It’s been four days since America learned the results of what was probably the most consequential presidential election in over a century. A man who has repeatedly and proudly shown the world the completeness of his moral bankruptcy has again been elevated to the highest office in our country. Slightly over half of the people in the U.S. are celebrating. Slightly less than half are dumbfounded, disillusioned, grieving, and left to wonder how the other half, which includes many of our beloved friends, relatives and work colleagues, could possibly be celebrating. This is my attempt to make sense of it.
Love and Fear
Author and spiritual teacher Gary Zukav describes two parts of our personalities: the loving parts, and the fearful parts. The loving parts are what connect us to other beings and our environment through the loving energy of the Universe. Some people refer to these parts as the soul. The fearful parts are based on many things: our upbringing, our environment, the people and information that we choose to surround ourselves with, and the things that we experience in our Earthly manifestation(s) that induce fear for our own safety or for the integrity of our self-concept and ego.
He also describes two types of power: authentic power and external power. When we align our Earthly manifestation with the part of us that is connected to the love of the Universe, we cultivate authentic power. When we act from fearful parts of our personality, we cultivate external power. The more we practice cultivating authentic power, the more we recognize when we are acting from fearful parts of our personalities and cultivating external power. The shift from cultivating external power to cultivating authentic power is powerful and life-changing. Mr. Zukav’s book Universal Human (Atria Books, 2021) is a step-by-step guide.
Donald Trump is preternaturally good at amplifying and manipulating the fearful parts of people’s personalities. He’s done this in a series of steps over many years, starting well before his first election in 2016.
- He leveraged his fame and a reputation that was based on a carefully cultivated image. That image turned out to be a false one, but by the time this became general knowledge, it was too late. Please read on.
- He named and coalesced the deepest fears of many Americans, fears that they may not even have been fully conscious of. After that, he had their undivided attention.
- He guided those coalesced fears into a sense of victimhood.
- He cultivated empathy by portraying himself as a victim as well. Everything that has been, or will be, ‘done’ to Donald Trump is, by extension, done to his followers.
- He convinced his followers that he was the only person who could make their fears go away.
- Wash, rinse, and repeat. He pivoted nimbly every time some new piece of awfulness about him became known.
But Still… How?
Isn’t this America? Land of the free and home of the brave? The country of rugged individualism and self-reliance that distanced itself and won independence from a… despot? The country that fought against evil and authoritarianism in two calamitous world wars?
For this I turn to Dr. Steven Hassan, a former member of the Unification Church, aka the Moonies, who was rescued from the cult by his parents after a car accident in 1976 left him immobilized by a broken leg. He subsequently became a passionate counter-cult advocate, earning his PhD out of the development and study of what he’s named the BITE model of Authoritarian Control. I’m linking it here in case you’d like to follow along. It’s important to note that the elements of the model are not in order of occurrence or importance, though some are more impactful than others and some are necessary in order for others to occur. They all work in synergy to influence individuals, in this case a very large group of them. It’s also crucial to understand that Trump isn’t the only actor here. The many groups that back him may include even more of these elements, and it’s all part of the continuous feedback system that has elevated and maintained him. I’m quoting directly from the model where indicated, with credit to the author.
The “B” stands for Behavior Control. In this category you’ll see some pretty extreme things in the model that aren’t generally applicable at this point, but the elements that are include:
a. “Major time spent with group indoctrination and rituals and/or self-indoctrination including the internet.”
b. “Discourage individualism, encourage group-think.” Here I’m reminded of organized groups like the Proud Boys and more loosely-knit groups like QAnon adherents.
The “I” stands for Information Control. You’ll see things like:
a. “Distort information to make it more acceptable.” They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re sending their murderers and rapists.
b. “Systematically lie to the follower.”
c. “Discourage access to non-cult sources of information.” How many times have you heard a follower or enabler of Donald Trump deride the “mainstream media”, whom Trump has labeled as untruthful and accused of unfairly targeting him?
d. “Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs. Insider doctrines.”
e. “Extensive use of cult-generated information and propaganda.” Cult-generated in this case can include right-leaning news networks that deliberately cater to that demographic and have a mutually beneficial relationship with Trump, whose words and action drive people to their channels and websites.
The “T” stands for Thought Control. In this category are elements like:
a. “Adopt the group’s map of reality as reality.”
b. “Instill black and white thinking.”
c. “Decide between good vs. evil.”
d. “Organize people into us vs. them (insiders vs. outsiders).”
e. “Use of loaded language and cliches which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts, and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzzwords.” Build the wall. Lock her up. Send them back. They’re sending rapists and murderers.
f. “Rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism.”
g. “Labeling of alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil, nor not useful.”
The “E” stands for Emotional Control. This is where the fear loop I discussed above comes into play. Trump keeps his followers in a continuous state of fear that is echoed and amplified by the media that support him, which he uses to increase dependency on him.
Donald Trump has managed to combine all of this into a powerful mental tonic that has indoctrinated over half of the American people to the point where they quite literally don’t care what he does. I’m reminded of this quote from January 23, 2016, made at a rally in Sioux Center, Iowa: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK? It’s like, incredible.” He knew it even then.
That’s Hard to Do
Very few humans in history have accomplished what Donald Trump has on this large a scale. This has led some people in my circle to question whether there’s an unhealthy supernatural force at work as well. I realize that I’ll lose some folks at this point, and I’m OK with that because it’s my blog 😉
Quite honestly, my mind has gone there too. I’m doing a lot of internal work to learn exactly makes me wonder about this. At this point I’ll just say that I don’t think it can be ruled out.
Now what?
I’ve heard some people say that it was mistake for the Harris campaign to take the high road and not engage in a full-frontal assault against Trump, using his deep flaws as ammunition. In his book Combating Cult Mind Control (Freedom of Mind Press, revised 2015), Dr. Hassan suggests that directly attacking the leader or the belief system of a group will only fuel the deeply indoctrinated members’ fears of persecution and drive them deeper into the group’s beliefs. So, at least one expert thinks that “going low” probably would have backfired.
You can use this to help inform your own personal approach to processing current events, which should start with taking good care of yourself. Do something intentional every day that will fill your cup. It doesn’t have to be big. It can be as simple as walking outside and noticing nature, cooking your favorite meal, enjoying time with loved ones, or even mindfully washing dishes. Reiki is a wonderful way to engage in relaxation and self-care. Whatever you do, set your intent first, then engage in the activity with your full being.
Work on cultivating authentic power. The fearful parts of you might be screaming right now. Notice and acknowledge them with loving kindness, then turn your attention to aligning your personality (your Earth body) with the eternal part of you that is connected to the Universe and all things. Keep doing this; it will ground you not only in authentic power but also authentic love.
Understand that you’ll NEVER be able to argue a deeply indoctrinated individual out of his or her indoctrinated beliefs. You will activate the fearful parts of her or his personality that have been intentionally and skillfully manipulated. This is frustrating and saddening, especially if the individual is a close friend or family member. Regardless of who the person is, work on cultivating loving connection without engaging in political talk. If it comes up, you might consider gently offering a logical refutation and then redirecting the conversation. Be curious and kind.
If someone you love is deep down the rabbit-hole of QAnon or a similar destructive group, understand that it will require considerable time and effort to extract them. First, ensure that you’re physically and psychologically safe. If the person is amenable to conversation, begin by coming from a place of compassion and cultivating the loving part of your relationship. Consider reading Dr. Hassan’s books Combating Cult Mind Control and Freedom of Mind. There is a lot of overlap in them, but each contains Dr. Hassan’s wealth of experience that can help you frame an approach to your loved one. Engage a professional therapist with experience in groups that use authoritarian control techniques. Remember that you’re playing the long game. Stay connected with them regularly, even if it’s through a short text or card.
Some final thoughts
On September 27, 2024, five weeks before the election, Hurricane Helene tore though western North Carolina. In its aftermath, our state came together to help the people and communities devastated by flooding that was described by some who witnessed it as biblical. It didn’t matter whose political sign had been in the front yard. We were human beings helping human beings from a place of compassion and love. This is the best of our country. Let’s remember what that looks like as we move forward.
May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be peaceful. May you be safe.
Hillsborough Healing Hands, LLC 