Too Good to Be True:
Resisting Cults and Psychological Manipulation
STUDENT TEXT
A Lesson Plan for Middle Schools and High Schools
Marcia R. Rudin, MA
Developed by the International Cult Education
Program
Copyright 1992 American Family Foundation
"When you meet the friendliest people you have ever known, who introduce
you to the most loving group of people you've ever encountered, and you
find the leader to be the most inspired, caring, compassionate and
understanding person you've ever met, and then you learn that the cause of
the group is something you never dared hope could be accomplished, and all
of this sounds too good to be true it probably is too good to be true!"
Jeannie Mills
Acknowledgments
The author would like to express her appreciation to the following people
who assisted in the conception and development of this lesson plan: Dr.
Sandy Andron, Linda Blood, Michael Caslin, Priscilla Coates, Paul Engel,
Hope Evans, Robert Fellows, Dr. Doris Holloway-Abels, Dr. Michael Langone,
Arnold Markowitz, Dr. Herbert Nieburg, Nadia Preyma, Herbert Rosedale,
Esq., Judy Safransky, and Dr. Robert Safransky.
Table of Contents
There are more cults than ever before, all over the world. Cults can
seriously interfere with your life. In a survey conducted in 1992 of 308
former cult members from more than 100 different cult groups, thirty-eight
percent of those interviewed who were students when they were recruited
into a cult reported that they dropped out of school after joining the
group.
Cults particularly target young people. College is a popular recruiting
ground. In the 1992 survey twenty-seven percent of the 308 former members
said they were college students when they first made contact with their
group.
Cults also recruit high school students. Ten percent of the 308 former
members questioned in the 1992 survey were in high school when they were
recruited. In addition to the possibility of being approached by cult
recruiters, you will also meet people who want to strongly influence you
in other ways. We all meet people who try to manipulate us to get us to
do what they want, convince us to give money or time to their cause, or
sell us something we really don't want and can't afford.
This lesson plan aims to help you:
·
Sharpen critical thinking and questioning skills.
·
Evaluate authorities and experts (while not wanting to teach
you to question all authority, this lesson plan aims to help you evaluate
who is a legitimate authority or expert).
·
Recognize when someone is trying to manipulate you.
·
Identify a group or individual that might be harmful.
·
Identify a group that might be a cult or have some
characteristics of a cult.
·
Evaluate groups and individuals and evaluate commitments to
them.
·
Improve your self-esteem and confidence so you can say "no"
to people and groups that are trying to manipulate you.
·
Apply what you learn in this lesson plan about saying "no"
to cults and manipulation to all areas of life, such as resisting peer
pressure for substance abuse and sexual activity, resisting overzealous
salespeople, advertisers and others trying to sell something, and
resisting those trying to persuade you to do something you don't want to
do.
Attach to each statement a number from 1 to 5 best describing your
feelings and/or opinion about the statement that follows. The numbers
mean:
1 = I strongly disagree
2 = I disagree
3 = I feel neutral (I don't have strong feelings and/or opinion about)
4 = I agree
5 = I strongly agree
Please note: There are no right or wrong answers to these
statements; no one else will see the responses. The purpose of this
pre-test is to see how much you know now about cults and psychological
manipulation. When the class completes this lesson plan there will be
another opportunity to respond to these statements.
1.
It's easy to leave a cult._____
2.
Cults don't harm people and their families._____
3.
There are no differences between cults and other groups._____
4.
There's no difference between my rabbi/minister/priest and a cult
leader._____
5.
Manipulating people to get them to do what you want them to do is
wrong._____
6.
Everyone has a right to believe what he/she wants to believe._____
7.
Everyone has a right to do what he/she wants to do._____
8.
People who join cults are searching for something, such as meaning
in their lives, spiritual fulfillment, a feeling of belonging, a
substitute family._____
9.
You can get good things from cults, such as acceptance and
love._____
10.
You can get good things from cults, such as meaning and purpose in
your life._____
11.
You can get good things from cults, such as a sense of
accomplishment, discipline, and happiness._____
12.
Only losers join cults._____
13.
I would never join a cult._____
14.
Nobody can talk me into doing anything I don't want to do._____
15.
I don't do what people tell me to do just because they are in a
position of authority over me._____
16.
I care about what my friends think of me._____
17.
I am strong-willed and can resist anything or anybody._____
18.
Occult rituals (see definition on page 4) are fun and are probably
harmless._____
"When you meet the friendliest people you have ever known, who introduce
you to the most loving group of people you've ever encountered, and you
find the leader to be the most inspired, caring, compassionate and
understanding person you've ever met, and then you learn that the cause of
the group is something you never dared hope could be accomplished, and all
of this sounds too good to be true it probably is too good to be true!
Don't give up your education, your hopes and ambitions, to follow a
rainbow."
Jeannie Mills offered this advice in a book she wrote after she left a
cult called "The Peoples' Temple" in the jungle of Guyana in South
America. On November 18, 1978 the cult's leader, Reverend Jim Jones,
ordered his followers in Jonestown, the cult's settlement, to drink
Kool-Aid mixed with cyanide. Those who refused to drink the deadly poison
were injected with it or shot by Jones' guards. Nine hundred and eleven
people died. Two hundred and seventy-six of them were small children and
teenagers.
This tragedy happened after California Congressman Leo J. Ryan visited
there to investigate complaints about Jonestown. Ryan was shot to death
on the orders of Jim Jones at the airstrip as he was leaving Guyana.
(Jeannie Mills was also murdered a few years later.)
How could someone like Jim Jones gain absolute control over people's
lives? Could it ever happen to you? Would you ever give up
control over your life and perhaps your life itself to someone else?
Of course, most people will answer, "No, I'd never fall for that. Only
nerds would! I'm too smart--I can think for myself!" But we can all be
easily persuaded and manipulated, often without even realizing it. We can
all be coaxed into relationships and groups that are harmful to us. We
think we can't be psychologically manipulated. But we are all
vulnerable, no matter how smart or well educated we are.
Some of the words and terms used in this lesson plan may be unfamiliar.
Refer to this alphabetized glossary for assistance as you read through the
text.
abuse - (noun) Wrong, improper treatment, violation, misuse; (verb)
To hurt wrongly or improperly, to mistreat, violate, misuse
authoritarianism - A system which requires complete submission of
an individual's freedom to authority; submission to the oppression,
control of the group
autonomy - Self-governance
brainwashing - Popular term for mind control; connotes emptying or
washing of contents of the mind and replacing them with new contents
coerce - To compel by force (psychological force or pressure as
well as physical force), to intimidate, dominate, or control
coercive persuasion - The use of compulsion by force and
intimidation (psychological intimidation as well a physical intimidation)
with the intent of convincing someone to do something or believe something
covenant - A formal agreement between two or more persons
cult - See definition, pages 6-8
cultic - Like a cult, having characteristics of a cult
demand characteristic - A situation where one will do what one
believes is expected (demanded) for example, in a college-admissions
interview or job interview one would dress well, sit up straight in the
chair, and answer the interviewer respectfully, or in a medical
examination one would remove items of clothing at the doctor's request
dilemma - A choice between two or more equally undesirable
alternatives
faulty dilemma - When it's not accurate that there are only a
limited number of apparent choices, alternatives that are equally
undesirable, i.e., there are other alternatives or choices; for example,
if a cult recruiter says one can either get a job or improve the world,
there are other alternatives: one can get a job and work to improve the
world at the same time
hidden agenda - A situation in which one purpose is openly stated
while another, unspoken purpose lies in the background
indoctrination - Instruction in a doctrine, principle, or ideology,
especially a partisan or sectarian dogma
love-bomb - To dishonestly and falsely flood or overwhelm someone
with praise and a feeling of self-worth and importance for the purpose of
manipulation (a technique often used by cult recruiters)
manipulate - To manage or influence by clever or devious skill; to
change something or someone to suit one's own purpose or advantage
manipulation - Management or influence by clever or devious skill;
changing something or someone to suit one's own purpose or advantage
mind control - The exercise of restraint or active direction,
molding of someone's mental processes and patterns for one's own purposes;
the subjection of someone to a method of changing his/her attitudes or
beliefs; controlled indoctrination
occult - Sacred, hidden, concealed; includes practices and ideas
such as astrology, fortune-telling, magic, witchcraft, satanism, the
supernatural, and secret wisdom groups and philosophies; based on a
philosophy called Gnosticism -- the idea that one should attempt to find
hidden knowledge not available to most people and can and should use this
knowledge to control life
occult rituals - Rituals performed in connection with the occult
psychological abuse - The wrong, improper, or corrupt use of
someone's mental and emotional state of mind
psychological manipulation - Management or influence over
someone's mental or psychological state cleverly or deviously in order to
suit one's purpose or advantage
rite - An established ceremonial act or procedure customary for a
solemn occasion
ritual - An established form of conducting a rite; any practice or
behavior repeated in an established, prescribed manner
ritual abuse - Systematic abuse (can be physical, sexual, and/or
emotional abuse) committed by a group in a stylized ceremonial manner
consistent with the group's belief system and approved by the group's
leadership
totalism - A social system having a closed environment and
complete, authoritarian control over the individual
transcendent - Beyond ordinary experience, thought, or belief
trespass - An unlawful intrusion on the person, property, or rights
of another
"The path of segregation leads to lynching. The path of anti-Semitism
leads to Auschwitz. The path of cults leads to Jonestown. We ignore this
fact at our peril."
Rabbi Maurice Davis
Read the article "Cults: Questions and Answers" in the handout Cults &
Mind Control. This lesson plan will not mention or discuss specific
cult groups for several reasons:
·
There are too many groups to talk about. If this lesson plan
mentioned specific groups and a group isn't mentioned, you might think
it's not a cult.
·
Cults constantly change facts about individual groups
change quickly, new groups form and old groups break up, and names of
groups change.
·
There are different prominent groups in different parts of
the country and the world.
Rather than giving facts about specific groups, a major goal of this
lesson plan is to help people recognize the characteristics of a cult or
what factors make a group a cult and then to apply these criteria to other
groups or relationships in order to evaluate them.
What are some of these characteristics? A cult is a group:
·
whose leaders deceive and manipulate people in order to get
them to join it and to stay in it.
·
which has strong, sometimes total control over the members'
lives, for example telling them where to live, where and when to work or
go to school, what to do with their money, who may be friends or romantic
partners, when, who -- and if -- to marry, when -- and if -- to have
children and how to raise them, what kind of medical care they can
receive, how to schedule time, what to eat, what to wear, when -- or if --
to see their families, etc.
·
whose authoritarian leader(s) and teachings may not be
doubted or questioned.
·
whose leader(s) claim to have a special status, power,
secret knowledge, or special relationship with a higher power.
·
which uses carefully-planned techniques sometimes known as
mind control or brainwashing (see pages 11-12 for more details about these
techniques) so its leaders will benefit while at the same time exploiting
and harming its members and their families (see pages 9-10 for more
details about the harm cults can cause).
Often these groups are termed "destructive cults" rather than just
"cults." The word "destructive" when used with the word "cults" describes
the harm and abuse that may be caused by these groups. That is the
intended meaning of the word "cult" in this lesson plan, although the word
"destructive" will not be used from now on.
Cults can grow out of any set of ideas or beliefs. The ideas needn't be
unfamiliar or strange. On the other hand, a group with strange or
unfamiliar ideas or ideas with which one disagrees isn't necessarily a
cult. Defining a cult is a question of how its members act or behave.
It's not a question of what its members believe or what their ideas are.
It's a question of deed, not creed.
Often it's difficult to distinguish cults from other groupsthe line may
be thin, and it may be a matter of degree. But there are important
differences:
Groups That Aren't Cults
·
are not deceptive; tell people what life in the group will
be like; tell the real name of the group and its leadership.
·
allow people time to think over their commitments to it
carefully.
·
respect the individual's autonomy and independence.
·
respond to critics respectfully.
·
respect the family and one's commitment to it.
·
have built-in controls to watch over their leader(s), so
behavior and abuses can be monitored and corrected.
Cults
·
deceive people; don't tell them what life will be like in
the group; sometimes don't tell the real name of the group or its
leadership or reveal the nature of the group.
·
demand firm commitment to join before people have a chance
to think things over carefully or consult with family and friends or other
support systems.
·
force people to obey their demands; don't respect the
individual's autonomy and independence.
·
may respond to critics with intimidation or physical or
legal threats.
·
view the family as an outside enemy or interfering factor.
·
operate secretly, allowing no public or organizational
scrutiny, no checks and balances, no way of checking or monitoring
misbehavior or abuses and no way to correct them.
To summarize, whether or not a group is a cult depends upon its actions
and behavior, as described above, not its ideas.
In the past, most cults were religious groups promising religious or
spiritual fulfillment. But that's no longer true. Now there are also
political cults, based on a specific political ideology; commercial cults,
which claim to help people make money (sometimes business
management-training programs sold to companies promising to increase
employees' productivity and increase the company profits); and therapy
cults, whose leaders claim they can help people solve personal problems
and fulfill their potential.
Because many cult leaders and members believe "the ends justify the means"
and that what they are doing is more important than society's laws,
sometimes they break civil and criminal laws in order to advance the
organization and its goals. Examples of laws some cults violate include
those concerning:
·
minimum wage
·
child labor
·
child abuse and/or neglect
·
sexual abuse
·
health and sanitation
·
compulsory education of children
·
immigration
·
transportation of minors across state lines or international
borders
·
involuntary servitude (slavery) of adults and children
(violation of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which
forbids slavery)
·
extortion
·
college-loan fraud
·
welfare fraud
·
income-tax evasion and other tax fraud
·
solicitation fraud (for example, the cult member trying to
get someone to donate money falsely claims that the money will feed hungry
people, house the homeless, etc.) and other kinds of commercial fraud
·
storage of illegal weapons and ammunition
·
drug smuggling
·
murder of dissidents
·
basic human rights, especially the rights of women and
children
Such cult leaders hide behind the U.S. Constitution's First
Amendmentwhich provides for freedom of speech as well as freedom of
religionto mask their illegal activities and to escape prosecution.
Everyone wants to protect these precious freedoms guaranteed by the First
Amendment. But the First Amendment doesn't provide immunity when any
group or individual violates laws. One must distinguish between freedom
of belief and freedom of action as a result of these beliefs. We are free
to believe as we want, but we are not free to act as we want, especially
if our actions harm others and/or break laws.
Discussion Question
How can you tell if a group is a cult? What are some of the warning signs
that it might be a cult?
"Cults leave scars on the entire family, like scars and adhesions you have
after major surgery."
Judy Safransky, parent of former cult member
Read the articles "Bible Talk . . . Have You Been Invited?" and "Coming
Out of the Cults" in the handout Cults & Mind Control.
Cults may:
·
Seriously and perhaps permanently disrupt members' lives by
interrupting their schooling and careers (38% of the 308 former cult
members interviewed in a 1992 survey who were students when they were
recruited dropped out of school after joining the group)
·
Cause financial harm, by, for example, forcing the member to
turn over salaries, savings, inheritances, trust funds, or property to the
group
·
Harm families by interfering with family relationships,
often causing separation of cult members from their family members who are
not in the group or separation of family members within a group
·
Psychologically, physically, and sometimes sexually abuse
members
·
Cause severe problems of readjustment if a member leaves the
group
·
Pose a serious threat to our democratic system because they
are authoritarian, anti-democratic, and totalistic
Some personal stories:
Our son's daily routine changed completely. Junior college and his
part-time work became secondary in his life. Our family life changed
drastically. My son was a stranger in his own home. Mike's school grades
went down, and his boss at his part-time job at the local utility company
noticed his lack of concentration at work. Eventually, he had to drop out
of school, and he lost his job. They [the cult leaders] "suggested" he
move out of our house. My family was "of the devil" (the cult's words)
because we chose not to believe as he now believed. From the non-stop
pressure the cult put on him, he did suffer a nervous breakdown and that
is how we were able to get help for him.
Recuperation was painful for the family, most of all for Mike. He
suffered great losses -- he lost his new belief system, his job, his
school, his "new" family. The cult family continually pestered him to
return. After leaving the cult, he had to re-establish his whole world.
His recovery is a continual process taking many years.
Mother of Former Cult Member
[The following is excerpted from and used with permission of CAN News,
May 1990, pages 4-5.]
In our group women ignored their children children kept you from being
close to God . . . My children were not really treated the way I wanted
them treated. The adults thought that children kept you from knowing God
well enough. They were "in the way" and you were better off not having
them because you had less time for God with them around you. You had to
meet their needs and your attention was not on God . . . My son slowly
drifted away from me but I was thinking that this was part of growing up
and his adolescent independence. I was confused. A sign of a good mother
was to give up. I was not to idol-worship my children.
Former Cult Member
[The following is excerpted from and used with permission of CAN News,
August 1988, pages 3, 8.]
I began to see that Group X was a militant control on my life and the
other members. A mass control and mass response. When I thought about
leaving X, there was fear. Instead of leaving, I recruited others into X,
I pushed myself even harder in activities. I couldn't shake off . . . the
thought we were doing the right thing for ourselves and the world. All of
it was an illusion. A beautiful mystical dream . . . This went on for ten
years and my time and life had nothing to show for it.
Former Cult Member
On October 25, 1956 during the Hungarian revolution I got shot through my
left leg. Because of my involvement in the revolution, I had to escape
from Hungary in 1960 . . . I came to the US in 1966 with my wife and two
small children, $200, and an eighty-pound box. We came to America so we
would have freedom, freedom of thought. I worked hard all my life, and
built up my life -- a beautiful house, barn, woodshed, on a ten-acre lot
in Maine so I would have something for my family. We had six children.
In the early '80s my wife and children got involved with the X group in
neighboring New Hampshire. One of my children just graduated from
college. Another is just coming into high school age. My
sixteen-year-old in the cult has no communication with me because I am
called an outsider, a non-believer. The church has taken most of my
property. My marriage has split up. I have lost everything.
I never dreamed a religion would destroy a family. They are trapped in
their own world . . . They have my wife and children, I have lost my
family! . . . I lived through the Communist regime in Hungary, I know what
brainwashing is.
Husband, Parent of Cult Members
Discussion Questions
1.
What are some effects of cult membership on the followers and on
their families?
2.
Do you know of any situations similar to those described above by
the parents of cult members and the former cult members?
3.
Do you think what cults and their leaders do to cult members is
wrong? Why or why not?
"People don't join cults--they're aggressively recruited into
them."
-- Former cult member
"Recruitment is a form of trespass. It is an invasive act. The victim of
cult recruitment does not succumbthe victim has been targeted and the
recruiter takes careful aim, using charm, guile, and deceit."
Hope Evans, mother of cult member
Cults claim to offer contentment and fulfillment. They can appeal to
people who
·
are lonely and/or seeking attention.
·
are in a normal but often difficult transitional stage of
life
·
have suffered a recent loss through death or ending of an
important relationship
·
want to be part of a caring community
·
are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives or a
transcendent experience
·
are frightened of the uncertainty in life today and of
facing a difficult economy
·
are idealistic and want to improve the world
·
want absolute, instant answers to life's complicated
problems and ultimate questions
·
want to find a loving family in a time of breakdown of
traditional family structure (some groups talk about themselves as "The
Family" and the leaders as "True Parents" or "Mother" and "Father")
·
are attracted by a sense of daring and adventure
·
are disillusioned with our political system and want to find
another way to change the world
But experts and former cult members say people don't join cults just
because they're unhappy or searching for something. While those may be
factors, they insist that people are manipulated, pressured,
and deceived into going into cults.
Everyone is vulnerable because cult leaders use strong pressure to get
people into the group and then use carefully designed methods of coercive
persuasion or psychological manipulation to keep them in it. They use
effective techniques to undermine and destroy the person's identity,
self-confidence, self-image, and individuality and to bring him/her under
the tight control of the group. Some of these specific techniques include:
·
Discouraging questions and critical thought
·
Encouraging feelings of extreme guilt and remorse
·
Using strong peer pressure, playing on member's desire to be
loved and accepted (a technique known as love-bombing)
·
Totally controlling the physical and psychological
environment -- cutting members off from friends, family, school, and
previously held beliefs
·
Making the member totally dependent on the group for
physical survival and happiness
·
Generating a fear of leaving the group; for example, telling
members they will never be happy outside of the group, will become ill, or
will die if they leave
·
Imposing a poor diet and poor health care, which can
physically weaken members and interfere with their ability to think
clearly
·
Forcing members to work long, exhausting hours, with little
rest and sleep so they have little energy and resistance
·
Controlling channels of communication, cutting off members
from outside sources of information
·
Manipulating language, assigning special meanings to words,
which makes members feel they are part of an elite, special group
·
Inducing trance-like states of mind in which a person can be
easily influenced
·
Forcing embarrassing public confessions of misbehavior which
can make members vulnerable to manipulation
·
Tightly controlling time and activities and allowing little
or no privacy, so members have no time to think or to evaluate their
commitment to the group
What is Mind Control?
[The following is excerpted from Easily Fooled, by Robert Fellows,
copyright 1989 by Robert C. Fellows, published by Mind Matters, Inc., page
22, reprinted with permission.]
Mind control. It sounds powerful and insidious. The kind of brainwashing
that gets prisoners of war to reveal secret information. We would
certainly recognize it if it were happening to us. We'd be hypnotized,
have bright lights shined on us, be forced to listen to propaganda, and
receive shock treatments or drugs. Not the case! The most effective kind
of mind control is the most difficult to recognize. It subtly exploits
our social conditioning and the vulnerable characteristics that we all
have at various times.
Mind control is really just social influence that restricts freedom of
choice. It consists of psychological manipulation, deception, and the use
of demand characteristics. Because of our social conditioning, certain
situations and relationships with other people seem to demand that we act
in a predictable way. That dynamic affects us every day in advertising,
sales, business, and personal relationships. For example, when we listen
to a lecture, the theater seating and the podium influence us to sit still
and listen while an "expert" talks. That is a demand characteristic. An
"expert" is someone from out of town with a briefcase. "The printed word
is true." "Team players cooperate." "Doctor's orders." "It's impolite
to say 'no.'" These are more demand characteristics that can be used to
influence people.
Guests don't complain, so if I wanted to convince you of something, I
might try to invite you to dinner. Then you'd be less likely to complain
about the food . . . or my business, religious, or political views.
When we interview for a job, we are supposed to answer questions. It
might be better if we resisted the expectation of the situation and went
into the interview with our own list of questions, as though we were
interviewing the company to see if we wanted to work for them.
Manipulation Tactics of a Cult Recruiter
This "typical" conversation between a cult recruiter and a student she has
carefully selected to try to get into her group takes place in a student
lounge. The cult recruiter, an attractive young woman named Jennifer,
enters the room and spots a potential recruit sitting at a table alone,
reading a book.
[The following is excerpted from the videotape "Cults: Saying No Under
Pressure," copyright 1990 by Instructivision, Inc. and International
Cult Education Program, printed with permission.]
Recruiter
(looking over shoulder of student and noting the title of the book he's
reading.) Hey, I read that book last year. It's tough. Looks like you
have a lot of work to do. You must be under a lot of pressure.
John
Yeah, I'm swamped.
Recruiter
School can sure be hard to deal with sometimes.
John
Right.
Recruiter
(sits down with the student at the table) I'm Jennifer, what's your name?
John
John.
Recruiter
You're concerned about important issues, I can tell, John. (student nods)
I belong to a discussion group that talks about these things. We're
getting together tonight, John. Come with me!
John
I have a lot of work to do.
Recruiter
Come onwhat's one night out of your life? We discuss politics, too, like
how to improve the world.
John
Yeah, it sure is a mess. But I don't have much time to worry about that.
My parents are nagging me to get good grades. They want me to get a good
job, be a big success, you know?
Recruiter
So many people are starving, John. Homeless. (sending him on a
guilt-trip) You mean you'd rather go out and make money than help?
John
(weakly): Well, no . . .
Recruiter
(softening tone of voice) We have a lot of fun too. We always have a party
afterwards. Good food. (pauses, looks into student's eyes, flirting) And
I'd really like to get to know you better, John.
(John responds to the eye contact and flirting, and begins to look
interested. Jennifer notices this and picks up on it.) You should come.
We really need great people like you in our group, John. I'll take you.
John
A party would be fun. I could use a break. . .
Recruiter
Great! You're coming! I can't wait for the others to meet you. .
.They're going to love you, John.
John
Is this a school club?
Recruiter
Yes. (deception)
John
What's it called?
Recruiter
(deception) We don't have a name. We're just people who care about what's
really important and want to make the world a better place. . .
The cult recruiter is using deception, pressure and mind manipulation.
John found it difficult to resist this pressure and was letting Jennifer
control the conversation and control him. Let's see how Jennifer did
this:
·
Jennifer appears to be pretending to be a student at that
school. She may be, but she probably isn't.
·
Jennifer tells John how great and terrific he is, and how
much the group needs great people like him. That's known as
love-bombing. Did you notice how often Jennifer repeated John's name?
This is flattering: it makes people feel very important.
·
Jennifer is trying to make John think she's interested in
him.
·
Jennifer is pressuring John to come that very night and to
meet the group right now. She's not giving him any time to think it over
or to check it out.
·
Jennifer is forcing John to choose between two options,
which she presents to him as mutually exclusive choices: either meet the
other kids now or miss out on this wonderful opportunity forever.
·
In the same way she narrows down the options of either
helping to improve the world or to build his own career, either be a good
person and help others or be a selfish person and not help others.
·
Jennifer doesn't tell John the name of the group or what
it's really like; in fact, she lies when she says it doesn't have a name
and that it's a school club.
·
Jennifer plays on John's guilt for wanting to say "no" and
for wanting to get good grades and be successful.
·
Jennifer paces herself and makes it appear that she's going
towards John's goals. She goes along with John just enough to give him the
illusion that he is making the choices. But actually Jennifer is molding
the choices and is steering John towards her goals. She skillfully makes
John feel that he wants what Jennifer wants.
In insisting that John come with her that very night to meet the
group, Jennifer pressures him by trying to force him into the choice of
"come with me now" or "lose your chance forever to help change the
world." Her false limitation of the wide range of choices that John
actually has to the two she presents to him is known as a faulty dilemma.
According to social psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini, the limiting of time
that we see in this situation is a high-pressure sales technique used
often to force people into making decisions on the spot.
[The following is excerpted from Influence: Science and Practice,
by Robert B. Cialdini,(3rd ed.), New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1993,
pages 197-198, reprinted with permission.]
Customers are often told that unless they make an immediate decision to
buy, they will have to purchase the item at a higher price or they will be
unable to purchase it at all. A prospective health-club member or
automobile buyer might learn that the deal offered by the salesperson is
good for that one time only; should the customer leave the premises, the
deal is off. One large child-portrait photography company urges parents
to buy as many poses and copies as they can afford because "stocking
limitations force us to burn the unsold pictures of your children within
24 hours." A door-to-door magazine solicitor might say that salespeople
are in the customer's area for just a day; after that, they, and the
customer's chance to buy their magazine package, will be long gone. A
home vacuum cleaner operation I infiltrated instructed its sales trainees
to claim that "I have so many other people to see that I have the time to
visit a family only once. It's company policy that even if you decide
later that you want this machine, I can't come back and sell it to you."
This, of course, is nonsense; the company and its representatives are in
the business of making sales, and any customer who called for another
visit would be accommodated gladly. As the company sales manager
impressed on his trainees, the true purpose of the can't-come-back claim
has nothing to do with reducing overburdened sales schedules. It is to
"keep the prospects from taking the time to think the deal over by scaring
them into believing they can't have it later, which makes them want it
now."
Discussion Questions
1.
What techniques do the writers of newspaper and magazine
advertisements and radio and TV commercials use to get you to buy things?
Do they work on you? If so, why do you think they work? If they don't
work on you, why not?
2.
Do you have designer clothing in your closet? Do you think it's
better than other clothing and worth the extra money you spent? If your
last answer is "no" then explain why you purchased it.
3.
Why is it wrong to psychologically manipulate people? Are there any
circumstances in which psychological manipulation isn't wrong? If your
answer is "yes," give some examples.
"When I was a kid and asked my parents if I could do something or go
somewhere, I would argue, 'All the other kids are doing it!' My parents
would always answer, 'If all the kids jumped into the lake, would you jump
into the lake too?' That phrase still echoes in my mind. I hated it when
they said that, but it always made me stop and think for myself."
Dr. Sandy Andron
It's one thing to recognize psychological manipulation; it's another thing
to resist it. It takes strength and enough self-confidence and
self-esteem to be able to say "no." That isn't always easy. Nobody likes
to be different, be seen as difficult or impolite, or be left out.
Sometimes it's easier to just go along with the crowd.
One way to resist manipulation is to pause and question or examine the
credentials of the person(s) claiming to be in authority in that specific
situation. For example, for many years an actor named Robert Young played
the role of a beloved physician in a popular television program. He later
made television commercials promoting a brand of coffee. Because Young
had come to be so closely identified with the character of the trusted
physician in the public's mind, people tended to accept his recommendation
for this brand of coffee. But while he may have been an expert in the
acting field, he was not an expert in the medical field.
[The following is excerpted from Influence: Science and Practice,
by Robert B. Cialdini, (3rd ed.), New York: HarperCollins Publishers,
1993, pages 187-188, reprinted with permission.]
A better understanding of the workings of authority should help us resist
it. Yet, there is a perverse complicationthe familiar one inherent in
all weapons of influence: we shouldn't want to resist altogether or even
most of the time. Generally, authority figures know what they are talking
about. Physicians, judges, corporate executives, legislative leaders, and
the like have typically gained their positions through superior knowledge
and judgment. Thus, as a rule, their directives offer excellent counsel.
Authorities, then, are frequently experts; indeed, one dictionary
definition of an authority is an expert. In most cases, it would be
foolish to try to substitute our less-informed judgments for those of an
expert, an authority. At the same time, we have seen . . . that it would
be foolish to rely on authority direction in all cases. The trick is to
be able to recognize without much strain or vigilance when authority
directives are best followed and when they are not.
Posing two questions to ourselves can help enormously to master this
trick. The first question to ask when we are confronted with what appears
to be an authority figure's influence attempt is: "Is this authority
truly an expert?" This question focuses our attention on two crucial
pieces of information, the authority's credentials and the relevance of
those credentials to the topic at hand. By turning in this simple way to
the evidence for authority status, we can avoid the major pitfalls of
automatic deference.
Resisting the Cult Recruiter
Re-read the cult-recruitment conversation beginning on page 13. Now let's
see how John resists Jennifer's strong pressure politely but firmly. Note
that the first part of the conversation is the same as before, but it soon
changes.
[The following is excerpted from the videotape "Cults: Saying No
Under Pressure," copyright 1990 by Instructivision, Inc. and International
Cult Education Program, printed with permission.]
Recruiter
(looking over shoulder of student and noting the title of the book he's
reading.) Hey, I read that book last year. It's tough. Looks like you
have a lot of work to do. You must be under a lot of pressure.
John
Yeah, I'm swamped.
Recruiter
School can sure be hard to deal with sometimes.
John
Right.
Recruiter
(sits down with the student at the table) I'm Jennifer, what's your name?
John
John.
Recruiter
You're concerned about important issues, I can tell, John. (student nods)
I belong to a discussion group that talks about these things. We're
getting together tonight, John. Come with me!
John
I have a lot of work to do.
Recruiter
Come onwhat's one night out of your life? We discuss politics, too, like
how to improve the world.
John
Yeah, it sure is a mess. But I don't have much time to worry about that.
My parents are nagging me to get good grades. They want me to get a good
job, be a big success, you know?
Recruiter
So many people are starving, John. Homeless. (sending him on a
guilt-trip) You mean you'd rather go out and make money than help?
John
(beginning change in conversation pattern) I don't think it's
"either/or". I can help people and still have a good career. I'd donate
money, do what I can in my spare time.
Recruiter
(spotting resistance and changing tactics, softening tone of voice) We
have a lot of fun too. We always have a party afterwards. Good food.
(pauses, looks into student's eyes, flirting) And I'd really like to get
to know you better, John.
John
(resisting the sexual pitch) Well, I hope you have a good time. But I
need to stay home tonight.
Recruiter
You should come.
John
(sensing and resenting pressure) Thanks, but I just don't have time . . .
Is this a school club? What's it called?
Recruiter
(deception) We don't really have a name.
John
If its not an official school club then I'm not interested . . . Look,
it's been nice talking to you, but I need to get back to my work now.
(firmly) Goodbye.
*****
Self-Responsibility
[The following is excerpted from Easily Fooled, by Robert Fellows,
copyright 1989 by Robert C. Fellows, published by Mind Matters, Inc.,
pages 24-26, reprinted with permission.]
Self-responsibility means that you see yourself as the person in charge of
your destiny. Self-responsibility also means making your own decisions
without giving in to manipulation. It does not mean blaming yourself when
things go wrong. Instead you take responsibility, let go, and move on.
And when things go right, you realize that you played a part in making
that happen.
We all have vulnerable characteristics that can contribute to restricting
our free choice. We know what we should do and what we want to do in a
given situation, but for some reason we just don't do it.
How can we get at those vulnerable characteristics?
Maybe some specific questions would help. Here is an exercise that I
developed to heighten awareness of manipulation and help to achieve
self-responsibility:
Step One: Answer the following questions by writing down a key word
or phrase that will help you to remember specific situations.
·
When have you bought something, taken it home, and then
realized that you really didn't want it?
·
When have you agreed to something in a discussion or
argument that you didn't believe?
·
When have you accepted a drink, drug, or food when you
really didn't want it?
·
When did you make a decision under stress that you later
regretted?
·
When were you ever manipulated to do something that you
really didn't want to do?
·
Now answer these questions about each situation:
·
Why did you do this?
·
What was the feeling that you had when you did this? (That
feeling is the key to your vulnerable characteristic.)
·
Who were you with, and how did that person or those people
influence you? (What "buttons" did they push?)
·
What action leading up to the event influenced your
decision?
·
What was the vulnerable characteristic that caused you to
ignore your intuition in the moment when you made the decision?
·
Finally, ask yourself in each case what you can do to change
the situation the next time that it occurs. How can you overcome the
vulnerability and resist the social conditioning that tends to influence
you?
Step Two: In the moment when a decision is made, a person's
self-responsible characteristics sometimes contribute to the more positive
choice. The following exercise may help you to recognize what personal
strengths make you more self-responsible.
First answer the following questions by writing down a key word or phrase
that will help you to remember specific situations.
·
When did you resist buying something under pressure?
·
When have you disagreed with something in a discussion or
argument, or when you were on a committee, even though there was pressure
to conform?
·
When have you rejected a drink, drug, or food when you felt
pressure to take it, but you really didn't want it?
·
When did you successfully resist manipulation to do
something that you really didn't want to do?
·
In each case, there was probably some characteristic of your
personality that led to your choice. How can you recognize your
self-responsible pattern, and recreate it more often?
·
Having come up with specific situations in which you made
these positive choices, the next step is to answer these questions:
·
Why did you do this?
·
What was the feeling that you had when you did this? (That
feeling is the key to your self-responsibility.)
·
Who were you with, and how did that person or those people
influence you? Why were you able to assert yourself with those people?
·
What action leading up to the event influenced your
decision?
·
What was the characteristic of your personality that helped
you to be self-responsible in the critical moment when you made the
positive choice?
·
Finally, ask yourself in each case what you can do to
recreate the positive situation the next time that it occurs. Can you
discover a self-responsible pattern for yourself? What environment can
you create to ensure that you act in a self-responsible manner more often?
We all have the potential to be self-responsible. Sometimes we just think
that we were "lucky" or had a good day when we act in a way that brings us
positive results. But it was probably something positive that we were
doing!
It's helpful to explore both your vulnerable characteristics and your
self-responsible traits. The better you understand your unique
personality, the more intuitive you will be, and the easier it will be for
you to create a positive environment for yourself.
Ten Steps to Free Choice
[The following is excerpted from Easily Fooled, by Robert Fellows,
copyright 1989 by Robert C. Fellows, published by Mind Matters, Inc., page
27, reprinted with permission.]
Here are some suggestions for resisting manipulation, ensuring free
choice, and promoting self-responsibility:
1.
Recognize Social Conditioning. Resist mind control -- the
ways that groups and certain social situations can manipulate people.
2.
Remember You Can Say No. Sometimes we agree with people
just to be polite.
3.
Recognize Faulty Dilemmas. Try adding "None of the above"
to multiple choices before making a decision. I tell children that if a
stranger says "Would you like to go for a walk in the park or a ride in my
car?" they can say "Neither!"
4.
Sleep On It. Recognize pressure to decide quickly. Try not
to act under stress. If someone wants you to "buy now," you can say you'd
like to think about it. He'll always be willing to sell!
5.
Look For the Hidden Agenda. What is really being said?
What is not being said? To whom, by whom, and why is it being said?
Practice with commercials and political speeches.
6.
Recognize Logical Fallacies. When someone emphasizes the
truth of the statements in an argument ("I'm sure we'd all agree that the
sky is blue . . ."), the argument may not be valid. If he emphasizes the
validity of an argument ("so it must be true that. . ."), it might be
because some of the statements in it aren't true.
7.
Know Which Group or Belief a Person Represents.
8.
Recognize Flattery. What are the buttons someone can push
to get you to respond?
9.
Ask Questions. Challenge claims of authority. Does a
person's training, education, or background make her an authority on the
subject she's discussing, or is she outside of her field?
10.
Retain Your Self-Esteem. Don't be afraid to be different.
Discussion Questions
1.
Do you think your opinion is as good as an "expert's" opinion?
2.
Do you think "experts" have all the answers? Why or why not? Who
are "experts" anyway? What makes someone an expert?
Classroom Activities
1.
Choose someone in the class to be an expert on a particular topic.
Choose someone else to argue with or resist this expert. The rest of the
class can suggest other ways in which the expert can be challenged and can
vote on who comes out on top in the discussion. If there's time, choose
others to play the roles.
2.
Choose someone in the class to try to sell something to another
person in the class. The other person should try to resist the
"hard-sell" manipulation tactics. The rest of the class can suggest other
ways in which the salesperson can be challenged and can vote on who comes
out on top in the discussion. If there's time, choose others to play the
roles.
"It is clear that basic needs are being met [by performing occult
rituals]the need to belong, to believe, to find identity, meaning, and
power. These needs are powerful, especially in teenagers, and cannot be
denied.
It would appear that society as a whole is actually moving away from
meeting these needs: family units are deteriorating, community life offers
little for kids who move frequently, churches seem to be attracting fewer
and fewer young people . . . Moreover, young people are inheriting a world
rife with the possibilities of imminent destruction."
Rob Tucker, Former Director, Council on Mind Abuse
Read the article "Satanism and Occult-Ritual Activity: Questions and
Answers" in the handout Cults & Mind Control.
No one knows how many people participate in occult rituals because they
are done secretly. These activities are often classified under the term "satanism."
But not all of these rituals are based on the specific ideology of
satanism, so the broader and more accurate term "occult rituals" will be
used here.
Levels of Occult-Ritual Involvement
There are various levels of involvement ranging from experimenters, called
"dabblers" usually teenagersto organized, secret cult groups which
control their members through mind manipulation and intimidation. These
cults may perpetrate ritual abuse (see definition on page 5). Followers
on this level may participate in illegal activities including robbery,
arson, drug use and sale, rape, child pornography, animal mutilation, and,
in extreme cases, murder.
These levels of involvement can overlap. Some experts believe organized
adult occult-ritual groups recruit vulnerable youngsters who are
dabblers. So any level of involvement in occult rituals, no matter how
seemingly superficial, could lead to dangerous consequences.
Most young people who perform occult rituals are dabblers who do the
rituals either alone or in small groups. These rituals are often done
according to an occult calendar. They take place in abandoned buildings,
outdoor settings, homes where no adults are present, or even in the
youngster's own bedroom.
Participants perform these rituals because they think that by doing them
correctly they will draw upon a higher energy or power that, they believe,
is produced by the rituals. Some rituals include:
·
Summoning of demons, casting spells, making covenants
·
Torturing and sacrificing animals, drinking animal blood
·
Cutting of own body, drinking other participants' blood
(particularly dangerous now because of the risk of contracting AIDS)
·
Group sexual activities (particularly dangerous now because
of the risk of contracting AIDS)
·
Ceremonies using drugs and alcohol, which lower
participants' inhibitions
·
Ceremonies focusing on death, conducted in graveyards,
crypts, or abandoned churches using dead bodies or parts of bodies
·
Divination through ouija boards, tarot cards, and other
occult paraphernalia to answer questions and predict future events
·
Chanting
·
Harmful consequences of occult-ritual participation may
include [please note: some of these conditions may already be present to
some degree before the occult-ritual participation]:
·
Diminished intellectual ability, falling grades
·
Difficulty in forming close relationships
·
Increase in drug and/or alcohol abuse
·
Physical self-mutilation
·
Psychotic episodes, reactions, breaks
·
Deterioration in physical health
·
Alienation from family and friends, eventually leading to
destruction of relationships with them
·
Increase in feeling of hostility towards others, rejection
of mainstream ideas and values
·
Increase in suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts
·
Loss of free will, freedom of action
·
Growth of interest in deeper levels of the occult, with the
possibility of increasing experimentation in it, perhaps leading towards
participation in destructive, antisocial, violent, and/or criminal acts
such as vandalism, animal sacrifice, arson, rape, theft, blackmail,
extortion, and murder
Heavy-Metal Music and Fantasy Role-Playing Games
Some youngsters learn about and become attracted to occult rituals through
easily-available books and other occult-ritual paraphernalia, heavy-metal
music, black-metal music (an offshoot of heavy-metal music sometimes also
known as "Death Metal Music"), and fantasy role-playing games. While in
most cases listening to heavy-metal music and playing fantasy role-playing
games is not harmful, experts say that an obsession with heavy- or
black-metal music or fantasy role-playing games to the exclusion of nearly
everything else in one's life could contribute to a growing interest in
occult rituals.
The lyrics of some heavy- and black-metal music glorify the occult, themes
of anarchy, violence, (including abuse of women and children), violent
sex, murder, drugs, suicide, incest, and rape. Occult images are often
displayed on album covers and posters. A few teen suicides have been
linked to this music.
Some youngsters who have become involved in occult-ritual activities were
involved first in fantasy role-playing games. These games are acted out
in the imagination rather than on playing boards and demand many hours of
preparation and study. In a few cases where the players already have
psychological problems, the results of their vivid imaginations can spill
over into the real world if they psychologically merge with their game
character, lose the distinction between reality and fantasy, and the game
becomes all-consuming and addictive. Because the games deal with
supernatural and magical powers, these youngsters could come to believe
they can gain supernatural and magical powers by playing them. Experts
say these games are sometimes used by adults to recruit vulnerable youths
into deeper levels of occult-ritual activity.
Why Are Occult Rituals Appealing?
·
The participants, who may feel powerless, believe the
rituals give them power over others.
·
The participants, who may feel that their lives are out of
control, believe the rituals give them control over their own lives and
over the lives of others.
·
They provide an outlet for unfulfilled religious or
spiritual needs and a way of rebelling against accepted religion and
values.
·
Their ideology justifies the free expression of otherwise
forbidden aggressive and sexual drives.
Suzanne [not her real name], a fifteen-year old who was a dabbler,
explains why she was attracted to occult rituals . . .
I met up with a new group of people, a lot of whom basically were into
doing occult rituals. I started hanging out up on some hill, getting
drunk and getting stoned all the time and everything. Basically, I had
lost control of my life, and I wanted to get back in control. The only
way I saw possible was turning to these rituals . . . power is one of the
basic things. I was into it for a whileI started carving on my arms and
stuff like that.
I started getting out of control, but I thought I was in control. In this
stuff, I started losing control of myself. I didn't care about myself
anymore. All I would do was just go out and look for fights . . .
Dabblers will do anything in their power to make people scared of them . .
. I felt like I had total control and total power, and everybody in my
house was basically scared of me at one point. I felt I could do
anything, I had the ability to do anything I wanted . . . I wanted to be
evil, like Satan . . . We wanted to be part of something people were
scared of . . . Basically, most of it was attention-seeking. Fifty
percent was for getting attention and fifty percent was for power and
control.
Discussion Questions
1.
Why are occult-ritual activities dangerous and wrong?
2.
If your friends or acquaintances were involved in these activities,
would you tell their parents, your parents, teachers, your school
administrators, or law-enforcement officials? Why or why not?
How to Avoid Getting Into a Cult
Learn to cope with stress. When stress is getting the best of us, we are
more likely to be seduced by someone selling happiness. If you are having
difficulty coping, seek help from reputable, trustworthy persons.
Common sources of stress include:
·
Troubled romances
·
Academic difficulties
·
Conflict with and tensions within the family such as
parents' marital problems, domestic violence, alcohol and/or drug abuse by
a family member(s)
·
Confusion about what to study, what work to pursue, or how
to get a job
·
Confusion about sexual or other values
·
Physical illness of self, family member, or other loved one
·
Loneliness
·
Transitions -- for example, moving, changing schools, jobs
·
Death of loved one
·
Disillusionment regarding religion or people you once
respected
Never be afraid to question other people.
Always be wary of anyone who tries to prevent you from questioning.
Protect your freedom and autonomy.
Learn to recognize common cult-recruitment tactics and situations. Beware
of:
·
People who are excessively or inappropriately friendly;
there are few genuine instant friendships
·
People with simplistic answers or solutions to complex world
problems
·
People with invitations to free meals, lectures, and
workshops
·
People who demand secrecy from you
·
People who try to play on your guilt; you don't always have
to reciprocate a kindness, especially when it may have been a way to
manipulate you
·
People who are vague or evasive. If they are hiding
something, it's usually because they don't want you to know
·
People who claim to be just like you
·
People who confidently claim that they can help you solve
your problems, especially when they know little about you
·
People who make grand claims about saving mankind, achieving
enlightenment or showing the road to happiness
·
People who always seem happy
·
People who claim they or their group is really special
·
People who promise quick solutions to difficult problems
·
People who put down reason and critical thinking
How to Avoid Getting Involved in Occult Rituals
·
Say "no" to pressure put on you by friends or acquaintances
to become involved in the occult and in occult rituals.
·
Avoid going anywhere alone or being stranded in isolated
physical locations; make sure you have transportation home in case you
find yourself in an uncomfortable social situation.
·
Critically examine claims of people promising easy access to
abundant sexual activity, free drugs and/or alcohol at parties or other
occasions.
·
Beware of forming sudden friendships with unknown adults,
especially those offering sex, drugs, and alcohol.
·
Avoid being drawn into antisocial, violent, and/or illegal
activities because you don't want to "go against the crowd" or "make
waves."
If you want to explore this topic on your own, do a special writing
project for extra credit. Suggestions for projects include:
·
Read one of the books in the additional resources list in
your teacher's guide and write a summary of the book or a book review.
(All books and other materials in this resource list can be obtained
through the International Cult Education Program.)
·
Write a conversation between a cult recruiter and the person
he/she is attempting to get into the group different from the conversation
in this lesson plan. Pay special attention to how the person refuses the
recruiter.
·
Write an essay on "Life in a Cult -- A Typical Day."
Attach to each statement a number from 1 to 5 best describing your
feelings and/or opinion about the statement that follows. The numbers
mean:
1 = I strongly disagree
2 = I disagree
3 = I feel neutral (I don't have strong feelings and/or opinion about)
4 = I agree
5 = I strongly agree
Please note: There are no right or wrong answers to these statements; no
one else will see the responses. The purpose of this post-test is to see
how much you learned about cults and psychological manipulation from this
lesson plan. These questions are the same as those in the pre-test on
page 1. Are your responses different from the ones you gave before? If
so, which responses are different?
1.
It's easy to leave a cult._____
2.
Cults don't harm people and their families._____
3.
There are no differences between cults and other groups._____
4.
There's no difference between my rabbi/minister/priest and a cult
leader._____
5.
Manipulating people to get them to do what you want them to do is
wrong._____
6.
Everyone has a right to believe what he/she wants to believe._____
7.
Everyone has a right to do what he/she wants to do._____
8.
People who join cults are searching for something, such as meaning
in their lives, spiritual fulfillment, a feeling of belonging, a
substitute family._____
9.
You can get good things from cults, such as acceptance and
love._____
10.
You can get good things from cults, such as meaning and purpose in
your life._____
11.
You can get good things from cults, such as a sense of
accomplishment, discipline, and happiness._____
12.
Only losers join cults._____
13.
I would never join a cult._____
14.
Nobody can talk me into doing anything I don't want to do._____
15.
I don't do what people tell me to do just because they are in a
position of authority over me._____
16.
I care about what my friends think of me._____
17.
I am strong-willed and can resist anything or anybody._____
18.
Occult rituals (see definition on page 4) are fun and are probably
harmless._____
Attach to each statement the number from 1 to 5 best representing your
feelings about the effectiveness of this lesson plan. The numbers mean:
1 = I strongly disagree
2 = I disagree
3 = I feel neutral (I don't have strong feelings about this)
4 = I agree
5 = I strongly agree
1.
I enjoyed this lesson plan._____
2.
I learned a lot from this lesson plan._____
3.
This lesson plan helped me reach the objectives listed on page
1._____
4.
Because of this lesson plan, I would like to learn more about cults
and psychological manipulation._____
5.
On the whole I found this lesson plan very effective._____
6.
Some things should be added to this lesson plan._____ My
suggestions are:
7.
Some things should be left out of this lesson plan._____ My
suggestions are:
Please detach this sheet and give it to your teacher.
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