Dear Friends:
The question that you are begging to ask is: "HAVE I EVER BEEN BRAINWASHED?" And, of course, there is its cousin (questions occasionally have cousins)..."HOW CAN I TELL WHETHER OR NOT I'VE BEEN BRAINWASHED?" The general answer is, that, to a certain extent, each of us has indeed been somewhat brainwashed, simply by virtue of our exposure to other persons in our lives, and through the media. If you refine the question to include only deliberate, hostile brainwashing (e.g., the type characterized in the previous two posts), then there are some signs to look for which may be indicative of the brainwashing experience.
The question that you are begging to ask is
1. Missing Time -- The phenomenon of realizing that you have spent hours or days for which you cannot seem to account.
2. Phobias -- Inexplicable fears which do not seem to be based upon memories of negative prior experiences.
3. Recurring Nightmares -- Frightening dreams with consistent thematic content.
4. Compulsions -- Many persons engage in compulsive behaviors and rituals to some extent. But if you are compelled to engage in a ritual or repetitive type of conduct that involves something that cannot simply be rationalized by typical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), then you may be reacting to a deeply implanted suggestion.
5. Insensitivity to Physical Pain or Extreme Temperatures -- This is a very common characteristic associated with a response to profound physical torture accompanying combative brainwashing.
6. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder -- If you are significantly symptomatic for PTSD, but completely unable to identify the causal experience or stressor/s which brought it into being, you might have suffered some deeply-embedded psychological manipulation.
There are many other behaviors which may be symptomatic of brainwashing. Victims of brainwashing, in the most unfortunate circumstances, become psychotic or suicidal. One analogy which I particularly like is that a brainwashed person is like a computer which has been invaded by a virus or "worm" which causes robotic enslavement (e.g., where the machine becomes a "drone" serving a remote master), and which ultimately causes the hard drive to burn itself up.
The human psyche is very complex and very delicate. Brainwashing invariably involves the insertion, by trickery or force, of programming which is inconsistent with the basic nature of the victim's personality. This prolonged, unresolved conflict is what ultimately precipitates psychosis and suicidality. Forced, brutal re-programming of the human mind will always have significant behavioral consequences. There is a great difference between being convinced and being brainwashed -- you become convinced voluntarily.
Faithfully,
Douglas Castle
