Snapping
Encyclopedia
Snapping: America's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change is a 1978 anti-cult book which describes the authors' theory of religious conversion
, called snapping in terms of mind control
, is a mental process through which, the authors argue, a person is recruited by a cult
or other religious movements.
It is also used to describe the process of "snapping out of it" during deprogramming
or exit counseling
, which the authors recommend as an antidote, a way of repairing the "snap".
Two editions of the book were published, the first one (1978) was published by Lippincot
; which was reprinted in 1979 by Dell
; and a second edition (1995) was published by Stillpoint Press, a publishing company owned by the authors.
Ted Patrick
, sometimes called the "father of deprogramming" and who was later convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to one year in prison for his attempt to deprogram Roberta McElfish, was interviewed in the book. He said:
Marjoe Gortner
explained some of the tricks and methods in the book that he used when he was still an evangelical preacher.
Family member Leslie Van Houten
, and extensive commentary on the brainwashing of Patty Hearst
by the Symbionese Liberation Army
.
The text expands on the idea of "information disease," as an illness caused purely by information, but having an impact on brain chemistry, and points out similarities between this disease and post-traumatic stress disorder. It also links the "information disease" diagnosis they believe is caused by the practices of certain new religious movement
s and other groups referred to as cults to situations such as the impact of military basic training
and prolonged drug use on the "Son of Sam" killer, David Berkowitz
.
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
, called snapping in terms of mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
, is a mental process through which, the authors argue, a person is recruited by a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
or other religious movements.
It is also used to describe the process of "snapping out of it" during deprogramming
Deprogramming
Deprogramming refers to actions that attempt to force a person to abandon allegiance to a religious, political, economic, or social group. Methods and practices may involve kidnapping and coercion...
or exit counseling
Exit counseling
Exit counseling, also termed strategic intervention therapy, cult intervention or thought reform consultation, is an intervention designed to persuade an individual to leave a group perceived to be a cult...
, which the authors recommend as an antidote, a way of repairing the "snap".
Two editions of the book were published, the first one (1978) was published by Lippincot
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins is an academic and professional medical publisher owned by Wolters Kluwer group. It publishes textbooks, various electronic media, and over 275 journals and newsletters in the health-care field. Publications are aimed at physicians, nurses, clinicians, and students...
; which was reprinted in 1979 by Dell
Dell Publishing
Dell Publishing, an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte, Jr.During the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, Dell was one of the largest publishers of magazines, including pulp magazines. Their line of humor magazines included 1000 Jokes, launched in...
; and a second edition (1995) was published by Stillpoint Press, a publishing company owned by the authors.
Content
The authors Flo Conway and Jim Siegelman describe snapping as:"an experience that is unmistakably traumatic ... Sudden change comes in a moment of intense experience that is not so much a peak as a precipice, an unforeseen break in the continuity of awareness that may leave them detached, withdrawn, disoriented - and utterly confused."
Ted Patrick
Ted Patrick
Theodore Roosevelt Patrick, Jr. is widely considered to be the "father of deprogramming." Some criminal proceedings against Patrick have resulted in felony convictions for kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment.-Early life:...
, sometimes called the "father of deprogramming" and who was later convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to one year in prison for his attempt to deprogram Roberta McElfish, was interviewed in the book. He said:
They have the ability to come up to you and talk about anything they feel you're interested in, anything. Their technique is to get your attention, then your trust. The minute they get your trust, just like that they can put you in the cult."
Marjoe Gortner
Marjoe Gortner
Hugh Marjoe Ross Gortner, generally known as Marjoe Gortner , is a former revivalist who first gained a certain fame in the late 1940s when he became the youngest ordained preacher at the age of four...
explained some of the tricks and methods in the book that he used when he was still an evangelical preacher.
Second edition (1995)
The second edition, which was self-published by the authors, includes excerpts from a prison interview with Charles MansonCharles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
Family member Leslie Van Houten
Leslie Van Houten
Leslie Louise Van Houten is a former member of Charles Manson's "Family" who was convicted of the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.-Life with Manson:...
, and extensive commentary on the brainwashing of Patty Hearst
Patty Hearst
Patricia Campbell Hearst , now known as Patricia Campbell Hearst Shaw, is an American newspaper heiress, socialite, actress, kidnap victim, and convicted bank robber....
by the Symbionese Liberation Army
Symbionese Liberation Army
The Symbionese Liberation Army was an American self-styled left-wing urban militant group active between 1973 and 1975 that considered itself a revolutionary vanguard army...
.
The text expands on the idea of "information disease," as an illness caused purely by information, but having an impact on brain chemistry, and points out similarities between this disease and post-traumatic stress disorder. It also links the "information disease" diagnosis they believe is caused by the practices of certain new religious movement
New religious movement
A new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in...
s and other groups referred to as cults to situations such as the impact of military basic training
Basic Training
Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training, a 1971 American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy* Recruit training...
and prolonged drug use on the "Son of Sam" killer, David Berkowitz
David Berkowitz
David Richard Berkowitz , also known as Son of Sam and the .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer and arsonist whose crimes terrorized New York City from July 1976 until his arrest in August 1977.Shortly after his arrest in August 1977, Berkowitz confessed to killing six people and...
.
Reviews of sources
Brock Kilbourne challenged findings in a 1982 Conway and Siegelman paper cited in the 2nd edition of the book. Kilbourne said that no statistical support was found for the study's finding of "information disease", and that the only significant correlation from the data provides was one that supported a therapeutic view of some cultic affiliations.Further reading
- Barker, EileenEileen BarkerEileen Vartan Barker OBE, born in Edinburgh, UK, is a professor in sociology, an emeritus member of the London School of Economics , and a consultant to that institution's Centre for the Study of Human Rights...
New Religious Movements: A Practical Introduction (Paperback) Bernan Press (October, 1990) ISBN 0-11-340927-3
External links
- Excerpt of the book Chapter 6: "Black Lightning"
- Goodbye to Little Red Ridinghood by the sociogist Dr. Thomas Robbins, first published in the magazine Update X 2 in June 1986