Informed by Erik Erikson's concept of the formation of ego identity, this book, which first appreared in 1961, is an analysis of the experiences of fifteen Chinese citizens and twenty-five Westerners who underwent ""brainwashing"" by the Communist Chinese government. 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."" In a new preface, Lifton addresses the implications of his model for the study of American religious cults.
- ISBN10 0393002217
- ISBN13 9780393002218
- Publish Date 1 October 1963
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 16 June 2021
- Publish Country US
- Imprint WW Norton & Co
- Format Paperback
- Pages 510
- Language English