The Rape of the Mind: The Psychology of Thought Control, Menticide, and Brainwashing
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- Create Date：2021-08-12 07:53:45
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Joost A.M. Meerloo
- ISBN：1614277877
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Summary
2015 Reprint of 1961 Edition。 Full facsimile of the original edition。 Not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software。 In 1933 Meerloo began to study the methods by which systematic mental pressure brings people to abject submission， and by which totalitarians imprint their subjective "truth" on their victims' minds。 In "The Rape of the Mind" he goes far beyond the direct military implications of mental torture to describing how our own culture unobtrusively shows symptoms of pressurizing people's minds。 He presents a systematic analysis of the methods of brainwashing and mental torture and coercion， and shows how totalitarian strategy， with its use of mass psychology， leads to systematized "rape of the mind。" He describes the new age of cold war with its mental terror， verbocracy， and semantic fog， the use of fear as a tool of mass submission and the problem of treason and loyalty， so loaded with dangerous confusion。 The "Rape of the Mind" is written for the interested layman， not only for experts and scientists。 Contents: Part One: The Techniques of Individual Submission。 1。 You Too Would Confess。 2。 Pavlov's Students as Circus Tamers。 3。 Medication into Submission。 4。 Why Do They Yield？ The Psychodynamics of False Confession。 Part Two: The Techniques of Mass Submission。 5。 The Cold War against the Mind。 6。 Totalitaria and its Dictatorship。 7。 The Intrusion by Totalitarian Thinking。 8。 Trial by Trial。 9。 Fear as a Tool of Terror。 Part Three: Unobtrusive Coercion。 10。 The Child is Father to the Man。 11。 Mental Contagion and Mass Delusion。 12。 Technology Invades Our Minds。 13。 Intrusion by the Administrative Mind。 14。 The Turncoat in Each of Us。 Part Four: In Search of Defenses。 15。 Training Against Mental Torture。 16。 Education for Discipline or Higher Morale。 17。 From Old to New Courage。 18。 Freedom -- Our Mental Backbone
Reviews
Phil Letten
，
Holy fuck！
Bruce Graham
，
Although the writing was a bit pedestrian， and he repeated himself， he wrote an extremely prescient guide for the current idiocy being visited upon us。 Turn off your lie machine， disconnect your social disinformation platforms， and immerse yourself in this book， a faded mirror of our times。 Much of what he discusses is more current than what you are being deceived with elsewhere。
Trindin Wright
，
Safety is the first thing that comes to mind after reading this book。 Dr Meerloo emphatically stresses the importance of a healthy sense of inner security that lowers our risk of succumbing to the universally tempting doctrine that comes from the totalitarian。 This book breaks down how corrosive propaganda is to our psyches both personally and collectively。 Anyone seeking to truly understand why the cult of Trump is happening， why the left not only seems helpless， but also worsens the condition Safety is the first thing that comes to mind after reading this book。 Dr Meerloo emphatically stresses the importance of a healthy sense of inner security that lowers our risk of succumbing to the universally tempting doctrine that comes from the totalitarian。 This book breaks down how corrosive propaganda is to our psyches both personally and collectively。 Anyone seeking to truly understand why the cult of Trump is happening， why the left not only seems helpless， but also worsens the condition this book is for you。 A sense of safety is the backbone of democracy that helps us stand up to tyranny。 。。。more
Bfdonnelly
，
Despite its antique language （"Man" and "men" everywhere） and its outmoded psychology （"homosexuals" have mother issues） this is a good discussion of both brainwashing and totalitarian "hypnotism" of the citizenry。 I assume that it wouldn't pass muster in 21st-century terms， but it still has good core lessons about how to resist mental attack。 I recommend it partly as a historical piece and partly as an inside look at mental coercion。 I expect， however， that more up-to-date books will offer bett Despite its antique language （"Man" and "men" everywhere） and its outmoded psychology （"homosexuals" have mother issues） this is a good discussion of both brainwashing and totalitarian "hypnotism" of the citizenry。 I assume that it wouldn't pass muster in 21st-century terms， but it still has good core lessons about how to resist mental attack。 I recommend it partly as a historical piece and partly as an inside look at mental coercion。 I expect， however， that more up-to-date books will offer better insights for methods developed after the Korean war。 I read it decades ago， and recently reread it on Kindle to take notes for my current use。 。。。more
Gggfthhyf
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 ازبتلثا
Ebookwormy1
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Available online through internet archive。。。。https://archive。org/details/TheRapeOf。。。This book was referenced in the following article from May 2021。。。https://www。aier。org/article/big-brot。。。 Available online through internet archive。。。。https://archive。org/details/TheRapeOf。。。This book was referenced in the following article from May 2021。。。https://www。aier。org/article/big-brot。。。 。。。more
Kerem
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Though written in 50s and somehow outdated， it's a book really worth reading。 Meerloo dives into the science of brainwashing， starting first with the individual and how mental torture， coercion and submission can be achieved at this level， with most examples and anecdotes provided from Nazi Germany and POW camps in Korea （but also few examples from communist China and Russia）。 Then he moves into mass brainwashing， and not only in totalitarian regimes but also in supposedly democratic states with Though written in 50s and somehow outdated， it's a book really worth reading。 Meerloo dives into the science of brainwashing， starting first with the individual and how mental torture， coercion and submission can be achieved at this level， with most examples and anecdotes provided from Nazi Germany and POW camps in Korea （but also few examples from communist China and Russia）。 Then he moves into mass brainwashing， and not only in totalitarian regimes but also in supposedly democratic states with the new tools of technology。 Of course the technology Meerloo talks about is rather too old now but the principles have not changed at all and you can see now it's done even more efficiently。 At times you will find Meerloo's psychology outdated （after all， there's been tremendous progress since then） but as a psychologist at the time， he makes a very good attempt to expose the workings of totalitarianism （in some ways， it reminds me on the fascinating book of Hannah Arendt， The Origins of Totalitarianism， though of course this one is not as thorough and rather have a psychology focus。） 。。。more
M R
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13。06。21
Matthew Purser
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Human nature is inevitable。 History is repeating itself。
Matt Evans
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READ THIS BOOK！ This book is a breath of fresh air during the times we're living in。 READ THIS BOOK！ This book is a breath of fresh air during the times we're living in。 。。。more
Omer Faied
，
أتعجب من أفول نجم هذا الكتاب مقارنة بكتاب آخر مثل الإنسان والبحث عن معنى، فكلاهما صدر في نفس الحقبة تقريبًا （في أعقاب الحرب العالمية الثانية وأهوالها） وكلاهما خُط بيدي عالمي نفس شهدا من المآسي وذاقا من ويلات الأسر والحرب ما جعلهما شاهدين على حدود الطاقة البشرية ونقاط انهيارها، ليس في أنفسهما فقط، بل في عشرات أو حتى مئات المعتقلين وأسرى الحرب الذين تعاملا معهم وعاصر كليهما أتون الحربين العالميتين。。 إلا أن الكتاب الذي بين يديك لم يكتب على عجل （كُتب الإنسان والبحث عن معنى في تسعة أيام فقط انكب فيهم أتعجب من أفول نجم هذا الكتاب مقارنة بكتاب آخر مثل الإنسان والبحث عن معنى، فكلاهما صدر في نفس الحقبة تقريبًا （في أعقاب الحرب العالمية الثانية وأهوالها） وكلاهما خُط بيدي عالمي نفس شهدا من المآسي وذاقا من ويلات الأسر والحرب ما جعلهما شاهدين على حدود الطاقة البشرية ونقاط انهيارها، ليس في أنفسهما فقط، بل في عشرات أو حتى مئات المعتقلين وأسرى الحرب الذين تعاملا معهم وعاصر كليهما أتون الحربين العالميتين。。 إلا أن الكتاب الذي بين يديك لم يكتب على عجل （كُتب الإنسان والبحث عن معنى في تسعة أيام فقط انكب فيهما فيكتور فرانكل على سرد تجربته عقب خروجه من المعتقل مباشرة） ولم يقتصر مؤلفه على تناول تأثير ويلات الحروب وقهر المعتقلات ومناهج الطغيان على الفرد فحسب، بل تناول بذكاء ثاقب تأثيرها على الجماهير في ظل الحكومات الشمولية المستبدة ووسائلهم في كيفية السيطرة عليها، وستدرك بنفسك إنه بعد مرور قرابة سبعة عقود على صدور الكتاب، مازالت الطرق التي بين دفتي هذا الكتاب هي نفس وسائل النظم التي تؤسس للطغيان في شتى بقاع الأرض حتى يومنا هذا。أمتعني هذا الكتاب إلى الدرجة التي جعلتني أقول مازحًا لأحد أصدقائي أنه ينبغي عليَّ دفع المال لدار النشر لقاء ترجمته لا العكس！ فعندما اجتمعت بصيرة وعلم المؤلف مع الحقبة التاريخية المهمة التي وصل فيها العالم إلى الذروة تطبيق الشمولية بنظاميها الأشهر الشيوعي والنازي، جعل من هذا الكتاب وثيقة مهمة للكيفية التي يمكن أن تتشكل بها عقول أجيال متعاقبة، وذلك بسوء استخدام حيل نفسية تلعب على مشاعر دفينة قابعة داخل كل منا。 وفي هذا اللون من المؤلفات، لا شيء يلفت الانتباه بقدر معرفة شتى النتائج التي تصل إليها النفس البشرية تحت وطأة القهر والتعذيب الممنهج والظلم، أما ما يسترعي الانتباه أكثر فهو النتائج الكارثية التي يمكن أن تؤول إليه شعوب بأكملها إذا ما جرى ترويعها بهذه الأساليب، وإذا ما سخرت كل أشكال الإعلام والتعليم والثقافة والتزييف العلمي خدمة لأهداف هذه أنظمة شمولية。لم يكتفي المؤلف د。 جوست ميرلو بوصف الحالة فقط، بل أعطى علاجًا ناجعًا يمكن للأمم الحرة والعادلة أن تحصن به نفسها ضد هذا السرطان الشمولي الذي قد يصيبها في أي وقت。 وذلك بطرحه لحلول على المستويين الفردي والجماعي، تجعل من هذا الكتاب من وجهة نظري المتواضعة دليلاً إرشاديًا مهمًا لكل فرد، وكل أمة。 。。。more
Ahmed
，
انتهيت توا من الكتاب و سوف اقوم بالمراجعة في وقتا اخر ولكن حتي مجيئ هذا الوقت انصح جدا بهذا الكتاب
David Speciale
，
Very intriguing If you are interested in psychology at all this book is a must read。 Eye opening， though provoking， and very interesting to see how the vast majority of what this book talks about is playing out in front of your face。
Karinka
，
He makes some great points about the psychology of totalitarianism and loads of it is useful and applicable on the politics today; on the other hand， he's quite a fan of Freud and has some homophobic and mildly sexist comments。 Still worth a read， just take into account it's a book from 1956。 He makes some great points about the psychology of totalitarianism and loads of it is useful and applicable on the politics today; on the other hand， he's quite a fan of Freud and has some homophobic and mildly sexist comments。 Still worth a read， just take into account it's a book from 1956。 。。。more
Michael Hutchison
，
Because of my amazement at how so many people can support and take such awful positions and opinions， I surmised that there must be some sort of intentional mind control or opinion influence going on。 Much like what is done to sell a product。 There must be puppeteers working the strings that has resulted in such blatant divisions， open hostility， racist resurgence， and political totalitarianism。 So， I searched for material that would give me more information how this can be。 How the process work Because of my amazement at how so many people can support and take such awful positions and opinions， I surmised that there must be some sort of intentional mind control or opinion influence going on。 Much like what is done to sell a product。 There must be puppeteers working the strings that has resulted in such blatant divisions， open hostility， racist resurgence， and political totalitarianism。 So， I searched for material that would give me more information how this can be。 How the process works。 I chose the right book。 From historical examples and explanations from WW2 and Korean war of brainwashing and psychological attacks， to Pavlovian theory and its continued application on mass population influence and conditioning， to political conditioning， totalitarian practices of thought control and menticide， it is all in this book。 The material in this book could easily cover a college course or multiple courses。 It will reinforce my belief that all we think， believe， or assume to be true， our positions on a vast amount of subjects， should constantly be questioned。 The question is， is that my thought， my opinion， my deducted appraisal， or have I been fooled by the never ending barrage of verbal conditioning， political conditioning， mass media manipulation， or hypnotized by the daily noises we are bombarded with 24/7。 This is happening and I see large parts of the population that have succumbed to it to become little more that automatons。 This the only book in many years I took notes on。 。。。more
Ataur Rahman
，
One of the best book to understand the psychology behind interrogation， torture and manipulation。
أبو فاطمة 14
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ما يميز تجربة الدكتور جوست ميرلو هو أنه خاض فعليا أدوار متعددة في حياته أتاحت له فهما وبصيرة أكبر من مجرد معرفة نظرية وليس العيان كالبيان。 فهو عاش دور المواطن في بلد محتل و دور المعتقل لدى النازيين و دور الهارب الذي سيكون قادرا كرئيس قسم الامراض النفسية للقوات الهولندية في إنجلترا على ممارسة أبحاثه على الضحايا و الجلادين، ثم تأتي هجرته الى أمريكا التي يعكف فيها على استكمال مسيرته كطبيب وباحث حتى اضحى خبيرا في مجاله。يعتبر كتاب اغتصاب العقل الذي صدرت طبعته الأولى عام 1956 م أشهر أعمال جوست ابراهام ما يميز تجربة الدكتور جوست ميرلو هو أنه خاض فعليا أدوار متعددة في حياته أتاحت له فهما وبصيرة أكبر من مجرد معرفة نظرية وليس العيان كالبيان。 فهو عاش دور المواطن في بلد محتل و دور المعتقل لدى النازيين و دور الهارب الذي سيكون قادرا كرئيس قسم الامراض النفسية للقوات الهولندية في إنجلترا على ممارسة أبحاثه على الضحايا و الجلادين، ثم تأتي هجرته الى أمريكا التي يعكف فيها على استكمال مسيرته كطبيب وباحث حتى اضحى خبيرا في مجاله。يعتبر كتاب اغتصاب العقل الذي صدرت طبعته الأولى عام 1956 م أشهر أعمال جوست ابراهام ماوريتز ميرلو （1903-1976） الطبيب و عالم التحليل النفسي الهولندي الأميركي عمر الكتاب فوق السبعين سنة ويا للعجب فهو يبدو لقارئه كأنه قد صدر حديثا في عهد الانفجار المعلوماتي وشبكات التواصل الاجتماعي وهذا يعود ربما لأنه يركز على المبادئ التي لا يغيرها الزمن 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。اقتباسات _بتصرف_ من الكتاب （من النصف الأول للكتاب）:。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。（يمكن استخدام كل المعرفة اما للخير أو للشر وبالتالي فإن علم النفس ليس محصنا ضد هذا القانون العام）（فقد قام علم النفس بتسليم الانسان وسائل جديدة للتعذيب والتطفل على العقل）（كم و كم من ضحايا الاستخدام الشيطاني للمعرفة الطبية والتقنية النفسية ）（لقد كان الانسان مبدعا و بشكل هائل و مرعب في نفس الوقت في تطوير وسائل الحاق المعاناة برفاقه وأقرانه。）（كان الرجال الذين جرت محاكمتهم في السابق بشراً، ولكنهم الآن قد تم تغييرهم وبشكل منهجي إلى دمى。 ومحرك هذه الدمى هو من يضع قوانين حركة وحديث وأفعال تلك الدمى بل والتلاعب بمشاعرهم。）（لم يكن الألم الجسدي المباشر هو الذي يكسر إرادة الناس بل الاذلال المستمر والتعذيب الذهني）（حقيقة قبيحة: يمكن كسر روح معظم الرجال， و يمكن أن ينخفض مستوى الأداء الإنساني لدى المعتقلين إلى مستوى السلوك الحيواني。。！ وحيث أن الجلاد و الضحية يفقدان كل كرامة الانسان， و على حد سواء！！）（لا أحد يستطيع أن يتنبأ لنفسه بكيفية تعامله مع موقف ما， عندما يتم استدعاؤه للاختبار）（تنتهي الديموقراطية والحرية حيث تبدأ العبودية والخضوع للمخدرات والكحول。。。أي انسان يهرب من الواقع من خلال استخدام الكحول والمخدرات لم يعد مواطنا حراً）（كان النازيون قادرين في كثير من الأحيان من تحويل مقاتلي المقاومة الشجعان إلى متعاونين وديعين 。。 وهذا يمكن أن يفسر بأنها لم تكن مقاومة ناجحة。。 ويعود السبب الأول في ذلك إلى أن معظم أولئك الأفراد المقاومين السريين كانوا على استعداد للقيام بالأعمال الوحشية التي عوملوا بها。）（آليات الحماية الذاتية عادة ما تكون أقوى من الولاء الأيديولوجي。 فعندما يكون على الانسان أن يختار بين الموت والتعذيب أو الاستسلام المؤقت لأوهام العدو فإن آليات الحفاظ على الذات ستعمل بطرق عديدة وستساعده على العثور على ألف مبرر وعذر للاستسلام للضغط النفسي。。。。。。。。。。。。لا أحد من الذين لم يواجهوا هذه المشكلة المريرة بأنفسهم يمكن أن يكون له رأي موضوعي حول ما سيفعله هو نفسه في حال تعرضه لمثل تلك الظروف。）（الكلام。。 هو سيد الصحافة والراديو، وهو سيد العقل。 ）（كما وأنه في استراتيجية العالم بافلوف يمكن في نهاية المطاف من استبدال قوة الرعب بمنظومة جديدة لوسائل الاتصال。كما ويمكن توزيع الآراء الجاهزة، ويوما بعد يوم， من خلال الصحافة والإذاعة و هكذا مرارا وتكرارا。。。يزرعون نمطا ثابتا من التفكير في الدماغ。。。وبالتالي فإن الرأي العام الموجه هو النتيجة）（لقد جعلت استراتيجية العالم بافلوف في العلاقات العامة الناس يسألون أنفسهم بشكل أكثر: " ما الذي يفكر به الاخرون؟ " ونتيجة لذلك يتم انشاء وهم مشترك: حيث يحرض الناس على التفكير فيما يفكر به الاخرون وبالتالي قد ينتشر الرأي العام في تحيز جماعي。）（من الصعب للغاية الهروب من الاقتراحات المتكررة في الحياة اليومية حتى عندما يرفضها العقل النقدي。。。 وقد يحتج الانسان بوعي، و لكن الاقتراحات و المواضيع التي تتلى مرارا و تكرارا سوف تترسب في نظامه العقلي。。。 انه أمر غبي）（يرمز الإعلان الى فن جعل الناس غير راضين عما لديهم）（مهندسو الرأي العام: حملة الدعاية المتقنة اما لفكرة سياسية أو لشيء أعمق يمكن ان تنجح في بيع الجمهور أي فكرة أو سلعة و أية شخصية سياسية يريد المرء أن ينتخبها。。。。。وبالتالي فإن خطر هذه الإعلانات ذات الضغط العالي هو ان الطرف الذي يدفع اكثر يمكن ان يصبح مؤقتا على الأقل الشخص الذي يمكنه التأثير على الناس للشراء أو التصويت لما قد لايكون في مصلحتهم الحقيقية。。。。。。سوف تتحول الأفكار الى كليشيهات عقيمة ومبسطة 。。。وسوف نظل نتوهم بأننا نتمتع بالأصالة و التفرد في رؤانا。。。 "إرادة الشعب"。。"إرادة الجماهير"。。。）。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。الكتاب مهم وأنصح بهلكن هناك تحفظ على الترجمة و الأخطاء المطبعية。。。。أحيانا تبدو مثل ترجمة جوجل。。。أحيانا يبدو السهو واضحا حتى أن المترجم استخدم كلمة （الانترنت！！！） في ترجمته لأحد المقاطع مع أن الكتاب طبع لأول مرة 1956م وهو ما دعاني لمراجعة النص الأصلي باللغة الانجليزية الذي بالطبع كان برهاناً على سرحان المترجم 。。。more
Garret Seinen
，
Worthwhile readI found fault in the editing as entire section were repeated， almost duplicated and composition was flawed in some other places。 That said， the author was truly insightful in most of the book。 Particularly I would recommend reading the last chapter after reading the introduction and preface。 To see where the leaves us makes traveling the psychological descriptions much more sensible。
SilverReader
，
Excellent textbook companion to Orwell's "1984"。 Surprisingly， it dived really really deep on all the methods of thought control， with an insightful focus in P。O。W。s。 Excellent textbook companion to Orwell's "1984"。 Surprisingly， it dived really really deep on all the methods of thought control， with an insightful focus in P。O。W。s。 。。。more
Reka Beezy
，
It all makes sense now。 Definitely give this one a read if you’re curious how people can be susceptible to mind control。
ATX
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The core of the strategy of menticide is the taking away of all hope， all anticipation， all belief in a future。 It destroys the very elements which keep the mind alive。 The victim is utterly alone。- Dr。 Joost A。 M。 Meerloo Given the political climate of the day， I wanted to read something about mind control and came across this book by the Dutch author Joost Meerloo。 In it， he explores the brainwashing techniques used by Koreans in their war pitting north against south with China， the Soviet Uni The core of the strategy of menticide is the taking away of all hope， all anticipation， all belief in a future。 It destroys the very elements which keep the mind alive。 The victim is utterly alone。- Dr。 Joost A。 M。 Meerloo Given the political climate of the day， I wanted to read something about mind control and came across this book by the Dutch author Joost Meerloo。 In it， he explores the brainwashing techniques used by Koreans in their war pitting north against south with China， the Soviet Union， as well as the United States involved。 He also covers Nazism， Communism and House Un-American Activities Committee。 If you want to read about totalitarianism of the mind， this is as good a place as any to start。 。。。more
Heather
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Amazing work。 Born in Austria and the only one in his family to survive the holocaust， Dr。 Meerlou became a psychologist and eventually an American citizen who worked extensively on the mental effects and treatments of torture and indoctrination in many applications- military and peacetime detainees， trauma victims， and marketing。 His writings are as relevant today as they were when the Code of Conduct was created for our military in 1954。
Bernie Gourley
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This book， first published in 1956， describes the various tactics used by Totalitarian states， and explores why some people stand up to them better than others。 It discusses brainwashing， menticide （a term coined by the author）， attaining false confessions， and the gamut of tactics of mental submission -- be they active or passive in nature and whether they target individuals or the whole of society。 The author， Joost Meerloo， was a Dutch psychiatrist who fled the Nazis， served as a Colonel and This book， first published in 1956， describes the various tactics used by Totalitarian states， and explores why some people stand up to them better than others。 It discusses brainwashing， menticide （a term coined by the author）， attaining false confessions， and the gamut of tactics of mental submission -- be they active or passive in nature and whether they target individuals or the whole of society。 The author， Joost Meerloo， was a Dutch psychiatrist who fled the Nazis， served as a Colonel and psychiatric expert in the Dutch military-in-exile during the Second World War， and then immigrated to the United States where he taught at Columbia University and continued his research on this subject。The first question a reader might have is whether the book is worth reading， given that it was written so long ago and so many books have come since。 In other words， does it hold up？ It’s true that it’s a little bit of a mixed bag。 On one hand， there’s occasional referencing of psychoanalytic notions that have fallen out of favor （e。g。 Freudian ideas。） On the other hand， I found the section on technology as a means of indoctrination and mass manipulation to be even truer now than it was at the time。 Meerloo was only thinking about radio and television， and couldn’t have imagined how technologies are being infused with lessons from neuroscience to make them， quite literally， addictive -- or how even mass media is being tailored to appeal to various groups （granted this seems to be more demand driven， but its nefarious potential is apparent。） I believe this book is a worthwhile read even more than sixty years later。 The author had a lot of personal interaction with individuals affected by these tactics， and there is a great deal of insight。 The value of the personal insight far outweighs the influence of any outmoded thinking。 Further， I would say that the book is an interesting and informative read even if one isn’t interested in North Korea or any of the few other blatantly authoritarian nations still around today。 If one is interested in questions such as why so many people can believe incorrect notions in the face of overwhelming evidence， this book provides food-for-thought on the topic。 Even if one’s government is not authoritarian， in-groups may use some of these same tactics to influence members’s thinking。 While the book is famous for discussing the cases of the American soldiers brainwashed during the Korean War （i。e。 the basis of the “Manchurian Candidate” novel and original movie [1962，]） Joost uses many examples from the Nazis -- including a little of his personal experience -- as well as Cold War stories （generally focusing on the Soviets， but touching upon the Totalitarian-style tactics of McCarthyism。） There are famous cases like Cardinal Mindszenty， but many lesser known cases with which the reader is unlikely to be familiar。 The book’s eighteen chapters are divided into four parts。 Part I （chapters 1 through 4） expounds upon the tactics used to cause individuals to submit。 Meerloo discusses how false confessions are elicited using techniques from Pavlov’s classical conditioning to drugs to manipulation by doctors to playing on the subject’s guilt。 It should be pointed out that a central idea in this book is that it’s just a matter of time。 It’s an idea that’s revisited later in the book when considering the ethics of sentencing for treason and when evaluating how to best train soldiers to hold out as prisoners of war。 It’s true that some individuals are much more resistant to these techniques but no one holds out forever。 One can become more robust to interrogation， but the idea is to do so in the hope that one can outlast the enemy。 Part II （ch。 5 to 9） discusses techniques for mass submission。 This dives into how totalitarian leaders affect thinking by controlling semantics， the information available to the public， and by using fear through various methods including the surveillance state and show trials。 One key concept is how having spies everywhere isn’t necessarily about gaining information so much as keeping the populace in fear so as to influence their behavior。 It creates a steady state prisoner’s dilemma in which one never knows whether someone is going to roll over on one for his or her own benefit。 Part III （ch。 10 to 14） continues on the theme of mass compliance but with a focus on “unobtrusive coercion。” Running a totalitarian state isn’t all about torture， truth serum， and having spies everywhere。 There is a soft power component to totalitarianism。 This section explores this side of the coin with special attention to the roles of technology and bureaucracy。 These chapters also consider how education and child development can be a tool of the dictator or authoritarian regime， and how indoctrination about concepts of treason and loyalty can be exploited by totalitarian governments。 Part IV （ch。 15 through 18） considers how individuals and societies can make themselves more robust against authoritarian tactics。 This section delves into how members of democratic societies might best think about concepts of loyalty and treason in light of the fact that even the most stoic soldiers and spies can be weakened given enough time。 There is one chapter that mirrors material in part III， except that instead of discussing how totalitarian systems use education to weaken and manipulate， this one suggests how education might be used to make a society of individuals less vulnerable to authoritarian arguments and tactics。 This is also where Meerloo offers analysis of what traits tend to make one more robust to brainwashing and other totalitarian tactics and why。 There is no ancillary matter （i。e。 graphics， appendices， notes， or bibliography） in the edition that I read。 However， I can’t say that it was missed。 The author uses many cases and anecdotes to make the book interesting to read， and much of it comes from the author’s personal knowledge。 I found this book intriguing， and would recommend it。 As I mentioned earlier， one needn’t be exclusively interested in Nazi Germany， Stalinist Soviet Union， or countries like the DPRK （N。 Korea） to find this book interesting。 Sadly， the book has a lot to say of relevance to individuals in modern-day democracies。 。。。more
Amanda
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While dated， this book offers timeless insight into the processes used in mind control of individual as well as mass minds， as the author personally witnessed throughout the Holocaust。 This book will cause you to reconsider your own thought-processes， as well as the guilt-inducing tactics of the media。
AURORA
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Maybe it is not the best book on the topic， there are definitely more significiant and more applicable （up-to-date books）， but I just like how this one is written - the structure， the condensation of ideas， the clarity and delivery of thought， the choice of the words。 This is the first time I read also the table of contents！ Healthy， down to Earth book （no hysteria， no speculation） for mature， （mentaly） introspective humans。 "As in all mass media， we have to be aware of the hypnotizing， seductiv Maybe it is not the best book on the topic， there are definitely more significiant and more applicable （up-to-date books）， but I just like how this one is written - the structure， the condensation of ideas， the clarity and delivery of thought， the choice of the words。 This is the first time I read also the table of contents！ Healthy， down to Earth book （no hysteria， no speculation） for mature， （mentaly） introspective humans。 "As in all mass media， we have to be aware of the hypnotizing， seductive action of any all-penetrating form of communication。 People become fascinated even when they do not want to look on。 We must keep in mind that every step in personal growth needs isolation， needs inner conversation and deliberation and a reviewing with the self。 Television hampers this process and prepares the mind more easily for collectivization and cliche thinking。 It persuades onlookers to think in terms of mass values。 It intrudes into family life and cuts off the more subtle interfamilial communication The world of tomorrow will witness a tremendous battle between technology and psychology。 It will be a fight of technology versus nature， of systematic conditioning versus creative spontaneity。 The veneration of the machine implies the turning of mechanical knowledge into power， into push-button power。 Mechanical instruments of destruction such as the H-bomb have translated the primitive human urge for destruction into large-scale scientific killing。 Now， this destructive potential may become an easy tool for any potentate crazy for power。 Driven by technology， our own world has become more interdependent， and through our dependence on technical knowledge and devices， we ourselves are in danger of delivering our people to the more brutal totalitarians。 This is the actual dilemma of our civilization。 The machine that became a tool of human organization and made possible the conquest of nature， has acquired a dictatorial position。 It has forced people into automatic responses， into rigid patterns and destructive habits。" 。。。more
Dora Perger
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Very interesting book and a useful read in the era of Brexit， Trump and problems with North Korea from a psychologist who survived WW II and studies traitors and collaborators of totalitarian regimes。 Although Meerloo suggests that any human being can be brainwashed based the wiring of our brains， he points towards the solution。 He highlights the characteristics of democracy， which is based on free， independent thinking and basic moral values such as respect for each other and for our difference Very interesting book and a useful read in the era of Brexit， Trump and problems with North Korea from a psychologist who survived WW II and studies traitors and collaborators of totalitarian regimes。 Although Meerloo suggests that any human being can be brainwashed based the wiring of our brains， he points towards the solution。 He highlights the characteristics of democracy， which is based on free， independent thinking and basic moral values such as respect for each other and for our differences。 。。。more
Elizabeth Burton
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I didn't actually finish this， in part because it's stuff I'm already aware of。 However， for those not aware of just how skillfully those in positions of power can manipulate us into doing what they want， it's worth the slow reading to get the basics on how it's done。 I didn't actually finish this， in part because it's stuff I'm already aware of。 However， for those not aware of just how skillfully those in positions of power can manipulate us into doing what they want， it's worth the slow reading to get the basics on how it's done。 。。。more
Yuqian Wang
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Fascinating account of why individualist culture is better at resisting autocracy than societies that place too much emphasis on obedience and collectivism， and why even in democratic societies there is a constant danger that the people may succumb to brainwashing -- because it is just easier on the mind that way。
Martin Pujdak
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Chapter 9 - Fear as a Tool of TerrorThe Fear of LivingIn our era the fear aroused by human relationships is so strong that inertia and mental death often seem more attractive than mental alertness and life。 Classical psychology often spoke of the fear of death and the great unknown as the cause of many anxieties， but modern psychological studies have shown us that the fear of living is a much greater， deeper， and more frightening one。Living often seems beyond our power。 Stepping out of a relativ Chapter 9 - Fear as a Tool of TerrorThe Fear of LivingIn our era the fear aroused by human relationships is so strong that inertia and mental death often seem more attractive than mental alertness and life。 Classical psychology often spoke of the fear of death and the great unknown as the cause of many anxieties， but modern psychological studies have shown us that the fear of living is a much greater， deeper， and more frightening one。Living often seems beyond our power。 Stepping out of a relatively safe childish dependence into freedom and responsibility is both hazardous and dangerous。 Living demands activity and spontaneity， trial and error， sleeping and reawakening， competition and cooperation， adaptation and reorientation。 Living involves manifold relationships， each of which has thousands of implications and complications。 Living takes us away from the dream of being protected and demands that we expose our weaknesses and strengths daily to our fellow men， with all their hostilities as well as their affections。 It requires us to build up useful defenses and then to replace them with others because we have to change our goals and our relationships。 It expects us to be lonely in order to cooperate in freedom。 It asks us to submit and to conquer， to adjust and to rebel。 It robs us of our childhood slumber of satisfaction， and of the magic， omnipotent fantasies of our infancy。 Living requires mutuality of giving and taking。 Above all， to live is to love。 And many people are afraid to take the responsibility of loving， of having an emotional investment in their fellow beings。 They want only to be loved and to be protected; they are afraid of being hurt and rejected。 We can see this clearly in the fact that so many people embrace so fervently all the limitations and frustrations of life that are offered them-the neurotic limitations of the usual prejudices or the totalitarian limitations imposed by power politics。 In his book Escape from Freedom， Erich Fromm describes clearly how the pressures of freedom， when they are not balanced by responsibility and understanding， can drive men into the totalitarian frame of mind and into surrender of their hard-won liberties。 Such surrender is nothing less than a slow mental death。 。。。more
A。J。 Jr。
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