Destructive cults, the media, politicians and governments use loaded language to influence thought and behavior. In this episode I discuss what this is all about, how it’s done and give specific examples from my experience with Scientology.

Show notes:

Group language or loaded language is one of the primary but far from the only cult control mechanism.

There’s also:

– installed phobias and fears

– confession and guilt

– deception

– suppression of thinking for oneself

– sacred science: The beliefs and regulations of the group are framed as perfect, absolute and non-negotiable. The dogma of the group is presented as scientifically correct or otherwise unquestionable. Rules and processes are therefore to be followed without question, and any transgression is a sin and hence requires atonement or other forms of punishment, as does consideration of any alternative viewpoints.

– and many others

What is loaded language?

Done by inventing new words or re-purposing existing ones.

– Helps foster special feelings of secret knowledge and sacred science

– Helps create us vs them mentality

– Helps group members feel closer and that they understand each other better (elitism)

– Special words/labels become a substitute for understanding and critical thinking

In his book “Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of Brainwashing in China,” Robert Lifton wrote: “The language of the totalist environment is characterized by the thought-terminating cliché. The most far-reaching and complex of human problems are compressed into brief, highly selective, definitive-sounding phrases, easily memorized and easily expressed. They become the start and finish of any ideological analysis.”

Aaron Smith-Levin made a video about Scientology’s special language and the thinking behind it which anyone can check out and I, of course, have worked to define many of the terms in Scn on my channel.

Relationship between language and thought

Inextricable relationship – we often think in words as well as express our thoughts through words to others and understand the world around us through language.

Not everything that goes on in our internalized world is expressed in words or even can be expressed in words, such as recalling moments in the past, experiencing intense feelings or imagining new concepts.

However, thought can and often is shaped by the words/language we use and hear

The old ( 1920’s) Sapir Whorf hypothesis states the following (taken from wikipedia) “The principle of linguistic relativity holds that the structure of a language affects the ways in which its speakers conceptualize their world, i.e. their world view, or otherwise influences their cognitive processes. Popularly known as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, or Whorfianism, the principle is often defined as having two versions: (i) the strong version that language determines thought and that linguistic categories limit and determine cognitive categories and (ii) the weak version that linguistic categories and usage influence thought and certain kinds of non-linguistic behaviour.”

Removing words in an effort to remove the very idea of a thing, such as Florida governor Rick Scott forbidding anyone in his state government to use the terms “climate change” or “global warming” or “sustainability” while sea level rise alone thratens 30 percent of his state’s beaches over the next 85 years.

Altering the definitions of words to gain agreement, loyalty, etc.

Orwellian Newspeak is a penultimate example of how language is used to control thought.

“The Oldspeak word ‘free’ existed in Newspeak, but could only be used in terms of something not present,