TEHRAN- A Persian translation of Dutch medicine and psychoanalyst Joost Abraham Maurits Meerloo’s 1956 book “The Rape of the Mind: The Psychology of Thought Control, Menticide, and Brainwashing” has recently been published by Qoqnus Publications in Tehran.

The book has been translated into Persian by Kia Soleimani. 

In "The Rape of the Mind", Meerloo delves into the dark realm of mental coercion, exploring the transformation of the human mind into a submissive, responding machine. This phenomenon, prevalent in both cultural undercurrents and deliberate experiments driven by a particular ideology, is an ancient yet ongoing crime, dating back to prehistoric times. The term "rape of the mind" conveys the concept of overwhelming and violating one's mental integrity.

The book examines the dangers of free cultural interplay being threatened by enforced mental intrusion. Meerloo sheds light on the methods of brainwashing and mental torture, revealing how totalitarian regimes imprint their subjective "truth" on others' minds through systematic mental pressure. He argues that these methods are not merely limited to direct military implications but also manifest in our own culture, subtly pressurizing people's minds.

Meerloo's systematic analysis of brainwashing and mental torture highlights the strategic role of mass psychology in totalitarian systems, leading to the "rape of the mind." He critiques the "new age of cold war", marked by mental terror, verbocracy, and semantic fog, where fear is used as a tool for mass submission, and highlights the confusion surrounding treason and loyalty.

Written for both experts and laypeople, "The Rape of the Mind" serves as a warning and a call to action, urging readers to recognize and resist the manipulation of their minds. Through his work, Meerloo underscores the importance of preserving mental freedom and combating the insidious effects of mental coercion.

SAB/