Its hard to take seriously a work that uses the word totalism.

@Antonyourknee  
But at the same time, once Sunset’s power was released, they came back with no ill effects. Another example being pre-Reform Discord. The problem is that those two are fantastical brainwashing tactics and don’t apply to real life while Starlight’s absolutely does; Look up Robert Jay Lifton’s theory on thought reform. If you notice in that episode, the equalized were very shocked and heartbroken when there was conclusive evidence that Starlight did not practice what she preached. They then turned on her once she broke down and started talking about “I gave you X”. Plus, no time for deprogramming and exit counseling.
 
Now thought reform, brainwashing and mind control tend to be synonymous of each other IRL, but in this fictional case you can separate them if you want, between the fantastical and mundane.

@DasHiveMind  
Well I really don’t know how to classify it exactly but I suppose mind suppression is more apt a term. It doesn’t force them to do actions but makes them easier to manipulate with the right kind of codding,which Starlight constantly did to her followers. The fact that they all went against the at the end so easily after the revelation of her deceit makes me firmly go against labeling “mind control”. Sunsets powers had true mind control with the swirly eyes and open mouths after all.

@Antonyourknee  
I don’t see why your not covering a spell that locks out a persons ability to not just do a certain thing, but outright stops them from thinking certain thoughts, as a type of mind control?

@DasHiveMind  
Well The magic probably reacts to any attempts by a pony to recreate an aspect of its former cutie-mark(pinkies cutie-mark is related to her euphoria and well I don’t know about countrynism,maybe that’s an aspect that makes Applejack different and hence unequal?) but other than that I doubt there any direct mental locks perhaps a compulsion not smile and say welcome but no mind control.

@DasHiveMind  
Only the ones related to their talents.

@Antonyourknee  
Except we see the equal sign cutie mark actually suppressed the mane 6s thoughts.

I’d have thought Pinkie Pie’s post-nominals would have been M.C.

Glimmer, after reading the copy of this book Twilight had sent to her for free:
 
“NOOOOO YOU GOT IT ALL WROOOOONG!”
 
She then destroyed the jail cell that was her new home, and had to be restrained.

I don’t think they were brainwashed as much as most people claim,sure they were indoctrinated and pressured and we can only speculate the methods used. But when things went rough they all quickly went against Starlight. Maybe she made them a little too aghast of cutie mark that her revel of having one was the shock that broke them but I doubt any true mind control was used,even counting the propaganda speakers.
 
After all Scientology manages to get folks under their thumb with a little coursing, misleading dictum and emphasizing the aspect of one being curse unless purified with a adaption process(equalizing process)

‘Faithful Student’ as an actual academic title. Clever.