention_(counseling)
Social learning theory - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_learning_theory
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE CULT EXPERIENCE - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/15/style/the-psychology-of-the-cult-experience.html
