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Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism

A Study of 'Brainwashing' in China

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Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism

By: Robert Jay Lifton
Narrated by: Bobby Brill
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Informed by Erik Erikson's concept of the formation of ego identity, this book, which first appeared in 1961, is an analysis of the experiences of 15 Chinese citizens and 25 Westerners who underwent "brainwashing" by the Communist Chinese government. 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."

©1961 Robert Jay Lifton (P)2022 Licensing Management, Inc. Asia China Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
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Really wanted to like this. Started brilliantly. Alas, the brilliant observations made by Lifton are buried quite deep in an all-over-the-place book that must have seemed great at the time but now reads as a bit of a missed opportunity - fascinating personal and national history interfered with by outdated psychoanalysis that won’t get out of the way.

Uneven, dated and frustrating

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