stripping the gurus - Brahma Kumaris Info

364 STRIPPING THE GURUS
Each of the dozen prisoners had been assigned a number in
place of his name upon entering, and was referred to only by that
number, in a tactic designed to make him feel anonymous and to
dissociate him from his pre-incarceration identity. That is, he was
not to have that past as a guide for how to behave, or as a reference
for what would be appropriate treatment of himself, for instance.
Monks and sannyasis are, of course, frequently subjected to a
similar change of name. In Rajneesh’s ashrams, as an extreme example,
that was often effected within mere days (or less) of the individual’s
acceptance of Bhagwan as a teacher, even for persons
not entering into long-term residence there. (Uniforms—e.g., of
Rajneesh’s saffron-wearing “orange” followers—have the same effect
of “deindividuation” on their wearers.)
Living among strangers who do not know your name or history
... dressed in a uniform exactly like all other prisoners
[or monks], not wanting to call attention to one’s self because
of the unpredictable consequences it might provoke [with
those being given as “discipline for one’s ego,” in the ashram]
—all led to a weakening of self-identity among the prisoners
(Haney, et al., 1973).
Following a brief rebellion on the second day of the Stanford
incarceration, solidarity among the prisoners was broken. That
was done via the psychological tactic of designating a “privileged
cell” for “good prisoners,” whose inhabitants could exercise freedoms
which were not given to the inmates of the other cells.
Comparable residence in privileged rooms/houses, or increased
access to the guru-figure, is often given in ashrams to disciples who
are the most loyal in following the rules set down by their guru
and other superiors. Indeed, Milne (1986), Tarlo (1997) and van
der Braak (2003) have all described exactly that dynamic, alleged
to occur under Rajneesh and the pale, yuppie imitation of a guru,
Andy Cohen. Comparable promotions and demotions have also
been reported in Adi Da’s community. In SRF, by comparison, residence
in the “power center” of Mount Washington is valued over
“banishment” to their ancillary temples in Hollywood, Hidden Valley,
or India.
In attempting to break the will of their prisoners, Zimbardo’s
guards resorted to the non-violent humiliation of them.