The Mind of the Fanatic

[jijaji]

The Mind of the Fanatic

Steve K. Dubrow-Eichel, Ph.D.

 

This column appeared in the "Perspectives" page of the Wilmington (DE) News Journal, on 9/23/01.

 

 

There was a time, James (not his real name) tells me, when he could have flown a fuel-laden jet into the World Trade Center.

 

To meet James, one would never imagine he could perpetrate such an horrific act. James currently works in the medical field; he is a gentle man, a loving husband and a father of two. Years ago, however, he was a fanatic, a follower of a charismatic religious leader and a full-time member of an extremist religious cult.

 

My colleagues and I have worked with hundreds of former cultists. Some were potential terrorists. The vast majority were not what one might expect. They were bright, idealistic, hard-working, self-sacrificing individuals who believed strongly, completely, in the justness of their causes. With rare exception, their fanaticism was rooted in a sincere intention to right wrongs, "clean up" sins, impurities or injustices, establish a society fully compliant with what they felt certain was God's will.

 

Sometimes, the only thing that separates the fanatic next door from the fanatic terrorist are the number of followers, amount of money, and availability of military hardware. Lest we forget, members of the fanatical Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo were actively seeking weapons of mass destruction that would have caused devastation dwarfing their Tokyo subway gassings, and even the mass murders of September 11. Closer to home, extremist groups like the Branch Dividians are, or have been, armed and anticipating the initiation of Armaggedon.

 

To understand the mindset of fanatics, closely examine their propaganda. They sound strikingly like hygienists, who seek to "clean" or "sanitize" an environment in order to make it a "healthier" place to live. Fanatics utilize "us vs. them" language to divide the world in a polarized manner between that-which-promotes-health vs. that-which-causes-illness. The actions necessary for "hygiene" and "health" then become logical as well as obvious: Destroy that which causes or encourages disease. To the hygienist, that means destroying germs and their breeding grounds. To the fanatic, that means subjugating, imprisoning, "reeducating," and, if all else fails, destroying "diseased" people.

 

Fanaticism often begins with a sudden, dramatic shift in world-view, often due to an overwhelmingly disturbing experience that is not readily explainable using "ordinary" or familiar frameworks. Sometimes this involves betrayals and deep disappointments at the hands of close friends, family, loved ones, or a group/cause with which one strongly identifies. (Osama bin-Laden fits into this mold.) Discarding beliefs and allegiances that related to a profound betrayal can feel thoroughly liberating. The second step on the road to fanaticism is exposure to a fanatic ideology (and, sadly, there are religious and political philosophies that lend themselves easily to this mindset). The third step usually involves a personal connection to a charismatic leader who appears to embody the "purity" promised by the ideology. The final step requires the internalization of information control: The fanatic's new ideology and personal allegiances must be strengthened and reinforced through the demand to be ever-vigilant against "wrong" thinking, to deny and denigrate information from "outside" sources, and to confess any and all doubts and questioning of one's faith. Over time, the new identity solidifies and the "old" self becomes equated with the very "disease" that must be eradicated. The fanatic does not distinguish between military personnel and civilians because they (we) are all germs capable of infecting those who would otherwise become or remain "pure."

 

I do not believe we can ever completely eliminate fanaticism. The causes are too varied, too complex, and I can think of no "cure" that does not invoke the "illness" of fanaticism itself. To invert what the late Senator Barry Goldwater once said, extremism--even in the defense of liberty--is indeed a vice. Under the right conditions, most of us can become susceptible to fanatical ideologies. That is why, in a democracy, it is so important to not only tolerate, but welcome dissent and debate. We must challenge ourselves when we are drawn toward demonizing beliefs or lifestyles that feel foreign or repugnant, even as we protest them.

 

And when left with no choice but to fight and wage war, we need to resist the temptation to view our enemies as less than human--as germs or vermin--lest we find ourselves one day looking into the mirror and realizing that we have found the fanatics, and they are us

 

[majic]

Very interesting timely article.

 

majic

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

Just for the record, majic is the same person as Jijaji. Both IPs are identical, and very unique. Please stop playing this childish game.

 

What do you hope to accomplish by congratulating yourself under another identity? Does it inflate your ego and satisfy you?

[jijaji]

Originally posted by jndas:

Just for the record, majic is the same person as Jijaji. Both IPs are identical, and very unique. Please stop playing this childish game.

 

What do you hope to accomplish by congratulating yourself under another identity? Does it inflate your ego and satisfy you?

 

just having a little fun jnds..no malice intended as you can see by the postings. I just thought everyone else here seems to have an extra name why not the jajwala?

 

I promise I will not misuse!

 

 

¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨))

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- jijaji

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

 

[This message has been edited by jijaji (edited 10-29-2001).]

[marco]

Be sure you keep that promise, Jijaji,

for my Father in Heaven will be watching

your moves. Praise the Lord!

[jijaji]

jnds took away my majic name....

 

come on jnds prabhu ..me want to be majic too!

 

pretty please...everyone else has a couple of names except me?

 

all my love & bliss,

 

 

¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨))

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- jijaji

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

 

[This message has been edited by jijaji (edited 10-29-2001).]

[jijaji]

quote:

Sometimes, the only thing that separates the fanatic next door from the fanatic terrorist are the number of followers, amount of money, and availability of military hardware.

 

majic:

Good point because most fanatics are brewing up ways and means to control those who are not part of their 'Reality Tunnel'...

If money and weapons come into their possession they see opportunity to have their desires of Global Domination fullfilled. So a mild mannered run of the mill fanatic could suddenly become a dangerous threat if given the proper means to carry out fundamentalistic insanity..

 

¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨))

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- jijaji

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by jijaji (edited 10-29-2001).]

[Gauracandra]

I just hope we don't find that Jijaji (majic) and Melvin (Marco) have even more in common.... ?Jijaji=Melvin?

 

Gauracandra

 

PS This is just a joke for fun. Please take it in that way.

[jijaji]

Originally posted by Gauracandra:

I just hope we don't find that Jijaji (majic) and Melvin (Marco) have even more in common.... ?Jijaji=Melvin?

 

Gauracandra

 

PS This is just a joke for fun. Please take it in that way.

 

......LOL LOL LOL

 

All I wanted was a little break from jijaji now and then with majic..what's the harm?

me melvin that is too much for even me prabhuji..!

 

By the way..this article 'The Mind of The Fanatic' is really good and it is NOT attacking ...to Raganugas and true Seekers of Truth from whatever Path.

 

 

¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨))

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- jijaji

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

 

[This message has been edited by jijaji (edited 10-29-2001).]

[animesh]

Dear jijaji and melvin,

Do you notice that you get demoted to the post of "junior member" from that of "senior member" when you use a new username?

[marco]

Gaura(soma)chandra, I`m not Melvin, but

his son. My father was a Krishna cons-

cious individual which I`m not. I`m a

follower of the Supreme Being, Christ.

I hope this is clear to all of you.

[jijaji]

Originally posted by marco:

Gaura(soma)chandra, I`m not Melvin, but

his son. My father was a Krishna cons-

cious individual which I`m not. I`m a

follower of the Supreme Being, Christ.

I hope this is clear to all of you.

 

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN!

 

 

¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨))

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- jijaji

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

 

[This message has been edited by jijaji (edited 10-30-2001).]

[premananda]

Originally posted by marco:

Gaura(soma)chandra, I`m not Melvin, but

his son. My father was a Krishna cons-

cious individual which I`m not. I`m a

follower of the Supreme Being, Christ.

I hope this is clear to all of you.

Christ is not the "Supreme Being". He was at best a spiritually enlightened person. There is only one God, and his name is not Christ (who was a human being).

[talasiga]

Originally posted by animesh:

Dear jijaji and melvin,

Do you notice that you get demoted to the post of "junior member" from that of "senior member" when you use a new username?

Dear Animesh

It can happen to you too.

You should try it sometime.

 

 

[animesh]

I want to change my username not because I want to have twin identity but because animesh is not my real name. Now I want to have a username which is the same as my real name. But I am not doing it for two reasons:

 

1. I will become a junior member.

 

2. You people know me by the name of animesh. So, it will be tough for you to adjust to my new username.

[marco]

Animesh, I would like to ask you

this question. Accdg. to my father,

Dr. Melvin, you and Jaya Sri Radhey

are friends since both of you were

seen discussing about something at

Seekers of the Beloved God.delphi.

com/forums. Jijaji, too, was also

seen with Sri Jaya Radhey. Having

said and done, how come you hated

Jaya Sri Radhey on this discussion

forum/indiadivine.com?

[valaya]

To understand the mindset of fanatics, closely examine their propaganda. They sound strikingly like hygienists, who seek to "clean" or "sanitize" an environment in order to make it a "healthier" place to live. Fanatics utilize "us vs. them" language to divide the world in a polarized manner between that-which-promotes-health vs. that-which-causes-illness. The actions necessary for "hygiene" and "health" then become logical as well as obvious: Destroy that which causes or encourages disease. To the hygienist, that means destroying germs and their breeding grounds. To the fanatic, that means subjugating, imprisoning, "reeducating," and, if all else fails, destroying "diseased" people.

 

Too bad this most important and highly significant topic got side-tracked. Stange how easily we can be distracted from what we can't bear to face, because it hits much too close to home...

 

Nazis were also concerned about `purification` of the race. The desire for `spiritual` cleansing can easily become fascism when viewed through material consciousness. True spiritual purity involves a change of heart, which means essentially a change in motivation.

 

The symptoms of this change having actually occurred are many, but in relation to others there is the desire to serve them as more than oneself. In Krsna-consciousness, this means feeling that they are greater devotees than oneself.

 

Unfortunately, many have been forced into a preaching mentality without having attained this higher vision. That can be a very dangerous position for themselves and others, as we have seen.

 

valaya RR

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 10-31-2001).]

[valaya]

Fanaticism often begins with a sudden, dramatic shift in world-view, often due to an overwhelmingly disturbing experience that is not readily explainable using "ordinary" or familiar frameworks. Sometimes this involves betrayals and deep disappointments at the hands of close friends, family, loved ones, or a group/cause with which one strongly identifies. (Osama bin-Laden fits into this mold.) Discarding beliefs and allegiances that related to a profound betrayal can feel thoroughly liberating. The second step on the road to fanaticism is exposure to a fanatic ideology (and, sadly, there are religious and political philosophies that lend themselves easily to this mindset). The third step usually involves a personal connection to a charismatic leader who appears to embody the "purity" promised by the ideology. The final step requires the internalization of information control: The fanatic's new ideology and personal allegiances must be strengthened and reinforced through the demand to be ever-vigilant against "wrong" thinking, to deny and denigrate information from "outside" sources, and to confess any and all doubts and questioning of one's faith. Over time, the new identity solidifies and the "old" self becomes equated with the very "disease" that must be eradicated.

 

Srila Prabhupada's passing and subsequent extremely distasteful revelations involving ISKCON were/are highly traumatic occurrences for many who had given their hearts and souls, indeed their entire lives to this movement. The effects will remain perhaps for a long time yet, particularly because they are exacerbated by political and other evasive maneuverings still going on.

 

Those of us who were involved from the early days have all been affected to some degree, in so many different ways. Each of us must learn to cope somehow and continue on with our spiritual/material lives.

 

It behooves us to try and be sympathetic with one another even if we don't understand why someone else reacts the way they do. Now is the time for healing, individually and collectively. Certainly we have to rise above demonizing anyone!

 

This will require a deeper, all-inclusive spiritual vision which is obtainable only through extreme tolerance and absolute humility. Yes it hurts, prabhus, but we cannot inflict pain on others in our often frantic attempts at relieving it within ourselves. Pain, too, can be properly utilized in Krsna-consciousness, as a valuable tool for self-realization...

 

valaya RR

 

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 10-31-2001).]

[marco]

RUR(Rossums Universal Robot) AYALA,

are you a RADNIK(Serbian ROBOT)?

Because only Radniks talk the why

you talk, like being controlled

by SOMEONE( Murari dasa alias Mike

Best of ISKCON) out there. This is

according to my father, Melvin, who

was before used to be telepromted to

Murari`s web site. Just asking but

not to offend your sensibilities. In

other words, VALAYA RR, are you the

one being described?

 

[This message has been edited by marco (edited 11-01-2001).]

[animesh]

marco wrote: Having

said and done, how come you hated

Jaya Sri Radhey on this discussion

forum/indiadivine.com?

 

I have never hated anyone in this or any other forum. I have disagreed with people on some occasions but that is not the same as hating anyone. Jaya ji is happily spreading love for God through the forum "Seekers of Beloved God". Her taking part in this forum is administrative matter, so I won't get into that. But I fail to understand what makes you think that I hated her. I have always respected her if not for anything else then at least for the respect that she commands from me being much elder than I am.

[talasiga]

Originally posted by animesh:

I want to change my username not because I want to have twin identity but because animesh is not my real name. Now I want to have a username which is the same as my real name. But I am not doing it for two reasons:

 

1. I will become a junior member.

 

2. You people know me by the name of animesh. So, it will be tough for you to adjust to my new username.

Actually if take on your real name

as your username you

could sign off as "{New Username} formerly Animesh".

This would address your concerns

for us softies .....

 

As for your concerns about acquiring

the "Junior Member" status

this is indeed a most mature concern

worthy of such a veteran member as you are.

Perhaps you should approach the Administrator.

I am sure he will find yours to be an exceptional case

and come to a most worthy decision.

 

I am sure that arrangements

for the registrations of new usernames

are not fanatical arrangements beyond adjustment.

 

Good Luck !

[animesh]

So jndas ji,

What do you say? Will you make me senior member if I change my username? I am ready to bribe you. How about a chocolate?

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

It is mechanical, and can't be changed manually (in a simple way). But it automatically changes to member status once you have posted 30 or 40 messages. I will edit the joining date so it can say you have been member since XYZ.

 

[jijaji]

Originally posted by jndas:

It is mechanical, and can't be changed manually (in a simple way). But it automatically changes to member status once you have posted 30 or 40 messages. I will edit the joining date so it can say you have been member since XYZ.

 

hey jnds ..how come I can't use majic...and jijaji?

everyone seems to have the fredom of having 2... names why not me?

can you explain?

 

jijaji

 

 

------------------

¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨))

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- jijaji

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

[talasiga]

Originally posted by valaya:

"Fredom"??? What's Fred got to do with this?

compare with

 

valaya Member

posted 11-02-2001 10:07 AM

Nor do I believe someone's lack of expertise in the English language should be mocked.

 

see:-

http://www.indiadivine.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000844.html