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Waking Up From The Scientology Trance (Part 1) by Heidi Macavoy on Prezi
http://prezi.com/cvz4qlmscuzx/waking-up-from-the-scientology-trance-part-1/
Presentation on Prezi at above link.
Transcript of Waking Up From The Scientology Trance (Part 1)
Waking Up From The Scientology Trance:
Cognitive Dissonance vs. Cognitive Flexibility
Cognitive Studies Terminology
Cognitive Processing & Belief Systems
Going Clear & being at cause over your mental energy.
Being free of the influence of engrams & in control of your Reactive Mind.
Being at cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time.
What Is Cognitive Dissonance?
A condition that happens when someone realizes they are holding two inconsistent cognitions in their at the same time. (Festinger, 1957)
Cognitive dissonance can happen when a person experiences new events or information which doesn’t match with an existing knowledge, opinion or cognition concerning a behavior. (Festinger, 1957)
Studies have shown that cognitive dissonance is a motivational state. It is felt as a psychological discomfort (or unpleasant emotion) and eventually drives individuals to reduce dissonance. (Elliot & Devine, 1994)
Examples:
A person could be thinking of two conflicting beliefs at the same time and experience cognitive dissonance [or “ARC Break”].
This cognitive dissonance then becomes a drive to reduce the dissonance and return to a state of harmony [“ARC”].
This can also happen in decision making. When an individual makes a decision, their thinking about the steps they took will often conflict, to some degree, with their existing opinions or beliefs.
(Robinson, 2013)
Scientology is a Closed Belief System
Scientology’s Communication TRs & Emotional Tone Scale are
cognitive processing control mechanisms
that teach practitioners to how to control people and how to be control on psychological and emotional levels.
Scientology PTS/SP Tech & Disconnection are avoidance mechanisms that enforce severe
all-or-none thinking
and
cognitive rigidity
.
Scientology Ethics Tech is a means for policing someone’s cognitive processing,
threatening a person’s reality
and inflicting
cognitive distortions
.
Scientology KSW policies prohibits changes to the parishioners’ systems of belief & disbelief, which makes
cognitive flexibility
practically forbidden.
It's OK To Have Doubts
"Knowing how to know" should empower you to think for yourself. How can you decide what is true for you if you don't confront the reasons why people leave Scientology? The answers you seek are out there. Don't be afraid to look.
Your Doubts Are Valid
Scientology’s promises for "
knowing how to know
" and being free to "
know life
" and "
know yourself
" while having the self-determinism to find out “
what is true for you is true
” should be characteristics of an Open Belief System that supports Cognitive Flexibility. But the reality is Scientology is Closed Belief System full of Cognitive Distortions.
Milton Rokeach
(1960) studied the concept of belief systems and proposed that they can be measured on a scale by degree of open or closed. The measurement for an open or closed system was defined as: the extent to which a person can receive, evaluate, and act on relevant information received from the outside on its own intrinsic merits, unencumbered by irrelevant factors in the situation arising from within the person or from the outside.
Closed Belief System
: characterized by a low “need to know” and a high “need to fight off threatening aspects of reality” with a tendency for all-or-none thinking that results in Cognitive Distortions and Cognitive Rigidity. Cognitive Dissonance is commonly reduced through avoidance as a defense mechanism. (Robinson, 2013)
Open Belief System
: characterized by a high “need to know” and a low “need to fight off threatening aspects of reality” with a tendency for open-minded thinking that results in Cognitive Flexibility. Cognitive Dissonance is commonly reduced through confrontation as a defense mechanism. (Robinson, 2013)
Other means of reducing Cognitive Dissonance
: expressing emotion also allows for dissonance reduction and therefore less likelihood that an individual will choose defense mechanisms. (Pyszczynski et al., 1993)
Prezi credits: this material is based on a December 2013 research paper by Andy Robinson, presented to the faculty of Adler Graduate School.
COGNITION
: any knowledge, opinion, or belief about the environment, about oneself or about one's behavior. (Festinger, 1957)
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
: the existence of nonfitting relations among cognitions. (Festinger, 1957)
COGNITIVE CONSONANCE
: exists when cognitions support each other. (Festinger, 1957)
COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS
: systematic errors in reasoning, often stemming from early childhood errors in reasoning; an indication of inaccurate or ineffective information processing” (Sharf, 2012). When a person’s perception is twisted or they have “mental static” (Burns, 1980).
COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY
: the ability to switch cognitive sets to adapt to changing environmental stimuli” (Dennis & Vander Wal, 2010).
COGNITIVE RIGIDITY
: when someone is showing an all-or-none thinking and has problem solving deficits. (Marzuk, Hartwell, Leon, & Portera, 2005)
Being in communication with the theta universe.
Going OT & reaching a state of complete spiritual freedom.
Is the Bridge to Total Freedom delivering the stated goals?
Understanding Cognitive Dissonance
Within Closed Belief Systems
Changing Someone's Belief System
A closed belief system and specifically the “need to ward off threat” is an obstacle to an individual changing their beliefs. (Rokeach, 1960)
Assisting someone with breaking down any beliefs or distortions that are creating a closed belief system could be helpful. (Quackenbush, 2001)
Taking ownership of one’s beliefs, emotions and behaviors is necessary for a person to start changing their beliefs. (Ellis & MacLaren, 1998)
Opting for confrontation mechanisms over avoidance mechanisms allows an individual to experience less cognitive dissonance and feel more in control of their situation. (Robinson, 2013)
Feeling control over a situation supports better cognitive flexibility (Dennis & Wal, 2010), and might allow one to take responsibility for their feelings and thus search for change within themselves. (Robinson, 2013)
Scientology-related material authored by the Prezi user with special thanks to YouTube Users TheEvilOfScientology and XenuExposed.
For all other cited material, please see the original thesis at:
http://www.alfredadler.edu/sites/default/files/Robinson MP 2013.pdf
Why Understanding Cognitive Dissonance Matters
The Bridge to Total Freedom will inevitably lead to cognitive dissonance when someone is brave enough to confront the truth about harm that is being done to Church of Scientology parishioners.
Understanding the difference between cognitive dissonance vs. cognitive flexibility is an excellent place for someone to start down the road of self-recovery via cult education when sorting out uncomfortable feelings about their beliefs.
Further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance[/QUOTE]
http://prezi.com/cvz4qlmscuzx/waking-up-from-the-scientology-trance-part-1/
Presentation on Prezi at above link.
Transcript of Waking Up From The Scientology Trance (Part 1)
Waking Up From The Scientology Trance:
Cognitive Dissonance vs. Cognitive Flexibility
Cognitive Studies Terminology
Cognitive Processing & Belief Systems
Going Clear & being at cause over your mental energy.
Being free of the influence of engrams & in control of your Reactive Mind.
Being at cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time.
What Is Cognitive Dissonance?
A condition that happens when someone realizes they are holding two inconsistent cognitions in their at the same time. (Festinger, 1957)
Cognitive dissonance can happen when a person experiences new events or information which doesn’t match with an existing knowledge, opinion or cognition concerning a behavior. (Festinger, 1957)
Studies have shown that cognitive dissonance is a motivational state. It is felt as a psychological discomfort (or unpleasant emotion) and eventually drives individuals to reduce dissonance. (Elliot & Devine, 1994)
Examples:
A person could be thinking of two conflicting beliefs at the same time and experience cognitive dissonance [or “ARC Break”].
This cognitive dissonance then becomes a drive to reduce the dissonance and return to a state of harmony [“ARC”].
This can also happen in decision making. When an individual makes a decision, their thinking about the steps they took will often conflict, to some degree, with their existing opinions or beliefs.
(Robinson, 2013)
Scientology is a Closed Belief System
Scientology’s Communication TRs & Emotional Tone Scale are
cognitive processing control mechanisms
that teach practitioners to how to control people and how to be control on psychological and emotional levels.
Scientology PTS/SP Tech & Disconnection are avoidance mechanisms that enforce severe
all-or-none thinking
and
cognitive rigidity
.
Scientology Ethics Tech is a means for policing someone’s cognitive processing,
threatening a person’s reality
and inflicting
cognitive distortions
.
Scientology KSW policies prohibits changes to the parishioners’ systems of belief & disbelief, which makes
cognitive flexibility
practically forbidden.
It's OK To Have Doubts
"Knowing how to know" should empower you to think for yourself. How can you decide what is true for you if you don't confront the reasons why people leave Scientology? The answers you seek are out there. Don't be afraid to look.
Your Doubts Are Valid
Scientology’s promises for "
knowing how to know
" and being free to "
know life
" and "
know yourself
" while having the self-determinism to find out “
what is true for you is true
” should be characteristics of an Open Belief System that supports Cognitive Flexibility. But the reality is Scientology is Closed Belief System full of Cognitive Distortions.
Milton Rokeach
(1960) studied the concept of belief systems and proposed that they can be measured on a scale by degree of open or closed. The measurement for an open or closed system was defined as: the extent to which a person can receive, evaluate, and act on relevant information received from the outside on its own intrinsic merits, unencumbered by irrelevant factors in the situation arising from within the person or from the outside.
Closed Belief System
: characterized by a low “need to know” and a high “need to fight off threatening aspects of reality” with a tendency for all-or-none thinking that results in Cognitive Distortions and Cognitive Rigidity. Cognitive Dissonance is commonly reduced through avoidance as a defense mechanism. (Robinson, 2013)
Open Belief System
: characterized by a high “need to know” and a low “need to fight off threatening aspects of reality” with a tendency for open-minded thinking that results in Cognitive Flexibility. Cognitive Dissonance is commonly reduced through confrontation as a defense mechanism. (Robinson, 2013)
Other means of reducing Cognitive Dissonance
: expressing emotion also allows for dissonance reduction and therefore less likelihood that an individual will choose defense mechanisms. (Pyszczynski et al., 1993)
Prezi credits: this material is based on a December 2013 research paper by Andy Robinson, presented to the faculty of Adler Graduate School.
COGNITION
: any knowledge, opinion, or belief about the environment, about oneself or about one's behavior. (Festinger, 1957)
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
: the existence of nonfitting relations among cognitions. (Festinger, 1957)
COGNITIVE CONSONANCE
: exists when cognitions support each other. (Festinger, 1957)
COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS
: systematic errors in reasoning, often stemming from early childhood errors in reasoning; an indication of inaccurate or ineffective information processing” (Sharf, 2012). When a person’s perception is twisted or they have “mental static” (Burns, 1980).
COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY
: the ability to switch cognitive sets to adapt to changing environmental stimuli” (Dennis & Vander Wal, 2010).
COGNITIVE RIGIDITY
: when someone is showing an all-or-none thinking and has problem solving deficits. (Marzuk, Hartwell, Leon, & Portera, 2005)
Being in communication with the theta universe.
Going OT & reaching a state of complete spiritual freedom.
Is the Bridge to Total Freedom delivering the stated goals?
Understanding Cognitive Dissonance
Within Closed Belief Systems
Changing Someone's Belief System
A closed belief system and specifically the “need to ward off threat” is an obstacle to an individual changing their beliefs. (Rokeach, 1960)
Assisting someone with breaking down any beliefs or distortions that are creating a closed belief system could be helpful. (Quackenbush, 2001)
Taking ownership of one’s beliefs, emotions and behaviors is necessary for a person to start changing their beliefs. (Ellis & MacLaren, 1998)
Opting for confrontation mechanisms over avoidance mechanisms allows an individual to experience less cognitive dissonance and feel more in control of their situation. (Robinson, 2013)
Feeling control over a situation supports better cognitive flexibility (Dennis & Wal, 2010), and might allow one to take responsibility for their feelings and thus search for change within themselves. (Robinson, 2013)
Scientology-related material authored by the Prezi user with special thanks to YouTube Users TheEvilOfScientology and XenuExposed.
For all other cited material, please see the original thesis at:
http://www.alfredadler.edu/sites/default/files/Robinson MP 2013.pdf
Why Understanding Cognitive Dissonance Matters
The Bridge to Total Freedom will inevitably lead to cognitive dissonance when someone is brave enough to confront the truth about harm that is being done to Church of Scientology parishioners.
Understanding the difference between cognitive dissonance vs. cognitive flexibility is an excellent place for someone to start down the road of self-recovery via cult education when sorting out uncomfortable feelings about their beliefs.
Further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance[/QUOTE]