Totally agree with this.
Even Christians can be subject to manipulation. Actually, I would venture a guess and say we're even more susceptible to such things because we are already open to the possibility of something outside of ourselves influencing our actions... and we're fine with it.
To be honest, I am personally quite freaked out by rallies and revivals. Getting lots of people together for a common purpose can be a really great thing, but it can also be pretty dangerous. I can't tell you how many times I have seen kids 'saved' and 'filled with the spirit' at youth conventions... but the fire never lasts because it was never real to begin with. They were simply in a large arena with a bunch of other people who were worked up into a frenzy by the production. They thought their lives had been touched or changed when really they were just subject to psychological manipulation. They will come down off of that high because it's artificial.
I don't think it's always done deceitfully or with malice. A lot of it is just learned behavior. Like some preachers (you see this on tv a lot) preach with tones and patterns that will have the greatest effect on the people listening. That's what you want as a preacher, so it makes sense, and they probably learned how to do it from another charismatic preacher that changed their life. But I'm not sure they're really aware that they are artificially stirring people's emotions and artificially planting ideas. It's not always the holy spirit at work, sometimes it's just hypnosis.
May Jesus bless you raincorn. May I tell you about something that I have learned about this:
Remember Saul the King, how that even after the Lord had taken his Spirit away from him, one day he went down to seek David and the Holy Spirit fell on him and his servants also, and they prophesied naked, and people even said, ''Is Saul among the prophets also?''
And also how it was said that in the last days the Lord will pour out his Spirit on ALL FLESH!!?
And also how that even the High Priest who killed Jesus prophesied about Jesus Christ, saying that it was needful that one should die for Israel?
Strange huh? You see, the Holy Spirit could very well fall on everyone at a convention or a rally, but that might be temporary, as they have not received Jesus Christ into their own hearts, but were sort of in his presence, but his presence did not go with them.
It is sort of like the glory of God lingering like a cloud, but then you go out from under the cloud, you go out from under the glory. I don't know if that makes sense.
But also there are times when it is just mass hysteria. Now, I am very careful about what I judge, because what I think might be mass hysteria may actually be the Spirit of God working (I have given my testimony of several events where it was the Holy Spirit moving).
Like when I went to a concert, where many children were, and I knew the Lord was there, as I even asked him to show up. And a person in my area, a demon cried against it from them. It was a fearful thing if one did not know what was happening. But I praised the Lord!!
It was the most awesome thing to be in that place where MANY souls were, and the Holy Ghost was present to save MANY! Even to heal many!!
May Jesus bless you.