The Brahma Kumaris are famous for their promotion of "detachment". Not just detachment from former friends, partners and family but, ultimately, even from oneself or body ... the entire world, along with one's self-interest, money and resources etc.
If allowed, the Brahma Kumaris will strip an individual of everything, offering only a "new lanterns for old" facade of a replacement cultic personality they claim is "divinity" ... 24/7/365 ownership by the cult with no holidays until the End of the World. That, they believe, in the only way to earn the highest status in the Golden Age soon to come.
Attachment Theory was developed by John Bowlby who described it as a "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings" that had an evolutionary component, given it aids in our very survival.
By stripping away all other attachments, the Brahma Kumaris make individuals entirely dependent on them, in much the same way as an abusive partner or parent does.
Rather than an "eternal destiny threatening evil", attachment actually involves an exchange of mutual comfort, care, and pleasure.
Bowlby believed that there are four distinguishing characteristics of attachment and defined them as:
Although most discussion of disorganized-attachment-and-dissociation refers to child psychology, it's argued that it also clearly applies to areas of cultic abuse where adherents are induced into a child-like state with the god or leaders taking the place of surrogate parents, the real parents and family having been removed from their life. It's then suggested that concepts such as "Destruction", "End Times" and eternal damnation have a deeply psychological effect on adherents ... supplying the "fear" element the theory is based on.
As with children, the primary care giver or nourisher ... the cult leader ... also supplies the fear and abuse and controls them by exploiting the Separation Distress.
Brahma Kumarism is deeply invested into separating adherents from other or eternal sources and families, portraying itself and its god spirit as their true family and mother-father figure ... and then perpetually infantilising individuals as "children" ... "remembering the days of their childhood". Even their aim and objective ... to become Golden Aged deities ... are archetypes of child-like stupidity (referred to within their cult as buddhus [idiots] not Buddha [enlightened beings]).
Spoilt children at that, as the original Om Mandli children who became the leaders were.
Alexandra Stein PhD is a author and educator specializing in the social psychology of ideological extremism and other dangerous social relationships and understanding cults and extremist groups. She has develop an idea of how attachment abuse applied within adults in not just religious but also political and other cults, see; Attachment theory and post-cult recovery.
She has recently finished a new book on the subject, "Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems".
I am still trying to make sense of this but I sense it is a key element of understanding how the hook within the the cult experience worked and how it and holds otherwise perfectly intelligent, rational individuals.
It's not a theory that requires individuals attracted to cults to have been abused as a child or adult, but clearly would be a stronger attractor of those who were ... hence the need for strong ethical frameworks for cults like the BKs to work within.
If allowed, the Brahma Kumaris will strip an individual of everything, offering only a "new lanterns for old" facade of a replacement cultic personality they claim is "divinity" ... 24/7/365 ownership by the cult with no holidays until the End of the World. That, they believe, in the only way to earn the highest status in the Golden Age soon to come.
Attachment Theory was developed by John Bowlby who described it as a "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings" that had an evolutionary component, given it aids in our very survival.
"The propensity to make strong emotional bonds to particular individuals [is] a basic component of human nature".
By stripping away all other attachments, the Brahma Kumaris make individuals entirely dependent on them, in much the same way as an abusive partner or parent does.
Rather than an "eternal destiny threatening evil", attachment actually involves an exchange of mutual comfort, care, and pleasure.
Bowlby believed that there are four distinguishing characteristics of attachment and defined them as:
- Proximity Maintenance - The desire to be near the people we are attached to.
Safe Haven - Returning to the attachment figure for comfort and safety in the face of a fear or threat.
Secure Base - The attachment figure acts as a base of security from which the child can explore the surrounding environment.
Separation Distress - Anxiety that occurs in the absence of the attachment figure.
The situation places the child in a terrible dilemma: their survival instincts tell her to flee to safety, but safety may be in the very person who is frightening her. The attachment figure is thus the source of the child’s distress. In these conditions, children often disassociate from their selves. They may feel detached from what’s happening to them. What they’re experiencing may be blocked from their consciousness. Children in this conflicted state develop disorganized attachments with their parental figures.
Although most discussion of disorganized-attachment-and-dissociation refers to child psychology, it's argued that it also clearly applies to areas of cultic abuse where adherents are induced into a child-like state with the god or leaders taking the place of surrogate parents, the real parents and family having been removed from their life. It's then suggested that concepts such as "Destruction", "End Times" and eternal damnation have a deeply psychological effect on adherents ... supplying the "fear" element the theory is based on.
As with children, the primary care giver or nourisher ... the cult leader ... also supplies the fear and abuse and controls them by exploiting the Separation Distress.
According to the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, children with dissociative disorders are prone to trance states.
Brahma Kumarism is deeply invested into separating adherents from other or eternal sources and families, portraying itself and its god spirit as their true family and mother-father figure ... and then perpetually infantilising individuals as "children" ... "remembering the days of their childhood". Even their aim and objective ... to become Golden Aged deities ... are archetypes of child-like stupidity (referred to within their cult as buddhus [idiots] not Buddha [enlightened beings]).
Spoilt children at that, as the original Om Mandli children who became the leaders were.
Alexandra Stein PhD is a author and educator specializing in the social psychology of ideological extremism and other dangerous social relationships and understanding cults and extremist groups. She has develop an idea of how attachment abuse applied within adults in not just religious but also political and other cults, see; Attachment theory and post-cult recovery.
She has recently finished a new book on the subject, "Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems".
'A brilliant and much-needed book, grounded in original research and the classic literature in the field, along with plentiful real-life stories to exemplify the main points. Stein informs readers how leaders dominate, how the mechanics of recruitment work, and how the manipulations of indoctrination succeed in creating blindly devoted followers. While indicating that we are all vulnerable, societal solutions are offered. Perfect for classes in sociology, social psychology, psychology, and political science. This book couldn't be more timely!'
-- Janja Lalich, Professor Emerita of Sociology and author of Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults
I am still trying to make sense of this but I sense it is a key element of understanding how the hook within the the cult experience worked and how it and holds otherwise perfectly intelligent, rational individuals.
It's not a theory that requires individuals attracted to cults to have been abused as a child or adult, but clearly would be a stronger attractor of those who were ... hence the need for strong ethical frameworks for cults like the BKs to work within.