Battle for the Mind; A Physiology of Conversion and Brain-Washing

Engrossing book that explains many strange events past and present

This book was a collaboration between Sargant and Robert Graves, the British poet and novelist, who had experienced severe mental trauma during World War I. Graves participation helps explain how such an incredible range of history and anthropology got included to explain Sargant's basic thesis. Sargant shows that under severe and/or prolonged stress, the mind can change radically, profoundly, and with lasting (though not necessarily permanent) results -- regardless of the moral and social perspective of the person involved. Brainwashers, Sargant shows, use this situation to get people to do things they normally wouldn't consider. A compassionate psychologist, however, can use it to genuinely help a person recover from a trauma. Or, as in many religious conversions and 'mystical' experiences as far back as ancient times, a controlled form of stress such as ritual drum beats can be used therapeutically. Sargant speaks from a great range of direct professional experience, not academic speculation. The book is very compelling.