I am going to attempt to explain how the majority of women who were in The Source Family, especially the women with babies and small children were placed in an extremely helpless and vulnerable position within the social order of the group, with the help of the excellent explanations on cult mind control that I have included. One of Jim Baker's fundamental 'teachings' was how women were like the moon---changeable, emotional, and dependent on a man, or sun (using the life-giving rays of the sun as a metaphor for man) for everything in their lives. Jim Baker also believed that women were emotionally ill-equipped to deal with the outside world, and so he did not want to see any of the women in his 'family' working in the outside world or maya (maya In Vedic philosophy meaning the limited, physical reality) exposed to all the negative vibrations of the big, bad outside world or the sexual lust of men who were not in 'the family' brainwashing us all into adopting and integrating Jim Baker's worldview of a woman's role, as being our own. But, that is what happens in a cult, and that is what happened in The Source Family. The majority of people who joined The Source Family adopted Jim Baker's 'transcendent belief system' which were called 'teachings', as being their own.
Most of us gave up all our belongings upon joining the family and so we no longer owned cars or had money of our own (although, it turned out some still did), or conventional clothing and shoes, much less underwear. No one had what was considered normal or acceptable clothing or attire, or the resources in which to go out and look for work even if any of us had wanted to----it was just not possible, under the directive of our 'earthly spiritual father', who controlled every aspect of his followers lives. Which is why when one of the most devoted male followers of Jim Baker recently stated that the women who were in The Source Family, who suffered under the directives of Father Yod had been responsible for themselves and should have gone out to look for work---an absurd thing to say. But his statement highlights perfectly the continued denial and refusal of some former Source Family members in admitting or accepting the fact that The Source Family was a cult, and that we all were brainwashed into adopting and accepting the particular roles for men and women, as determined by Jim Baker in the formation of his 'Aquarian family.'
In fact, some of the men who were in the family blame the women for everything that went wrong within the group, rather than placing any blame on their hero, Jim Baker. But, the men in The Source Family were seen as 'gods' and 'suns' and a woman's only role in life was to 'serve and inspire' her god man, or sun. The word 'serve' was the exact term used by Jim Baker. A woman's role of 'serving' a man in The Source Family included making his meals and serving it to him, doing his laundry, giving him foot and full body massages, making his clothing, and performing 'sex magic' as prescribed by Jim Baker. I observed a preferential treatment and coddling of several of the men by Jim Baker where no doubt a good ole' boy mentality began to play out between Jim Baker and his 'sons' in who could attract or keep the most women, because Jim Baker would continually point out or brag about how women were only attracted to the most powerful and constant 'sun' meaning himself. Because attracting women, or 'angels' as Jim Baker referred to any potential new female member was of paramount importance to him.
Jim Baker was constantly trolling and looking for new prospective 'angels' to join the ranks of the other women within The Source Family. Which, by the way, when Jim Baker performed with Yahowha 13 at a local high school of all places it seemed so glaringly inappropriate to me! Jim Baker was trolling for new female converts at a local high school! Which also begs the question of why would a principal allow the leader of a cult to sing and perform on their campus! That still baffles me. So, considering the treatment that Jim Baker expected the women, or 'angels' to perform for his 'sons'; it came as no surprise when I came under attack by a couple of these men, who were in The Source Family who do not want to hear what I have to say, or any other woman who was in The Source Family who openly speaks out or talks about their hero in a disparaging way. But, after forty years, I feel that it is time that the truth about what really went on in The Source Family is told and exposed for the cult that it was, and not some 'new age' ideal tribe or 'forerunners of the Aquarian Age' that some are trying to foist upon the public. In fact, more people got into drugs and alcohol immediately after the family dispersed than I cared to know about. But, if some former members choose to only promote an idealized account of Jim Baker and The Source Family that is their prerogative, but mine is to present a more realistic and honest view about what life was really like in this particular 'new age' cult; especially the enervation that engulfed the women who existed in a kind of helpless limbo where their only role was to be obedient and serve a man, and even worse---perform the sexual ritual called qudosh with multiple men. The following statement was one that Jim Baker told the women they were to say, if they found themselves embroiled in an argument or disagreement with their 'man', "You are right. I am wrong. It is the will of God." The following statements about brainwashing were taken from the website that I've included below.
To varying degrees, believers can experience a sort of refined mania of inspiration, almost like a drug high, when they are in the hubris phase, identifying with their imaginary idealized new self, with its enhanced understanding and kindness, etc. This inspiration is pleasant and even intoxicating in itself, and it may also be interpreted as a sign of spiritual progress, as a glimpse of a higher reality, or as evidence of the truth of the belief system. This is all part of the circular, solipsistic, self-validating nature of a cult belief system.
The most effective mind-control is the kind that isn't recognized by the victim as any kind of manipulation. You don't feel it, you think you are in control.
Briefly, this is how it works. A cult promotes its cultish belief system, and then believers control their own minds, as they train their minds and reform their personalities, in accordance with the tenets of their cultish new belief system.
Understanding the disorientating, drug-like nature of a cult belief system and worldview is the key to understanding cult mind control.
Cults promote a belief system which is utopian and idealistic, and also dualistic and bi-polar in nature. Dualistic, in the sense that they tend to see the world in terms of two opposite poles, such as pure good and evil, the saved and the fallen, the enlightened and the ignorant, etc.
Cult belief systems are also bi-polar in psychological terms, rather like Bi-polar disorder or manic-depression. Cults promote a vision of an ideal 'new life' or 'new self', which members believe they can attain by following the cult teachings. http://www.ex-cult.org/fwbo/MC20mins.htm
I also wanted to include this excellent YouTube video that explains exactly how cults work. https://youtu.be/kB-dJaCXAxA
