Understanding and Coping with Triggers

Carol Giambalvo; Joseph Kelly  Dissociation is a disturbance in the normally integrative functions of identity, memory, or consciousness. It is also known as a trance state. It is a very normal defense mechanism. You've all probably heard of how a child being abused—or persons in the midst of traumatic experiences—dissociate. Those are natural occurrences to an unnatural event. What are some of the events in the life of a cult member that may bring on dissociation? Stress of maintaining beliefs. Stress of constant activities. Diet/sleep deprivation. Discordant noises—conflicts. Never knowing what’s next. There are many, many ways to produce a dissociative or trance state: Drugs. Alcohol. Physical stress (long-distance running). Hyperventilation. Rhythmic voice patterns or noises (drumming) Chanting. Empty-minded meditation. Speaking in tongues. Long prayers. Guided visualizations. “Imagine…” Confrontational sessions (hot seat, auditing, struggle sessions). Decreeing. Hypnotism or “processes.” Hyper arousal—usually into a negative state so the leaders can rescue you (ICC confessions). Ericksonian hypnosis (Milton Erickson) hypnotic trance without a formal trance induction. Why are we so concerned about trance states? Individuals don’t process information normally in trance state Critical thinking—the arguing self—is turned off. Also turned off are reflection, independent judgment, and decision-making. In trance you are dealing with the subconscious mind, which has no way to tell the difference between something imagined or reality—it becomes a real experience which is interpreted for you by the group ideology. Once in a trance, people have visions or may “hear” sounds that are later interpreted for you in the context of the cult mindset—the “magic”—while, in reality, they are purposely manufactured physiological reactions to the trance state. While in trance you are more suggestible—not just during trance, but for a period of time up to two hours after. When a person dissociates, it becomes easier and easier to enter into a dissociative state—it can become a habit—and it can become uncontrollable. You may have heard it said that not everyone can be hypnotized … that you need to be able to trust the hypnotist’s authority. While it’s true that there are degrees of hypnotizability, dissociative states may be induced indirectly. What if instead of telling you that “now we’re going to hypnotize you,” the leaders just say, “Let’s do a fun process—close your eyes and imagine …”? Are you told to trust your leaders? Do they have your best interest at heart? And what if they are using Ericksonian hypnosis, in which there is no formal trance induction? What is Ericksonian Hypnosis? It’s an interchange between two people in which the hypnotist must ·  Gain cooperation. ·  Deal with resistant behavior. ·  Receive acknowledgement that something is happening. Ericksonian hypnosis involves techniques of expectation, pacing and leading, positive transference, indirect suggestion, the use of “yes sets,” deliberate confusion, the embedding of messages, and suggestive metaphor.

ICSA Today - Vol. 02, No. 03, 2011

Lessons Learned from SGAs
About Recovery and Resiliency
Leona Furnari, MSW, LCSW and
Rosanne Henry, MA,

My Perspective of Rosanne
Henry and Leona Furnari’s
Presentation to the Annual
SGA Workshop
Patrick Rardin

Family Life In and Out of a Cult
Elizabeth A.



My Voice: Learning to
Speak After the Cult
Alice A.

Born and Raised in
Aesthetic Realism
Ann Stamler, MA, MPhil

“I Really Believed That This
Way of Living Was Right”
Monique Goudsmit

Correspondents’ Reports
Australia, Italy, Scandinavia

Arts: Drawing, Poetry
Sara DeGraff

Arts: Poetry
Lois Kendall. PhD

Profiles On... Patrick Ryan,
Alvaro Rodriguez-Carballeira,
Lady Vane
Mary O’Connell

Press Summaries
Joseph F. Kelly

http://icsahome.com/infoserv_respond/icsa_periodicals.asp#ICSA_Today

Special Event: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Former Members and Families

May 12, 2012

Philadelphia, PA

Questions to Explore

Attendees and facilitators will explore questions that are often central to the concerns of former members of cultic groups and families/friends troubled about a loved one’s group involvement:

• About ICSA
• Exploring a psychological perspective
• How are cultic groups different from and similar to other kinds of groups?
• Why do people leave?
• Can departures be facilitated?
• What problems do people have when they leave?
• How can they manage these problems?
• Disfellowshipping

Program

9:30 a.m to 5 p.m., with a 75-minute lunch break.

Saturday morning will consist of directed discussions aimed at encouraging participants to describe their relevant experiences and explore their current opinions regarding the key questions listed above. (Participants may choose not to contribute to discussions, if they wish.)

We hope that attendees will chat informally during breaks, in the evening, and after the event. 

In short, the event will focus on attendees’ experiences and views, not presenters’ prepared talks, so as to help attendees better understand these important questions and enhance their capacity to express themselves and help others as well as themselves.

Fee

$25 – Current ICSA Members

$50 – Non-Members (includes free Web membership to ICSA)


Register

Information