Difference between revisions of "Brainwashing"
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*[http://people.howstuffworks.com/brainwashing1.htm How Brainwashing Works] by Julia Layton | *[http://people.howstuffworks.com/brainwashing1.htm How Brainwashing Works] by Julia Layton | ||
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Revision as of 21:46, December 18, 2008
Brainwashing refers to any system of involuntary indoctrination technique. The word was first used by CIA operative Edgar Hunter to describe "re-education" practices used on prisoners of war by the Communist Chinese during the Korean War[1]. An investigation by the American Psychological Associations in the 1980s ended with the conclusion that "mind control" was not a scientifically viable theory.[2]
The Heist
A 10 minute YouTube video showing the highlights of the experiment, including the robberies, is available here.
British psychological illusionist Derren Brown has demonstrated however that the power of suggestion can be used to make subjects cross the line between normal and deviant behaviour. His technique often revolves around the nature and process of persuasion, and highlights how little it takes to push people into behaviour that is designated, and known by the subjects to be, anti-social. Quoting counter-culture artist Banksy, Brown has observed that "...more crimes are committed in the name of obedience than disobedience. And generally far worse crimes."
In his TV experiment The Heist Brown set out to "persuade" a group of responsible, middle-management businessmen and women to steal £100,000 in an armed robbery in the City of London. Using Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) Brown aimed to instill a feeling of invincibility, risk-taking and "want, take, have" in his subjects, a feeling which could later be triggered by certain cues - specifically in this experiment the colour green, a security van and the Jackson Five song "Can You Feel It?" Throughout the (relatively short) period of "conditioning", there was no mention of committing a crime to the participants, and they were at no stage directly or consciously instructed to carry out the robbery: there was no hypnosis involved, and the subjects had to carry out the robbery of their own "choice", albeit after receiving the implanted suggestions and cues from Brown.
The heist opportunity is constructed in central London on Gresham Street where a security van with actors playing the security guards awaits each individual subject. One by one they walk down the street, and a car playing the Jackson Five song loudly on the stereo is cued to drive past. The first participant, Victoria, a previously law-abiding press officer, pulls the replica firearm Brown previously handed out at the seminar on what she believes to be a genuine security guard and very calmly instructs: "I think you should get on the floor". Out of the four subjects, 3 actually committed the armed robbery.
References in popular culture
- The Manchurian Candidate - POW programmed to commit murder on signal [3]
- The Family Man - "Promise you won't kidnap me and my brother and plant stuff in our brains?" [3]
External Links
- How Brainwashing Works by Julia Layton
Notes
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ "The story was about a joint Soviet-Chinese plot to take an American soldier captured in Korea, condition him at a special brainwashing center located in Manchuria, and create a remote-controlled assassin who was supposed to kill the President of the United States." The Search for the Manchurian Candidate: The CIA and Mind Control, by John Marks
