IndoctriNation If Scientology Ruled the World pt. 1 with Jon Atack
Oct 8, 2025
Jon Atack, a former member of Scientology and an expert on authoritarian groups, shares his insights as an author and historian. He explores the psychological dynamics that trap individuals in cults, emphasizing how leaders manipulate doctrines for control. The conversation dives into the origins of various 20th-century cults linked to figures like Madame Blavatsky and discusses the consequences of belief in harmful ideologies, including the Nazi occult. Atack also critiques modern education's failure to teach critical thinking, vital for evaluating authority and preventing harm.
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Authoritarian Dynamics Span Many Groups
- Jon Atack links his study of authoritarianism to his nine years inside Scientology and subsequent research into many groups.
- He argues similar authoritarian dynamics appear across cults, gangs, and extremist movements.
Tattoos As Protection Then Transformation
- Rachel describes speaking with a heavily tattooed man from gangs who later removed tattoos and changed his life.
- The tattoos signaled insecurity and protection rather than aggression, and removal showed transformation.
Submission Linked To Failure To Develop Self
- Atack ties authoritarian submission to psychological immaturity and a failure to develop an autonomous self.
- He cites Erich Fromm and the idea that lack of self leads to malignant narcissism and submission to leaders.
