Category Archives: Books, Resources

Books, Resources for learning about religious cults

Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

Thought Reform? At WOFF? (8) “Doctrine Over Person”

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     We again continue on the subject of thought reform. This post is the eighth in a series which will tell what thought reform is and what behavior is evidence of a thought reform environment. 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]). This work has been from Chapter 22 titled “Ideological Totalism”. The seventh post explained the “Loading the Language” and how that affected members within WOFF. Next, we will review another characteristic of thought reform- “Doctrine Over Person”. Did I see this characteristic of thought reform during my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF)? WOFF is run by Jane Whaley. As a review, I spent 16 years being involved in WOFF. My experience within the group is a “normal” one as far as I can tell.

    The author of our reference text did not start out studying cults or their patterns of behaviors. The research for this resource book was from interviews from the 1950s. Lifton interviewed several who had survived Chinese thought reform techniques. After he had published this work, those who had been affected by cults, religious or otherwise, began to seek his counsel. The main focus was the material in Chapter 22 of his book. Those who had come out of a cult or who had relatives in a cult began to identify with the information in discovered Lifton’s research. This series of events is so vital in understanding why I feel this information is so basic to understanding WOFF and groups like them.

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Information control, Thought Reform

Thought Reform? At WOFF? (7) “Loading the Language”

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    We are continuing on the subject of thought reform. This post is the seventh in a series which will tell what thought reform is and what behavior is evidence of a thought reform environment. 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]). This work has been from Chapter 22 titled “Ideological Totalism”. The sixth post explained the “Sacred Science” and how that affected members within WOFF. Next, we will review another characteristic of thought reform- “Loading the Language”. Did I see this characteristic of thought reform during my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF)? WOFF is run by Jane Whaley. As a review, I spent 16 years being involved in WOFF. My experience within the group is a “normal” one as far as I can tell.

      Before we get into the source material, we need to make a few distinctions on this subject. First, most every group in any culture will have specific terms related to unique activities or customs within that group. This is true in business, sub-cultures, hobby groups, industrial trades, medical fields and so on. These could be labeled “lingo” or group-activity specific unique terms. I have experienced this in many areas as I feel certain many readers have as well. In business, there are even unique terms in diverse groups within one industry or company. This is a serious part of the learning curve when one moves from one group to another or even one job to another within the same field. For instance, there are differing terms to describe many of the same services or products within the consumer financial services industry. Banks use one set of terms and Credit Unions use another to describe many of the same products or services.

    In and of themselves, these “lingo” terms do not harm but serve to identify and in some cases unify folks around a certain activity or cause. So, where does the harm reside in the totalist environment when terms describing certain activities or beliefs are used? Robert Lifton opens the material with this statement, “The language of the totalist environment is characterized by the thought-terminating cliché. The most far-reaching and complex of human problems are compressed into brief, highly reductive, definitive-sounding phrases, easily memorized and easily expressed.” (page 429) Can former members agree that this was common at WOFF?

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Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

Thought Reform? At WOFF? (6) “Sacred Science”

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    We are continuing on the subject of thought reform. This post is the sixth in a series which will tell what thought reform is and what behavior is evidence of a thought reform environment. 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]). This work has been from Chapter 22 titled “Ideological Totalism”. The fifth post explained the “Cult of Confession” and how that affected members within WOFF. Next, we will review another characteristic of thought reform- The “Sacred Science”. Did I see this characteristic of thought reform during my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF)? WOFF is run by Jane Whaley. As a review, I spent 16 years being involved in WOFF. My experience within the group is a “normal” one as far as I can tell.

    When I first read this part of the author’s work, it was hard to adjust to the term “science”. While at WOFF, there were conferences dealing with history and science. However, it was clear that at WOFF the main source of “truth” was not science or balanced reasoning with evidence, but, it was the Scriptures as interrupted by Jane Whaley. It would be difficult to understand this enigma and its resulting characteristics unless you have been in WOFF or another religious controlling group. Outsiders are accustomed to several sources of information, opinions and viewpoints. These are ideally used for an individual to review and assess, then form their individual views and opinions. This process is totally foreign to the environment inside of WOFF. Jane Whaley interprets the limited information that is given to the members. She uses her self-proclaimed authority as the basis for these actions. As a WOFF member, if you dare form your own opinion which may run contrary to Jane, you would learn not to express it. Expressing opinions different from Jane was not a common occurrence at WOFF. That of course does not mean that individual opinions do not exist. In order to stay in the group, there has to be a level of denial of your own opinions and views and a level of pretending that Jane is always right and is the only source of “Truth”. As I reread Lifton’s work, this is exactly the scenario he was explaining.

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Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

Thought Reform? At WOFF? (5) The Cult of Confession

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    We are continuing on the subject of thought reform. This post is the fifth in a series which will tell what thought reform is and what behavior is evidence of a thought reform environment. 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]). This work has been from Chapter 22 titled “Ideological Totalism”. The fourth post explained the “demand for purity” and how that affected members within WOFF. Next, we will review another characteristic of thought reform- “The Cult of Confession”. Did I see this characteristic of thought reform during my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF)? WOFF is run by Jane Whaley. As a review, I spent 16 years being involved in WOFF. My experience within the group is a “normal” one as far as I can tell.

    Lifton begins by explaining his ideas on the subject by telling how close this aspect of confession is to the “demand for purity”. He tells in greater detail the effects of the written and public confession that were required in the Chinese thought reform environment. It has continued to astound me the correlations and similarities between Chinese thought reform and life at WOFF. Lifton writes, “Closely related to the demand for absolute purity is an obsession with personal confession. Confession is carried beyond its ordinary religious, legal, and therapeutic expressions to the point of becoming a cult in itself…In the totalist (cult leader) hands, confession becomes a means of exploiting, rather than offering solace for, these vulnerabilities.” (page 425)

    He lists three special meanings that confession takes on in the thought reform that he studied. In my opinion, these meanings are the same in WOFF life. “It is first a vehicle for the kind of personal purification which we just discussed, a means of maintaining a perpetual inner emptying or psychological purge of impurity… Second, it is an act of symbolic self surrender, the expression of merging of individual and environment. Third, it is a means of maintaining an ethos of total exposure – a policy of making public (or at least known to the Organization) everything possible about the life experiences, thoughts, and passions of each individual, and especially those elements which might be derogatory.” (page 425-426)   

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Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

Thought Reform? At WOFF? (4) The Demand for Purity

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     We are continuing on the subject of thought reform. This post is the fourth in a series which will tell what thought reform is and what behavior is evidence of a thought reform environment. 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 third post explained the “mystical manipulation” and how that affected people within WOFF. Next, we will review another characteristic of thought reform- “The Demand for Purity”. Did I see this characteristic of thought reform during my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF)? WOFF is run by Jane Whaley. As a review, I spent 16 years being involved in WOFF.

    While reviewing the material in this section and comparing it to incidents and events I experienced at WOFF, I do not want the readers to confuse the issues at hand. By exposing the systems set-up at WOFF which were meant to control members through the WOFF-defined demand for purity; I am not advocating that as Christians there is no purpose for allowing the desire for purity to exist and change our lives. For Christians, following Jesus and all that includes should change lives. The resulting change of desires will be for His glory and not another person’s enrichment. Each person should apply the understanding of everyday guidelines from the Scriptures according to their convictions. We are encouraged to keep them to ourselves.

     WOFF teachings include heavy emphasis on verse 23, not so much if any on verse 22.   Romans 14:22-23 — 22Your personal convictions [on such matters]–exercise [them] as in God’s presence, KEEPING THEM TO YOURSELF [striving only to know the truth and obey His will]. Blessed (happy, [a]to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves [who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do].  23But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful].(Amplified Version- emphasis added)

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Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

Thought Reform? At WOFF? (3) Mystical Manipulation

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    We are continuing on the subject of thought reform. This post is the third 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 second post explained the control of communication and how that affected people within WOFF. Next, we will review another characteristic of thought reform- Mystical Manipulation. Did I see this characteristic during my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF)? WOFF is lead by Jane Whaley; I spent 16 years being involved in that group.

    Before I answer that question directly, let me say that I have hesitated for weeks in writing this post as well as all the ones in this series. As I reviewed the material and considered the direction that each post may take, I had come to the unpleasant realization that I have been under the thought reform which I was learning about. I was subject to it while at WOFF- for many years. That is a fact which I cannot deny. At this time, I cannot say with confidence that I see all measures of thought reform that were used against me. Many days, I feel like I am standing on the shore of a vast lake or ocean that is full of new thoughts and deeper more accurate understanding of what happened to me. There is so much that happened which I do not comprehend the full effects- yet. By telling what I have experienced and putting my thoughts out in the light, I am gaining some semblance of understanding and comfort. For sure, I am not alone in admitting that I was under the control of Jane Whaley. She controlled my life as well as the lives of my family directly and indirectly for years. Hundreds and even thousands of people have been and are being controlled by Jane Whaley. Some of those people have left WOFF, many still remain as members.  

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Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Information control, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

Thought Reform? At WOFF? (2) Communication

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    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?

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