It’s a work of fiction, but concepts on which it is based, including the power to condition humans to accept an abnormal state of life, are not. In the video above, you can hear a 1962 interview with Huxley, in which he speaks about the use of persuasion and conditioning to gain ultimate power and control over society.
“If you are going to control a population for any length of time you must have some measure of consent,” he said. His words ring eerily true in 2021.
Frederick Douglas once said, “When a slave becomes a happy slave, he has effectively relinquished all that makes him human.” How does a human get to the point of loving their servitude, or consenting to live in, and even enjoy, a state of affairs that they should not?
Often, it’s through techniques of terrorism. While the word implies violence, some of the most profound and dangerous techniques combine methods of terror with methods of acceptance, Huxley said. By bringing in elements of persuasion, it’s possible for a controlling oligarchy to get people to love their servitude.
In 1957, William Sargant published “Battle for the Mind,” which delves into the techniques used by evangelists, psychiatrists and politicians to change beliefs and behavior. Religious leaders produce conversions, Huxley said, by heightening psychological stress, talking about hell, then releasing this stress by offering a promise of heaven. Prisoners of war can be similarly brainwashed and pressured into making admissions of guilt....<<<Read More>>>...