Snapping is a term coined by Flo Conway and Jim Siegelman in their 1978 anti-cult book Snapping: America's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change to describe the mental process by which a recruit is converted by a "mind control cult" and other religious movements. It is also used to describe the process of "snapping out of it" during deprogramming or exit counselling, which the authors recommend as an antidote, a way of repairing the "snap".

The book did not make it clear what the difference is between a conversion to a mainstream religion and to a cult. Marjoe Gortner explained some of the tricks and methods in the book that he used when he was still an evangelical preacher.

Ted Patrick, sometimes called the "father of deprogramming", was interviewed in the book. He said:

They have the ability to come up to you and talk about anything they feel you're interested in, anything. Their technique is to get your attention, then your trust. The minute they get your trust, just like that they can put you in the cult." ^*

The Jonestown suicide that happened just after the book was published, making the book quite popular.

Opposing views

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There are many competing theories to explain religious conversion. The theory of snapping has been criticized for its lack of empirical basis , its simplistic view on the matter , and the lack of credentials of the authors.

See also

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• Brainwashing
• Coercive persuasion
• Deprogramming
• Christian countercult movement
• Exit counseling
• Mind control
• Thought reform

Reference

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• Snapping: America's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change by Flo Conway, Jim Siegelman 1978. ISBN 0964765004.

External links

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• Excerpt of the book Chapter 6: "Black Lightning"
• Goodbye to Little Red Ridinghood by the sociogist Dr. Thomas Robbins, first published in the magazine Update X 2 in June 1986

Anti-cult terms and concepts | 1978 books | Cults | Mind control | religious conversion