Brainwashing theories: origins, application in the military field, and to religious groups, up to their discredit. Are mind control theories making a comeback?
Brainwashing
Brainwashing, Italian-Style: Some Want the “Plagio” Back
Some things return every year, such as the swallows, the primroses, and proposals by anti-cultists to re-introduce anti-brainwashing statutes in Italy.
Brainwashing, Italian-Style: “It Does Not Exist,” Said the Constitutional Court
In 1981, the Constitutional Court ruled in the case of a Catholic priest accused of manipulating his followers, and concluded “plagio” was an imaginary crime.
Brainwashing, Italian-Style: The Braibanti Case
When judges in 1968 found a Communist gay philosopher guilty of “brainwashing” its pupils into homosexuality, a national controversy erupted.
Brainwashing, Italian-Style: The Fascist Law on “Plagio”
In 1930, Mussolini’s Justice Minister Rocco introduced in Italian law a provision against mind control that would last until 1981.
Brainwashing, Italian-Style: The Birth of “Plagio”
The Constitutional Court eliminated in 1981 a provision that incriminated mind control. It had a long history, from Roman to Italian law.
When Even Comics Were Accused of “Brainwashing”– Part II
Dr. Wertham’s successful campaign to prohibit certain comics in the U.S. largely relied on mental manipulation theories.
When Even Comics Were Accused of “Brainwashing”– Part I
Crusades to ban a literature accused of “brainwashing the masses” show how far faulty theories of mental manipulation could go.
Are “Brainwashing” Theories Coming Back?
Discredited since the 1990s, theories that “cults” use mind control techniques are still promoted by anti-cultists, and now applied to QAnon and Trump.
The Fall of “Brainwashing” Theories in the Late Twentieth Century
Scholars of new religious movements succeeded in marginalizing mind control theories applied to religion. U.S. courts of law said they were right.