I have been meaning on doing a post on mob mentality for a while after my experiences in Australian Sri Chinmoy centres, and to my amazement after a few clicks on Wikipedia i discovered that there is a whole branch of psychology devoted to mob mentality, group think, conformism etc. Even more amazing is that what i dug up exactly described my experiences being in a tightly controlled meditation group. Here is a few branches of this type of  psychology and how they related to my experience in the centre.

Group Think:

Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. Individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of group cohesiveness, as are the advantages of reasonable balance in choice and thought that might normally be obtained by making decisions as a group

Irving Janis, who did extensive work on the subject, defined it as:

A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.

To make groupthink testable, Irving Janis devised eight symptoms indicative of groupthink (1977).

1. Illusions of invulnerabilitycreating excessive optimism and encouraging risk taking .( I remember when i first joined the centre every second word was”infinite”. Infinite light, infinite peace, infinite bliss. That fact is, virtually no one experiences the infinite, they only get glimpses of it. I think it is unrealistic to preach exagerated consciousness as it creates inflated expectations which are more often than not followed by deflations.
2. Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group’s assumptions.
3. Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore the consequences of their actions. ( the black and white mentality)
4. Stereotypingthose who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased, spiteful, disfigured, impotent, or stupid.(Stereotyping in the centre is a big one. I chose from day one to stick to my guns and listen only to my soul and not the disciple pack. The end result was that i was labeled a “bad apple” because  i refused to walk in mindless lockstep with the disciple mass)
5. Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group, couched in terms of “disloyalty”. ( There was huge mental expectation to conform in Australia. I actually coined a term for it “the disciple mind cult”.In my opinion the “disciple mind cult” works in direct opposition to the inner voice as it refuses to recognize that the individual inner pilot may have a different role to execute) 
6. Self censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.
7. Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as agreement.(What amazed me in Australia was the almost total silence of the disciples to the centre leadership. The Centre leadership were regarded as absolute, beyond question and superior to the rank and file. There was never any questioning or decent among rank and file disciples. A sure sign of brainless sheep mentality)
8. Mind guards— self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting information.( There were no shortage of them in the centre. And needless to say many of them contridicted themselves by leaving the centre)

Scarey is’nt it! I could,nt believe what i was reading when i first opened up this Wiki page, because it exactly described my experience in Australia. I’m going to have a field day with this one!

Preventing groupthink:

According to Irving Janis, decision making groups are not necessarily destined to groupthink. He devised seven ways of preventing groupthink:

1. Leaders should assign each member the role of “critical evaluator”. This allows each member to freely air objections and doubts. ( There was never free airing of opinions in Australian centre. Just blind subservience)
2. Higher-ups should not express an opinion when assigning a task to a group.
3. The organization should set up several independent groups, working on the same problem. ( wouldn’t that open up the centre!) 
4. All effective alternatives should be examined.( This approach was never tolerated as the rank and file disciple opinion was never valued or asked for that matter)
5. Each member should discuss the group’s ideas with trusted people outside of the group. (Wouldn’t that ferment new ideas!)
6. The group should invite outside experts into meetings. Group members should be allowed to discuss with and question the outside experts.
7. At least one group member should be assigned the role of Devil’s advocate. This should be a different person for each meeting.( The devils advocate approach would provide an alternative opinion to the centre leadership)
8. And last but not least my own idea: Annual centre elections. There is no other way to keep power in check.

Sheeple:

Sheeple (a portmanteau of “sheep” and “people”) is a term of disparagement, in which people are likened to sheep.

It is often used to denote persons who voluntarily acquiesce to a perceived authority, or suggestion without sufficient research to understand fully the scope of the ramifications involved in that decision, and thus undermine their own human individuality or in other cases give up certain rights. The implication of sheeple is that as a collective, people believe whatever they are told, especially if told so by a perceived authority figure believed to be trustworthy, without processing it or doing adequate research to be sure that it is an accurate representation of the real world around them. The term is generally used in a political and sometimes in a spiritualsense.(Wikipedia)

 I felt whilst in the centre in Australia the “sheeple ” consciousness was forced upon the disciple.You were expected to acquiesce to the centre leadership and thus surrender your individuality and independent thought. Independent thought was completely frowned upon in Australian centres. I actually felt like i was in a wheel chair!

Conformism: 

Conformismis a term used to describe the suspension of an individuals self-determined actions or opinions in favour of obedience to the mandates or conventions of one’s peer-group, or deference to the imposed norms of a supervening authority.

One manifestation of conformism emerges in the practice of “going along and getting along” with people who appear to be more powerful. Conformism holds that individuals and small groups do best by blending in with their surroundings and by doing nothing eccentric or out-of-the-ordinary in any way.

By definition, conformism presents the antithesis both of creativity and of innovative leadership, and hence opposes change and/or progress itself. Authoritarian institutions (such as military organizations) tend to glorify and reinforce conformism within their ranks, as do many large corporations.

One view of innovation stresses the importance of outward or grand-scale conformism. Since open and extreme rebels get incarcerated or killed (or kicked out of the centre..lol), according to this theory, effective change may require minor, incremental acts of a non-conforming nature. (Wikipedia)

By far and away the worst centre attribute i found in the centre is conformism. The centre would have been infinitely more satisfying experience for many seekers if it embraced the individualism. Conformism kills the human spirit and thus human happiness.

The problem with,mob mentality, group think, conformism etc is that it works in direct opposition the the inner voice, the soul. If an individual seeker wish’s to surrender to his soul or “yogify” his being, he must needs detach himself from the group. Look at Guru, like so many spiritual masters, he went to the Himalayan caves to realize God (in a previous life time).

No more than a few years after Guru’s departure from the body we are seeing a new breed of seeker, the independent, the freestyler. Why? Because seekers need satisfaction. If seekers are not happy in the group, then sooner or later they will make the move to independence, which is what is happening in the centre right now.

If you can live
In your oneness-light,
Then God will, without fail,
Grant you His Independence-Delight. CKG.

If you are willing to run the race of oneness-light, then only can you enjoy the prize: The freedom of true independence. Ckg.

Dependence-Division-boat
Will always carry you
To a goalless shore.
Independence in inseparable oneness
Will always lead you
To the Golden Shore. CKG.

Dependence division boat is an instant goalless shore….God knows, i was forced to travel in it for a while…

and finally…..

A twentieth-century seeker needs independence

both inner and outer to become a perfect instrument of God. CKG.

Eamon