Brainwashing

Also known as Coercive Persuasion, Mind Control or Thought Control.

A non-violent method that uses mind control techniques to convince a person to abandon some of their basic beliefs and adopt the beliefs of the indoctrinator.

The anti-cult movement teaches that many small religious groups (which they call cults) engage in brainwashing. Sociologists and mental health researchers who are not involved in the anti-cult movement generally reject this concept.