Brainwashing

Brainwashing–also called mind control–is a complex process that overrides a person’s normal beliefs, will, or desires and replaces them with the opinions or will of the person or group doing the brainwashing.

What Is Brainwashing?

Brainwashing is commonly associated with cults and abuse. A cult leader might, for example, present a warm and friendly disposition to gain a person’s trust, then slowly break down the person by calling him or her names, forcing him or her to work, and engaging in other forms of abuse. This abuse might be interspersed with periodic kindness in conjunction with isolation from loved ones, rendering the person completely dependent on the cult leader. Victims of abuse–particularly child sexual abuse–sometimes report that they felt brainwashed by an abuser who, for example, convinced them the abuse was a sign of love. Brainwashing sometimes involves the use of powerful mind-altering drugs to induce feelings of euphoria and hallucinations.

A related concept, Stockholm Syndrome, occurs when a captive begins to empathize with his or her captor and may even collude with the captor.

Brainwashing is not always so extreme. Many media analysts have argued that advertisements and even news reports are a form of brainwashing. For example, an infomercial might repeatedly state the value of the product and insert subtle messages that make a viewer feel inferior without it. Similarly, the news media might choose to take one angle on a story, thus interfering with the viewer’s understanding of the larger world and altering the opinions he or she holds.

Undoing Brainwashing

Once people have identified with an abuser, captor, cult leader, or even a brand through brainwashing, they are often resistant to severing ties. Some groups have established intervention organizations to help cult escapees and other people who have experienced brainwashing.

Reference:

  1. Brainwashing. (n.d.). Rick Ross. Retrieved from http://www.rickross.com/brainwashing.html

Last Updated: 08-4-2015

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  • Jean

    December 18th, 2013 at 7:31 AM

    Would you think that women marriage therapists on the internet, who write long artcles, that scold, blame, and tell women to bow down to their husbands, are brainwashed by male doctrines, and are trying to convince the rest of us women to adopt their way of thinking? 12-17-13

  • Emma

    September 5th, 2018 at 1:40 AM

    Definitely. Those women therapists who keep women down by blaming them for not looking good enough, not trying hard enough, not having sex enough, not keeping the house nice enough and all the other rubbish, are betraying their own sex. They are weak and passive and want other women to be just like them.

  • Elise Gingerich

    January 11th, 2014 at 8:49 AM

    but, if YOU say such things, then YOU are considered to be CRAZY, or Schizophrenic, by others, around YOU! my father, is ALWAYS telling ME, that a lot of times, when I have these USELESS arguments, with him, that I’m Schizophrenic, or CRAZY= brainwashing?! is uselessly arguing, with my father, a form of brainwashing?! THIS is a VERY SCARY society, to LIVE in, because: THIS stuff, is Actually happening, isn’t it?! ALL of THIS brainwashing stuff, IS actually happening= THIS is a VERY SCARY society, WE live in! my mother, she does THIS brainwashing stuff, in small ways, too?! is my mother, doing THIS brainwashing stuff, to ME, in small ways, too?! but: I dare not SAY anything, because: IT sounds like I’m CRAZY! IF I say ANY of THIS, than I’m CRAZY! are MY thoughts, or MY life, REALLY my own, anyways?! I’m just wondering: IS MY life, or MY thoughts, REALLY MY own, anyways, people?!?! scary, just REALLY SCARY!

  • Jean

    January 14th, 2014 at 3:18 PM

    Again, I ask and to others who know how to make a decent response.
    My question is what could be the cause of internet marriage theapists expecting women to do all the work and make all the sacrifices in their marriages.
    It’s a rhetorical question. I have an opinion but would like to hear from others.

  • B. Leigh

    February 5th, 2017 at 6:27 PM

    I too, have been questioning the sexist ways therapy coddled men, and adds more blame and burden on the woman! I’m so glad I’m not the only one who feels this way.

  • Raman

    January 26th, 2018 at 9:07 AM

    I want to breakup with my gf but she she is not leaving me she has mind set in me and she torture me i mentally upset please suggest me the way if mind wash and medicine for it so i can be stress free from it

  • Karan C.

    May 5th, 2018 at 12:45 PM

    Is there any possibility to brainwash the person to another one .
    It’s means one person is brainwash by some one but that person will be able to brain leashing to another person’s?

  • JUDITH J.

    May 22nd, 2018 at 6:51 PM

    I HAVE A SON THAT WHATEVER ONE SAYS HE THINKS YOUR TALKING TO HIM ABOUT TRUMP? LIKE I SENT HIM A TEXT ASKING HIM IF HE GOT TO HEAR/SEE THE ROYAL WEDDING MAIN BISHOP MICHAEL CURRY? HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT “I HEARD IT- IT WAS A GOOD MESSAGE. I DON’T AGREE WITH CHRISTIAN LEADERS GETTING INVOLVED IN POLITICS THOUGH. HIS INCLUSIVE STANCE IS CONTRADICTORY TO HIM LEADING A PROTEST ACROSS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
    MY SON IS AN X-POLICE OFFICER, RETIRED AFTER 22 YEARS LAST YEAR. HOWEVER, HE’S MARRIED TO A PENTECOSTAL FAMILY THAT HAS CONCERNED ME FOR FIFTEEN YEARS.
    HIS WIFE SAYS THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRUE WHEN HE’S JUST WITHIN EARS REACH.
    THIS HAS TO BE BRAINWASHING?
    THANKS
    JJACKSON

  • Jennifer

    February 1st, 2020 at 7:56 PM

    I truly believe that my husband’s sister has brainwashed him. He has done some things that is totally out of his character. Will he be back to normal if he gets away from her.

  • Tammy

    August 23rd, 2020 at 5:51 PM

    looking for someone specifically versed in countering the techniques of fracturization seduction.

  • Vonda

    February 18th, 2021 at 5:58 PM

    Help I have been brainwashed and my mind is being controlled. Is their a technology that controls your mind?

  • Dancer Boy

    July 9th, 2021 at 6:25 AM

    This is very interesting.
    You mentioned your parents being the operator machine for the brainwashed dilemma also the therapist can somehow do brainwashed!
    Sweetheart we are in 2021 now!!!!!
    Do you realize any of this at all?
    YOUR entire life and also everyone else is being brainwashed on different levels. No one is right but very few humans are out there we think they are crazy and stuck for the past of 5 million years ago. no one knows anymore what’s right from wrong and you could get into a deep and hard life misfortune and ended up somewhere at age 50 living alone taking 10 different types of MDS because you let the entire world do this to you, it’s not your dad or your mom but it is the entire system put you and me and everyone else in this muse trap game. DIG MORE DEEPER INTO IT AND DON’T TRUST ANYONE BUT WHAT YOU SEE RIGHT. Only if you are free of any MDS and old enough tot ake care of your self and had no other mental issues you can always see it from so many different areas just let your mind be free out of the box and stop always relying on any statement no matter what sources it came from because life is so simple but they (I DO NOT WANT TO SAY WHOM) want you and everyone else to belive their stories. if they said they followed the book, the book its self is so crocked and it was made by a twisted mind humn.

  • Would like to be annonomus at this point first name Lisa

    January 7th, 2022 at 5:17 PM

    I am looking for someone who is a trained professional with experience in helping adult recover and deal with damaging effects from brain washing/mind control by close family members also stockholmes syndrome. Family violence , family sexual violence, abusive relationships, child & adult sexual abuse & sexual trauma , ptsd , smiling depression also anxiety , sexual abuse & neglect from close family members and an two incidents of sexual abuse and sexual violence from government body’s one in the mental health system also abuse and sexual violence instructed from Sapol and sapol also neglect of duty of care ,dealing with corruption within sapol and ambulance services on a number of occasions also an incident of sexual abuse in mental health faculty, neglect and abuse within the government mental health system , identifying abuse, parenting neglect of sexual abuse due to stockholmes syndrome and mind control , complacency, dealing with isolation deformation of character by multiple narcissistic abusers from multiple family members and partners due exposure and experience from my family exhibiting years of family violence and mind control used on my abusers , grief and loss, dv abuse and sexual trauma , parental alienation , flash backs , memory problems and amnesia and dissociation due to experience of drug violence from a very young age dealing with guilt , shame , lack of support , troubles sticking up for myself, troubles with self sabotage, risk taking behaviour, self education of own mental health issues ,abandonment issues , 12,plus years of false accusations of mental health issues with no formal 291 full psychiatric assessment, trauma bonds , emotional healing,repairing relationships with adult child who have also suffered the above , repair of bond with 6 year old who has suffered the above, identifying human rights , dealing with sexual and emotional humiliation , bullying,
    Troubles Expressing emotions , correct emotions responses, passiveness , ptsd, coping mechanisms. Has over come by myself anorexia in 20’s also obsessive compulsive disorder diagnosed by gp, bulemia, suicidal ideation and attempts . flight response , tourture , physical abuse from parent also sexual , gaslighting , mind games , experience of care and love from abusers , anger issues I’ve over come and become passive , trust issues , trust easily issues , trust wrong people issues, feelings of despair and hopelessness, over sharing , under sharing , confusion , self esteem issues , engaging in permiscuis behaviour, feelings of self hatred , hopelessness, dealing with stress , emotional and mental break downs , nervous breakdowns , suffered ongoing
    Verbal abuse , being a target of abuse , figuring out web of abuse by help of the most controlling abuser , protecting abusers , not being believed , neglected from young age , memories from 2 years old , substance abuse , substance addiction in past , still dealing with feelings of separation anxiety from 5.5 years ago , being out of control and verbally abusing oldest daughter , failing to cope/provide/facilitate/adiquate care for oldest daughter/ telling her to tell other family members as I was not able to properly and appropriately deal with sexual abuse issues and neglected her emotional needs , unable to express myself when time is appropriate, feelings of being overwhelmed, going blank , forgetting, lack of self worth and lack of understanding in self and by family , constantly denied rights and punished as a child for telling truth , seeking help , over looked by primary school care takers due to mind control, alienated at school for sharing sexual abuse but not knowing it was not normal at the time , false teachings from abuser, brain damage from trauma , unable to always make appropriate decisions and life long effects on all areas of my life, un healthy attitudes towards sexual intercourse , survival mode on going , breaking point , unable to healthily sustain financial stability in the work force , loss of self confidence by repeated attempts to seek support , accused of having psychotic episodes when victim of abuse by mental health workers, being denied of appropriate health care , hand balling effect , encouraged to gain support by abusers, repeated cycle of malicious attacks and false evidence produced over a number of years, when I am progressing in a positive way,
    Currently seeking help and support, non biased diagnosis , non biast counselling and support with understanding of pedophile cult and the disorder and the understanding that my abusers have been victims at some stage but also have turned abusive under years of repeated mind control abuse and inability to identify and help self .. this is my understanding, Thankyou for your patience and taking the time to try and identify and understand which areas of support i will need as I am willing to potentially gain help and support from different sources under the psychiatric and /or psychotherapy umbrella as I do realise I will not get a holistic approach from any one person or service. I have over shared today as I am experiencing the effects of parental alienation, anger from younger daughter , dv abuse and gaslighting in the past few hours and in the past have been asked by mental health worker how I can be supported. This is my understanding with little knowledge but have been able to identify and express as best I can to gain appropriate information and avoid further disappointment which I fear could potentially destroy me once and for all as my main priority is helping my self so I can properly and presently have an active roll in my daughters life and have the confidence and skills to do so despite the odds against me.

  • Sheryl Ann

    February 13th, 2022 at 6:33 PM

    Im worried about my brother as he is type 1 diabetes and he is not listening to me and our dad anymore , as he is constant listening to our late mum ,mum all the time and i feel we are losing my brother to the gran now as he has learning diffcultys and he is constant brainwashed everytime he sees the gran

  • pravina

    August 13th, 2022 at 8:11 AM

    I sure for that I have a such a problem like brain washing…I can live my best life but.. I can’t understand how it become slowly washer mind..and after sometime I can’t understand any situation and become ill mind…I also can’t understand about my good situated life or neither to my self..neither any person not also my son and husband to identify not also my mother and

  • Hernadez

    September 15th, 2022 at 10:43 AM

    I BELIVE THAT MY GRAND POPPY HAS BEEN BRAINWASHNG ME. HE USED TO LOVE ME AND SHOWER ME WITH LOVE BUT NOW I FEEL IM LOSING IT. HE TELLS MW IM CRAXY AND THAT IF I DONT STOP THENHELL SEND ME AWAY. HE YELL AT ME FOR HOURS A DAY MAKING ME LATE FOR SDHOOL BOUTN HOW IM SYCOTIC. BUT MY FRIENDS TELL ME HES LIENG THEN POPPY YELLS AT ME FOR NOT HAVING ANY FRIEND. HE JUST CANT SEE EM. DOES ANYONE BELIVE THAT HES BRAINWASHING ME? sorry i had all caps on

  • Erica

    March 22nd, 2023 at 2:40 PM

    What do any of your comments above have to do with real Mk ULTRA Brainwashing?
    I happen to be an MK ULTRA victim !
    Someone came to me in my head under psychological warfare and told me my life has been altered by others , calling theirself Handlers

  • Michelle

    April 2nd, 2024 at 9:55 AM

    I am a late discovery adoptee and a survivor of severe parental abuse. My adoptive mother was an alcoholic and a narcissist. She also had some sadistic traits that were, unfortunately, reserved exclusively for me. She died in 2010. My adoptive parents illegally adopted me when I was a newborn; they never even bothered to tell me that I was adopted. Instead, they pretended I was their biological child and made their family lie on their behalf. I accidentally discovered the truth in 2017 (at age 40) after I got a DNA match on Ancestry to one of my full siblings. (we’re now happily reunited, BTW!) My adoptive mother was abusive towards me from my earliest years. She programmed me to be perpetually fearful of her and would periodically follow through with her threats with physical abuse. Over the years, she had certain phrases and actions that she used to trigger this fear in me to maintain full control over me. I never knew if her threats would be followed up with abuse or not. It was like walking on eggshells every minute of my entire life. I carried this burden with me every day of my life until I finally made the DNA discovery in 2017. That was the final straw for me. To this day, and despite years of therapy and her passing away, I am still working to deprogram myself from this severe abuse. Since my healing process started in 2018, I don’t think anyone who has not lived through something like this can really understand the profound impact this kind of abuse has on a child and how warped my view of the world was as a result (because of my adoptive mother’s constant manipulation.) I’ve been asked why I didn’t just run away or why I didn’t tell someone what was happening. It seems so simple, but it’s far from that. Even though a part of me knew what was happening was wrong on some level, I also felt deeply obligated to protect my family’s image and to make sure nobody ever found out the truth. I even lied on their behalf to ensure none of their secrets were ever discovered. After my adoption discovery, I began questioning my adoptive father about all of these issues. He didn’t like that. LOL! I eventually had to go no contact with him because he refused to acknowledge any of this or even apologize. Child abusers need to be held accountable! Same for the people who enable and protect them. I will spend the rest of my life trying to heal and find peace. It’s not fair. NO child should ever have to live through something like this.

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