We are continuing on the subject of thought reform. This post is the second in a series which will tell what thought reform is and what behavior(s) is evidence of thought reform. Our reference book is “Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism” by Robert Jay Lifton (original copyright 1961, later published again in 1989, ISBN 0-8078-4253-2 [alk. Paper]). I will work from Chapter 22 titled “Ideological Totalism”. The first post explained the environment for such Ideological Totalism. Next, we will review the characteristics of such environments and how I saw these characteristics during my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). WOFF is lead by Jane Whaley; I spent 16 years being involved in that group. 

    Just what kind of influences and/or pressures does Lifton claim are brought to bear on someone to begin or continue the process of “thought reform”? He writes: “The most basic feature of the thought reform environment, the psychological current upon which all else depends, is the control of human communication.” (page 420) Lifton calls this “milieu control”.  A simple definition of “milieu” is the “physical or social setting in which something occurs” – found here: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milieu. So, the purpose of a totalistic group leader is to control the environment that he or she has created and more specifically the communication or flow of information within that group or environment.

    Before we go further with Lifton’s writings on the effects of such control, let’s stop and reflect about what we know of WOFF and Jane Whaley. Could this even be true at WOFF? Is there an attempt to control the communication at WOFF? One may note there are so many cell phones at WOFF, how could Jane control their use? It should also be noted that WOFF folks ideally stay around WOFF folks most ALL the time. How could Jane control the conversations and communications between members?

    From my time at WOFF, I can attest that controlling communication between WOFF members and the outside world does occur. On this blog we have already discussed the basic rules of WOFF. One rule for regular WOFF members:  no newspapers, no television, no radio, no unapproved books, no movies, no watching the news in any form. For certain, the news is filtered and “what God wants the members to know”, He will have certain other members of Jane’s choosing present the important parts of a news story to the congregation. Who determines “what God wants His people to know”? Jane. This was Jane’s way of controlling the trolling for news and any negative “attacks” on her. I feel sure that members of WOFF do not have free access to this blog and others like it. Why? Because during my time at WOFF, I did not have free access to negative sources of information about Jane Whaley and WOFF.

    Also, there was a fear instilled in members that if you happened to read something “negative” either on purpose or by “chance” and did not come confess “your sin”; then you were “full of sin” and “a Judas and on your way out of WOFF”. You were subject to a wide array of corrective measures from being blasted in prayer to being put in the discipleship room to being shunned totally.  Such a manufactured basic behavior controlling fear in regular members was essential to keeping down the wondering eyes and curious minds that wanted to know what others outside of WOFF had to say about Jane Whaley and the doings at WOFF.  

    What about all the cell phones? How does Jane control their use? First of all, if you had “no use” for a cell phone, you did not have one. Young folks and some adults had to be cleared by Jane Whaley in order to get a cell phone. If you had a cell phone, you did not play the games on the cell phone; you were subject to having your cell phone checked by someone in leadership at any moment. How could I forget, youth and children did not even answer a cell phone or landline until they were over 18 and trusted to do so. They may have been taught how to dial “911” but that was the extent to telephone knowledge. Why? Because if there was a fear of being on a telephone or a fear of being caught on a telephone then it is easier to control what young people knew and who they got information from. How do I know this is true? I know because I never allowed my children to answer the telephone while I was inside WOFF. That was the accepted practice. Early on, when my children were on the telephone with relatives outside of WOFF, I was either on the other extension listening or close enough to hear what the relative had to say or ask my child. This was also an expected and accepted practice.

    Another expected and accepted practice was telling what any member said about anything for any reason to someone in leadership. More specifically, it was known that any conversation was subject to being repeated in Jane’s hearing and would be judged and dealt with by whatever means Jane saw fit. No conversation between members was private. All words between members as well as those witnessed by a WOFF member between members and non-members were subject to being repeated and reviewed by Jane. This went for husband and wife relationships as well. Everyone was a reporter and basically spied on everyone else. This went for oral and written communication. After all, did you say what God would have you say in the situation? Who would ultimately judge this? That is right- Jane.

  And should we leave out the emphasis at WOFF to “open your heart” and “share your thoughts”? The thoughts you had within yourself were subject to review and subject to scrutiny of someone in leadership. If they thought or “knew” your were not “opening your heart” then you could be subject to any number of a wide array of punishments or corrective measures. Yes, it was an acceptable practice for certain ones in leadership to look another member and say something to the effect- “You are not telling what is in your heart.” or “You are holding back, tell it all!” “God knows your thoughts anyway, go ahead admit them.” I was asked recently if there were forced confessions at WOFF. You tell me, does it sound like that could be the case?   

   So, while inside of WOFF was there an attempt to control communication between WOFF members and/or outsiders? Was there an attempt to control the flow of information going in or out of WOFF? Was there an attempt to control and/or monitor communication between members? Did WOFF members have free access to communication from the outside world? If members chose to cross any of the communication or information boundaries- was there a price to pay? Was there a basic fear put in the WOFF faithful that crossing these boundaries has severe consequences? Does it even make sense that WOFF pretends to honor Holocaust survivors and yet practice such control of communication within their group that would make any Hitler’s Nazi members feel right at home?  

    This was a short summary of my experiences inside of WOFF when considering communication and flow of information. I will admit that not every member experienced the absolute same measure of control in this area as every other member. Those higher up in leadership had fancy cell phones and free access to information at different times. It was assumed by regular members that those in leadership would abide by the same restraint measures that were for others. And if they did not walk in those restraints, then Jane had a special purpose for them to have that information access or freedom and it was okay. That person in leadership was “locked-in” with Jane and had ahold of Jesus.

   What does Lifton say are the effects of living in an environment such as WOFF where communication is controlled? It is worth repeating that Lifton’s original work is from the 1950’s. He studied several folks who had survived Chinese thought reform. He did not set out to study cults, but was brought into that study when others began reading his work and noting that the characteristics of Chinese thought reform occur in religious cults as well as other mind control groups. In my thinking, this gives the comparison even more weight as it can’t be said that Lifton had/has personal knowledge of WOFF.

   Lifton writes, “Through this milieu control the totalist environment seeks to establish domain over not only the individual’s communication with the outside (all that he sees and hears, reads and writes, experiences and expresses), but also — in its penetration of his inner life – over what we may speak of as his communication with himself.” (page 420 emphasis added) I have stated clearly that this does occur at WOFF. “Such milieu control never succeeds at becoming absolute;” That is why there is a revolving door at WOFF. At different times, members are waking up and leaving.  Also, “…thought reform participants may be in doubt as to who is telling what to whom, but the fact that extensive information is always being conveyed to the authorities is always known.” For WOFF members just the fear that Jane Whaley will find out what they are doing or thinking keeps them on the WOFF straight and narrow for most of the time. Even if Jane never learns of their rule breaking or “sin”, just the fact that she might – controls many members. The perverted illusion of Jane’s omniscience is a powerful restraint for WOFF members.

    “Many things happen psychologically to one exposed to milieu control; the most basic in the disruption of balance between self and outside world.” (page 421) “Outside world” here is meant as the outside of his person not just outside the group. “Pressured toward a merger of internal and external milieux, the individual encounters a profound threat to his personal autonomy. He is deprived of combination of external information and inner reflection which anyone requires to test the realities of his environment and to maintain a measure of identity separate from it.” (page 421) What is Lifton saying? In my opinion, he is making note of the inward struggles present for anyone in an environment where communication is restricted and controlled. The required basic personal abilities and skills for processing information are hindered and removed inside of a group such as WOFF.

    Do former WOFF remember the struggle to keep hold of what was required WOFF and was not? When you lose hold on that which was not WOFF, then your entire world became WOFF; you lost an important part of yourself and God’s plan for you. For sure being submerged into WOFF is unsustainable dream world where pretending is key to existing. You pretend that Jane Whaley is who she says she is and that WOFF-reality is all the reality you need to exist. The simple fact is this is not true. WOFF is an unsustainable fantasy or “dream world” for some and nightmare for others. WOFF is full of pretenders and that ability to pretend never lasts. Many at WOFF are not even aware of the levels of pretending needed to keep WOFF going, thus the constant drama around WOFF.  In order to continue or sustain the pretending that Jane is who she says she is and can do whatever she wants to do, individuals must believe that pretending is acceptable and has no real consequences, when in reality pretending always has consequences.  Some are seen now and some come to light later.  

   Lifton writes of the constant struggle for one in an environment such as WOFF: — (there is) “the resentful awareness that his strivings toward new information, independent judgment, and self expression are being thwarted.” (page 421 emphasis added) Jane Whaley and her crew make a direct effort to quash the “resentful awareness” in WOFF members and even amongst themselves. In order to continue at WOFF, members must ignore their personal “resentful awareness” and where it leads. This struggle is inherent in life at WOFF and given many names. Some call it “under God’s dealings”, or “seeking a place of repentance.” At times, these terms may be accurate. However, I suspect that more than not, when a member of WOFF is going through a “rough time”, the root of the struggle is one not even recognized by Jane Whaley or WOFF leadership. That is the internal struggle to justify the foundation of pretending that Jane is who she says she is as well as resolving in one’s own mind the need to deny the desires for new information, independent judgment and self expression. The struggle includes the denial of any expression of self and thus merging into total WOFFness and becoming one with WOFF. Some members have given in to being total WOFFness. We will discuss this in more detail in future posts. In my opinion, this series can give the clearest reasons and evidence to recognize WOFF as a dangerous group.  Please, return to this blog as we continue with comparing Lifton’s work to my experience inside of WOFF in the next post.

    Thank you, for taking time to visit and read this blog.  Please, consume the information on this site responsibly. The author is not a licensed mental health professional and encourages those that need professional help to seek it. The intent of the material is to inform and be a resource. Be sure to tell every member that you know at WOFF about this blog. There are readers at WOFF. Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

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      (Please, take time to read the Terms of Use for this personal blog. As mentioned, the information about WOFF is from my memories and recollections as perfect as that may be or not be. ) Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted. (Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ) This is post number 194.