Can someone control another's mind? Yes, but the reasons are only logical.
First of all, if you have a highly charismatic individual that knows how to say the right things at the right time, to the right people, then he may very well be able to "control" people's minds. Now, such a thing isn't too common, but it has happened before in the past.
Let's take a look at a time in history. You had a defeated nation, that was essentially scapegoated for all of a war's occurrences (even though the whole war simply boiled down to everyone being chained in various alliances). The people of this nation were forced to pay reparations to their enemies, etc., and the nation was in economic ruin. Runaway inflation got to the point where it was cheaper to burn money in the stoves, since it was worth less than actual wooden kindling.
People were unemployed, angry, and desperate for anything that could re-ignite the flames of national pride. It just happened to be that a failed artist that was also a prison inmate, was able to write a book, blaming the rest of the world, and a certain group of people following a certain religion, for the current state of shambles. It also didn't hurt his persuasions, that these religious folks (referring to that specific religion only) were better off than the average non-religious person, which only served to reinforce the resentment.
When this failed artist gained enough recognition, he quickly rose to power. He was charismatic, proud, and his sheer amounts of passion in his speeches made him an authoritative figure, to which the desperate people of the ramshackle nation were eager to obey. Of course, the sheer amounts of cocaine and amphetamines only added to his already-high levels of energy, which somehow further spurred on the people.
Through some favorable (to him) events, he was able to seize the top executive post in the nation, and the economy under his watch took off, as a massive military buildup commenced. He was even able to seize back certain concessions that were made from the treaty that all but ruined the nation before. As a result, national pride had surged back, and the people were more than happy to listen to his statements. The economy was strong, and a big relief to people who were formerly unemployed and despotic.
With all of these events bolstering his popularity to god-like levels, he was able to hold a sway with many people, and convince them to do things that were completely horrendous, such as the execution of women and children, in gas chambers. Sometimes, they would even be strangled with piano wire, or used for one-way medical experiments.
This tidbit of history (the rise of the demonic Adolf Hitler) shows what can happen when everything falls into place. I wouldn't doubt if, through sheer charisma and the desperate times of the people, he did have a degree of purely "normal" mind control over the bulk of the Germans at the earlier phases of the conflict.
Could this happen again? Certainly, although it probably wouldn't be nearly as horrendous as the above historical example. If a sensei, for example, is an excellent teacher, charismatic, and has a loyal student that is willing to empty his mind, is it so far-fetched that the sensei would (and many times unwittingly) hold a big sway over the student's train of thought?
I have more thoughts about this, but I need to finish my cup of coffee before it gets cold.
opcorn: 
