Mind-control techniques once reserved for warfare and cults are now woven into the fabric of everyday life. Historian of science Rebecca Lemov draws from her new book The Instability of Truth to examine their myriad forms. Based on research spanning secret government archives, Cold War experiments, and high-profile legal cases such as that of Patty Hearst, she traces mind control from the techniques used against American POWs in North Korea to the “soft” brainwashing of social media.
In an increasingly data-driven world, says Lemov, anyone can fall victim to mind control. She identifies invasive forms of emotional engineering that exploit trauma and addiction to coerce and persuade in everyday life and how the idea of mind control has spread across the globe and penetrated courtrooms, secret labs, military schools, and today’s digital sites.
Lemov’s book, The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-Persuasion (W. W. Norton & Company), is available for purchase.
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