By Rebecca Moore, The brainwashing myth, published on The Conversation . . . .
If brainwashing actually existed, we would expect to see many more dangerous people running around, planning to carry out reprehensible schemes.
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[I]f brainwashing really existed, more people would join and stay in these groups. But studies have shown that members of new religions generally leave the group within a few years of joining.
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I reject the idea of brainwashing for three reasons: It is pseudoscientific, ignores research-based explanations for human behavior and dehumanizes people by denying their free will.