Jump to content

Brainwash: The Secret History of Mind Control

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brainwash: The Secret History of Mind Control
First edition
AuthorDominic Streatfeild
Published2006
PublisherHodder & Stoughton
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Pages440 pp
ISBN0-340-83161-8
Preceded byCocaine: An Unauthorized Biography (2002) 

Brainwash: The Secret History of Mind Control (ISBN 0-340-83161-8) is a 2006 non-fiction book published by Hodder & Stoughton about the evolution of brainwashing from its origins in the Cold War through to the War on Terror.[1][2][3][4][5] The author, Dominic Streatfeild, uses formerly classified documentation and interviews from the CIA,[6] U.S. Army, MI5, MI6 and British Intelligence Corps to investigate the methods intended to destroy and reconstruct the minds of captives, to extract information and convert dissidents. Brainwash is Streatfeild's second book, following on from his 2002 book, Cocaine: An Unauthorised Biography.

Brainwash covers a wide range of disturbing techniques used to subvert the human will, ranging from inducing chemical imbalance through stressing (wall standing, hooding and malnutrition), sensory deprivation, hypnosis, the 'Deep Narcosis' therapy employed by Dr William Sargant and Ewan Cameron, subliminal messaging, socialisation and various forms of brainwashing.

The author investigates the use of these techniques by the CIA, British Intelligence Services (against the IRA), the KGB, large corporations, the Moonies and various Satanic abuse trials in the 1980s and 1990s.

Brainwash details the work carried out by William Sargant and Donald Ewan Cameron (both now deceased) on the MKULTRA project before becoming disillusioned with the results after the pair had destroyed the health, memories and lives of countless patients.

Samuel Johnson Award

[edit]

Post publication, Brainwash was nominated for the Samuel Johnson Prize in 2007.[7] The book was then longlisted and ultimately shortlisted for the 2007 prize but lost out to Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "TLS - Times Literary Supplement". Archived from the original on 15 June 2011.
  2. ^ "Et cetera: Sep 23". TheGuardian.com. 23 September 2006.
  3. ^ Delaney, Tim (2007). "Brainwash: The Secret History of Mind Control". Library Journal. 132 (4): 95. ISSN 0363-0277.
  4. ^ Driscoll, Brendan (15 March 2007). "Brainwash: The Secret History of Mind Control". Booklist. 103 (14): 6. ISSN 0006-7385.
  5. ^ Freckelton, Ian (July 2008). "Brainwash: The Secret History of Mind Control". Psychiatry, Psychology & Law. 15 (2): 358–360. doi:10.1080/13218710802195375. ISSN 1321-8719.
  6. ^ The Intelligence Officer's Bookshelf
  7. ^ "Brainwash by Dominic Streatfeild | Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction | the UK's most Prestigious non-fiction award | the UK's richest non-fiction prize". Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
[edit]