Dr. Steven Hassan talks with Jen Senko: The Brainwashing of My Dad

With Trump’s Indictment, the GOP is being described as the Cult of Trump, and the other GOP candidates are scrambling to figure out how to position themselves. Come listen to a fascinating talk with the award-winning documentarian Jen Senko on her film, The Brainwashing of My Dad, and the book based on it. Jen Senko’s experience with her father, Frank, hits close to home for many Americans today.  Frank was a happy-go-lucky progressive Democrat when he came across a talk radio show hosted by Bob Grant.  He started being more critical of Democrats and was somewhat combative about it.  When he fully retired, he discovered Rush Limbaugh and listened to him for three hours daily. Then he started watching Fox News. At that point, his personality changed.  He was always angry and couldn’t have discussions with his family anymore without them turning to politics. She delves into the experts who use social psychology to recruit and indoctrinate people. The good news is her father comes back to himself—a fascinating interview. Of course, as the author of the Cult of Trump, I weigh in.


3:30 – What happened to my dad is a phenomenon. It's like a cancer, it's like a disease, it's like a plague that has taken over America. I would venture to say one out of every six people has a story – maybe it's one out of every five now.


10:24 – I did a TEDx talk, How Can I Know if I've Been Brainwashed? I told a little bit of my Moonies story and I recommended four steps to reality test whether you've been brainwashed.

The first one is: Disconnect from all influences of the thing that you're questioning. Whether it's a toxic person or a cult – political cult, therapy cult, religious cult – just take a time out. 

Come back to nature. Listen to music. Be with family and friends. Because as soon as you stop the constant reinforcement, the brain goes back to normal, to a large extent. 

So you're describing step one of what I've learned in 47 years of helping people. If you want to think and reality test – disconnect and then the other steps I can go into another time. But it's learning about brainwashing and mind control seeking out critics and former members, right? Hearing their point of view and then reflecting, going back in time to when you got involved. And asking yourself, “If I knew then what I now know, what would I do differently?” And if the answer is, “I never would have gotten involved,” then you know it's time to leave, right? It's a simple formula but people need to understand, it's not a permanent mind virus. It doesn't have to be.


13:30 — You explain this is intentional psychological warfare.

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