Maria Peregolise
“6. Loading the Language. The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not understand. This jargon consists of thought-terminating clichés, which serve to alter members’ thought processes to conform to the group’s way of thinking.” (Lifton 1961) [1]
“Just trust me.” This was Dad’s go-to ‘thought-stopping cliché.’
I hated those words from My Father, along with the abrupt three-fingered hand gesture of impatience which made me flinch.
It was impossible to disrespect him. You didn’t talk back or ask a question to clarify that you understood his request correctly. Ultimately the way would be made clear. And, you never needed the whole story, just your own part in it.
“I know you don’t know what’s going on with this right now, but it’ll all make sense in the end.”
This was another ‘thought-stopping cliché,’ because that was how God worked. In any situation, your thoughts would be ‘Adjusted’ by the Sentient Heavenly Being sharing your mind, listening to your every thought, and watching your every move. If you could determine the highest concept of Truth, Beauty and Goodness, this Thought Adjuster of
God would help you recognize the answer that was His.
Most importantly, that relationship of ‘Father to Will-Creature’ (on URANTIA, known as humans) was what My Father’s instructions exemplified in giving His orders and my following them to a fault.
Dad’s was the ‘suggestion’ you were expected to follow beyond all doubt. He was so well-practiced in this communion with ‘The Small Piece of God’ in His mind that, even if you were perpetually immature in your own practice of listening for the Heavenly Father’s suggestions, you knew Dad’s ability was unequivocal.
“Even when you dream, you should practice listening for His word, and practice following it,” Dad would often reiterate. “Practice asking, ‘Father, if you were living my life right now, what would you have me do?’ Then listen for that Voice of God inside you, your Thought Adjuster. Search in your mind for the highest concept of Truth, Beauty and Goodness, and practice following His suggestion.”
The URANTIA Book teaches, “…God the Supreme is truth, beauty, and goodness, for these concepts of divinity represent finite maximums of ideational experience. … [Sponsored by a Mighty Messenger temporarily sojourning on Urantia.]” * [2]
I could never ascertain what ideas were mine versus God’s, or whether His were ever in my mind at all. Though, as My Father so often reminded me, I hadn’t read the entire book cover-to-cover, as Dad had done numerous times. It was true that this was my own fault. God would have more to work with if, as a ten-year-old, twelve-year-old, thirteen-year-old… I had all His Word in my mind.
Omniscience gave God the advantage of knowing the heart and perspective of everyone involved in the big picture of any situation. Those involved were the puzzle pieces that would fall into place, if only everyone were aware of His clandestine workings and would listen for his ideal suggestions.
“His personal circuit encompasses all personalities, and his knowledge of even the lowly creatures is supplemented indirectly through the descending series of divine Sons and directly through the indwelling Thought Adjusters.” [Being the Divine Counselor assigned to the presentation of the revelation of the Universal Father, I have continued with this statement of the attributes of Deity.] * [3]
This links ‘Will Creatures’ with Universes of other Beings on a Spiritual Circuit of Awareness, in which only Father-Enlightened minds can participate.
● Firstly, one prays.
● Secondly, the Thought Adjuster suggests the highest concept of Truth, Beauty and Goodness. Guilt is bread exponentially from not stopping to beg long enough for clarity and listen carefully enough for an answer. One can waste much time waiting for Divine answers that never materialize.
● Thirdly, as one acts on the Thought Adjuster’s suggestion, Unseen Friends work in the background to cause outcomes.
i) “… there is an unbroken chain of rulers ending with the Planetary Princes (Jesus or Michael of Nebadon is URANTIA’s Planetary Prince), who direct the destinies of the evolutionary spheres … “He removes kings and sets up kings.” “The Most Highs rule in the kingdoms of men.”” * [4] [5]
ii) Dad always said, “For it is true that ‘The Most Highs rule in the kingdoms of men,’” and he would add an anecdote of espionage and interception behind the supernaturally guided outcome of World War II. He possessed privileged information from His connections with his Thought Adjuster and with the surviving URANTIA Founder.
● Fourth, now that one has desperately trained to pray for recognition of God’s Word, so to enact the most perfect plan possible, your mind is not your own. Stepping aside to recognize the constant begging, is a big ‘Aha Moment.’ However, it calls to question the dilemma of ‘what is normal prayer and what is chanting?’
Experience with a ‘Thought Adjuster’:
● Firstly, one trains to interrupt his own thought-processes with a chanted prayer.
● Secondly, one trains to stop and listen for an outside answer.
That’s exhausting and distracting when you’re trying to make a decision. Coupled with the knowledge that in any case one should ultimately seek Dad’s answer, regardless of what you ‘think’ your Thought Adjuster told you — it is debilitating when faced with a choice — any simple choice.
The ‘Thought Adjuster’ manifests as an insidious infiltration one must battle, daily. Realizing the inner voice is your own, means actively counteracting the myriad ingrained thought-processes involved.
It’s the incessant chanting of prayer in one’s mind that you must catch yourself doing, and then demand it remain silent. Certainly, you don’t want to replace the praying with a new chant of any kind.
So, how do you eradicate the ‘chanting’ mantra of your inner voice, when you’ve been trained to thank God or beg God for every little thing that happens in every waking and sleeping moment? — From making the correct decision in a crucial life and death moment in a nightmare, to making critical financial decisions, to finding something you’ve lost, or for the traffic light turning green… Your mind Never Rests.
This process is also an example of “Milieu Control” which describes “control of information and communication… ultimately, within the individual…” (Lifton 1961) [6]
What remains is the guilt of having lost faith — the superstitious fear that comes with turning your back on God. What if He does exist? Perhaps, ‘He’ is not a personal God, but an impersonal entity which knows nothing of its lowly creatures’ life moments.
Lois Kendall’s, Born and Raised in a [Sect], pg. 91-94 describes the difference between first and second-generation post cult members’ desire to maintain a faith in God.
“…more of the first generation than the second generation maintained a faith in God. Both… reported confusion about their religious beliefs, spirituality and faith in God after leaving. Those who did not maintain a faith may understandably be alienated from any religion or religious belief…” (Kendall, 2016) [7]
I catch myself assuming everything is a sign from God to go in a particular direction — As though there is an answer to everything, by watching for signs or listening to an inner voice… which is just your first reaction. Not a good thing to follow every time it pops into your head.
However, I was never guided in how to scrutinize a situation to form a reasonable decision. I eventually learned this process through watching people I admired making similar decisions and by following their lead. That is, “What would Aunt Sheila do?” vs WWJD.
More productive studies might have occupied my mind, if not for the many years of nothingness I practiced. However, the need to describe my inner thought-processes and how they were developed has led to a greater understanding of Lifton’s “Loading the Language” and “Milieu Control.”
[1] http://www.csj.org/studyindex/studymindctr/study_mindctr_lifton.htm
Robert J. Lifton, Eight Psychological Themes of a Thought Reform Program, 1961, 1989
[2] 117:7.18 (1293.2)The Urantia Book. Chicago: Urantia Foundation, 1955
[3] 3:3:3 (49.2), 3:6.9 (53.7)The Urantia Book. Chicago: Urantia Foundation, 1955
[4] 3:6.9 (53.7) [Being the Divine Counselor assigned to the presentation of the revelation of the Universal Father, I have continued with this statement of the attributes of Deity.]
[5] 3:5.2 (51.1) The Urantia Book. Chicago: Urantia Foundation, 1955
[6] http://www.csj.org/studyindex/studymindctr/study_mindctr_lifton.htm
Robert J. Lifton, Eight Psychological Themes of a Thought Reform Program, 1961, 1989
[7] Born and Raised in a [SECT] You Are Not Alone, Progression Publishing, 2016