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After all, how could there be room for more than one extraordinarily oversized ego!? The group dogmas are not backed up by evidence or information cross-referenced from multiple reliable sources. Studies can also include more than one treatment or control group. To give an example of this kind of dishonesty, I once witnessed an influential Evangelical Christian clergyman telling some young men who were training and intending to train for ordained ministry, that it was okay to lie in their interviews and assessments when asked if they agreed with the ordination of women (and whether they were comfortable working with ordained women), in order to get into the Church of Scotland or Church of England! Members are frequently reminded of the leaders qualifications, knowledge, intelligence and experience and these are often over-played and exaggerated so that members view them as experts and sages. Thus, without a control group, its difficult to determine whether improvements in medical conditions come from a treatment or just the natural progression of time. Members revere the leader with absolute devotion. Safe groups speak of outsiders and outside groups in a respectful, fair and balanced way. Group members are forced to cut ties with any family members and former friends who are outside the group. Men and women are segregated in activities for no good reason, in other words, not just for activities that involve undressing or intimacy but for learning, leadership and other activities. Outsiders will be seen as being morally inferior. Praise and admiration for the group leader exceeds that given to others in the community. The test group are the customers who do receive that specific campaign. Then they are keen to accept the group/leaders offer of a way to escape this judgment. High-control groups create and rely on these shame cycles a form of long-term emotional abuse. Thirdly, my article illustrates that there is a spectrum when it comes to human groups, rather than completely separate categories of cult and safe. The group performs secret rites and rituals. In matching designs, the researcher matches individuals who received the treatment, or independent variable under study, to others who did notthe control group. Members who leave are given derogatory names such as apostate or traitor or infidel. Many people have their little superstitions, whether they are religious or not and whether they are members of a group or not. (for a quick reference summary go the bottom of the article), Extra Characteristics of Full-Blown Cults. You may even be ostracised for showing negative thoughts or feelings towards the leader/leaders, even if these are very mild. They seem no longer capable of independent reflective thought, analysis and judgment. Creating Transient Cgroups with systemd-run, 2.3.1. There may be a requirement to socialise with fellow members only, unless you are actively engaged in trying to convert a non-member to the group. They will also have access to training in leadership, teaching, preaching, conducting ceremonies and so forth, from which women are excluded. If members break group rules they receive a great deal of criticism or are shunned. Controlled experiments (article) | Khan Academy Pingback: The Ebook of Boba Fett Recap: And Now For One thing Utterly Completely different (Episodes 5 & 6) - euro-journal, Pingback: Was ist eine high-control-group? In the dialog box, add the information needed to create your distribution group. Many of the books, authors and other sources will have been critiqued and discredited by subject experts at mainstream academic and research institutions and by the free investigative press. His or her thoughts, opinions, and belief system are considered to be the absolute truth. For many high-control groups, it would only take the rise within the ranks of a sociopathic leader, someone with sufficient charisma and oratorical skills to exploit the magical thinking and group-think of these communities, for them to become a living hell. Creating fear and dread of supernatural evils, and then claiming you can offer protection from it, is an excellent way of getting people to believe and do exactly what you want. Group leaders encourage questioning but only in the early stages of your association with the group, and only on their own terms. The control group is matched as closely as possible to the experimental group, including age, gender, social class, ethnicity, etc. A gun safety group has created a provocative new ad campaign calling for the renewal of a federal assault weapons ban, in the wake of several . Some high-control groups encourage members to pledge love and loyalty to an abstract supernatural being (God), and to put this loyalty before the needs and well-being of fellow human beings and themselves. Members who resist the intrusive influence of leaders in their personal/family affairs are seen as less committed and kept out of the groups inner circle. I have some healing to do now, but I am so glad to be out of this. High Control Groups Katherine M. Schneider, LCSW High Control Groups* * This also includes high-demand or high-pressure groups/teams/programs/organizations, cults, narcissistic abuse, etc. High-control Groups | Questioning LIG Like politicians, they are skilled in answering questions that havent really been asked and in constructing answers that may sound plausible but which rely on untested assumptions, assumptions that on closer inspection are themselves highly implausible. Group members believe themselves to be called or chosen for a special mission to save humanity by radically transforming individual lives and the entire world. If you have tried, and cannot find a way to address the points below that are relevant to your group, then it is most definitely time to leave, even if the group still possesses some attractive qualities, and even if quitting the group involves leaving behind family members, friends and whatever funds and work you have invested in it. You are shunned by members you were once very close to, including close family and friends. Obtaining Information about Control Groups, 2.4.2. Followers may be encouraged to spend their money on the community rather than on family and friends outside it. Potentially unsafe groups or leaders come across as very nice at first. 20 Classroom Management Strategies and Techniques - Prodigy It is exactly the same for nations ruled by one dictator or one party with an extreme political ideology the dogma doesnt have to be religious! to cover an entrance fee or transport for a group trip. in support of a wider campaign against oppression and injustice. A few methods can aid you in minimizing the risk from invalid control groups. I certainly do not want to discourage people from engaging fully in groups that are overwhelmingly positive. No matter how much money the group brings in, it is never considered enough by the leader. July 3, 2020 For example, outsiders are seen as worldly or of the devil while members are considered part of a heavenly realm or Godly kingdom. Those members who do not connect with these beliefs and experiences (e.g. Cult leaders believe they are above the law, be it human or divine. Viewing the Control Group Hierarchy, 3.7. God) or that they are accountable to wider networks and structures, or even a direct chain of command, but in practice they distance and separate themselves from these authorities, institutions or supporting/sponsoring bodies and work independently and unsupervised. Outsiders and external groups are looked down upon to some degree as morally inferior. High-control groups do this because women are an important resource for the continuation of the group, and guarding them from outside influences (including a proper education), infantilising them, and denying them their autonomy, even over their own bodies, is crucial for these harmful groups to maintain and increase their numbers into the future. I am certainly aware, having been affected by exploitation in academia to some extent (the endemic generational exploitation of junior academics by older, senior academics) that there are serious issues and social injustices to be addressed in the system. There will be no paper trail of records, books, articles and statements about the group in wider sources, which highlight serious problems with the group. Such leaders often claim they have a particularly strong connection to God or persons beyond the grave. High Control Groups Katherine M. Schneider, LCSW They may want you to send them pictures of yourself or of other people, or ask to see things that are private, and they may want to send you pictures of themselves or show you things that are private. Members engage in activities which they would have previously thought reprehensible, in order to further the ultimate goals of the group. words, images, songs) Fear and Phobias Panic and Anxiety Attacks Anger Guilt and Shame Difficulty Concentrating Sexual Dysfunction (especially if violated, or told your sexuality is wrong, or if you were trafficked) Eating Disorders Issues with Drugs and Alcohol Loss of identity. The group believes it, and/or its message, is the sole solution to the worlds problems. COVID-19: CDC Expands List of High-Risk Groups - Verywell Health Control Groups and Treatment Groups | Uses & Examples. Doubt or questions may even be punished. | Secular Liturgies, Pingback: -: ( 5 6) freezpost.com. You are encouraged or expected to take part in spirit led activities such as prophecy, speaking in tongues, praying aloud, preaching and emotional displays and prostrations, which you cannot always connect with or induce genuine feelings for. The truth is of course that abuse almost always starts with the victim being disempowered, having low self-esteem and being too submissive, and the perpetrator taking full advantage of that. Safe groups do not consider themselves to be superior or special in relation to other groups and outsiders, nor do they have internal hierarchies in which some people are considered more holy, worthy or wise than others. It has given me a fresh perspective on the topic tackled. It had so many positives too. Many people of the opposite sex appear to be enamoured of them and the community or congregation attracts larger numbers of women than men or vice versa. They claim these behaviours are in the interests of the group and even essential for the achievement of its goals. People become victims of cults, often without being aware of it at first. If your control group differs from the treatment group in ways that you havent accounted for, your results may reflect the interference of confounding variables instead of your independent variable. And in general, their events involve mind-altering practices. Definitions: A cgroup associates a set of tasks with a set of parameters for one or more subsystems. It could apply to a group calling itself Humanist, secular, progressive or liberal. The group and its leaders oppose or deny mainstream research findings and what is accepted and taught at leading universities and research institutes. For example, in evangelical/fundamentalist groups, the beliefs and practices of other religious groups or denominations and those of non-religious groups are frequently misrepresented, misunderstood, oversimplified and ridiculed. And leaders claim to have special insight and supreme knowledge. Much of the guilt and shame arises in these groups from the suppression of members true natures. Also, while all humans share certain needs, some of us need more in certain areas than others, and moreover, our tolerance levels in different areas will also vary. Leaders go through exactly the same enquiry and disciplinary processes as members when they break the rules. They will not see themselves as having exclusive access to the truth and as being in a position to save everyone else from ignorance and evil. People in the group who claimed to love you, including close family, accept this is true and righteous and the will of God. A person is admired for the power and truthfulness of their speech, for example, and thats fine as far as it goes, but rather than admire this skill or speech, in and of itself, listeners allow the impression created in this area to influence opinion of this person in other areas, and consequently, the person is seen as altogether righteous and good in everything they say and do. Leaders trap members in shame cycles by imposing abnormally strict codes of conduct, such as prescriptions about diet, appearance, sex, relationships and use of media. You either quietly distance yourself and watch from the side-lines, which may result in members becoming suspicious, perceiving you as lacking faith or commitment, or you may force yourself to take part in spite of feeling deeply uncomfortable and false. One of the most thorough articles on the subject Ive seen. Both cults and religions begin with a charismatic leader who claims some special or supreme knowledge, messages and/or insight from a supernatural, other-worldly source. Its very detailed and has helped me to see that the group Ive been learning spirituality through shows most of the signs of a high control group and possibly a cult. This idea allows them to exploit their followers economically and sexually without repercussions. By comparing the average change in their grades over the year, you can find out whether monetary incentives improve school performance. However, it is very unlikely that there are no sympathetic external advisors or potential collaborators among other groups. For a full list of URIs, see the URI scheme reference section in Launch the Windows Settings app. If you cannot explain the dogma of your group without using rote learnt lines, clichs or asking a leader to help you, then you are very likely in a high-control group or cult. How do I prevent confounding variables from interfering with my research? Many fundamentalist religious and political extremists believe that they truly love humanity. At least one dependent variable that can be precisely measured, How subjects will be assigned to treatment levels. These are often exclusively for the members most loyal to the leader and often held in secret. I have myself identified as a Progressive Christian and Secular Buddhist (among other things) for many years! Grooming is in evidence: Many high-control/cult group leaders exploit young and otherwise vulnerable people, especially those craving love, attention and affection because they have experienced neglect, loneliness and loss etc. The most common examples of a high control group are religious and pseudo-religious ones. The group does not have a safeguarding professional or proper safeguarding procedures and police checks for those working with children or vulnerable adults. Luckily Ive started to see through their ways, which prompted me to search for more info and brought me to your article. There are two main types of control groups: Positive control groups. As a friend recently put it there is a very thin line between good use and abuse! The reality is that mainstream faith groups can be high-control groups. For example, members may be expected to seek spiritual advice before making important personal decisions about their lives, even if there are no explicit group rules about such things. There are group activities, events and teachings centred on negative thoughts, emotions and punishment. The group uses thought-reform methods of indoctrination. Such meetings give prospective members a false sense of security because they may be persuaded that their questions have been properly considered. He claimed that women didnt much crave respect and men didnt much crave love, as if you could ever have genuine love for someone you didnt hugely respect! Using Control Groups", Expand section "2.1. Wishing you well, Pingback: The Cult: Leaving It and Finding my Power - The Way of Witch, Pingback: Cult: Leaving It and Finding my Power The Root and Key. Some of those who have left high-control groups speak of sleeping with the lights on even in adulthood because their fears were so great! Hypocrisy: There is one rule for the leader and another for everyone else. For example, researchers could study the effects of a new teaching method that was applied in some classes in a school but not others, or study the impact of a new policy that is implemented in one state but not in the neighboring state. 1.1 What are cgroups ? 5 Types of Extraneous Variables Control Group The common types of control group with examples. In a medical trial, it might be a new drug or therapy. Threats are made against members who leave. They may relate stories of mistreatment, emotional manipulation, punishment and various forms of abuse. I would certainly like to hear more about your research and any evidence or explanations of high-control characteristics in the HE sector. Before that, a cult was simply a new religion or new sect of an existing religion, which established religious institutions saw as heretical. I talk about groups in general in the article; religious, philosophical, secular, political, spiritual, humanist My points apply to all groups without exception, since any group of humans, whatever it calls itself, has the potential to become controlling, dogmatic, superstitious and even cult-like. Group members may have to make other drastic changes to their lives. Cults thrive on conspiracy theories, catastrophic thinking, and persecution complexes. Strong democratic institutions with rigorous checks and balances usually filter out sociopathic persons before they become too influential but when these institutions are undermined and under threat, either by internal factions or external forces, or destabilised through in-fighting, a vacuum of power can open up, which risks letting in something far worse than chaos and uncertainty! It can mean pretty much anything and nothing at all, something which high-control groups and leaders take full advantage of. It should be noted that these political groups often have a strong spiritual dimension, providing meaning, purpose and moral instruction that pervades all areas of life, and that likewise, many of the religious groups have radical political agendas. Many people understand that we need strong, democratic and transparent institutions, but not so many understand that this must include our universities. Intercessory prayer meetings for specific people, such as those targeted by the group for conversion, are held in secret, without asking those people for their consent. They will be willing to receive external audit and advice, and will seek to combine forces with other groups whenever possible, to tackle shared problems and meet common goals. If you belief Christian churches are the best example of a cult you can come up with, youve never seen a real cult (or were a part of one and didnt realize it). Magical abilities, events, beings and places, by very definition, cannot be tested, measured or proven using our senses. Cult leaders increasingly claim knowledge outside their own experience and expertise. There may be beatings and physical punishment for transgressing group rules, sometimes these may take place in denunciation services, in which accused members are scorned, abused and humiliated in front of the whole group or inner circle. For example, they hold meetings where the leader/leaders are present and ready to use any question as a means of presenting pre-prepared arguments which affirm the dogma of the group. High-control groups and cults are often focused on getting new members, with the exception of some fundamentalist communities which are self-sustaining because of sufficient generational replacement. Some groups start out well and remain an overwhelmingly positive influence, or at least a benign one. They are open to learning from and exchanging ideas with other groups, and they collaborate with other groups whenever they have shared goals, challenges or problems to solve. In safe groups, victims of sexual harassment and abuse are encouraged to speak up and are supported wholeheartedly if they want to press charges. They are called foolish, sinful, lost to sin, worldly, misled or even evil. They should be identical in all other ways. Youve been trained to view even valid criticism as invalid and sourced by enemies of the group. You will notice that many of the problem characteristics listed below apply to recognised mainstream faith groups. There are bizarre initiation rites that involve discomfort, danger and pain. It does not matter what the evidence or logic suggests, members always find ways to defend the leader and justify his/her misdeeds. Many evangelical churches in the UK are, for example, borderline, with high-control characteristics that are tempered by the fact their adherents are integrated into modern multicultural urban societies. Was looking for some takes regarding this topic and I found your article quite informative. Cgroups' humble beginnings Control groups (cgroups) are a Linux kernel mechanism for fine-grained control of resources. Lauren Thomas. Cults are a very real thing, yet they are insidious in how they present themselves. The leadership is authoritarian, charismatic and narcissistic, It can do wonders for our sense of identity, purpose and fulfilment. Washington State approved a package of gun control measures on Tuesday that includes a ban on the sale of military-style semiautomatic weapons, making it the ninth state to join efforts to prevent . There are elite groups or inner circles within the group, and a spiritual hierarchy among members with the leaders at the top. A true experiment (a.k.a. They do this using both a carrot and a stick. It reinforces their fight against critical-thinking. There is no meaningful financial disclosure and no independent auditor. Keep your systems secure with Red Hat's specialized responses to security vulnerabilities. These enduring after-effects include seizures, hearing and vision loss, cognitive impairment, neuromotor disability, memory and behaviour changes . The Group Policy can be configured in one of two ways: specify a list of pages that are shown or specify a list of pages to hide. They will be patient with your decision-making process, and will even tell you more than you want to know. They will put your skills to good use, develop your talents, and provide you with long-term friendships. A Poem by AE Somerville, Rational Spirituality and How I Got Here by Anastasia Somerville-Wong, Reflecting on the Past and Planning for the Future: Humanist Chaplains in 2020, The Role of Prayer in Humanist Chaplaincy, Rowcroft Hospice in the Spring: A Poem by AE Somerville, The Migrants Lament: A Poem by AE Somerville, I Dont Want Your Theology: A Poem by AE Somerville, Follow Secular Liturgies on WordPress.com. What is a control group and how can you use one at work? Modifying Control Groups", Collapse section "2.3. Shame and guilt are common tools of control and are instilled through subtle persuasion and peer pressure. If you cannot think of a legitimate reason for leaving your group, you are probably in a high-control group or cult. Then they compare the results of these groups. I've been thinking about it ever since. 1. As a result of isolation, an understanding of individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence becomes increasingly blurred. by If you suffer from persistent anxiety about your belief (or that of close family and friends who are not members of the group) on a regular basis or engage in obsessive and compulsive behaviours to cope with your beliefs or with life in your group, you can be sure your group is harmful and dangerous. It is of great concern to me that things have become so polarised in our society, and that on the one hand, many people have fallen for the devious arguments of conspiracy theorists, while on the other, little care was taken by those in positions of power and influence to understand the reasons why so many people in our society feel disaffected, and so those people just ended up being ridiculed and looked down upon. They can be literally anything one might desire or imagine, and anything desired or imagined by leaders of the kind described in this article is surely going to be very bad news indeed! I would still very much like to discuss things more with someone who actually buys in to the idea that not only do universities and the wider academy need to be transparent and accountable, but also that national/governing bodies (who are also in some ways accountable) need to be presented with the fact that higher education is not just a case of thousands of satisfied graduates and higher rates of employment that gets sold on websites and in the media. Checklist of HDG Characteristics - Dr. Eichel 2.4. Obtaining Information about Control Groups - Red Hat Customer Portal Ethical organizations have nothing to hide and will therefore have completely transparent processes, procedures and documentation. They will value dialogue and the free exchange of ideas and opinions, including where these relate to their own role and performance. Anything the group or leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful, including violent abuse and even murder! | Bernward.Blog, What does it mean to be spiritual? Leaders teach the importance of sexual purity and fidelity but are unfaithful to their own partners and have sexual contact with vulnerable members who have no family or other looking out for them in the group, or with the wives and daughters of members, or with other vulnerable persons outside the group. A Red Hat training course is available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. When we think of terrible tragedies like Jonestown, where 918 people lost their lives (many were murdered by the leader, Jim Jones, and his armed henchmen, including over 300 children, and the rest were persuaded by the leader to commit an insane act of mass-suicide) we are reminded of what happens when people fool for the lies of a sociopath who has mastered the art of persuasive speech and is seen to possess unusual authority and charisma. They may recommend texts and other sources that support the groups dogma or show the group in a good light but they will not put pressure on you to read these or attempt to dissuade you from accessing wider sources of information. This is especially true with regard to the human rights of women, children and minorities. I would love to talk with you if you are so willing, as this effort is a part of my lifes mission. These groups will come up with ever more ridiculous and fantastical arguments as to why this control and subjugation of women is necessary. SP 800-53 Rev. 5, Security and Privacy Controls for Info Systems - NIST Only the elite or inner circle of the group holds meetings to discuss the dogma, theology and practice of the group and its overall direction. Other cognitive biases, such as the halo effect result in the idolisation (and even deification) of leaders. Obtaining Information about Control Groups", Expand section "3. This is why prisoners and ex-convicts are so vulnerable to indoctrination and even radicalisation by high-control groups! Thus, members are persuaded to harm or sacrifice their relationships and their own long-term interests for the groups ultimate goals. The difference between the treatment group and control group 1 demonstrates the effectiveness of the pill as compared to no treatment. However, these tend to quickly reveal themselves as overblown, fantastical and too good to be true (e.g.) The mystery of how a $20-million gold heist unfolded at Toronto Pearson Airport this week is reminiscent of a movie plot that cinephiles would flock to see in theatres or on their favourite . They many give you gifts or things that you feel are either excessive such as things that are very valuable, or very personal or things that are very grown up, such as alcohol, tobacco or drugs. They may ask about your sexual experience, or how you feel about doing certain things. Leaders show stricter standards of behaviour for members than they keep themselves. Some group members may even have deceived themselves into thinking they really do love the people they are targeting, by trying hard to engineer the feeling over time. So, regarding vaccines, for example, there are genuine concerns about making such things mandatory because of the power this gives to a state over the bodies of individuals. They may even use technology for surveillance of group members. In some marketing scenarios, there might . Equally, creating fear of the judgment of a perfect, holy deity can make people continually afraid they are not good enough. Negative Issues Experienced by Former Members of High-Control Groups After all, if people believe in the supernatural, its so very easy for a charismatic and influential individual to persuade them he/she has some sort of hotline to this being/force or some sort of special knowledge about it and what it wants etc.