SECTS, CULTS, AND MIND CONTROL 

at the Cinefamily

 

The clips themselves were outrageous, I will never forget the final 5 minutes of the night, when  we watched in horror and delight as newly-initiated fanatics shook spastically in the nude while throwing pillows at each other.

The Cinefamily is an independent theater in Hollywood which focuses on making movie-going a social experience through creative, film-related events. The theater itself was once a silent movie theater, and the old marquee still hangs above its entrance: a charming detail which encompasses everything you feel upon entering: nostalgia, warmth, and a loving appreciation for art and film.

  Last week, Meaghan and I  attended “Sects, Cults, and Mind Control”, an artful and informative look at how cults use mind-control techniques to gain and keep followers. Through lecture, bizarre clips, and montages of news footage set to music, the event provided insightful commentary about how the birth of psychology set the stage for the concept of social engineering. The desire to understand the human mind, many times, is fueled by the desire to manipulate and control the thoughts of others.

The clips themselves were outrageous, I will never forget the final 5 minutes of the night, when  we watched in horror and delight as newly-initiated fanatics shook spastically in the nude while throwing pillows at each other. But the absurdity was only a fraction of the event’s intrigue. What keeps us coming back is the intimate setting and sincerity of all the people who work there. There were maybe 100 people in attendance, and the curators of the event spoke to their audience as if they were old friends gathering for beer and cheetos in the  living room.

– Angie