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  1. Brainwashing - Wikipedia

    Brainwashing is also a colloquial term that refers in general to psychological techniques that manipulate action or thought against a person's will, desire, or knowledge.

  2. How Brainwashing Works - HowStuffWorks

    Sep 7, 2023 · In the brainwashing process, the agent systematically breaks down the target's identity to the point that it falls apart. The agent then replaces it with another set of behaviors, attitudes and …

  3. Brainwashing | Cults, Indoctrination, Manipulation | Britannica

    Brainwashing, systematic effort to persuade nonbelievers to accept a certain allegiance, command, or doctrine. A colloquial term, it is more generally applied to any technique designed to manipulate …

  4. Is Brainwashing Possible? Here's What History Says

    Feb 1, 2025 · In short, brainwashing is largely pseudoscience. The concept is no longer taken seriously by most psychologists, and it’s no longer generally admissible as a defense in U.S. criminal courts.

  5. How to Recognize and Avoid Brainwashing - wikiHow

    Oct 19, 2024 · While forms of hypnosis may be used in brainwashing, hypnosis is not synonymous with brainwashing. Brainwashing uses a superficial system of reward and punishment to affect its victims, …

  6. BRAINWASHING Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

    The meaning of BRAINWASHING is a forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up basic political, social, or religious beliefs and attitudes and to accept contrasting regimented ideas.

  7. Brainwashing in Psychology: Definition, Methods, and Impact

    Sep 15, 2024 · Explore the psychological aspects of brainwashing, including its definition, mechanisms, techniques, contexts, and impact on mental health and recovery.

  8. It’s Always the Other Side That’s Been Brainwashed

    Mar 31, 2025 · It wasn’t so long ago that respectable psychologists didn’t really talk about “brainwashing.” The term had the slightly kitschy flavor of other Cold War embarrassments—C.I.A. …

  9. Brainwashing | Springer Nature Link (formerly SpringerLink)

    Dec 13, 2025 · Brainwashing is a method of mental control that uses external influences to instill special thoughts and values different from conventional ones in others, in order to manipulate them …

  10. The history and science behind why we're all vulnerable to brainwashing

    Jun 9, 2025 · We tend to associate “brainwashing” with cults and hostages, but author and science historian Rebecca Lemov says it can happen to anyone. Her new book “The Instability of Truth" …