Jim Jones And The People's Temple Essay
Jim Jones and the People’s Temple
Tina Okun
Aspects of Forensic Psychology
Professor Makin
April 26, 2015
Abstract
This essay will discuss Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple. The essay will explore the potential prevention of the massacre if Jim Jones had been profiled prior to Senator Leo Ryan and his members’ arrival. The essay will discuss the mass suicide in which occurred at the People’s Temple. Jim Jones will be discussed and how he could control the minds of hundreds of people. Constitutional ramifications of profiling Jim Jones will be addressed. Alongside, the media will be discussed in there participation of the events.
Introduction Jim Jones began a religious group of twenty followers …show more content…
The members used to have “white nights” where they would practice the mass suicide (Dittmann, 2003). If Senator Ryan did not show at the Temple, something would have triggered Jones as he was spiraling out of control. He was taking drugs to stay awake and drugs to fall asleep.
Cult …show more content…
What they found instead resembled a concentration camp, working long hours with little food and much abuse. Why did they stay? Jones was a mastermind and utilized mind control techniques. Jones used the “big brother is watching you” technique to gain loyalty of his followers (Dittmann, 2003). He would require his followers to spy on one another and played his voice on the loudspeaker so he would always be heard. Jones would use self-incrimination as a control technique. He would learn his followers fears and mistakes and then if they disobeyed him, he would use them to embarrass them (Dittmann, 2003). He practiced suicide drill right up to the actual mass suicide. He would also distort people’s perception by blurring the relationship between words and reality. An example of this would be requiring his followers to give thanks for good food and work, yet the people were starving and working six and a half days (Dittmann, 2003). These mind control techniques coupled with the creation of a new social environment provided Jones with a powerful influence over his
Tina Okun
Aspects of Forensic Psychology
Professor Makin
April 26, 2015
Abstract
This essay will discuss Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple. The essay will explore the potential prevention of the massacre if Jim Jones had been profiled prior to Senator Leo Ryan and his members’ arrival. The essay will discuss the mass suicide in which occurred at the People’s Temple. Jim Jones will be discussed and how he could control the minds of hundreds of people. Constitutional ramifications of profiling Jim Jones will be addressed. Alongside, the media will be discussed in there participation of the events.
Introduction Jim Jones began a religious group of twenty followers …show more content…
The members used to have “white nights” where they would practice the mass suicide (Dittmann, 2003). If Senator Ryan did not show at the Temple, something would have triggered Jones as he was spiraling out of control. He was taking drugs to stay awake and drugs to fall asleep.
Cult …show more content…
What they found instead resembled a concentration camp, working long hours with little food and much abuse. Why did they stay? Jones was a mastermind and utilized mind control techniques. Jones used the “big brother is watching you” technique to gain loyalty of his followers (Dittmann, 2003). He would require his followers to spy on one another and played his voice on the loudspeaker so he would always be heard. Jones would use self-incrimination as a control technique. He would learn his followers fears and mistakes and then if they disobeyed him, he would use them to embarrass them (Dittmann, 2003). He practiced suicide drill right up to the actual mass suicide. He would also distort people’s perception by blurring the relationship between words and reality. An example of this would be requiring his followers to give thanks for good food and work, yet the people were starving and working six and a half days (Dittmann, 2003). These mind control techniques coupled with the creation of a new social environment provided Jones with a powerful influence over his