I am watching a documentary about hypnotic suggestion, brain washing, and manipulation. I've known for a while now that some people are just more inclined to hypnotic suggestion than others. Assuming that this in fact is scientifically proven, then do you suppose that the large majority of TBM are also easily manipulated? I've always had a hard time believing in other people, I never felt the "spirit." I served a mission, never believed the bullshit the mission president said, I've never believed any of it; but I actually think that others inside the church are under some super badass long term hypnotic state. Does anyone have any research on this stuff for mormon populations?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBXxJJfX3Nk
Not really research but I find it interesting.
I do believe that the church service itself is hypnotic,
First you sing a opening song, which sound like the sacrement song, which sounds like the songs sung during the meeting ending with a closing song. Then you have the moniton sound of the speakers, the whole meeting is hypnotic. I just found this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoQ0FrKJolo

The monotone sound of the speakers is called "voice roll" and is a standard technique of mass hypnosis

Bringing this up because badassadam makes some very valid points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBSYQHgZR9U

Come to think of it, the LD$ church is probably the only one in which, when hymns are sung, someone from the congregations gets up on stage and sways and swings her (or his) arm at the congregation, which is not considered a "choir" and made up of some folks who've never participated in a choir. Could that actually be done for hypnosis purposes.

I attended a conference where a former Mormon woman talked about her experience with ritual abuse. She stated that she had been in a group with other Mormon women from different states who had had similar experiences.

Ritual abuse is used to create personalities obedient to mind control.

I am a member of this cult that never wants to let go of you. I know that a couple of members of my family have been brain washed or something like that. I refuse to learn anything that the doctrine the church puts out! I am sorry that happened to them. The husband is lazy and for the most part they live off the church assistance as many of them do. I HAVE NOTICED, THAT TELLING LIES IS ONE OF THEIR M.O.'S. I WISH EVERYONE KNEW WHAT THEY WERE GETTING INTO. I not a weak minded person so they have never been able to convince me of their way and they never shall. I AM ONLY A MEMBER IN AS MUCH AS THEY DON'T WANT TO LET ME GO, AND I DON'T ATTEND THEIR SERVICES, THAT MONOTONE PUTS ME RIGHT TO SLEEP. I became a member so I would be able to see a member of my family that I was having a hard time to see, because I wasn't a member. I just can't stand the stupidity of their beliefs

I’ve commented about this before on the site, about the temple ceremony, with the oil rubbing and nakedness and all that. When you’re put through a highly disturbing scenario where your mind screams out ‘this is really creepy and wrong and uncomfortable!’, and yet everyone smiles and talks about how wonderful it was and seems to go along with it all with great glee, well that is traumatizing to the mind and follows right along with what is understood about the effects of ritual abuse. It causes people to disassociate to varying degrees, and sets you down the path of accepting some very disturbing things as being ‘normal’ and ok. It’s very much mind control and a technique of brainwashing. Washing and anointing; sort of like ‘wash your brain and anoint it with some really bizarre new ways of thinking.’

Reading the BOM 60 times with no other input is a form of hypnosis too; garbage in - garbage out.

The methodologies the church employs to brainwash people are no accident, IMO, and I think there are a lot of mental and psychological manipulations woven into the culture and practices of the church.

I remember going around and around those four squares and just shaking because I felt so uncomfortable.

Without drinking a cup of strong coffee immediately prior to an LDS meeting, I would fall fast asleep almost immediately. With the caffeine I could understand the ridiculousness of Moism. And I was horrified by some of the songs such as "Praise for the Man..." Maybe the enforcement of the WoW is because if one so much as begins opening their eyes, they are likely to become apostate.

I know a little bit about hypnotism, self-hypnotism and "altered states of consciousness." The techniques of inducing a hypnotic or semi-hypnotic state in a suitable subject are easy to learn, and quite simple. The hypnotist suggests the proper physical state (usually relaxed), and then gives hypnotic suggestions. It has also been found that turning the eyeballs slightly upward (as in an attitude of prayer, or looking for a descending angel) enhances the suggestibility of the subject. The subject can retain full consciousness, even though hallucinating at the suggestion of the hypnotist.

I have done this. I have seen it done. For instance, I once watched an amateur hypnotist at a party gather a group of about twenty people in a room to "talk about hypnotism." Within a very few minutes, without any warning from him (he didn't say, "now I'm going to hypnotize you!"), just by talking "about" hypnotism, he had about 80% of the people hypnotized. He suggested that a flock of birds were flying overhead (this happened indoors, remember) dropping bird poop on them. Immediately everyone was frantically covering their heads, wiping themselves off, making sounds of disgust. The next moment he suggested they were watching the saddest movie they had ever seen. People immediately began to sob, to cry real tears, to shake with emotion. He then suggested that they were watching the funniest movie they had ever seen, and immediately they were holding their sides with laughter, falling off their chairs, etc.

Of course Joseph Smith was not a trained hypnotist. The phenomenon had only begun to receive attention a few decades earlier, when Mesmer began to study it, calling it "animal magnetism." But there is no doubt, I would think, that priests, magicians, sorcerers and other charismatic types had discovered by accident, or by trial and error, many of the techniques to induce a hypnotic state. "Spell-binding" is a very old word, and a very old notion. Joseph Smith was charismatic, spell-binding, according to all who met him.

The situation of the Three Witnesses was ideal for a hypnotically-induced illusion or "vision." Cowdery may have even been an accomplice, a shill, since he had been involved with Smith almost from the beginning.

Here is an article on this subject (hypnotism and Mormonism)-
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1677&context=byusq


I have also heard that one of Joseph Smith's relatives that he had spent a lot of time with had studied under Franz Mezmer who was the one Mesmerism is named after.

A friend and I went to see a hypnotist many years ago. After putting the audience through the hypnosis routine, the hypnotist brought up 6 or 7 people that exhibited hypnosis (I guess you'd say). That did not include me or my friend.

It was an entertaining show and some of the audience members who were brought up were hilarious ----- by the end they were the stars of the show.

My friend insisted we return the following night. We did. He was hell bent on getting himself hypnotized. He did. And he put on quite a show.

I believe I was 'brain washed' by so much exposure at such a young age. I could care less what I believed then I just 'did' what a Mormon did. Attended Sunday, accepted some calling and went with the flow assuming this was how we were suppose to live because that is what we were taught and emblazed in our lives.

I agree many things in the church appear to be hypnotic and reaffirming 'church affirmations' ---- the church is true, JS was a ..., etc. especially when you have young kids repeat or sing such things.

I have done self hypnosis techniques for about a year and use them frequently. Many 'guided meditations' are self hypnosis where you are put in a relaxed state then provided with affirmations or questions, etc.

I have also taken various courses from a hypnotherapist who uses hypnosis frequently. He once gave me and my son 3 tests to determine our ability to be hypnotized. He said we were both great candidates based on the tests.

The hypnotherapist claims the vast majority (95+%) of people can be 'hypnotized' by a professional. He claimed he has never had someone in that he could not hypnotize.