Perhaps the most powerful persuasion is exerted by the other cult members themselves. For the average person, talking with an indoctrinated cultist is quite an experience. You probably have never met anyone else, friend or stranger, who is so absolutely convinced that he knows what is best for you. A dedicated cult member also does not take no for an answer, because he has been indoctrinated to believe that if you don't join, he is to blame. These group sessions are also very effective in teaching conformity, because the group vigorously reinforces certain behaviors by effusive praise and acknowledgment, while punishing non-group ideas and behaviors with icy silence.
Human beings have an incredible capacity to adapt to new environments.
Destructive cults know how to exploit this strength. By controlling a person's environment, using behavior modification to reward some behaviors and suppress others, and inducing hypnotic states, they may indeed reprogram a person's identity. He must be given a new purpose in life and new activities that will solidify his new identity. Again, many of the techniques from the first two stages are carried over into the Refreezing phase. Cult leaders must be reasonably sure the new cult identity will be strong when the person leaves the immediate cult environment.