Dark Persuasion

A History of Brainwashing from Pavlov to Social Media

By: Joel E. Dimsdale

Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin

Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

A harrowing account of brainwashing's pervasive role in the 20th and 21st centuries

This gripping book traces the evolution of brainwashing from its beginnings in torture and religious conversion into the age of neuroscience and social media. When Pavlov introduced scientific approaches, his research was enthusiastically supported by Lenin and Stalin, setting the stage for major breakthroughs in tools for social, political, and religious control.

Tracing these developments through many of the past century's major conflagrations, Dimsdale narrates how when World War II erupted, governments secretly raced to develop drugs for interrogation. Brainwashing returned to the spotlight during the Cold War in the hands of the North Koreans and Chinese. In response, a huge Manhattan Project of the Mind was established to study memory obliteration, indoctrination during sleep, and hallucinogens. Cults used the techniques, as well. Nobel laureates, university academics, intelligence operatives, criminals, and clerics all populate this shattering and dark story - one that hasn't yet ended.

©2021 Joel E. Dimsdale (P)2021 Tantor

i would like more info about social media influenc

the book shows the influence of psycholocal research on brainwashing and how cults and hostage takers can control their victims, however on the effects of social media is rather thin.
I worth remembering 3 D of brainwashing Dependency Debility Dread

very nicely done

I listened to some of his presentations on YouTube before buying this. i greatly appreciated the author's even handed, clearly stated professional opinions re: the subject of groups united by their beliefs in collective delusions delusions. Regardless, the implications of the destructive effects of THOSE beliefs. Certaily mankind has nothing to be proud of in our susceptibility to these irrational beliefs. I have suffered a lifetime of PTSD symptoms, because of my parents' Pentecostalism. this book is not self help, but it's very informative

So relevant to us all

This book has Hidden truths about the mind control of humanity. Dark history but so fascinating learning about how we humans’ minds do function.

good book but it says little about social media

the book is good and offers analysis and factoids pertaining to the MKULTRA experiments and cults like the Jim Jones and Marshall Applewhite ones among others. It gets 4/5 stars because I find the title deceptive. The book says very little about social media.

Great

Absolutely loved it. The author filled in a lot of holes in my understanding.

I'm disappointed

If you're interested in learning how governments utilize social media to brainwash the populace, this book isn't for you. This book discusses the history of brainwashing.

enjoyable and engaging, but lacks scientific depth

it is largely narrative based rather than analytic. it fails to investigate how free contemporary civilization is, or what the upsides of conformity might be

Worn and Fuzzy

Dr. Martin's over-qualifying almost everything dissipates his points. That is, he doesn't have a personal center from which he evaluates the events he describes. All the way through the book it seems implicit: Who's to say what "normal" is. How could one look at the imbecility of the Heaven's Gate cult and not come to the conclusion it was a group willfully following a complete fool who had the gift of gab? Due to this non-judgmental mindset the thrust of the good doctor's conclusions are fuzzy. Another thing . . . he writes that "brainwashing" is an inadequate word coined after the Korean War, which the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders refutes. (Psychiatry's precious guidebook that is always playing with words and phrases.) But it's a damn good generic word, easily understood by us non-clinicians, and a word the good doctor himself uses over and over again in his writing. This book is worthwhile in spots but not overall. It's greatest strength, in my opinion, is for understanding the history leading up to events and clinical procedures.