[extropy-chat] Cults/drugs

[Dirk Bruere]

On 2/16/06, Keith Henson <hkhenson at rogers.com> wrote:
>
> At 04:17 PM 2/16/2006 +0000, Dirk wrote:
>
> snip
>
> >The difference being that pretty much all Elron's victims signed up for
> it.
>
> That becomes a *very* tricky question as we understand more about the
> human
> mind/brain.
>
> Were you ever given a flower in an airport by one of the Moonie cult
> members?


No, but I have visited their HQ in London

They were playing on a human psychological trait of reciprocation that is
> almost hardwired into us.


I know - just like those charities that send pens, cards etc in expectation
of reciprocity.
I make a point of throwing them away - not using them at all.

Scientology and other cults mostly use "attention-reward," love-bombing and
> scientology's "training routines."  Rewarding drugs hit the same brain
> areas.


So does every successful meme I would guess.

There is also the fraud aspects.  Scientology promises virtually
> everything, power over matter, energy, space and time--verbally.  The
> papers you sign after high pressure sales pitches take it all away and
> then
> some.
>
> http://www.xs4all.nl/~jeta/scn/scans/Introspection-Release.html
>
> Scientology is a vicious organization run by a vicious little prick.  None
> the less, I can't really hate him any more than I can hate someone for
> being infected with HIV.
>
> Worse than HIV, most people with HIV understand it's bad.  People in cults
> are blind to their situation.  The mechanisms were discussed recently here
> in the fMRI work of Drew Westen.


So they have to be saved from themselves?
I don't like where that goes...

Cults, scientology only being an example, are the memetic equivalent of
> segregation distorters genes which can drive mouse populations to local
> extinction.  In fact, the Shaker cult did that to its group of humans.


And something similar is happening to the  indigenous European population.
So?

People on this list really should have a better model of what humans
> are.  Depressing, but it's important at least till you are a few light
> years out.


I am pursuaded, but you are brainwashed etc
The fact that two people can come to conflicting conclusions given the same
data means that there is likely no objective position.

Dirk
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