Iron fists/velvet gloves: A study of a mass marathon psychology training.

Cushman, Philip

doi:10.1037/h0085402

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…The occurrence of sexual exploitation of the patient within the therapy setting (Bouhoutsos, Holroyd, Lerman, Forer, & Greenberg, 1983; Holroyd & Brodsky, 1977) could be explained through this dynamic. The occurrence of emotional and financial exploitation and psychiatric damage within religious cults (Clark, 1983; Cushman, 1986; Singer, 1979) and mass marathon psychology trainings (Cushman, 1989; Haaken & Adams, 1983; Hochman, 1984; Ofshe & Singer, 1986; Temerlin & Temerlin, 1982) could be similarly understood.…”

Section: Psychotherapy and The Life-style Solutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why the self is empty: Toward a historically situated psychology.

Cushman¹

1990

American Psychologist

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706

459

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This article presents a contextualized treatment of the current configuration of self, some of the pathologies that plague it, and the technologies that attempt to heal it. Of particular interest is the historical shift from the Victorian, sexually restricted self to the post-World War II empty self. The empty self is soothed and made cohesive by becoming "filled up" with food, consumer products, and celebrities. Its historical antecedents, economic constituents, and political consequences are the focus of this article. The two professions most responsible for healing the empty self, advertising and psychotherapy, find themselves in a bind: They must treat a psychological symptom without being able to address its historical causes. Both circumvent the bind by employing the life-style solution, a strategy that attempts to heal by covertly filling the empty self with the accoutrements, values, and mannerisms of idealized figures. This strategy solves an old problem but creates new ones, including an opportunity for abuse by exploitive therapists, cult leaders, and politicians. Psychology's role in constructing the empty self, and thus reproducing the current hierarchy of power and privilege, is examined.

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Section: Psychotherapy and The Life-style Solutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why the self is empty: Toward a historically situated psychology.

Cushman¹

1990

American Psychologist

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706

459

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“…Lifton (1961). A few of the characteristics of thought reform Lifton identified are milieu control, mystical manipulation, the demand for purity, the creation of a sacred science, the development of a self-sealing ideology, loading the language, and doctrine over person (see also Cushman, 1986Cushman, , 1989). Lifton's concepts can be applied to MAGA recruitment-indoctrination processes.…”

Section: The Development and Psychological Maintenance Of A True-beli...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Resentment, online living, and sacred soldiers in Trumpist America: Toward understanding the emergence of a populist cult.

Cushman

2024

Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology

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This is an exploration of historical, political, and psychological processes that enable Donald Trump to attain and remain a powerful political force in the United States and maintain the allegiance of so many adherents, even while his unethical and illegal acts are in public view. Using a hermeneutic, cultural history approach, I employ insights drawn from historical sources, social psychology, pop culture, and studies about religious cults. The effort is to understand not only the psychological experience of Trump's followers but also something about the psychological life of all Americans, and by doing so sketch out in broad terms the current 21st-century self and the cultural terrain that brought this new self to light. Public Significance StatementDomestically and internationally, far-right authoritarianism is on the rise. A populist movement led by Donald Trump has gained a large following that threatens democratic institutions. This interdisciplinary study explores how and why followers join Trump's movement and suggests a solution. Resentment, historical antecedents, identity issues, and the use of electronic media contributed to a new way of being that enables the rise of Trump's populism.

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Soziodrama

Kellermann¹

2005

Handbuch Soziodrama

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Iron fists/velvet gloves: A study of a mass marathon psychology training.

Cited by 7 publications

References 52 publications

Why the self is empty: Toward a historically situated psychology.

Why the self is empty: Toward a historically situated psychology.

Resentment, online living, and sacred soldiers in Trumpist America: Toward understanding the emergence of a populist cult.

Soziodrama

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