General Discussion

instilled by the propagandist, then they get another kind of chemical jolt from the anger they feel. It resembles the cycle of withdrawal and resupply that an addict goes through. It is more complex than I am writing here but the cycle and recycle are real events to them. It is maintained by nearly constant barrage of Stochastic terrorism put out by Fox et al, Trump, and other figures. It is how propaganda of this type works, the way a cult works, the way some religious practices work. It is why cultists must be weaned away and deprogramed in order to function as individuals. That the delivery system is words and images rather than ingestion of a chemical in some ways is more insidious. The really sad thing about this is that the cultists believe that they are normal and that anyone who presents them with conflicting information is an abnormal threat.

People who are caught up in a cult have no functional ability to see that. They have been programmed to reject any information which conflicts with the worldview inculcated into them. Cultists need not be unintelligent but it makes programming them easier. Some very smart people have come to hold very rigid views of culture, the world, and even the universe, resisting what you might think should be the intelligent view that would question certain inconsistencies.

There are better, more detailed and dynamic descriptions of the way cults work and the effects I have tried to illuminate above here. The principle issue to keep in mind is that cult members cannot usefully distinguish between their worldview and seemingly obvious contradicting facts or reasoning.

Their leadership is aware that this is the case and depend on reinforcing the cycle of fear and belief to maintain power over the herd. Their leaders are another aspect of the cult wherein they use the followers for personal gain or as a mob to support the leader's power and authority. Leaders may or may not believe in the cult values and thinking. They certainly believe in using the gullible as a means to personal authority.

Propaganda campaigns function more or less the same way by generating false perceptions which are effectively self-reinforcing.