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Has there ever been a case where a kidnapee was able to brainwash his captors into freeing him/her? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by Subject6051@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

26 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Though the question sounds very narrow, I am actually trying to explore a theme. I was reading in a book about Brainwashing about how the Chinese Communists or Christian priests were trying to brainwash people who didn't believe in their ideology. Protestants trying to convenience Catholics and vice versa. Kidnappers being successful in brainwashing Patty Hearst who being a victim of Kidnapping herself, went on to rob a bank for her captors willingly as she had now believed in their ideology. etc.,.

So, I was wondering, has brainwashing ever worked in reverse where a person who is supposed to be a victim of brainwashing manages to outfox their captors and manages to change the mind of their captors or break free? Maybe a protestant priest managed to convert a catholic priest? You get the theme.

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[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I don't think they mean brainwashing like a scientific technique to wipe your mind, but their are countless examples of a person in a cult or church or radical group where the constant bombardment of propeganda and apparent correctness ( by number of believers ) alters the persons belief system.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

There's a history of it meaning some kind of magical personality replacement thing, though. IIRC it was a Cold War excuse for why US soldiers defected sometimes. Cults exist, but the techniques they use to pressure people are a lot more mundane and take time to really take root.

Edit: Yup. More info here.