Changes

==Threats and intimidation==

==Threats and intimidation==

A Congressional fact-finding committee was set up to investigate Jones after the massacre on November 18, 1978, and what was found was disturbing. The conclusion was that he was "first and foremost a master of mind control," which he used on his followers to serve his needs and whims; this was practiced in Indiana, the committee discovered, and perfected in California. Among the tactics he practiced with engineered precision are the following recognized strategies of brainwashing:  

A Congressional fact-finding committee was set up to investigate Jones after the massacre on November 18, 1978, and what was found was disturbing. The conclusion was that he was "first and foremost a master of [[mind control]]," which he used on his followers to serve his needs and whims; this was practiced in Indiana, the committee discovered, and perfected in California. Among the tactics he practiced with engineered precision are the following recognized strategies of [[brainwashing]]:  

*Isolation from all vestiges of former life, including and especially all sources of information, and substituting himself as the single source of all knowledge, wisdom, and information;  

*Isolation from all vestiges of former life, including and especially all sources of information, and substituting himself as the single source of all knowledge, wisdom, and information;  

*An exacting daily regimen requiring absolute obedience and humility extracted by deception, intimidation, threats, and harassment;  

*An exacting daily regimen requiring absolute obedience and humility extracted by [[deception]], intimidation, threats, and harassment;  

*Physical pressure, ranging from deprivation of food and sleep to the possibility and reality of severe beatings. As a compliment to the physical pressures, he exerted mental pressures on his followers which he subsequently relieved in an effort to demonstrate and establish his omnipotent "powers." For example, he inculcated fictional fears which he would eventually counterpoint and dispel and thereby establish himself as a "savior." One of his favorite tactics was to generate and then exploit a sense of guilt for clinging to life's luxuries, for wanting special privileges, and for seeking recognition and reward;  

*Physical pressure, ranging from deprivation of food and sleep to the possibility and reality of severe beatings. As a complement to the physical pressures, he exerted mental pressures on his followers which he subsequently relieved in an effort to demonstrate and establish his omnipotent "powers." For example, he inculcated fictional fears which he would eventually counterpoint and dispel and thereby establish himself as a "savior." One of his favorite tactics was to generate and then exploit a sense of [[guilt]] for clinging to life's luxuries, for wanting special privileges, and for seeking recognition and reward;  

*So-called "struggle meetings" or catharsis sessions in which recalcitrant members were interrogated, required to confess their "wrongdoing," and then punished with alternate harshness and leniency. Interrogation could be gentle and polite, but more often it involved harassment, humiliation, revilement, and degradation. Vital to this strategy were two of Jones' favorite techniques. The first involved an exhaustive and detailed record for each member kept on file cards and generated by his vast intelligence network. A member would suddenly be confronted by Jones with knowledge of some action he was unaware had been observed. Jones would stage his "mystic" awareness of that action and then direct the outcome to his desired end. The second technique was to establish in each of his followers a mistrust of everyone else. Consequently, no one dared voice a negative view-even to the closet family member or friend-for fear of being turned in. Often as not, trusted aides were directed to test individuals by expressing some comment critical of Jones or the lifestyle in Jonestown to see if the person would report the incident. The end result was that no one person could trust another. As a result everyone feared expressing even the slightest negative comment. The system was so effective that children turned in their own parents, brothers informed on sisters, and husbands and wives reported on spouses.  

*So-called "[[struggle meetings]]" or [[catharsis]] sessions in which recalcitrant members were interrogated, required to confess their "wrongdoing," and then punished with alternate harshness and leniency. [[Interrogation]] could be gentle and polite, but more often it involved harassment, humiliation, revilement, and degradation. Vital to this strategy were two of Jones' favorite techniques. The first involved an exhaustive and detailed record for each member kept on file cards and generated by his vast intelligence network. A member would suddenly be confronted by Jones with knowledge of some action he was unaware had been observed. Jones would stage his "mystic" awareness of that action and then direct the outcome to his desired end. The second technique was to establish in each of his followers a mistrust of everyone else. Consequently, no one dared voice a negative view-even to the closest family member or friend-for fear of being turned in. Often as not, trusted aides were directed to test individuals by expressing some comment critical of Jones or the lifestyle in [[Jonestown]] to see if the person would report the incident. The end result was that no one person could trust another. As a result everyone feared expressing even the slightest negative comment. The system was so effective that children turned in their own parents, brothers informed on sisters, and husbands and wives reported on spouses.  

*Requiring People's Temple members to contribute as much as 25 percent of their income and sign over to the People's Temple their properties and other assets;  

*Requiring People's Temple members to contribute as much as 25 percent of their income and sign over to the People's Temple their properties and other assets;  

*At times dictating marriage between unwilling partners and at other times not allowing cohabitation between married couples;  

*At times dictating marriage between unwilling partners and at other times not allowing cohabitation between married couples;  

*Undermining and breaking a child's ties with parents. In progressive degrees the child was led to mistrust the parents and become more and more secretive in his actions and evasive to his parent's questions;  

*Undermining and breaking a child's ties with parents. In progressive degrees the child was led to mistrust the parents and become more and more secretive in his actions and evasive to his parent's questions;  

*As a symbol of their trust in him, followers were required to sign statements admitting homosexuality, theft, and other self-incriminating acts; often as not People's Temple members would also sign blank pages which could be filled in later. Depending on Jones' need or objective, such documents were frequently used in attempts to defame defectors;  

*As a symbol of their trust in him, followers were required to sign statements admitting [[homosexuality]], theft, and other self-incriminating acts; often as not People's Temple members would also sign blank pages which could be filled in later. Depending on Jones' need or objective, such documents were frequently used in attempts to defame defectors;  

*Rumor spreading in an attempt to ruin reputations or generally implant disinformation, thereby making true facts difficult if not impossible to establish;  

*Rumor spreading in an attempt to ruin reputations or generally implant [[disinformation]], thereby making true facts difficult if not impossible to establish;  

*Infiltration of groups opposed to People's Temple and surveilance of suspected People's Temple enemies;  

*Infiltration of groups opposed to People's Temple and surveillance of suspected People's Temple enemies;  

*Intense public relations efforts ranging from letter-writing campaigns to attempted control of news media in an effort to influence public opinion with a favorable image of People's Temple; like-wise, an aggressive program of seeking out political leaders and other influential members of a community in order to cull their favor and establish identification with them. [http://www.rickross.com/reference/jonestown/jonestown1.html]

*Intense [[public relations]] efforts ranging from [[letter-writing campaigns]] to attempted control of [[news media]] in an effort to influence public opinion with a favorable image of People's Temple; like-wise, an aggressive program of seeking out political leaders and other influential members of a community in order to cull their favor and establish identification with them. [http://www.rickross.com/reference/jonestown/jonestown1.html]

==Guyana==

==Guyana==