Joost A.M. Meerloo

Joost Abraham Maurits Meerloo was a Dutch psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who specialized in thought control techniques used by totalitarian regimes.

Born in 1903, he fled Nazi occupation in 1942 and worked for the Dutch Army-in-Exile in England.

After the war, he served as High Commissioner for Welfare in Holland and advised international organizations.

Meerloo immigrated to the United States in 1946, becoming a citizen in 1950.

He taught at Columbia University and the New York School of Psychiatry.

Meerloo authored several books, including the influential work on brainwashing, "The Rape of the Mind." He died in 1976, leaving a legacy of insights into psychological manipulation and totalitarianism.