Cognitive aspect of individual consciousness manipulation by terrorist organizations

The paper is focused on the cognitive aspect of manipulation in terrorism, aimed at controlling the consciousness and behavior of its actual and potential subjects. The main tool of manipulation is considered to be ideology, which contributes to the uncritical appropriation of terrorist ideas, beliefs and attitudes by a person and the formation of certain intentions. Special attention is paid to the problem of cognitive dissonance, which must be solved in order to carry out terrorist activities. In this regard, the main ideas that lead to cognitive distortions in the minds of the perpetrators of terrorist acts and reduce cognitive dissonance in relation to destructive and suicidal acts are highlighted. These ideas include victimization, the inability to achieve the goal by legal means, “the goal justifies the means, collective or individual debt”, the myth of the enemy, supergeneralization, the myth of heroic martyrdom. It is noted that there is a problem of deradicalization of subjects of terrorist activity. It is concluded that there is a need for preventive psychological and pedagogical measures aimed at reducing the number of potential followers of terrorism and countering its manipulative techniques.