#leon festinger

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

💭Cognitive Dissonance and Social Comparison🧠

🔍 Explore How Social Comparison Creates Cognitive Dissonance on Medium How do social comparisons affect your everyday thoughts and emotions? 🔥🌈 It isn’t always bad. Yet, Social Comparison Creates Cognitive Dissonance and can be detrimental. In 1954, Psychologist Leon Festinger, developed his Theory of Social Comparison. Cognitive Dissonance —AI image generated with Canva 🤔 Explore the concept…

[calicojack1718]

Unskewing the Polls: Decoding the Deceptive Polling Numbers of Election 2024

All of the polls seem to have Trump leading Biden both nationally and in swing states. How can that be? Does no one remember the debacle of the Trump years? Can their be some systematic error in the polling? Can science explain it? Yes, it can.

SUMMARY: Election 2024 presidential polling has Trump beating Biden nationwide and in swing states. Let’s take a closer look at that polling data and use social trust to decipher some of the more confounding results. Then, we’ll use protests and past voting behavior to predict who will turn out in 2024. The roll of cognitive dissonance and irrevocable actions will be used to analyze who is…

[vonneumannmachine]

La caja de herramientas para jugar en el mundo (I)

Me parece muy apropiado entender el cerebro como una caja de herramientas, una más o menos ordenada amalgama de recetas, atajos, heurísticas, fórmulas variadas, fruto tanto de eones de evolución como de una increíble capacidad de adaptación y aprendizaje cultural. Así, repetimos continuamente patrones conductuales en virtud de su eficacia: repetimos el chiste que vimos que hacía gracia, contamos…

[southernsagestoryteller]

More or Less

Ya know how sometimes a tune comes into your head?  Snatches of a song, a poem, and sometimes something as ridiculous as a commercial?  And they play over and over?  Yeah. I’m fairly sure we all get them – those annoying “ear worms”.  Well, a couple of days ago one came into my head and besides just being bizarre and wondering where in the world it came from, it set me to wondering about…

[mazamara]

The social comparison theory by Festinger is the most neo-liberal thing i have ever heard in my life.

And who the fuck identify themselves in the self-growth triad come on

[covid-safer-hotties]

When the Mind Shuts the Door: How Cognitive Dissonance Keeps Doctors from Seeing Long COVID - Posted Sept 24, 2024 on Twitter (or X or whatever you want to call it)

By @dave_it_up

In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort experienced when someone holds two or more conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. In medicine, this phenomenon often arises when new evidence challenges long-standing practices. Instead of adapting, some doctors experience discomfort, leading them to downplay or reject new information to maintain their sense of consistency. As psychologist Leon Festinger, who developed the theory of cognitive dissonance, once said: “A man with a conviction is a hard man to change. Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him facts or figures and he questions your sources.”

This resistance to change has occurred throughout the history of medicine, from dismissing the importance of handwashing to ignoring the dangers of smoking. Today, we see the same dissonance with Long COVID. Many doctors are reluctant to fully recognize the long-term impacts of COVID-19, despite overwhelming evidence and patient reports. As cognitive dissonance prevents doctors from accepting new realities, millions of patients are left without the care they desperately need.

Historical Resistance in Medicine

One of the earliest examples of cognitive dissonance in the medical community was the resistance to hand hygiene in the mid-nineteenth century. Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician, discovered that requiring doctors to wash their hands between patients dramatically reduced infections and deaths in hospitals. Yet, the medical community at large rejected his findings because it implied that doctors were responsible for spreading disease—a concept that clashed with their perception of themselves as healers. It wasn’t until decades later, with the widespread acceptance of germ theory, that handwashing became standard practice in hospitals.

Similarly, when Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch developed germ theory, it met with significant skepticism. At the time, the dominant belief was that diseases were caused by “miasma” or bad air. Doctors resisted abandoning this familiar theory, even as new evidence showed that microorganisms were responsible for illnesses.

In the 1980s, cognitive dissonance surfaced again during the early stages of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Initially, the medical community viewed the disease as limited to certain marginalized populations, and many were slow to recognize the growing evidence that it was a much broader public health issue. The bias of previous experience and reluctance to confront new evidence delayed effective treatment and public health responses, just as it had in the past.

Modern Examples of Cognitive Dissonance

Even within the past 40 years, cognitive dissonance has continued to shape medical responses. One striking example is the slow acceptance of the bacterial cause of stomach ulcers. For decades, stress and spicy food were blamed for ulcers, even as mounting evidence suggested otherwise. When Australian scientist Barry Marshall demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori bacteria were the real cause, his findings were initially ignored. Marshall even resorted to infecting himself with the bacteria and developing ulcers to prove his point. Still, it took years for the medical community to shift its thinking and change treatment protocols.

The opioid crisis is another clear example. For years, pharmaceutical companies promoted opioids as safe and non-addictive, despite early warning signs of widespread addiction. Cognitive dissonance prevented many doctors from altering their prescribing habits, even as evidence mounted that overprescription was contributing to the crisis. The delay in adapting to new realities contributed to the devastating public health consequences we’re still dealing with today.

A more recent example is the shift in understanding the role of dietary fat and sugar in heart disease. For decades, the medical community emphasized low-fat diets, even as research increasingly showed that refined carbohydrates and sugar were the real culprits. The persistence of the low-fat narrative illustrates how hard it is to shake entrenched ideas, especially when they have shaped public health guidelines for years.

Long COVID: The New Frontier of Cognitive Dissonance

Now, we see cognitive dissonance at work again with Long COVID. Despite increasing evidence that COVID-19 can cause long-term symptoms—ranging from chronic fatigue and brain damage to cardiovascular and neurological issues—many doctors are reluctant to fully acknowledge its existence or scale. This dissonance arises from several factors.

First, doctors are trained to view viral infections as acute illnesses with clear beginnings and endings. The idea that a virus can trigger long-term, debilitating symptoms does not fit this framework, creating discomfort for many clinicians. It’s easier to dismiss or downplay Long COVID than to confront the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 may behave differently than other viruses.

Additionally, cognitive dissonance stems from previous experience with viruses. Many doctors didn’t observe long-term complications from previous viral outbreaks, such as SARS or MERS, leading them to assume that COVID-19 would follow a similar course. This bias towards established beliefs makes it difficult for some to accept the growing evidence that COVID-19 may have lasting effects on a significant number of patients.

There’s also a systemic element. Recognizing the scale of Long COVID would require healthcare systems to make significant changes, from allocating more resources to chronic care to investing in long-term research. Admitting the severity of Long COVID would necessitate a major overhaul of healthcare practices, which many find daunting. Instead of pushing for these changes, many doctors are minimizing the issue to avoid confronting the discomfort that comes with acknowledging such a widespread problem.

Overcoming Cognitive Dissonance in Medicine

Breaking the cycle of cognitive dissonance in the medical community is crucial for progress. Overcoming this resistance requires education, empathy, and systemic reform.

First, doctors must be willing to adapt their understanding as new evidence emerges. Continuing medical education programs should emphasize the importance of flexibility and adaptability in the face of evolving scientific knowledge. Training that teaches clinicians to challenge their own assumptions is key to overcoming cognitive dissonance.

Empathy also plays a critical role. Doctors need to listen to patients’ experiences and recognize that symptoms like those reported by Long COVID sufferers may not fit into traditional diagnostic frameworks. Patient-reported outcomes can offer valuable insights, even if they aren’t fully captured by clinical tests. Listening to patients with an open mind can help bridge the gap between new realities and outdated practices.

Finally, the healthcare system needs to be more agile. We need systems that respond more quickly to emerging evidence, update guidelines in real time, and ensure that resources are available for long-term research. Without these changes, cognitive dissonance will continue to hold back progress, and patients will suffer the consequences.

Cognitive dissonance has long been a barrier to progress in medicine. From rejecting handwashing in the nineteenth century to delaying responses to the opioid crisis in the twenty-first, this resistance to change has caused harm. Today, Long COVID is the latest frontier where cognitive dissonance is holding doctors back. By understanding the roots of this resistance and addressing it head-on through education, empathy, and systemic reform, we can begin to make progress in treating the millions of patients suffering from this complex condition. As we’ve seen throughout history, overcoming cognitive dissonance is the first step toward true medical progress.

[boredtechnologist]

The PC port of "BioShock" takes players deep into the underwater city of Rapture, a dystopian vision built on the ideals of objectivism and unchecked scientific progress. Central to the narrative is the character of Atlas, who is later revealed to be Frank Fontaine. Fontaine’s intricate web of deception is a pivotal element of the game, exploring themes of manipulation, trust, and identity. This psychological analysis delves into the deceptive tactics employed by Fontaine and draws upon the insights of famous psychologists to understand the psychological mechanisms at play.

"BioShock" begins with the protagonist, Jack, crashing into the Atlantic Ocean and finding his way to Rapture. Guided by the seemingly benevolent Atlas, Jack embarks on a journey through the city, following Atlas’s instructions to survive and ostensibly to rescue Atlas's family. This narrative setup establishes a relationship of trust and dependency, which is later shattered when Atlas reveals his true identity as Frank Fontaine, a ruthless manipulator. This betrayal is not only a narrative twist but also a profound psychological shock that prompts an examination of deception and manipulation.

The deception employed by Fontaine can be examined through the lens of cognitive dissonance, a theory developed by Leon Festinger. Cognitive dissonance occurs when an individual experiences discomfort due to holding conflicting beliefs or behaviors. Throughout most of the game, players are led to trust Atlas, forming a bond based on mutual goals and empathy. When the truth about Fontaine's identity is revealed, players experience cognitive dissonance, as the trusted guide turns out to be the antagonist. This dissonance heightens the emotional impact of the deception, making the betrayal feel personal and profound.

Fontaine’s manipulation techniques can also be analyzed using Robert Cialdini’s principles of influence, particularly the principles of authority and reciprocity. Fontaine, as Atlas, presents himself as a figure of authority and a savior, which compels players to follow his guidance. He also employs reciprocity by offering help and protection, creating a sense of indebtedness that motivates players to assist him in return. These psychological principles explain how Fontaine effectively manipulates both Jack and the players, demonstrating the power of perceived authority and reciprocation in shaping behavior.

Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, particularly the concept of trust versus mistrust, provides further insights into the psychological impact of Fontaine’s deception. The early stages of the game build a foundation of trust between Jack and Atlas, akin to the development of trust in early childhood. When this trust is broken, it leads to a crisis similar to the mistrust experienced by infants who are betrayed by their caregivers. This violation of trust forces players to reassess their understanding of the game’s world and their own judgment, highlighting the fragility of trust in human relationships.

"BioShock" and the character of Frank Fontaine offer a rich exploration of psychological themes related to deception, manipulation, and trust. By examining Fontaine's tactics through the theories of Festinger, Cialdini, and Erikson, we gain a deeper understanding of the psychological mechanisms that make his betrayal so impactful. The game challenges players to confront the discomfort of cognitive dissonance, the power of manipulation, and the vulnerability of trust. This analysis not only enhances our appreciation of "BioShock" as a narrative experience but also underscores the intricate interplay of psychological factors that drive human behavior and relationships. Through its complex portrayal of deception, "BioShock" serves as a compelling study of the dark side of human psychology, leaving a lasting impression on players and scholars alike.

[creature-wizard]

What books would you recommend for someone trying to get into spirit work with a background in divination, that's currently reading The Crooked Path and The Witch's Familiar?

When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger.

[irenemave]

thought

I've always been deeply fascinated by the concept of gatekeeping, and I find myself pondering why it seems to be such a common behavior among people. Gatekeeping manifests in various ways: individuals often protect their fandoms, interests, friendships, and even their musical tastes from outsiders or newcomers. For instance, I was particularly taken aback when I learned that some fans were gatekeeping Paul Mescal, an incredibly talented and emerging actor who is quickly becoming a household name. It struck me as utterly ridiculous that people felt the need to restrict access to someone so culturally significant.

Intrigued by this phenomenon, I delved into some research to understand the psychological underpinnings of gatekeeping and the human desire for individuality within a social context. This need for uniqueness arises from a fundamental tension between two opposing drives: the desire to stand out and the instinctual need to belong to a community. This duality is compelling because it highlights how these drives can conflict yet coexist harmoniously.

For instance, someone might proudly declare that they were the first person to discover and appreciate Harry Styles, which reflects their desire to assert their individuality and claim a unique identity. At the same time, this claim links them to the broader Harry Styles fandom, illustrating their belonging to a community. This interplay makes it clear that people have an intrinsic need to feel special and unique, which often manifests in behaviors designed to establish that distinctiveness.

Psychological research has shown that people often engage in gatekeeping behaviors to protect their sense of identity and the social value they derive from belonging to certain groups. In fact, studies suggest that gatekeeping is an adaptive mechanism to preserve group cohesion and authenticity. By excluding others, individuals can reinforce their own sense of worth and control, which may explain why people sometimes go to extreme lengths to protect their personal interests, such as fandoms, from what they perceive as "undesirable" outsiders.

However, despite this longing for individuality, conformity remains prevalent in our society. This raises the question: do we conform to fit in and be accepted by others, or do we conform out of fear of being ridiculed or ostracized? The struggle to maintain a unique identity while adhering to social norms is evident; even as individuals strive for distinctiveness, they often mask their true selves to align with group expectations. This tension between individualism and conformity is central to the idea of social identity theory, which posits that we derive part of our sense of self from the groups we belong to. The need for inclusion often outweighs the desire for individuality, leading to complex social behaviors.

Furthermore, the concept of social comparison plays a significant role in this dynamic. Humans have an inherent tendency to gauge how unique or similar they are to others. Social comparison theory, proposed by psychologist Leon Festinger, suggests that people determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others. This tendency may explain why some individuals seek to differentiate themselves from others by gatekeeping—whether it's restricting access to certain interests or asserting their superiority based on who "discovered" something first. In this way, gatekeeping is not only a mechanism for maintaining individuality but also a tool for elevating one's social standing.

I wonder if the desire for individual distinction and the drive for group conformity create an internal conflict, leading to a complex collision of motivations. It baffles me that our innate drives can simultaneously urge us to conform while also fostering a longing to be uniquely ourselves. This intricate balance between the need for acceptance and the quest for individuality is a captivating aspect of human behaviour that deserves deeper exploration.

[spaceintruderdetector]

When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group That Predicted the Destruction of the World is a classic work of social psychology by Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken, and Stanley Schachter published in 1956, which studied a small UFO religion in Chicago called the Seekers that believed in an imminent apocalypse and its coping mechanisms after the event did not occur. Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance can account for the psychological consequences of disconfirmed expectations. One of the first published cases of dissonance was reported in this book.

one of my favorite books.

When Prophecy Fails : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

[hermeticphoenix]

Ascended Masters

In mid-1950s, the automatic writing practitioner Dorothy Martin, aka Sister Thedra, received a communication from an entity calling itself Sananda – the “galactic name” of Jesus in the Ascended Master Teachings. After conveying spiritual teachings to Martin and her esoteric group, the Seekers, Sananda “revealed” that a global cataclysm would destroy the Earth in 1954. The enlightened Seekers, would, however, be rescued by a flying saucer and taken to Ananda’s planet.

Many Seekers quit their jobs, gave away their possessions, and waited for a flying saucer that never came to rescue them from a cataclysm that never happened.

This true story was described in the pioneering social psychology work When Prophecy Fails, by Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken, and Stanley Schachter, published in 1956. I re-read this book often and take it as a warning. Like Dorothy Martin, we, as practicing magicians, receive signs and communications from beyond the ordinary. One of our challenges is not falling prey to self-deception.

Why are we in danger of self-deception? It’s tempting to interpret any extraordinary experience as evidence of success at magic. Our subconsciousness reflects back what we give it – the principle that Robert Anton Wilson summarised as “what the thinker thinks, the prover proves.” If we read about Egyptian and Indian deities, our subconsciousness will dress our experiences with these symbols.

Add to this that the astral-mental regions are full of elementals and larvae that can pose as helpful guides to feed off our astral matrix. It is conceivable that the entity moving Dorothy Martin’s pen was one such mischievous elemental.

This deceptive allure is sometimes called “glamour.” Certain authors, like theosophist Alice Bailey, pay much attention to keeping safe of glamour in their writings.

One tactic for dealing with glamour is disregarding all unusual phenomena. In certain teaching orders, the prevalent practice is to invalidate any experience a student might have as “illusion,” “Maya,” “distraction” or some such. This is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. If we wish to study magic, we must study the effects of magic.

So let’s look at some practical ways in which we can address such phenomena. I would recommend, first of all, detached journaling of such phenomena. Then, their analysis with respect of whether they flatter and whether they impose themselves. The soul mirrors are an invaluable tools for their examination, and a good magic hygiene a way to prevent them.

One of my favourite esoteric authors, Paul Foster Case, wrote that the true Voice will never flatter and never command. I understand flattery to mean anything that arouses self-importance, such as suggesting that a person is exceptionally talented, successful, and chosen for a special mission or favour. Flattery may come in form of a messiah complex: a notion that the individual has been chosen to save others. Or, conversely, it may come as a belief that we will be spared something that “ordinary” people are due.

Let’s go back to the story of Dorothy Martin and see how it compares to these suggestions. First, Martin didn’t practice detached journaling, but took every transmission from “Sananda” at face value. She allowed “Sananda” to flatter her as a chosen “channel” of teachings beyond her level of spiritual maturity, and command her to prepare for the rapture on the threat of cataclysm. The Seekers as a group didn’t take their deteriorating familial, social and professional relationships as a warning that something was amiss. Finally, the group was open to any and all influences to the point of exhaustion, rather than consuming information mindfully and cultivating balance.

Developing resilience to glamour is a prerequisite to a sustainable and productive magic practice, and I hope that these musings will at least serve as a reminder of this, just as When Prophecy Fails serves as a reminder to me when I get a bit carried away.

This article is not written by me. I only shared it. To learn more about this article, you can click this link: https://perseusarcaneacademy.com/post…

[pigeonflavouredcake]

Previously in the cult section of my grimoire I referenced Steven Hassan's BITE model. I had no clue until recently that in 2020 he said some nasty shit about us trans babes on Twitter and that made me feel real fukin shitty so I scrambled to change it.

I'm still referencing the BITE model because, I'll admit, it's everywhere. If you research cults everyone you look at is bound to know about it one way or another but before i get into it I threw down the critique on the smarmy boy. That has given me a whole extra page of just criticism and it was worth the pain because i know so much more now.

I'm gonna keep going on the cult page, i'm not done yet. I will be adding some info on Leon Festinger and cognitive dissonance.

[calicojack1718]

The Pernicious Role of Cognitive Dissonance in our Social Intercourse

Cognitive dissonance helps survive mental crises but it also helps us maintain erroneous beliefs like racial enmity that then respond to racist dog whistles and cause otherwise "decent" white people to vote Republican.

You’re Endorsing Who? Lately, I’ve been a studying more and more on the role that cognitive dissonance plays in maintaining some of our worst social interactions, namely racism and sexism. The notion that more than half of white America voted for Trump just sticks in my craw. Knowing that just over half of white women voted for Trump just seems un-fucking-believable to me. That he gained voters…

[dustedandsocial]

Deciphering Social Dissonance: Ideology, Noise, and Subjectivity, Session 1

Session 2 HERE

During this workshop, we will try to decipher social dissonance and why it happens.

For the philosopher and essayist Sylvia Wynter, deciphering is a practice that tries to answer these questions: What does aesthetics do? What is its function in human life? What, specifically, is its function in our present "form of life"? Deciphering It is not a process of demystification, instead, it tries to understand what mystification does, and how it is complicit in reproducing the privileges of certain subjects through a problematic understanding of autonomy.

Deciphering breaks with disciplinary divisions, and it engages with natural sciences as well as discursive production as a way to get the broadest perspective possible in regard to what we mean to be a human.

Social dissonance takes Leon’s Festigner idea of cognitive dissonance as a starting point. Cognitive describes the tension when somebody has two contradictory sets of cognitions, or when your actions don’t match your beliefs. Social dissonance is, then, a structural cognitive dissonance that emerges from the discrepancy between the values that are shared in liberal Western democracies--such as the belief in individual freedom, democracy, equality, and sustainability--and what we really do, which is to reproduce a system based on inequality, exploitation, unfreedom and the destruction of the planet through extraction. Festinger suggests that we constantly try to reduce the dissonant elements by making justifications and excuses.

What can be the justifications for social dissonance? My answer to this is twofold, one structural and one subjective. The first justification has to do with what Mark Fisher called capitalist realism: as there is no alternative to the capitalist mode of production, we cannot think of an alternative to Western democracy and the liberal idea of the individual. Since there does not seem to be a possibility of another form of life outside the capitalist mode of production, we accept the limited freedoms that are offered to us.

The second justification has to do with conflating the ideas of individuality and selfhood with subjectivity. We tend to think that what we understand by individual freedom is already subjective agency.

During this workshop, we will look at current research made in neuroscience such as predictive processing (PP) in relation to discussions around social synthesis, ideology, mental state of noise, and cultural hegemony. By doing this, we will attempt to decipher the function of social dissonance in the current form of life.

About the Author: Mattin is an artist, musician, and theorist working conceptually with noise and improvisation. Through his practice and writing, he explores performative forms of estrangement as a way to deal with structural alienation. Mattin has exhibited and toured worldwide. He has performed in festivals such as Performa (NYC), No Fun (NYC), Club Transmediale (Berlin), Arika (Glasgow) and lectured and taught in institutions such as Dutch Art Institute, Cal Arts, Bard College, Paris VIII, Princeton University and Goldsmiths College. In 2017 he completed a PhD at the University of the Basque Country under the supervision of the philosopher Ray Brassier. Along with Anthony Iles, he edited the book Noise & Capitalism (Kritika/Arteleku 2009). In 2012 CAC Brétigny and Tuamaturgia published Unconsitituted Praxis, a book collecting his writing plus interviews and reviews from performances. Anthony Iles and Mattin are currently in the final stages of editing the volume Abolishing Capitalist Totality: What is To Be Done Under Real Subsumption? (Archive Books). Urbanomic published last year his book Social Dissonance. Mattin is part of the bands Billy Bao and Regler and has over 100 releases on different labels worldwide. He is currently co-hosting with Miguel Prado the podcast Social Discipline. Prado and Mattin are also part of Noise Research Union with Cecile Malaspine, Sonia de Jager, Martina Raponi, and Inigo Wilkins. Mattin took part in 2017 in documenta14 in Athens and Kassel.

------

This lecture covers the same ground as the book he released last year, Social Dissonance. It's like $13 via amazon on paperback and kindle, but also might be available on libgen, who could say.

[toqge]

O TERRORISMO DA SAÚDE MENTAL NA “TERRA PLANA”

por Geórgia Lyma

Psicóloga\Neuropsicóloga\Educadora Física\ Especialista em Educação, Qualidade de Vida e Dança.

Dissonância Cognitiva e a Sociedade Digital: Reflexões sobre Influência, Identidade e Conformidade

Estamos imersos em um mundo globalizado, onde somos constantemente inundados por uma avalanche de informações, que moldam nossa percepção da realidade. No entanto, nosso cérebro possui limitações para processar todas essas informações de forma coerente, o que pode resultar em conflitos cognitivos ao tentar reconciliar crenças e experiências.

A dissonância cognitiva surge quando percebemos uma discrepância entre nossas crenças e nossas ações, gerando um desconforto psicológico que nos leva a justificar ou racionalizar nossas escolhas, mesmo que contradigam o que sabemos ser verdadeiro. Esse fenômeno, identificado por Leon Festinger na década de 1950, demonstra como tendemos a buscar consistência em nossas convicções, mesmo que isso signifique distorcer a realidade.

O lobo frontal do cérebro, responsável pelo pensamento abstrato e planejamento, desempenha um papel crucial na elaboração de nossas decisões e na forma como interpretamos o mundo ao nosso redor. No entanto, quando confrontados com informações conflitantes, tendemos a recorrer a mecanismos de defesa para preservar nossa integridade psicológica.

Um exemplo clássico desse fenômeno ocorreu na década de 1950, quando um grupo liderado por Dorothy Martin acreditava em profecias de desastres iminentes que não se concretizaram. Em vez de confrontar a falha de suas crenças, o grupo reforçou sua fé, reinterpretando os eventos para justificar suas convicções.

Nos tempos modernos, essa dissonância cognitiva é amplificada pela influência das mídias sociais e das narrativas extremistas que permeiam o ambiente político e religioso. O compartilhamento seletivo de informações e a formação de bolhas de filtro reforçam nossas crenças preexistentes, criando uma realidade virtual que pode se distanciar cada vez mais da verdade objetiva.

Essa manipulação da realidade digital tem consequências profundas para nossa saúde mental e para a sociedade como um todo. Ao nos tornarmos cada vez mais dependentes dos algoritmos que moldam nossas percepções, corremos o risco de nos tornarmos seres alienados, incapazes de distinguir entre o que é real e o que é fabricado.

É crucial que reflitamos sobre o impacto das mídias sociais e das narrativas extremistas em nossa vida cotidiana. Devemos questionar as motivações por trás das informações que consumimos e buscar fontes diversas para ampliar nossa compreensão do mundo. Somente assim poderemos evitar cair na armadilha da dissonância cognitiva e preservar nossa capacidade de pensar criticamente e agir de forma autêntica.

A sociedade digital nos apresenta desafios sem precedentes, mas também oportunidades para redefinir nossa relação com a informação e com o mundo ao nosso redor. É hora de assumirmos o controle de nossas mentes e nossas escolhas, antes que seja tarde demais.

#dissonanciacognitiva

#saudemental

#psicologia

#educacao

[usunezukoinezu]

Mind Control 101

by Jane - 08 July 2009

"Would you want to know if you were part of an age old mind control technique called "thought reform"? As a former student of Drunvalo/Jim Self/New Age kerappa, I would like to provide you with an opportunity to take a closer look at what is really offered!

Consider the following and come to your own conclusion:

"Are the leader's philosophies, information and viewpoints

* dramatically different than those you formerly held?

* bring you closer to or separate you from friends and family?

* Make you believe things you didn't think were possible?"

"Do the techniques you practice ask you to suspend your personal judgment?"

"Do the techniques your being taught teach you to control your thoughts or emotions?"

"Have your sleep patterns been interrupted or changed?"

(By design emotion and though control techniques "automatically" program you to think or to feel a certain way.)

Does the leader have special information that no one else can "see" or "hear"?

Does the leader predict the failure those who leave who are not privy to his knowledge?

Personalization: Burns calls this distortion "the mother of guilt." A primary weapon of mind control is training members to believe that everything bad that happens is their fault. The guilt that accompanies this sort of personalizing is crippling and controlling. You are out of the cult now, so it is important only to take responsibility for what is yours.

What was your initial reaction to or feeling about the leader or group?

What was going on in your life at the time you joined the group or met the person who became your abusive partner?

What did the group or leader promise you? Did you ever get it?

What didn't they tell you that might have influenced you not to join had you known?

Why did the group or leader want you?

Does the leader use dissociative techniques like meditation, chanting, building energy fields etc?

Do the rules change when you get to a different level? What started out as a predictable and secure environment gradually evolved into confusion and chaos. The rules they thought they could count on started changing. Soon they entered the crazy place of not knowing the rules, which brought on waves of anxiety. No Leader uses mind manipulating practices like these without being very aware of exactly what they are doing to you. Before these techniques cause you additional harm I hope you'll take the time to check in with your own awareness. Then you may have a "real awakening."

Another gradual change in their cult environment involved the persistent push for a greater commitment. It always had to be more, and soon the members felt overwhelmed and wondered if they could ever make it. Could they ever be pure enough? Could they ever reach enlightenment? Their leaders were the only proof that these standards were achievable.

Practices like his are widespread throughout new age centers like the Berkley Psychic Institute and other new age circuits and spiritual circles.

Cult leaders use various techniques to tighten their hold on the group.

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE Leon Festinger is a psychologist who studied groups that predicted the end of the world. He found that most members became stronger than ever when the prophecy failed. His investigation revealed that members had to find a way to cope psychologically with the failure. They needed to maintain order and meaning in their life. They needed to think they were acting according to their self-image and values. Festinger described this contradiction, which they had to overcome as what has become known as the "COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY."

The three components he described are:

"CONTROL OF BEHAVIOUR" - "CONTROL OF THOUGHTS" - "CONTROL OF EMOTIONS"

Each component has a powerful effect on the other two: CHANGE ONE AND THE OTHERS WILL TEND TO FOLLOW. When all three change the individual undergoes a complete change. Festinger summarized the basic principle:

"If you change a person's behaviour, his thoughts and feelings will change to minimize the dissonance."

When there is a conflict between thoughts, feelings or behaviour, then those in conflict will change to minimize the contradiction. This is because a person can only tolerate a certain amount of discrepancy between these components which make up his identity. In cults this dissonance is created to exploit and control them.

By controlling the information one receives you can control and restrict the individual's ability to think for himself. You limit what he is able to think about.

BEHAVIOUR CONTROL - The control of an individual's physical reality.

This can include control of where he lives, what he eats, his clothing, sleep, job, rituals etc. This is why most cults have a stringent schedule for members. There is always something to do in destructive cults. Each cult has its own distinctive set of behaviours that bind it together. This control is so powerful that the cult member will actually participate in their own punishment and come to believe he actually deserves it! No one can command a person's thoughts but IF YOU CAN CONTROL BEHAVIOUR THEN HEARTS AND MINDS WILL FOLLOW.

THOUGHT CONTROL - The control of an individual's thought processes The indoctrination of members so thoroughly that they will manipulate their own thought processes. The ideology is internalized as "the truth". Incoming information is filtered through the beliefs, which also regulates how this information is thought about.

The cult has it's own language which further regulates how a person thinks. This puts a great barrier between cult members and outsiders.

Another form of control is "thought stopping" techniques. This can take many forms: chanting, meditating, singing, humming, tongues (some even pay money to learn it), concentrated praying, etc. The use of these techniques short-circuits the persons' ability to test reality. The person can only think positive thoughts about the group. If there is a problem the member assumes responsibility and works harder.

EMOTIONAL CONTROL - The control of the individuals emotional life

This manipulates a person's range of feelings. Guilt and fear are used to keep control. Cult members cannot see the control by guilt and like other abuse victims are conditioned to blame themselves when things are wrong, even grateful when a leader points our their transgressions.

Fear is used to manipulate two ways. The first is to create an outside enemy (we vs them) who is persecuting you. The second is the fear of punishment by the leaders if you are not "good enough." Being "good enough" is following the ideology perfectly. The most powerful emotional control is phobia indoctrination. This can give the person a panic reaction at the very thought of leaving the group. It is almost impossible to conceive that there is any life outside the group. There is no physical gun held to their heads but the psychological gun is just as if not more powerful.

And then there is:

INFORMATION CONTROL - The control of the individuals information sources

Deny a person the information needed to make a sound judgment and he will be incapable of doing so. People are trapped in cults because they are denied both the access to the critical information they need to assess their situation. The psychological chains on their minds are just as powerful as if they were locked away physically from society. So strong is this psychological process they also lack the properly functioning internal mechanism to process any critical information placed in front of them.

THE EIGHT MARKS OF MIND CONTROL TOTALISM - ALL OR NOTHING

Mind Control is a PROCESS of eradicating former beliefs and instituting new beliefs in their place through the use of COERCIVE persuasion. It is a PROCESS, which is designed to break a person's independence and individuality and replace it with the ideology clone. The Chinese called this process "thought reform" which was poorly translated into English as "brain-washing".

BRAINWASHING

Brainwashing is now considered to be a different process to thought reform or mind control. In brainwashing the victim knows who is the enemy. An example is American Patty Hearst who was kidnapped by a terrorist group. Through physical abuse she finally became a member of the group and took part in terrorist activities and bank robberies.

THOUGHT CONTROL

Thought control is more subtle. The victim doesn't know who is the enemy because the enemy seems like their best friend who only has their best interests at heart.

Cults practice a more refined form of thought control than that used by the Chinese. Leading psychologist, Dr Margaret Singer, said cults do it better than the Chinese because it is easier to get people to do what you want through manipulating them with guilt and anxiety. During this process the prospective recruit is re-educated and will abandon the precepts he has learnt from life for the "truth" or "enlightenment" offered by the group. In some cults this is done over a long period of time; Other cults can bring about this change within 48 hours. Whichever way the process takes place the results are the same."