단상斷想

In Korea, brainwashing and incitement by pseudo-religions and pseudo-media have long been a serious phenomenon threatening the stability of society as a whole. Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye directly operated comment brigades that fostered far-right pseudo-media, and this has reached a state of creating a terrifying Lee-Park School after more than a decade. There is no noticeable change right now. What's really scary is that there's no solution to brainwashing young children. Just like the Lee Seung-bok children's generation (?) who were brainwashed with 'I hate communists' grew old into far-rightists who only shout anti-communism in their middle and old age, they are like time bombs that we don't know in what form they will appear in future Korean society. In this early presidential election, children in Gangnam were already frowning at the mere mention of the word 'Lee Jae-myung'. To understand this phenomenon, it is necessary to comprehensively analyze the psychological vulnerabilities and social context of humans, and the sophisticated manipulation techniques that exploit them.

Humans are beings who inherently struggle and agonize every day in search of meaning in life. According to Viktor Frankl's theory, one of the deepest pains humans experience is 'existential emptiness.' The rapid changes in modern society, the collapse of traditional values, and the spread of individualism are causing many people to lose their purpose and direction in life. Pseudo-religions and pseudo-media cleverly exploit this existential anxiety by presenting clear and simple answers.

There are several biases in the human cognitive process. In particular, confirmation bias refers to the tendency to selectively accept only information that confirms one's existing beliefs or hypotheses, and to ignore or distort opposing information. Pseudo-groups actively utilize these cognitive biases to induce followers to further reinforce their messages. An individual's past experiences, especially trauma or deep wounds, are important factors that make them vulnerable to pseudo-groups. Child abuse, domestic violence, and severe loss experiences lower an individual's self-esteem and increase their dependence on others. In this state, the message of 'salvation' and 'healing' from pseudo-groups is very attractive. This analysis applies entirely to the people of the Republic of Korea, no, to all of North and South Korea. South Korean residents click their tongues at North Korean defectors, but they don't even have the cognitive ability to recognize how and in what way they themselves are brainwashed. Combining the colonial generation and the Korean War generation, the entire nation has experienced a state of mental division for a hundred years, more than about four generations, South Korea in its own way and North Korea in its own way. This means that there are many who need healing within us, but it is difficult to find a doctor who can heal. It's like everyone is sick, but there can't be a separate doctor.

Emile Durkheim's theory of anomie refers to a state of chaos in which an individual loses their sense of direction due to the confusion of social norms and values. The rapid changes in modern society, economic instability, and deepening social inequality cause distrust and alienation from existing social systems, and pseudo-groups take advantage of this state of social anomie to present alternative communities. But there's one thing missing here. Anomie did not cite examples reflecting the era in which Emile Durkheim lived. In order for theories and concepts to have universality, there must be a corresponding social phenomenon as the basis, but he did not talk about witnessing the phenomenon of anomie that truly rolled to the bottom behind the theory. The era in which he lived was the end of the Old World. He did not talk about the hypocrisy of the West, which packaged the social chaos caused by the destruction of the traditional order as innovation.

The history of modern society, which has produced souls wandering the city in solitude while living in a flood of information, includes the Western invasion of the East. Hiding that, the perpetrator pretends to be the victim, and a reversal phenomenon occurs in which the situation actually gradually reverses, and the result is chaos for everyone. That chaos is noticeable in the amount of information. However, a quantitative increase in information does not necessarily mean a qualitative improvement. Rather, the proliferation of fake news, biased information, and sensational content makes it even more difficult for the general public to discern correct information. A lack of media literacy is a major cause of easy exposure to distorted information from pseudo-media. The disintegration of traditional family structures and the disintegration of local communities have produced families that cannot provide education to adapt to a rapidly changing society, and conversely, have weakened individuals' social support networks. People with weak social support networks were easily alienated from university education, which is a modern education system, and the sense of loss was a factor that made mental conflict even greater. The wounds caused by the difference in economic power resulting from learning naturally increased the possibility of joining a pseudo group in search of a new sense of belonging. Pseudo-religions inject the education they want as a condition for embracing them. Can't you see it when you go to Gapyeong?

A pseudo-group does not make extreme demands from the beginning. It uses the foot-in-the-door technique, starting with small things and gradually increasing immersion. Initially, it asks for simple participation or small donations, but as time passes, it demands greater dedication and sacrifice. Pseudo-groups thoroughly control members' access to information. They limit members' cognitive autonomy through banning contact with external media, suppressing critical thinking, and blocking questioning. This is a mechanism similar to the Thought Police depicted in George Orwell's '1984'. In 1984, 1984 was a novel, but in 2025, it is reality. The problem is that this novel was published in 1949, so the arbitrary interpretation that ignored the historicity that reflected the post-World War II world led to 'Animal Farm' even being promoted as an anti-communist work in Korea. If the insurrection had succeeded, Yoon Seok-yeol would have read 1984 and perfectly implemented follow-up measures, and the timing of this country, which was almost a wonderful Animal Farm's Big Brother, was exquisitely coincidental. The self-coup of a foolish draft dodger was due to low intelligence, and the public's good defense was the result, but the same opportunity does not come twice.

Pseudo-religious groups subtly manipulate the emotions of their members. After inducing negative emotions such as guilt, fear, and shame, they emphasize that salvation and comfort can only be found within the group. This emotional manipulation paralyzes the judgment of the members and increases their dependence on the group. Humans tend to abandon their own judgment in the face of group pressure, and pseudo-religious groups actively utilize this principle of social proof to induce all members to internalize the group's beliefs. The history of this tactic is very long and deep, but no matter how many examples I give, the reader will not admit it. However, I would like to clarify that it originates from the noblest and most evil Christian history.

According to recent neuroscience research, the brainwashing process of pseudo groups can be understood as manipulating the brain's reward system. Participation in group activities, meetings with leaders, and learning doctrines promote dopamine secretion, creating a state similar to addiction. In chronic stress situations, the function of the brain's prefrontal cortex deteriorates, reducing rational judgment. Pseudo groups intentionally create stressful situations to suppress members' critical thinking and increase dependence on the group through learned helplessness. Individuals with certain personality traits may be more vulnerable to pseudo groups. High neuroticism, low self-esteem, strong authority dependence, and perfectionistic tendencies can act as risk factors. Major life transitions such as job loss, bereavement, and war increase psychological instability, making it easier to fall for the temptations of pseudo groups. The uncertainty and stress of this period increase the attraction to groups that offer clear answers. It is often thought that higher education levels make people less likely to fall into pseudo groups, but this is not actually the case. Rather, highly educated people may be complacent due to overconfidence in their intellectual abilities, or they may be more attracted to complex doctrines or theories and fall into them. The fact that these symptoms are due to the long history of religion, and that humans are like Son Goku who cannot escape the Buddha's palm even if historicity seems irrelevant. The current state of humanity, where the attributes brainwashed by religion are deeply embedded in genes, is bitter because there are few people waking up.

The development of social media and the internet has fundamentally changed the way pseudo-groups operate. Information filtering by algorithms, the echo chamber effect, and the anonymity of online communities have become new tools for increasing the influence of pseudo-groups. Social isolation, economic instability, and uncertainty about the future due to the pandemic have made many people psychologically vulnerable. In this situation, the activities of pseudo-groups online are becoming more active. Political polarization has expanded the activity area of ​​pseudo-media, and more extreme and exclusive groups are forming as political identity and religious beliefs combine.

Individuals who fall into pseudo-religious groups suffer serious damage in various aspects, including economic loss, destruction of relationships, deterioration of mental health, and decline in social functions, resulting in a decline in social skills to the point where social life becomes difficult. In particular, confusion of self-identity and distortion of reality perception leave wounds that are difficult to recover in the long term. As a result, existing family relationships and social bonds are intentionally destroyed. This leads to family breakdown, intergenerational conflict, and division of local communities, threatening the basic units of society: families and communities. Fake news and distorted reports from pseudo-media outlets undermine the trust of society as a whole. As distrust of core institutions of society, such as the media, government, science, and medicine, spreads, it becomes difficult to form social consensus and the foundations of democracy are weakened. These processes and symptoms clearly reveal the typical state of division in Korean society.

It is important to build immunity to pseudo groups through media literacy education, critical thinking education, and balanced education on religion and beliefs, but the average common sense is not respected in any group because the trust of the group itself that supervises this education is uncertain. As a matter of urgency, legal regulations and punishments for illegal activities of pseudo groups should be strengthened without infringing on freedom of religion and freedom of expression. This society, where mentally immature people are already so prominent among high-ranking officials, may become a flower garden for future Lee Bak-school experiencers.

Propaganda and brainwashing by pseudo-religions and pseudo-media are not a matter of individual weakness or ignorance, but a complex phenomenon combining universal human psychological characteristics and structural problems of modern society. To solve this, a comprehensive response at the social level is needed along with efforts at the individual level. An alternative that can healthily satisfy human existential desires and social needs, and cultivating civic awareness based on critical thinking and healthy skepticism will be the most effective way to protect society from the dangers of pseudo-groups. This problem facing modern society is not simply a matter of individual choice or belief, but a task that must be solved for the health and sustainability of our society. The only solution for this is not prayer to bring out primitivity, but practical history education. Academia, government, civil society, and individuals must all work together to study the past. However, we already have a seizure at the mere mention of the word history. It's a repeat. Religious brainwashing and historical brainwashing are the main culprits and solutions for degrading humans to the most humble existence, the choice is up to each individual, but the result will drive everyone's fate to one place.