Mind Control In Today's Society

Mind control or brainwashing, also called Coercive Persuasion, is the systematic effort to persuade non believers to accept a certain allegiance, command, or doctrine (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Mind control is used all throughout 1984 as a recurring theme to show how little power the people of Oceana actually have. Just like in the novel 1984, mind control is becoming increasingly apparent in the modern day world. In today's society mind control is a bigger problem than many people may realize, it is hidden in the media, religion, and in politics. Just as there are many different outlets for mind control there are also many different ways to control a person's mind, and the scary part is that mind control has become a part of everyday life.
In 1978, the Reverend Jim Jones, leader of the Peoples Temple, enacted a psychological-based massacre of many of his devout followers. Jones’ congregation became known as a cult whose members were unable to leave and cut off from the rest of society that did not have the same beliefs as them. Jones moved his congregation to Guyana and called it Jonestown, where he eventually persuaded his followers to drink a mixture of Kool-Aid and cyanide that would kill them (The Psychological Massacre: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple: An Investigation). Jones tried to appeal to his followers, which made them believe that everything he said was exactly how life was supposed to be. Orwell depicted this technique in 1984, because Orwell’s characters believe everything that was told to them by the Party was the truth. Little did they know The Ministry of Truth was responsible for changing the truth in order to make Oceana sound perfect. Even though in 1984 religion was not used to accomplish the goal of total mind control, religion can be used to persuade a person's beliefs, because when information is presented with a religious mindset, people are more likely to be influenced by it. The Jonestown massacre is only one example of the many ways people can be brainwashed by religion, however other types of thought control may not be as evident as the mass murder of a congregation. Nor might they be
Everywhere one turns mind control is apparent from watching television, to practicing their religion, and all the way around the world mind control can not be stopped. Mind control is something that can be good and bad at the same time. It can mean having a grounded set of moral beliefs, or it could mean being completely brainwashed to the point there is no coming back. Orwell used what was shown all throughout time in his novel to create a sense of helplessness for the people of Oceana. Mind control will always have a hold on people. The only way to fight it is to learn how it takes form and how to recognize