Bibliograph

Thought reform and the psychology of totalism:, a study of "brainwashing" in China, Robert Jay Lifton

Type

Label

Thought reform and the psychology of totalism:, a study of "brainwashing" in China, Robert Jay Lifton

Language

eng

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Thought reform and the psychology of totalism:

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Responsibility statement

Robert Jay Lifton

Sub title

a study of "brainwashing" in China

Summary

Informed by Erik Erikson's 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 twenty-five 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." In a new preface, Lifton addresses the implications of his model for the study of American religious cults

Target audience

adult

Classification