Lifton s 8 criteria for thought reform temporarily energize or exhilarate, but which at the same time pose the gravest of human threats. The harvard mental health letter volume 7, number 8 february 1981, reprinted in aff news vol. Below is an edited excerpt from chapter 22 of robert jay lifton s book, thought reform and the psychology of totalism. Thought reform and the psychology of totalism robert jay. Robert jay lifton criteria for thought reform cult recovery 101. Full text of thought reform and the psychology of totalism. Liftons 8 criteria for thought reform rosanne henry. Robert j lifton speaks about thought reform methods. Keep the person unaware of what is going on and how she or he is being changed a step at a time. Thought reform and the psychology of totalism robert jay lifton download bok. Full text of thought reform and the psychology of totalism see other formats. Pdf lifton thought reform of chinese intellectuals a psychiatric. Pdf format thought reform and the psychology of totalism a study brainwashing in china robert jay lifton right here, we have countless book thought reform and the psychology of totalism a study brainwashing in china robert jay lifton and collections to check out. D below is an edited excerpt from chapter 22 of robert jay liftons book,thought reform and the psychology.
Robert jay liftons eight criteria of thought reform as. Read thought reform and the psychology of totalism. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. The basics liftons eight criteria of thought reform open. Cults represent one aspect of a worldwide epidemic of ideological totalism, or fundamentalism. For instance, when i was studying chinese communist thought reform, one priest was falsely accused of being a spy, and was under physical duress really tortured with chains and in. Mar 18, 2017 liftons 1961 book thought reform and the psychology of totalism. D six conditions for thought reform margaret thaler singer, ph. Robert jay liftons eight criteria of thought reform.
Lifton s eight principles of thought reform are as insightful and relevant today as when he initially presented this is a thick read, but moves at a good pace, and the author is a great writernothing dry or repeated, just a presentation of his amazing study of survivors of the chinese thought reform prisons and schools. Sep 27, 2015 thought reform and the psychology of totalism. He was an early proponent of the techniques of psychohistory. This post introduces and overviews robert jay liftons eight criteria for totalitarian thought reform. Robert jay lifton, revolutionary immortality, and the chinese. Thought reform and the psychology of totalism a study. A study of brainwashing in china by robert jay lifton in fb2, fb3, rtf download ebook. Liftons research for the book began in 1953 with a series of interviews with. A study of brainwashing in china lifton, robert jay on. Apr 12, 2020 2012, robert jay lifton, thought reform and the psychology of totalism, page 248. In addition to interviews with 25 americans, lifton also interviewed 15. A study of brainwashing in china, by robert jay lifton, m. Thought reform and the psychology of totalism download pdf.
Now, after twentyeight years, my own sense of this book has changed. In hong kong for 195455, lifton carried out extensive interviews with both chinese and foreign survivors of captivity, solitary confinement, and torture psychological variety in chinese jails. We additionally have enough money variant types and. Robert j lifton speaks about thought reform methods robert j lifotn speaks about the psychology of thought reform and methods involved. This involves the control of information and communication both within the environment and, ultimately, within the individual, resulting in a significant degree of isolation from society at large.
Robert lifton constructs these case histories through personal interviews and outlines a thematic pattern of death and rebirth, accompanied by feelings of guilt, that characterizes the process of thought reform in a new preface, lifton addresses the implications of his model for the study of american religious cults. Milieu control the most basic feature of the thought reform environment, the psychological current upon which all else depends, is the control of human communication. From an analysis of two french priests who had been subjected to brainwashing, he identified the following processes used on them. Jan 21, 2016 does aa use thought control and fit the liftons eight criteria of thought reform. Thought reform and the psychology of totalism by robert jay lifton book resume. Robert lifton constructs these case histories through personal interviews and outlines a thematic pattern of death and rebirth, accompanied by feelings of guilt, that characterizes the process of thought reform. A study of brainwashing in china, based on this research, was a study of coercive techniques used in the peoples republic of china that he labelled thought reform or brainwashing, though he preferred the former term. Indeed, the control of stimuli impinging upon the individual creates the optimum psychological disposition for successful reform.
Lifton s research for the book began in 1953 with a series of interviews with american servicemen who had been held captive during the korean war. First presented in chapter 22 of his seminal work, thought reform and the psychology of totalism, this list can be used to measure the level of coercion not only in groups but in relationships, families, and even in. Changing beliefs with thought reform thought reform was robert jay liftons term for the systematic change of peoples beliefs and attitudes by the chinese communist government. The basics liftons eight criteria of thought reform. Oct 18, 2017 robert lifton constructs these case histories through personal interviews and outlines a thematic pattern of death and rebirth, accompanied by feelings of guilt, that characterizes the process of thought reform. A study of brainwashing in china was instrumental in my deprogramming form the moon. Robert jay lifton is an american psychiatrist and author, chiefly known for his studies of the psychological causes and effects of war and political violence and for his theory of thought reform. If you want to study lifton and i think it is well worth. They tend to be associated with a charismatic leader, thought reform, and exploitation of. He called the method used thought reform, and offered the following eight methods that are used to change peoples minds. As a group, they could not show as wide a spectrum of responses to thought reform as the westerners whom i interviewed, for they were all essentially thought reform failures. Experts in the study of thought reform agree that this element is the most basic feature of the thoughtreform environment delgado, society, p.
Robert jay lifton was one of the early psychologists to study brainwashing and mind control. Lifton, a psychiatrist and distinguished professor at the city university of new york, has studied the psychology of extremism for decades. His 1961 book, thought reform and the psychology of totalism. The following excerpt is used with permission from robert jay liftons the future of immortality and other essays for a nuclear age new york, basic books, 1987 is a concise explanation of liftons eight criteria for defining mind control. Robert jay lifton born may 16, 1926 is an american psychiatrist and author, chiefly known for his studies of the psychological causes and effects of wars and political violence, and for his theory of thought reform. Lifton s famous eight criteria for thought control are. Steven hassan shares robert jay liftons 8 criteria of thought reform brainwashing where he frames his comments in relation to ideological totalism. All communication with outside world is limited, either being strictly filtered or completely cut off. A study of brainwashing in china is a nonfiction book by psychiatrist robert jay lifton on the psychology of mind control lifton s research for the book began in 1953 with a series of interviews with american servicemen who had been held captive during the korean war. Thought reform and the psychology of totalism download. Thought reform and the psychology of totalism robert jay lifton. Liftons eight criteria of thought reform and aa mind control.
Liftons famous eight criteria for thought control are. Aspects of selfidentity are systematically attacked. Read thought reform and the psychology of totalism a study of brainwashing in china by robert jay lifton available from rakuten kobo. This study began as a psychiatric evaluation of chinese communist thought reform, or brainwashing. Lifton in his extremely influential 1961 book, thought reform robert jay liftons eight criteria of. Lifton s 8 criteria for thought reform every issue in ones life can be reduced to a single set of principles that have an inner coherence to the point that one can claim the experience of truth and feel it the pattern of doctrine over person occurs when there is a conflict between what one feels oneself experiencing and what the doctrine or ideology says one should. Thought reform and the psychology of totalism wikipedia. If this writing were a film, it would be based on or inspired by the writings of robert jay lifton.
If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Liftons essays, exploring the complex legal, historical, political and psychological dimensions of americas military response to 911. Indeed, the control of stimuli impinging upon the individual creates the optimum psychological disposition for. On the latest podcast that i have done with jon stewart who blogs at we discuss the idea of thought control or thought reform, being part of aa. While seemingly separate, political and religious cults can have similar psychological patterns. Return to table of contents milieu control the most basic feature is the control of human communication within an environment. Robert jay lifton primary author only author division. When defining thought reform, we look to two experts in the field. In a new preface, lifton addresses the implications of his model for the study of american religious cults. A study of brainwashing in china book online at best prices in india on. Lessons from the hunger games 5a dystopian dynamics, totalitarian tactics, and. Access to society journal content varies across our titles. Lifton discusses how chinese communist thought reform, a group of political extremism, relates to the trump movement.
I see it as less a specific record of maoist china and more an. Experts in the study of thought reform agree that this element is the most basic feature of the thought reform environment delgado, society, p. A study of brainwashing in china is a nonfiction book by psychiatrist robert jay lifton on the psychology of mind control. Bibliography robert jay lifton thought reform and the psychology of totalism a study of brainwashing in china, norton, 1961. Robert jay lifton together confused seeing uncertain one reason that i embarked on a study of nazi doctors was that in this personal journey, i had the feeling increasingly that i did want to do a holocaust study and that increasingly i wanted it to be of perpetrators, which i thought was more needed. If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box. Informed by erik eriksons concept of the formation of ego identity, this book, which first appreared in 1961, is an analysis of the experiences of fifteen chinese citizens and twentyfive westerners who underwent brainwashing by the communist chinese government. Liftons 8 criteria for thought reform every issue in ones life can be reduced to a single set of principles that have an inner coherence to the point that one can claim the experience of truth and feel it the pattern of doctrine over person occurs when there is a conflict between what one feels oneself experiencing and what the doctrine or ideology says one should. Robert jay lifton is currently considered a single author. Excerpted from thought reform and the psychology of totalism by robert jay lifton, chapter 22 ideological totalism. Article information, pdf download for robert jay lifton. Robert jay liftons eight criteria for identifying authoritarian cults by brad sargent may 2012 the following material appeared in a threepart miniseries within a larger series on thought control, toxic churches, and lessons from the hunger games trilogy. Robert jay lifton, thought reform and the psychology of totalism.
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