Kim Jong Duby

After taking a look at psychoctorate's blog on the Berkeley Psychic Institute, I ran across the entry on "Gaslighting".

The wikipedia definition of "gaslighting":
Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse. It involves an increasing frequency of systematically withholding factual information from, and/or providing false information to the subject, having the gradual effect of making the victim anxious, confused, and less able to trust his or her own memory and perception. A variation of gaslighting, used as a form of harassment, is to subtly alter aspects of a victim's environment, thereby upsetting his or her peace of mind, sense of security, etc

In SRF's zeal for control or their members, news from the outside world or events were always interpreted for the members. Reading, watching or listening to the news was not exactly forbidden but was discouraged. Listening to such information was said to "get into your head" and would disrupt your spiritual growth. The leaders would interpret the news and relay that information back to the membership.

Since the founder would always say "God doesn't let the left hand know what the right hand is doing", he would always give incomplete, contradictory or incomprehensible instructions and information.

Many couples (such as myself and my wife) were separately told conflicting instructions and information. Women were told that men were not to be trusted under any circumstances - all men except the leader Bill Duby, that is. Men were told that women could only make emotional decisions and that they were to be the "head of the woman" by any means necessary.

All of the leaders would give different and conflicting depending on who they gave the information to. If a student resigned or was expelled, the real circumstances of their departure was never revealed. However, many different stories about them were circulated to the members. We would hear of former woman students "she was more interested in men" or "she was more interested in buying clothes" or "she could not blow her family pictures". Men were treated less kindly, with things like "he is just a taker and not a giver", "he has wolves in his space", "his energy is bad and we can't trust him" were some of the things said about male ex-members.

The truth was always obfuscated. History was conveniently revised (a great example was Bill's personal history). Events were given an official interpretation - an interpretation that had little with reality or reason.

We've all heard of the exaggerated and fabricated stories concocted by the loyal Apparatichiks of fine democratic dictators such as Stalin, Nicolae Ceauşescu, Kim Jong Il. Now we can add Kim Jong Duby to the list.

I've never been there, but I think I know what life in North Korea is all about. A Dear Leader. An impossible personal resume that no follower dare challenge. Supernatural skills that are unverifiable and unwitnessed.

And there was the fear: The constant fear of being called out as a fraud. The fear of being labeled "Judas". The fear of the repercussions.

Those in cult-owned apartments found themselves constantly wondering when the cult leadership would present them the "opportunity" to move. Occasionally, these moves were favorable. More often, though, the move was from one rat-bag apartment to another, smaller one. Some found themselves moved from a semi-comfortable bedroom to a less private and even less comfortable portion of living room, separated by only a thin curtain - a curtain that you would have to provide yourself, if you wanted a modicum of privacy.

I've known members abruptly evicted from their apartments and housed in trailers, decrepit motor homes or unceremoniously dumped in the back yard with only a sleeping bag. Once removed, those members (always men) were not let back into the buildings for more than brief periods, even in the middle of winter or in stormy weather.

While manipulation of information was subtle, the physical relocation and disorientation was sudden and severe. Married men were in constant fear of being removed from their homes at any time by the wave of a leader's hand.

One could be sent to SRF's Siberia for a determinate time or sentenced to an endless journey through the SRF gulag. It all depended on how the leadership felt that day.

But in the end, members were subjected to an endless merry-go-round of packing and unpacking; moving in and moving out; having roomates and living alone.

I'm not surprised that the people there are incapable of making wise decisions. Apart from having crappy role models, after twenty years on a merry-go-round how could you see straight?