Mind-Control Techniques Remain with Us in Social Media, Cults, AI, Elsewhere, New Book Argues

Mind-control techniques remain with us in social media, cults, AI, elsewhere, new book argues

Brainwashing is often viewed as a Cold War relic—think '60s films like "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The IPCRESS File."

Brainwashing? Like Frank Sinatra’s ‘Manchurian Candidate’? — Harvard Gazette

Rebecca Lemov.Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Nation & World Brainwashing? Like ‘The Manchurian Candidate’? More than vestige of Cold War, mind-control techniques remain with us in social media, cults, AI, elsewhere, new book argues Liz Mineo Harvard Staff Writer June 16, 2025 7 min read Brainwashing is often viewed as a Cold War relic — think ’60s films like “The Manchurian Candid…

Does America have a Manchurian Candidate Problem?

A Manchurian Candidate, as initially defined in Richard Condon’s 1959 novel and the 1966 movie, is a nation’s leader controlled by that country’s enemy. These works of fiction played on the fear of a Communist takeover of America by Russia or China, a conspiracy worthy of being promoted by QAnon. However, over time, the term has evolved to […]