Wise Word About Hypnotism and Politics from the Father of MkUltra

Professor George Estabrooks is known mostly by reputation for being the hypnotic mastermind who conceived of some of the more disquieting things to come out of the Cold War, like MK Ultra and the Manchurian Candidate. But he was first and foremost a scientist, and was equally concerned with the inexplicable way dictators could turn sensible people into fanatics, and he wrote at length about it in his book “Hypnotism” (revised 1957, E.P.Dutton). This excerpt is WELL worth a read, and maybe a little self-reflection:

“How can we guarantee that our choice at the polls will be a wise one? Our previous discussion of hypnotism and mob psychology should help. Is this man you listened to on TV last night a genuine leader or is he a rabble rouser? Is he heading a battle of democratic principles or “a battle of the gravy bowl’? We may safely say that, in America, we have the world’s most intelligent electorate and that, on the whole, our politicians are a superior group, so we are not crying panic. On the other hand, as we have said, “when you stop being better, you stop being good,” and on this matter of electing a potential dictator, you will make that mistake once only. From then on, he will take care that your mistakes are always in his favor.

So play a little game with yourself. Sit down and think over that last spellbinder you heard on the platform, over the radio or on television. Behind every argument is someone’s ignorance. You probably are either for him or against him. Why? 

Was he appealing largely to your reason or was his appeal largely to your emotions?—especially on such matters as class privilege, the race issue, religious issues. These matters can be handled along the lines of reason, but the temptation to go over to the highly emotional appeal is very marked. In other words, were you listening to a man of reason or to a hypnotist who aimed to limit your field of consciousness? [earlier in the book, the author explains the hypnotic state as one where the subject is led to be hyperfocused on a single topic] You say you cannot be hypnotized against your will. Perhaps you were hypnotized last night as you listened to that political address over your TV. It might be well to give a little thought to this matter. Don’t worry about the hypnotist in his laboratory. You will probably never meet him. The most dangerous hypnotist may be the man you listened to last week over the radio. You were his subject. His appeal was emotional, inflammatory, an excellent example of prestige suggestion [“Prestige” refers to a kind of authoritarian hypnotic influence, and eliciting strong emotion as a way to create an altered state]. You came away determined that something drastic should be done – on, shall we say, the racial issue. As a matter of fact, you were a very excellent subject. Think it over.

And think about the nature of that kind of hypnotist. He may be, he often is, a man of great intelligence. You may have your own opinions about Hitler, Mussolini or Napoleon, but no one ever accused them of being morons. They could and did use the brains they had with great effect. Their outlook was purely selfish. They used their intelligence to further their own ends. But Hitler was excellent within these narrow limits.”

If you want a concrete example of this "mass hypnosis" effect, consider that in the year following the 1973 movie, "The Exorcist," there was an explosion of people believing they were possessed that persisted for years afterwards. Even during the movie, people passed out, vomited, and supposedly there were even a few heart attacks. But all those people did was sit down in a theater for an hour or so.