Gang stalking paranoia

[LightinDarkness]

I have noticed among the conspiracy crowd a recent increase in people claiming that they are being "gang stalked" - basically, they believe that there are tens to hundreds of people hired to "stalk" them (for reasons unknown, they usually believe they have 'exposed' the government or something) by harassing them every time they are out in public.

This is a rather scary phenomena because the claims are similar to paranoid schizophrenia. These people have grouped together online and have formed their own little mini-victim's community and language - they call themselves "targeted individuals."

Of course, anyone who questions them is told they are part of the gang stalking, and no proof or evidence can be offered for the claims. The people who claim they are gang stalked take every day normal events and say that is "proof" that they are gang stalked. For example, if they see the same person that lives around them somewhere else in town, this is proof of gang stalking.

Is the conspiracy crowd now catering to the mentally ill (I guess they always have, but this is a bit extreme), or are these people infiltrating the conspiracy crowd? Any thoughts on this?

 

[neltana]

For those of you who haven't heard about this before, here is a NY Times article that gives some background:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/fashion/13psych.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

 

[gtc]

Those who were just using the movement to further their own agenda (money, fame, anti-Americanism, religious ideology) are moving on because the truth movement is dying. The true-believers have probably exhausted 9/11 and have incorporated it into the wider CT (just as you see few dedicated JFK researchers these days). The suckers who were drawn into 9/11 have wised up and moved on and the lack of publicity means that new punters aren't being drawn into the movement in the same numbers. This just leaves the mentally ill, who have always been a part of the movement but are now the most visible remnant.

That's my guess.

 

[TitanPilot]

gang stalking

I had an employee who this year announced that he was a "targeted individual" of gang stalking. In reality he was developing paranoid schizophrenia.

The sad part, besides this brilliant young man's decline, was discovering this online community. Not only are there other people out there who believe they are victims and supporting each other's delusions but there are also people profiting from them. There are scumbags offering seminars for "targeted individuals" and selling various gadgets for their protection.

These people know they are preying on the mentally ill.

 

[Trojan_Jockey]

I had an employee who this year announced that he was a "targeted individual" of gang stalking. In reality he was developing paranoid schizophrenia.

The sad part, besides this brilliant young man's decline, was discovering this online community. Not only are there other people out there who believe they are victims and supporting each other's delusions but there are also people profiting from them. There are scumbags offering seminars for "targeted individuals" and selling various gadgets for their protection.

These people know they are preying on the mentally ill.

You raise a VERY good point here. The net, for all its great aspects, has also enabled those suffering from paranoid delusions to reinforce each other's beliefs systems. If you are delusional the last you need to do is to talk to other schizophrenics who confirm all your false beliefs.

Again, I suggest this is why CTs are so popular on the net, yet they barely touch people in their daily lives. "Turn off the net and it goes away", as someone said on here.

Also, bear in mind that the peak age for the onset of schizophrenia is late teens, early adulthood, possibly around about the same age as many of the most passionate and paranoid troothers. It will be interesting to see the consequences of the net on the incidence of psychosis in the future.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

Even if these people are not suffering from paranoia, it's a way of feeling special. "See, I'm so important, I'm being stalked"

 

[zaphod2016]

These people know they are preying on the mentally ill.

Agreed 100%. Disgusting.

From the NYT article linked by neltana:

For people who say they are the target of mind control or gang stalking, there may be enough evidence in the scientific literature to fan their beliefs. Many sites point to MK-ULTRA, the code name for a covert C.I.A. mind-control and chemical interrogation program begun in the 1950s.

Just enough reality to seem plausible to those already on the edge.

And what about Jim Guest?

And the users of some sites have found the support of Jim Guest, a Republican state representative in Missouri, who wrote last year to his fellow legislators calling for an investigation into the claims of those who say they are being tortured by mind control.

“I’ve had enough calls, some from credible people — professors — being targeted by nonlethal weapons,” Mr. Guest said in a telephone interview, adding that nothing came of his request for a legislative investigation. “They become psychologically affected by it. They have trouble sleeping at night.”

He added: “I believe there are people who have been targeted by this. With this equipment, you have to test it on somebody to see if it works.”

So what's the deal with Jim Guest?

Pandering to "the crazy vote"?

Another Paulian crackpot?

And who are the "credible people" (professors) in question?

I am extremely skeptical of any "mind control" actually in existence, but the reality of the MKULTRA project really makes me wonder sometimes.

 

[Cuddles]

Even if these people are not suffering from paranoia, it's a way of feeling special. "See, I'm so important, I'm being stalked"

This. As with so many things, there can be a fine line between normal behvaiour and mental illness. In fact, there was an article on the BBC on that just yesterday. Some of those people are almost cetainly suffering from genuine mental illness, but that does not mean all of them are. It's clear that many in the conspiracy movement want to see themselves as special, and this is just another way of doing so. Mentally ill, mildly paranoid, role playing, gullible, lying, and probably many other explanations exist for this kind of behaviour. You don't have to be mad to be weird.

 

[tomwaits]

The NYT article touches on something that seems very counterintuitive:

“We know, for example, that things like social support, all of these positive social aspects are very good for people’s mental illness,” Dr. Bell said. “I wouldn’t say it’s entirely and completely positive, but it can be positive.”

Some research has shown that when people with delusions undergo group cognitive therapy, the group process can be helpful in their treatment.

But the Web sites are not moderated by professionals, and many postings discuss the failure of medication and say that mental health professionals are part of the conspiracy against them.

“These people lead quietly desperate lives,” said Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University. “And if they are reinforcing each other and pulling people toward something, if they are using the Internet and getting reinforcement, that’s good.”

So maybe they will still carry the delusions, but the group getting together online may help them lead a relatively normal life.

 

[LightinDarkness]

I think its a good point that some of these people just simply NEED to feel special. Believing that the government is paying hundreds of people simply to harass you covertly simply means you must be a very special person.

I wonder how long it takes though before someone who is simply approaching this from a "gang stalking is real because I'm special" approach really begins to believe themselves. I mean, after a while it would become apparent to even the most unintelligent that the "evidence" of gang stalking is actually nothing more than evidence of daily living.

I was looking at one of the "gang stalking" forums and one of the people claimed their "proof" was that people would look at her in a odd way every time she would go outside her house and video tape the gang stalkers. Her fellow delusional posters told her this was a key sign of gang stalking. It seemed not to occur to her that going outside your home and pointing a video camera at people and screaming at them that they are gang stalkers might cause them to look at you strangely.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

For those of you who haven't heard about this before, here is a NY Times article that gives some background:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/fashion/13psych.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Very interesting and quite sad. Another hit against the Internet?

Just don't flash back when someone flashes their high-beams at you.

 

[Horatius]

Just don't flash back when someone flashes their high-beams at you.

No no, that's Gang Initiation. [/OldInternetGuy]

 

[Almo]

The extent of the community, Dr. Bell said, poses a paradox to the traditional way delusion is defined under the diagnostic guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association, which says that if a belief is held by a person’s “culture or subculture,” it is not a delusion. The exception accounts for rituals of religious faith, for example.

From the article. I think this has very interesting implications about religion.

 

[Checkmite]

For those of you who haven't heard about this before, here is a NY Times article that gives some background:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/fashion/13psych.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Wow. I followed the link to Gang Stalking World, and it is incredibly disturbing. Most disturbing so far is the list of techniques the bad guys use. It is no exaggeration to say that according to these people every single sound you hear, every single mishap you have, every single stranger you meet, and every single relationship problem of any type that you have, is proof that you are being stalked and manipulated.

 

[LightinDarkness]

Here are the "characteristics" of those who are "targeted":
http://gangstalkingworld.com/Forum/YaBB.pl?num=1205738832/0

Basically, things that can characterize everyone. So everyone can be targeted for any reason. I find it fascinating that some organization is dedicated to stalking so many people and spending so much money to do it...instead of doing the simpler thing of just killing them. But no, they would rather hire thousands of people to stalk...

 

[ktesibios]

Well, the NWO's contract with the Faceless Evil Minion's Union requires that they get a minimum of 32 paid hours per week.

They're on the clock, so we've gotta find something for the featherbedding weasels to do- and it has to be evil.

 

[Horatius]

Most disturbing so far is the list of techniques the bad guys use.

Random Encounters

This will be people on the street who you randomly and unexpectedly run into. It looks completely natural and it seems to be a random encounter.

They might ask for your phone number after engaging you in conversation. Ask you out, or just ask you where you are going. Anything from small talk to lengthier conversations.

All with the purpose of finding out something about you, or even just getting you to do something.

Oh, yeah, great. Let's get a bunch of sad, lonely, isolated people, and then convince them that the one time someone wants to ask them out on a date, the person is a government spy....Real nice, that.

 

[JoeyDonuts]

What...Who?!? All of you...stay away from me!!!!!

Alex Jones!!! Save me with your witchcraft!!!!

they're coming to take me away ho ho ha ha hee hee...

In all seriousness, has anyone seen the tinfoil hat site that has warmarks to identify spots in urban areas where mind control is taking place and what type? I can't remember the URL but I have got to believe it's a parody of some sort - it's THAT ridiculous.

 

[tomwaits]

Don't worry folks, we are hard at work on the solution to this problem.

 

[Alareth]

OMG! Everything I own has been stolen and replaced with exact duplicates!

Everyone I know has been cloned as well ... Including me!