Frustrating Cult Persuasion Techniques

It's easy to thwart cults, bullies, and abusers if you simply maintain a position and never, ever budge.

Sometimes it takes JUST ONE person expressing dissent to start a whole movement. Don't let anyone ever tell you "you're just one person, what can you do?"

One time, in upstate New York, I reluctantly attended an EST Hunger Project meeting, deep in the woods (creepy), having been invited by a couple friends. At one point in the presentation, they tried a word trick trap on me.

They said, "Do we all agree that you are here to consider contributing to the Hunger Project?"

If you said, "Yes" then they'd take you down a path of "logic" that ends with you being forced to give them money.

I raised my hand and said, "No. I'm NOT here to consider contributing to the Hunger Project. I'm here to gather information. That's all."

The presenter got a bit upset, tried to force me into agreeing to consider contributing, but I stonewalled him relentlessly. The ONLY way to win against this type of coercion is to remain stubborn in your position, no matter what.

So I was told to leave the room. I obliged. I went into the kitchen and started helping cut cheese for snacks.

15 minutes later, the presenter came up to me and begged me to come back into the presentation room. "Everybody's been arguing about whether or not you should have been kicked out of the room. I can't stop the debate, unless you come back in," he said. 

He looked really desperate. I went back into the Indoctrination Room and sat there with a smirk on my face. Man, was I happy to get out of that place!



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