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Mind Control Delusions and the Web

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the advertisers-soon-to-monetize-the-voices-in-my-head dept.

biohack writes "An article in the New York Times provides interesting insight into online communities of people who believe that they are subjected to mind control. 'Type "mind control" or "gang stalking" into Google, and Web sites appear that describe cases of persecution, both psychological and physical, related with the same minute details — red and white cars following victims, vandalism of their homes, snickering by those around them.' According to Dr. Vaughan Bell, a British psychologist who has researched the effect of the Internet on mental illness, '[the] extent of the community [...] poses a paradox to the traditional way delusion is defined under the diagnostic guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association, which says that if a belief is held by a person's "culture or subculture," it is not a delusion. The exception accounts for rituals of religious faith, for example.'"

4 of 631 comments (clear)

  1. Filed Under the NYT's "Fashion & Style?" by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I mean, I'm not a huge fan of psychology myself but for the New York Times to file this under Fashion & Style gives me the impression that all the cool kids are joining gang stalking support groups ... makes one wonder what will the next fad be?

    The exception accounts for rituals of religious faith, for example.

    Remember, it's fashionable to be a nutcase, to claim people are out to get you, to believe you're being persecuted & suppressed--just look at Tom Cruise.

    It's been pointed out before but the internet is a very real, very powerful, very double-edged communications tool.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Filed Under the NYT's "Fashion & Style?" by 77Punker · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you look at how people outside Scientology treat the cult's victims (Tom Cruise) like lepers instead of offering an outside world of love and compassion, maybe it does make sense for him to think that the world is out to get him.

      What people in cults need is to feel welcomed into the world outside the cult; otherwise, they'll just get pushed farther into their fantasy world.

    2. Re:Filed Under the NYT's "Fashion & Style?" by xolo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What I don't get is how Xenu and his nukes is treated as bunk, but the invisible man in the sky who can hear a billion people whisper to him at the same time is treated like a celebrity who dare not be questioned by anyone who wants to run for elected office in America.

      Maybe because that statement is misrepresenting theistic belief to make it sound silly? Theism is not "an invisible man in the sky." I am taking the statement literally here, that there is a human that lives in the upper atmosphere that cannot be detected by any known means, but does have the ability to open a one way communication channel with any of the earth's occupants.

      When you say "invisible man in the sky" it makes theism sound absurd because if that's what theism was, it IS absurd.

      But Xenu's nukes are not a misrepresentation of Scientology. They sound silly all on their own.

      That's not a really good answer to your question, but that's where I see the difference.

  2. Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's not a delusion if other people also believe it?

    That's not a definition of delusion. It's a political step to avoid annoying religious people. They are no less deluded for it.

    Oh, now a politically-motivated definition doesn't stand up to analysis? Big surprise.