There is some flaw in the human psyche, perhaps in the brain itself, which causes ordinary people to ingest and absorb false truths and be controlled by them. And there are ruthless people who have discovered this flaw, and are willing to exploit it to enslave and gain power over others and use them for their own sinister purposes.
It is indisputable that people can be brainwashed. Because the process of brainwashing is such a mystery, it is difficult to comprehend, although the evidence of its power is overwhelming. Destructive ideas can be implanted in people's minds and they can be programmed to carry them out. The horrible events of 9/11 are such an example. Those deluded young suicide bombers had been brainwashed into believing that their action would somehow buy them a ticket to an imagined afterlife where they would spend their days frolicking with seventy-two young virgins provided for their pleasure by some divine entity. They had been persuaded, beyond reason and logic, that by killing themselves and thousands of others these dubious and utterly ridiculous rewards would be assured. How can any reasonable person subscribe to such an incredibly grotesque idea? Unfortunately, they can, and they do. Cults are the main culprits of brainwashing.
In modern usage, the term "cult" often describes any religious group or sect viewed as strange or dangerous, unorthodox or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader. These organizations typically employ abusive, manipulative, or illegal means to gain control over their followers' lives.
The fictional cult described in this novel is an example of one of many that are in existence today all over the world. While they are different in focus and objective, they have one thing in common. They brainwash people, program them, and send them out into the world to do the bidding of the so-called Guru or "Messiah," who runs the cult as absolute ruler.
Hard to believe? Visit Ground Zero in New York City. Or Auschwitz, or Jonestown, or Waco, and on and on.
Warren Adler
New York, 2013
