Controversial Pastor Kevin Smith, introduced himself as a prophet and made headlines in 2021 when two of his congregants have been killed in what was believed to be a human sacrifice ritual inside his Albion church. He died in a automobile crash whereas being transported by the police following his arrest.
THE pure human want for function and group typically drives individuals in the direction of faith. However, as seen with the tragic occasions surrounding the 2021 collapse of the late Kevin Smith’s church — Pathways Worldwide Kingdom Restoration Ministries in Albion, St James — this quest for function may be simply exploited by charismatic leaders, turning a eager for salvation right into a journey of deep psychological manipulation and abuse.
Marketing consultant psychiatrist Dr Saphire Longmore explains that manipulation is rooted within the want for management and may vary from delicate affect to excessive coercion.
“Manipulation is when a person alters the pure course or the specified course that one other particular person would go for…It’s psychologically recognised as a behaviour that’s typical of management — of in search of to regulate different people,” Dr Longmore instructed the Jamaica Observer.
To know manipulation, she defined that it’s typically vital to take a look at a person’s previous as such behaviour is usually linked to sure persona issues and, in additional extreme circumstances, can escalate to psychosis or a whole lack of contact with actuality — making the extent of management seem unreal to these wanting on.
“The beginnings of these items have a tendency to begin in our earlier years, the place there’s most likely some trauma, there’s most likely some form of…opposed childhood experiences that impression on the psyche or the ego, the sense of self, that causes somebody to compensate in a option to attempt to shield that sense of self,” she shared.
“So let’s say a baby was abused bodily, sexually, verbally, to ensure that that sense of self to nonetheless really feel good or survive that abuse, they develop…defence mechanisms. You may have wholesome defence mechanisms [and] you’ll be able to have unhealthy defence mechanisms,” she continued.
An instance of a wholesome coping mechanism is train. Nevertheless, Dr Longmore defined that some individuals might cope with their ache by inflicting hurt on others, because it provides them a false sense of aid or management. Over time, she stated, this behaviour can change into ingrained of their persona.
“That now can manifest after they discover individuals who themselves may be susceptible to that stage of management,” she stated, noting that the sufferer could also be somebody who has additionally skilled abuse, has a typically damaging outlook on life, or is wanting ultimately.
“After which the perpetrator mainly offers that originally, after which takes that to a different stage of management,” Dr Longmore added.
The psychiatrist defined that research have proven that there are generally precise adjustments within the mind of those perpetrators.
“The orbitofrontal cortex, that’s form of within the entrance of the mind there that…offers with our cognition and our considering capacities and so forth; the parahippocampal gyrus, which offers with our reminiscences and so forth; and the amygdala, which is that space that tends to cope with aggression and violence. So these areas appear to even be activated, enhanced in a few of these people,” she stated.
Non secular and spiritual settings, Dr Longmore famous, could make people particularly inclined to manipulation.
“When individuals have a vulnerability in the direction of particularly their sense of self, sense of worth, shallowness — which may be related in non secular follow, in religious follow — persons are desirous of steering, and that steering can validate themselves in no matter solutions they arrive to.
“So a person who appears to be a pacesetter, it’s mainly like taking sweet from a child, so to talk, [in terms of] the extent of vulnerability that a person may be at when they’re listening to or taking the steering of that chief,” the professional shared.
Explaining that religious well being is taken into account the fourth dimension of general well-being and is protected in constitutions around the globe for a motive, Dr Longmore burdened how simply one may very well be manipulated inside a religious or non secular context.
“It’s one thing that we are able to’t pinpoint precisely, however we all know all of us belong to one thing larger than us…And faith is an organised approach of pursuing and getting solutions…so when you could have a person who is of course wanting solutions, nearly the primary supply that gives the solutions will probably be given the…highest regard,” she stated.
It’s due to this, that Dr Longmore emphasised the significance of robust household foundations to keep away from such vulnerabilities.
“It’s in our households, and particularly households which can be grounded, households which can be very useful, that you simply get that stage of grounding…you get that stage of id. You get that stage of steering as to who you’re, what function it’s possible you’ll play in society, and your wider involvement within the universe,” she stated.
The place this basis is missing, people may be inclined to exploitation by those that declare to supply function or religious readability.
One such determine was Smith, the controversial pastor who introduced himself as a prophet and made headlines in 2021 when two of his congregants have been killed in what was believed to be a human sacrifice ritual inside his Albion church.
The reputed cult chief was arrested however died days later in a motorcar crash whereas being transported by police.
The case shocked Jamaicans, elevating questions on cult behaviours, non secular exploitation and psychological well being. Smith’s shift from preaching the phrase of God to demanding cash and exerting management over his congregation highlighted how faith may very well be a robust and harmful instrument within the arms of manipulative figures.
Nevertheless, Dr Longmore defined {that a} key defence in opposition to such manipulations is trusting one’s instinct.
“What occurs is the opposite particular person is in search of to change your pure instinct…nevertheless, you’ll be able to study to develop that — that is why holistic well being is necessary; your self bodily, socially, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually — while you develop these features of your self, you’re extra in tune with who you’re, who you need to be, and also you’re extra in a position to establish when one thing is simply not best for you,” she stated.
Because it pertains to the survivors of manipulative or traumatic religious experiences, Dr Longmore stated therapeutic just isn’t a one-size-fits-all course of.
Noting that trauma impacts individuals in another way, she defined that if 10 people expertise the identical traumatic occasion, one-third might present speedy misery, one other third might start to point out signs a number of months later, whereas the ultimate third may by no means present any noticeable response in any respect, with the uncommon particular person even rising positively from the ordeal.
“Resiliency components is what would make that one particular person out of the ten develop positively. It’s also what we’d need to attempt to stimulate within the different 9 people to get better. However, the way you do that’s primarily based on how they’re presenting to you,” Dr Longmore stated.
“When you could have a traumatic state of affairs occurring…you’d need to display screen the people to see what group they fall into, and then you definitely tailor a particular strategy primarily based on what they’re exhibiting, and underline that you’re there for them,” she instructed the Sunday Observer.
She continued: “So no matter stage they might be at, you need to be certain that you allow them to know that there’s assist, there are methods that they’ll make use of after they’re prepared, however you don’t need to go and re-traumatise [them].”
The psychiatrist inspired people to be careful for indicators that they might be in a controlling or dangerous state of affairs.
“In case you discover that you simply’re in a state of affairs — a relationship, a situationship of any nature — the place your pure needs, particularly in case your intentions are real however [you] are being instructed that they don’t seem to be of worth, that they need to be modified to change the agenda of another person, that you simply’re nearly dropping a way of your personal self, these are purple flags.
“Search to take heed to your interior voice, step again. And, after all, should you’re actually doubtful, search skilled assist,” she added.
Psychological well being help is out there by means of well being centres, hospitals, personal practitioners, and police stations. The Ministry of Well being and Wellness additionally gives helplines just like the 888 NEW LIFE and the U-Matter chatline for youth, accessible by way of textual content or social media. To entry that chatline, youth ought to textual content the phrase SUPPORT to 876-838-4897, or by way of Instagram and
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LONGMORE…faith is an organised approach of pursuing and getting solutions (Photograph: Naphtali Junior)
