They believed their subjugators were the higher power, and this is common in brainwashing. The subjugator makes the victim feel special, and also inferior. The victim is led to believe he is lucky that the subjugator is paying special attention--the victim doesn't deserve such attention--the subjugator uses the emotional need for approval as blackmail. I think just believing in a higher power is therefore dangerous, and those people who resist brainwashing were either hooked by a different subjugator first, OR they had a real revelatory experience. Psychedelics can break the ties temporarily, I've seen that. Still, it takes more to be free.