Revealing the Mind Bender General

April 6th, 2009 by James Bridle

A disturbing little tale from the disturbingly recent past. In the 1960s and 1970s Dr William Sargant developed the controversial Deep Sleep Treatment in the Sleep Room of St Thomas's Hospital in London. James Maw talks to some of those who worked under Sargant in the late-1960s and to some of his former patients, who all say that they are still suffering from his treatment to this day. Visions of Cyphermen come to mind, but it's a bit more serious and sad than that. [MP3]

13 Responses to “Revealing the Mind Bender General”

  1. Mindbender General at Further: Strange Attractor & beyond Says:

    [...] or download the documentary via the excellent Speechification « Austin Spare [...]

  2. Diana Mackenzie Says:

    The programme evoked memories of enforced ECT and mind-reprogramming in the early 1970’s by my psychiatrist and GP. Not the sleep room, but after a traumatic experience and broken engagement, leaving me with reactive depression, I was medicated with zombie-making drugs for three and a half years and then subjected to seven sessions of enforced ECT, all the while being repatterned/brainwashed into considering marrying a close friend of my GP’s, despite my initial protestations – ‘not him of all people’. Within a year of the treatment which was totally ineffective, I was married and am still suffering greatly for their control over the direction of my life.

  3. james Maw Says:

    Dear Diana,
    When I made this programme I knew that it would evoke painful memories for so many people. All I can say to you is that I have had so many letters and you are not alone.
    I am glad that you have the courage to speak out.
    With very best wishes,
    James Maw.

  4. Diana Mackenzie Says:

    Dear James,
    Thank you for your helpful comments. I would be most grateful if you might be able to put me in touch with other sufferers, as to bear this alone is torment, and to share experiences would help.
    Thank you again for your concern.
    Diana Mackenzie

  5. Dorcas Says:

    Diana and her fellow sufferers have my sympathy and best wishes.

  6. Brainwash - review | Frontier Psychiatrist Says:

    [...] 4 Revealing the Mind Bender General broadcast 1 April 2009 is about Dr William Sargent mentioned [...]

  7. Frontier Psychiatrist Says:

    I don’t think that I left the comment above, but I did link to this page, which must have something to do with it.

    There’s a really good book – Brainwash by Dominic Streatfield that I reviewed on my site which has quite a lot about Dr Sargent. If you’re interested in this subject then also look up Dr Ewan Cameron also – an American psychiatrist whose techniques were even worse than Sargent’s

  8. Andrew Robets Says:

    Do you think William Sargant’s use of insulin coma therapy at St Thomas’s differed significantly from its widespread use in other hositals?

  9. Nick Says:

    My father was “treated” by a gung-ho psych with LSD in the 60s, didn’t help at all, in fact made him worse. He doesn’t talk about it much.
    I can’t believe these people can be so wreckless with the minds of other humans.

  10. Deep Sleep Therapy and brainwashing researcher Dr. William Sargant | linkthe.com Says:

    [...] recently broadcast a documentary about Sargant’s Sleep Room treatments. The program is titled Revealing the Mind Minder General Related articles by [...]

  11. Doormouse Says:

    Dear Diana M.

    This is terrible and sad that mind alteration was conceived and created. The only positive use would be for schizophrenia or delusional trauma. For people that want to forget a trauma. But other than that, if it is used for personal gain, it has to be the most evil acts against humanity.

    But all that said, I have a question for you: since you stated: ” Within a year of the treatment which was totally ineffective, I was married and am still suffering …” How do you have the cognitive reasoning to recognize you made a bad choice, and made a conscious decision, while still claiming to have been brainwashed. If you were “brainwashed” into marrying someone and actually went through with it, would you not be “pleased” with your “conscious” choice that you are obviously aware of? OR did you suddenly break out of the Spell? Just the fact that you are against a decision you consciously made and blame it on brainwashing, does not make sense. Many people marry someone thinking they are in love, only to later not be. That is not being brainwashed, that is time and discovery of the how the other fits into you life. If you are not happy with your choice in marriage, why blame it on someone else? That is said only because you are consciously making a statement about a choice you made with the same consciousness you used to make the negative statement. Strange, isnt it?

    But again, referring to the act of consciousness manipulation, drug induced mind control and any sick mind manipulation it truly is evil and ruthless. After all, if one does not have their mind or identity, what do they have? Sick

  12. Revealing the Mind Bender General « Says:

    [...] [speechification] [...]

  13. Ursula Jones Says:

    My husband and I were neighbours of Dr.Sargent from 1964 onwards. In the 50’s we shared a cleaner, a lovely Portuguese lady called Rosa, who lived in the basement of Dr.Sargent’s house with her husband and son and looked after the Sargent’s house, but doing some cleaning outside to earn extra money. We loved Rosa, she was charming and had a deligthful and happy character. When she entered the menopause, she started having depressions. Dr.Sargent treated her, hospitalised her and gave her electric shock treatment which, eventually, changed her character totally. She came no longer to clean our house, but I heard that she became extremely agressive, attacking her husband violently and, literally, became a completely changed person. She died eventually, still relatively young, I think probably in her late 50’s. We assumed that this was due to Dr.Sargent’s treatment.

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