Deprogramming is almost the opposite of indoctrination, but no less sinister. The technique is often commissioned by the friends and loved ones of a person who has become involved with a cult or extreme ideology, in the hope of bringing them back into the mainstream. However dangerous a cult might be, deprogramming is still pretty problematic, as it attempts to control the actions of a consenting adult who, for all intents and purposes, entered into a cult of their own free will. As well as those pesky "freedom of religion" red flags, the techniques used in deprogramming aren't exactly of the utmost moral standing. Generally speaking, the process begins with a kidnapping, taking the person away and confining them. You know. Like a cult does, but worse. The intervention ideally involves forceful challenging of the cultist's views, attempting to use logic and reason to break down the delusions that the cult has instilled in them. However, reports of deprogramming all too often often involve violence and abuse, with the subjects often being denied food and sleep, physically restrained, beaten and even sexually assaulted, as the general idea is that the subject needs to be "broken" in order to undo their brainwashing. The ordeal doesn't end until the subject complies and begins to express the "correct" thoughts and ideas. Basically, it's a cross between a cult indoctrination and an SAS selection process, but without any of the voluntary aspects of either, or the sweet new commune to live in.
