We know the secret, or how let us organize sect!

You met various religious sects' representatives certainly already, read news from their special life. With what it is possible to get it to it young person (and less young) people, that onto a baldy with a sheared head, let the passers'-by faith be advertised being wrapped up in yellow veils? You are just in an elegant suit, always moderate and with a haircut combed well - with a little nameplate on the lapel of their jacket - let the same one be made?

Many people possibly it penetrating force divine revelations consider it his manifestation, others from a brainwashing, from special training procedures they are meditating. And not few people are surprised swaying their head. They face the situation uncomprehending.

Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson - both of them american social psychologists - The persuasive-machine title in their book flutter the veil covering the secret. Let us observe their directions, and we look at it, what kind of, processes which can be grasped scientific are going on in a model community's life.

What we have to make, that let us be allowed to found a the his foundations were laid community for a faith successful, let us be allowed to make it work economical - we believe in the principles preached by us even, even not?

First step we have to select those people, we intend who to lead. For them, and we may reveal our future community's alleged aims for them simply strictly, his values. In this manner can be excluded, that let anybody else be allowed to hear of the community life going on at us objectively. Our secrets and our aims will be incomprehensible for the outsider, in the deficiency of the necessary interpretational background. We have to ensure it in identical time with this, that the already won candidates - by way of us developed, new - his values nothing, but let nothing be allowed to ruin it on the world. To our idea not adjusting, we have to exclude informations arriving from outside because of this. We say that we prohibit the usage of certain mass communication devices to the community's members in that manner. Even better, if he is own literature, you are television we may put a radio program at their disposal. If we want to bring the method to prefection really: we have to develop own jargon. We may isolate the group of the networked ones from the exterior social reality perfect with this, and if we managed to draw up a suitable rule system - we may prevent the intention of the eruption.

If we gathered our followers in this manner already, next step we have to increase the consciousness of their selectness. It mindannyiunk for him obvious, that much will be their part in an attack then because of their speciality (let us think about many people not trying to walk along in a yellow veil on the Váci street [One of Budapest's most known streets - editor] although he would be his follower maybe if this would be the latest fashion simply).

By way of the authors blind group defined - the group mentioned as the community based on faith in the additional ones but thinking in our special ideological system, being active in the consciousness of his selectness, identifies with our ideas rather continual. What do with those who we were not able to win? Well, the outsiders' group the enemy who can be treated in the additional ones, rambling ones to be repaid, sinners - we can insert it into our ideology mostly. We may say that they are them between us owe, the experience of the purification was not gone through yet simply - but we may start eradicating them... (, familiar these thoughts?)

Is already now so a little of our groups, our faith, our enemies and our task. Three step provide is needed from that direction, that the members pledging himself let him become increasingly firmer. We may not come up with the claim that they should be going of course prompt and let our doctrines be advertised. Only tiny step we may move.

We start it we say that their hair should be chopped off according to a defined model in that manner. (If they would deliberate, and they would want to quit, it may be done yet. The haircut not painful, it is necessary to wait for it at worst, while grows.) But a special uniform may be worn, or a part may be bought onto a miracle on preparatory courses. (Where we ask for an increasingly bigger participative prize then in the function of the progress...)

If we made a selection of it skilful the tasks, the selected group member feels it in that manner already after a time, so much sacrificed everything for his group, for the case that he is impossible simply to retreat, has to walk through the road - and will attain it the much desired aim. (The final goal naturally facultative, will be a special reward announced for our group exclusively then.) Phantom we may make the eternal life float, the full inward peace, the wonderful fulfilment of our own cognition, the clear knowledge, but the perfect body control does it opportune... what is the essence: the aim only inside our group's frameworks, by way of obedient cooperation available.

The group member the external world gently threatening, feels it as fearsome place then, against which he finds protection, own, in his intimate group. What has a price of course - and we defined this. We raise it continuous though henceforth. The harder tasks may come if he managed to attain the fulfilment of tiny requests already. Let them renounce their earthly goods (strictly in favour of our community!), and let it be felt - they have a group member in danger if they do not obey. We may cast them out, affixing stamps for a sinner. And the big aim floats away...

If we reached the stage of this already, his time, that polish the leader's image. Something reason is needed since to find in that direction, that why to delegate on worthy so enormous victims' price. Best, if he is the leader from his life tiny, we blow up pleasant episodes heroical myth - and we refer to it: his birth/his beginning means a new world bearing young to his function in one. His charismatic strength is able to protect it from all trouble, enough ha of spell we murmur his name in the heavy moments (if he would not make it after all, and the group member would not survive it, we refer to it at worst: was not committed really... cannot defend himself anyway already...) we feel the logic screw in the thing?

We may send it to convert our followers already after these. We lay the foundations for our economic power on the one hand with this, (from the widening circle making a donation), we may obtain sympathizers for ourselves on the other hand. Not in a last row but we increase it long original faithful pledging himself. In the course of the tropic work since many attacks are worth their views then. But if we prepared them (with our ideology thought up well backing up) soon practice may be obtained in the protection of the view system suggested by us. At what more criticisms and objection - at it bigger routine in the defence. And at it stronger faith the own believer from the correctness of a community's thinking. Of course, to this we have to create an ideology organized very well!

Now already committed, we have group members who are skilled in the protection of their faith. Faces us but yet always the task: they may not be thinking about a manner differing from our interests. Onto a minute we are allowed to allow their attention to ramble, let him soar you are their fantasy let them be thinking. Always strictly the group's interests (and with this metastatically our managerial intention) maid they may deal with tasks. It we have to look for continuous occupation for recruited ones newly - let thinking about the correctness of their decision not be their time. We have to fill in the older members' boring time, in case the "not let desirable" thoughts blister. Let it be singing, you are a prayer dance, begging, preaching you are a conversion, you are a cold shower yet rougher methods - adequate applying all are able to supply this function. Seems a good method the not to brand desirable thoughts the work of the Satan directly - recalling from the community truth the opportunity of expelling - and to call for the resistance in the interest of our community's noble aim in one.

We have to accomplish only an important task already, that let our professional community organized on a manner fill his obligation undertaken in his creed really. It is necessary to remind our group's members of new one and new one it an and true road, onto the "phantom" of the big aim, in that direction the (who knows it, possibly really only in our fantasy existing) onto an aim, to suffer because fighting is worthy, to resign. Of course, that let him be attractive really - something entirely new one, we have to wave big one and one which cannot be reached about before our followers' eye unbelievable. Meanwhile though continuous to be emphasized: the aim only with us, and only on the road selected by us can be reached.

Observing this train of thought, with replacing suitable ideological filling, several historical, political, or religious event can be modeled. We see it clearly after these: not mysterious and inexplicable strengths, but factors which can be identified well still drive unexpected, to actions which cannot be understood for outsiders. Applying the foresaid factors precisely, even into a suicide can be carried the leaded group of people - any kind of magical trick, hypnotising you are unearthly without the application of strength. The only task: systematical, with a stony resolution, from making a step to approach onto a step towards the aim.

After we saw it already, how let us organize an ideological well confinable, community which can be run according to our intentions, would be his time to reflect on it, we our task, if the persuasive-machine takes aim at us, and rehearses onto one-track thinking to hurry. That is: what do, if they rehearse with the strength of strength on an all kinds of manner to influence - onto emotions active, the attention overburdening, rational quasi cannot be observed - to lead into the direction of strange aims with propaganda methods.

In the America of the 1950 years quasi everybody the subconscious was afraid of the danger of influence. From it, that we put enough if we cannot recall the content of the message deliberate for filed calls between the TV's and a cinema's frames. In the course of the later experimental checks but this effect did not come forward. Than it lightened up, was irrelevant, they tried out the transfer of a what kind of message, the experimental subjects behaved according to their personal ideas formed about the situation - and it was believed: the "secret message" in this direction, required the behaviour being equal to their own expectations of them. (Because of this next it, who his tape cassette memory corrective medtiational practice listened to it, considered it good one just like that, than who the same band bodyweight reductive appliance last - the same music appeared as all of them on a band although. The examination persons stood by the efficacy if their alleged miraculous cassette was exchanged "accidental" yet, and the diet message into the ear of a subject desiring to polish his memory with strength under a mumbled stimulus threshold...)

Comparing everything not bad explanatory principle, if we may refer to it after our some kind of uncomfortable act: the Satan (you are any kind strange and mystic strength) forced onto an act which can be explained difficult anyway with his message, or somebody else made his hypnotic impact on us. Not bad, but explanation depending on unstable feet unfortunately. The subconscious into a manipulation faith sowed with this was shocked - and it was possible to continue the search somebody else, after justifiable factors. More mystic machines were not the persuasive-machines already, the owner of inscrutable strengths. And we may be thinking about it if we managed to drag in the demon already from the semidarkness of the mysticism, how we may defend ourselves against his "mysterious strength".

The plain warning, dissemination of knowledge provides effective protection against the persuasion attempts on a short distance simply. The subject is vain in clear one with the fact, that now really to convince it is rehearsed - if does not bless attention onto the possible refutations of the arguments: persuades. Let him be a word from toothpaste, from a political party or from a religion - the quantity of the advertisement, his frequency and his attractiveness will win. We receive the TV's advertisement with a scepticism yet - we stretch for the trademark with a known name after all in the shop...

What we may make then?

Firstly: it would be necessary to prohibit it according to the authors' recommendation, that on a fraudulent manner, let the operators of the persuasive-machine affect us applying the by-road of the persuasion. Only honest, argument against an argument, the information maid messages would be authorised. The problem only it, that a censorship with a type like this cannot be reconciled with the freedoms of speech. The potential subjects of the persuasion is needed because of this to arm with onto the self-defence.

In an ideal case so we should consider it for us always, than in connection with a message sent for subjects: why in that manner, and it arrives in a given form, makes it, what may be his persuasive interests, what our own ideas in the case and there is a some other kind of solution, which could stand for our provision though,, but they did not call our attention to him. (And apparently reasonably: because he wants to work for him...) from that direction worthy to reflect, what happens if we do not observe the recommended road.

Characteristic mistake, that we regard the modern mass-media devices as a plain entertaining institution. The less spectacular facts, smaller results they are driven out from the information, only the extraordinary, the fantastic (bloody and specially violent) plots become worthy of a report - decreases alarming otherwise the admission, demand index. An with real arguments, with facts operating political, commercial you are a religious program hardly some may climax minute longer attention the average in a viewer's home. Once the task of the censoring in this direction designate - and usual rather despised - official persons made it - today the spectator/chooses from the information flood on a self-service manner keeping silent. (Of course, only from what was offered - may be on a tray, in an oven-ready state...)

Only own, (unfortunately only and positive) our active collaboration may provide any kind of protection opposite the persuasion attempts.

We may use the vaccination technique as the solution leading to the most promising result opposite influence in our fight. Was a word already from him, that attacking a view system gently, its representative gets stronger in the protection of his truth. We may use this for our own good. Let us reflect on it, we on all of them and why onto our important number - and ourselves, we can represent our own interests getting to know our aims better. It is possible to use this method for us to strengthen the younger generations' vague self-evaluation (the equivalent is needed on place simply to pester the values!), and let us provide protection with this drugs, ideas, against misfortunes.

István Kiss psychologist

The book serving as the basis of the writing:
PRATKANIS, A. and ARONSON, E.: The persuasive-machine. Budapest, AB OVO, 1992.