Robert jay lifton is the author of superpower syndrome. Victims of hiroshima by robert jay lifton the new york. Robert jay lifton bulletin of the atomic scientists. His 1961 book, thought reform and the psychology of totalism. Recently, he gave me permission to republish his eight. Now, after twentyeight years, my own sense of this book has changed. Liftons preoccupation with the macabre in his work on survivors of the holocaust the genocidal mentality, 1990, etc. Robert jay liftons work on hiroshima, vietnam, the. Liftons 8 criteria for thought reform every issue in ones life can be reduced to a single set of principles that have an inner coherence to the point that one can claim the experience of truth and feel it the pattern of doctrine over person occurs when there is a conflict between what one feels oneself experiencing and what the doctrine or ideology says one should. Robert jay lifton is a visiting professor of psychiatry at harvard medical school. Medical killing and psychology of genocide, thought reform and the psychology of totalism. Robert jay lifton has 45 books on goodreads with 24229 ratings. Aum shinrikyo, apocalyptic violence, and the new global terrorism, and more on. The use of nuclear weapons on civilian populations has weighed heavily on our national conscience with profound effects, argue robert jay lifton and greg mitchell.
And over his long career, hes studied among many other thingsthe aftermath of the hiroshima bomb, nazi. Hel talk with us about john walker, the american captured in afghanistan fighting for the taliban. There is no higher praise i can offer robert jay lifton than this. Human resilience in an age of fragmentation, robert jay lifton is published by university of chicago press. Medical killing and the psychology of genocide pdf book description. Well, i think the fundamentalist self is a combination of what i call followingism, all or none convictions, wanting to simplify everything and having little tolerance for nuance. This involves the control of information and communication both within the environment and, ultimately, within the individual, resulting in a significant degree of isolation from society at large. President donald trump participates in a joint news conference with amir sabah alahmad aljaber alsabah of kuwait, september 7, 2017. Jun 06, 2002 robert jay lifton is professor of psychiatry and psychology at the graduate school university center and director of the center on violence and human survival at john jay college of criminal. Noted psychiatrist and author lifton psychiatry and psychologyjohn jay college contends that the self is less traumatized by modern rootlessness than we might expect. Robert jay lifton has written an exceptional work, thoroughly and painstakingly researched, and above all, he presents an analysis of the psychopathology of the nazi doctors that is so wellthought out and wellpresented that i recommend this book above all others for my students of criminal profiling.
I have been fortunate enough to interview him a few times before. In the volume called explorations in psychohistory, which is a collection that you edited referred to as the wellfleet papers, you laid out a research agenda in the early sixties, and you pointed to an intellectual theme that interested you and that you thought was coming to be more important, and that is, men and women in confrontation with the issue. Sep 27, 2015 thought reform and the psychology of totalism. Robert jay liftons eight criteria of thought reform.
Pdf on sep 1, 1995, lene arnett jensen and others published the culture wars and psychology. Medical killing and the psychology of genocide, and destroying the world to save it. All chicago ebooks are on sale at 30% off with the code ebook30. M \\ nazi doctors at auschwitz robert jay lifton although humans socially construct reality, they. Robert jay lifton born may 16, 1926 is an american psychiatrist and author, chiefly known for. The following excerpt is used with permission from robert jay liftons the future of immortality and other essays for a nuclear age new york, basic books, 1987 is a concise explanation of liftons eight criteria for defining mind control. He has taught at yale university, harvard university, and the city university of new york.
I see it as less a specific record of maoist china and more an. Stoicism and the holocaust from the march 28, 1968 issue. Psychic numbing can be a response to threats as diverse as financial and economic collapse, the risk of nuclear weapon detonations, pandemics, and. Robert jay lifton is an american psychiatrist and author, chiefly known for his studies of the psychological causes and effects of war and political violence and for his theory of thought reform. Lifton is distinguished professor of psychiatry at john jay college and the graduate center of the city university of new york. Learning from vietnam veterans, recently reissued in. We have a duty to warn if someone may be dangerous to others.
Robert jay lifton spearheaded the psychic numbing movement and his concentration was on a much larger scale. A study of brainwashing in china by robert jay lifton in fb2, fb3, rtf download ebook. In a new preface, lifton addresses the implications of his model for the study of american religious cults. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the atomic bombings at hiroshima and nagasaki, they have written the first book that assesses the political, ethical, and psychological impact. Psychic numbing is about the way a culture or society withdraws from issues that would otherwise be too overwhelming for the human mind to comprehend. Lifton offers his study in the spirit of hope, to markedly reveal how the. Survivors of hiroshima, winner of a national book award. Survivors of hiroshima university of north carolina press, 1991 1968 which won a national book award, hiroshima in america. He is presently lecturer in psychiatry at columbia university, and his most. A study of brainwashing in china, and witness to an extreme century. Sep 16, 2017 renowned psychiatrist robert jay lifton on the goldwater rule.
Robert lifton received the new york medical college medal of honor in 1970 nymc in recognition of his research and prolific writing, particularly in the new field of psychohistory. Now updated with a new preface, the nazi doctors remains the definitive work on the nazi medical atrocities, a chilling expose of the banality of evil at its epitome. The chicago distribution center has reopened and is fulfilling orders. Lifton has written 21 books and edited eight others. Epd film german magazine a brilliant insight into a very dark chapter of german history, illuminated by a vibrant thinker who has kept, in spite of it all, his healthy sense of humor. Each of us willynilly creates an inner image of what took place there and what that signifies. He was an early proponent of the techniques of psychohistory. Steven hassan shares robert jay liftons 8 criteria of thought reform brainwashing where he frames his comments in relation to ideological totalism. Article information, pdf download for robert jay lifton. Medical killing and the psychology of genocide, basic books, inc. Robert jay liftons most popular book is the nazi doctors. This section of a biography of a living person needs additional.
Professor robert jay lifton specializes in the study of extremist religions and cults. His most recent book, written with erik markuson, is the genocidal mentality. Thought reform and the psychology of totalism by robert jay lifton. Witness to an extreme century by lifton, robert jay ebook. Liftons 8 criteria for thought reform rosanne henry. Robert jay lifton books list of books by author robert. The nazi doctors, by robert jay lifton daniel jonah. As performed literature, drama can, at least ideally, supply vivid renditions of these events and at the same time build emotions around them that transform them into works of art. Lifton is a noted holocaust scholar and expert on nazi medical. Robert lifton constructs these case histories through personal interviews and outlines a thematic pattern of death and rebirth, accompanied by feelings of guilt, that characterizes the process of thought reform. Essays discuss the psychological aspects of hiroshima, vietnam. Return to table of contents milieu control the most basic feature is the control of human communication within an environment.
Stoicism and the holocaust from the march 28, 1968 issue to the editors. Robert jay lifton about his thoughts about the current political situation in america. Robert jay lifton, the prominent psychiatrist famous for his study of the doctors who aided nazi war crimes, speaks out on the role. Lifton, although the message will be sent to an account that he does not check regularly. For inquiries related to the climate swerve, such as speaking enagagements, please contact angela baggetta. He was an outspoken critic of the american psychological associations aiding of governmentsanctioned torture, as he is a vocal opponent of nuclear weapons. Lifton is a lecturer in psychiatry at columbia university and distinguished professor emeritus at the city university of new york.
Well, i think the fundamentalist self is a combination of what i call followingism, all or none convictions, wanting to. Robert jay lifton archives freedom of mind resource center. Dec 18, 2001 professor robert jay lifton specializes in the study of extremist religions and cults. Robert jay lifton born may 16, 1926 is an american psychiatrist and author, chiefly known for his studies of the psychological causes and effects of wars and political violence, and for his theory of thought reform. In combination, they create an atmosphere which may lifton8criteria. On a fateful day in the spring of 1954 robert jay lifton, a young american psychiatrist just discharged from service in the korean war, decided to stay in hong kong rather than return homechanging his life plans entirelyso that he could continue work that had enthralled. Foreword, introduction, list, notes, acknowledgements, and index.
In the volume called explorations in psychohistory, which is a collection that you edited referred to as the wellfleet papers, you laid out a research agenda in the early sixties, and you pointed to an intellectual theme that interested you and that you thought was coming to be more important, and that is, men and women in confrontation with the issue of their. Survivors of hiroshima and the nazi doctors, as well as the climate swerve and losing reality both from the new press. In his most powerful and significant book, famous psychiatrist robert jay lifton introduces a brilliant analysis of this vital role that german physicians played in the nazi genocide. Nazi holocaust and nuclear threat new york, basic books, 1990. A study of brainwashing in china was instrumental in my. Now lifton brings his psychoanalytic approach to bear on the german doctors who participated in nazi crimes. Americas apocalyptic confrontation with the world and home from the war. His books include, most recently, witness to an extreme century. Holocaust, the nuclear threat, and other catastrophic events of our age has had a tremendous impact on the. He is the author of other widely acclaimed works, death in life 1968, home from the war 1973, the life of the self 1976, the broken connection 1979, and with richard falk, indefensible weapons 1982. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Robert jay lifton a leading psychohistorian, his renown comes from his studies of the doctors who aided nazi war crimes and from his work with hiroshima survivors. Psychic numbing is a tendency for individuals or societies to withdraw attention from past experiences that were traumatic, or from future threats that are perceived to have massive consequences but low probability.
In his most powerful and important book, renowned psychiatrist robert jay lifton presents a brilliant analysis of the crucial role that german doctors played in the nazi genocide. Professor robert jay lifton he is a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the graduate school university center and director of the center on violence and human survival at john jay college of. President donald trump participates in a joint news conference with amir sabah alahmad aljaber alsabah of kuwait, september 7. Robert jay lifton, a leading practitioner of psychohistory, has written previously on a wide range of topics, including the survivors of the bombing of hiroshima, the chinese cultural revolution, vietnam veterans, and nuclear weapons. Lifton s 8 criteria for thought reform every issue in ones life can be reduced to a single set of principles that have an inner coherence to the point that one can claim the experience of truth and feel it the pattern of doctrine over person occurs when there is a conflict between what one feels oneself experiencing and what the doctrine or ideology says one should. Robert jay lifton together confused seeing uncertain one reason that i embarked on a study of nazi doctors was that in this personal journey, i had the feeling increasingly that i did want to do a holocaust study and that increasingly i wanted it to be of perpetrators, which i. Lifton s preoccupation with the macabre in his work on survivors of the holocaust the genocidal mentality, 1990, etc. Robert jay lifton has written over twenty books, including many seminal works in the field such as the national book awardwinning death in life. See all books authored by robert jay lifton, including the nazi doctors. Apr 16, 2018 robert jay lifton is an american psychiatrist, author, and leading public intellectual whose subject has been holocausts, mass violence, and renewal in the 20 th and 21 st centuries. Books by robert jay lifton author of the nazi doctors.
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