Robert Lifton Books

Nazi doctors did more than conduct bizarre experiments on concentration-camp inmates; they supervised the entire process of medical mass murder, from selecting those who were to be exterminated to disposing of corpses. Lifton (The Broken Connection; The Life of the Self shows that this medically supervised killing was done in the name of ``healing,'' as part of a racist program to cleanse the Aryan body politic. After the German eugenics campaign of the 1920s for forced sterilization of the ``unfit,''it was but one step to ``euthanasia,'' which in the Nazi context meant systematic murder of Jews. Building on interviews with former Nazi physicians and their prisoners, Lifton presents a disturbing portrait of careerists who killed to overcome feelings of powerlessness. He includes a chapter on Josef Mengele and one on Eduard Wirths, the ``kind,'' ``decent'' doctor (as some inmates described him) who set up the Auschwitz death machinery. Lifton also psychoanalyzes the German people, scarred by the devastation of World War I and mystically seeking regeneration. This profound study ranks with the most insightful books on the Holocaust.

National Book Award winner and renowned psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton reveals a world at risk from millennial cults intent on ending it all. Since the earliest moments of recorded history, prophets and gurus have foretold the world's end, but only in the nuclear age has it been possible for a megalomaniac guru with a world-ending vision to bring his prophecy to pass. Now Robert Jay Lifton offers a vivid and disturbing case in point in this chilling exploration of Aum Shinrikyo, the Japanese cult that released sarin nerve gas in the Tokyo subways. With unprecedented access to former Aum members, Lifton has produced a pathbreaking study of the inner life of a modern millennial cult. He shows how Aum's guru Shoko Asahara (charismatic spiritual leader, con man, madman) created a religion from a global stew of New Age thinking, ancient rituals, and apocalyptic science fiction, then recruited scientists as disciples and set them to producing weapons of mass destruction. Taking stock as well of Charles Manson, Heaven's Gate, and the Oklahoma City bombers, Lifton confronts the frightening possibility of a twenty-first century in which cults and terrorists may be able to bring about their own holocausts. Bold and compelling, Destroying the World to Save It charts the emergence of a new global threat of urgent concern to us all.

This is not only one of the most important works on medical ethics yet written. It also breaks through the frontiers of historiography to provide a convincing psychological interpretation of the Third Reich and the crimes of National Socialism.-New York Review of Books

Examines the psychological problems arising from dependence on nuclear weapons

In the spring of 1954, Robert Jay Lifton, a young psychiatrist freshly returned from the Korean War, chose to remain in Hong Kong to pursue his fascination with interviewing individuals subjected to Chinese thought reform. This decision marked a pivotal shift in his life, leading him to explore the depths of the human psyche and laying the groundwork for his understanding of brainwashing. Lifton's research in Hong Kong initiated a lifelong inquiry into the darkest chapters of human history, where he served as a psychological witness to collective violence and trauma, while also highlighting our remarkable resilience. His memoir chronicles an adventurous life journey, from his "Jewish Huck Finn childhood" in Brooklyn to friendships with influential intellectuals and artists, including Erik Erikson and Kurt Vonnegut. Lifton's study of Hiroshima survivors revealed the human toll of nuclear weapons and the troubling allure of their power, which he termed nuclearism. Through interviews with Nazi doctors, he exposed the chilling transformation of healers into agents of destruction. He also pioneered "rap groups" for Vietnam veterans, shedding light on post-traumatic stress disorder and helping them derive valuable insights from their experiences. As a pioneer in psychohistory, Lifton became a passionate social activist, advocating for the truths of the Vietnam War and the perils of nuclear armament. With warmth, humor, and a sense

Focusing on the psychological aftermath of catastrophe, this work by Robert Jay Lifton explores how individuals and communities can cope with the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing parallels with historical survivors of Hiroshima and Nazi death camps, Lifton emphasizes the concept of "survivor power" and advocates for a deep reckoning with the pandemic's effects. He presents a hopeful vision for renewal, suggesting that meaningful lives can emerge from tragedy and that confronting our collective experiences is essential for moving forward.

Includes essays and excerpts from the works of prominent modern thinkers such as Umberto Eco, Jacques Derrida, and Isaiah Berlin among others.

This collection presents key writings on understanding and treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Editor Mardi J. Horowitz introduces the evolution of our comprehension of PTSD, establishing the necessary conceptual framework and terminology. The essays that follow offer a comprehensive exploration of the disorder's complexities, addressing individual and cultural responses, as well as pre- and post-traumatic causative factors and the evolving nature of diagnostic categories. Organized into sections on diagnosis, etiology, and treatment, the collection features both classic and more controversial essays. Notable contributors include Freud, Lindemann, Eitinger, Nadelson, Notman, Zackson, Gornick, Green, Grace, Lindy, Titchener, Lindy, Terr, Galante, Foa, Rothbaum, Riggs, Murdock, Shore, Tatum, Vollmer, Pittman, Orr, Forgue, Altman, de Jong, Herz, Herman, Yehuda, McFarlane, Putnam, Lifton, Olson, Wilner, Kaltrider, Alvarez, Trimble, Epstein, Keane, Zinering, Caddell, Krystal, Kosten, Southwick, Mason, Perry, Giller, Spiegel, Hunt, Dondershire, van der Kolk, Lang, Pynoos, Eth, Friedman, Shapiro, Wilson, Lindy, McCann, and Pearlman. This anthology serves as an essential resource for those seeking to deepen their understanding of PTSD and its treatment.

Lifton diskutiert, wieso gerade die zum Heilen berufenen Ärzte zu Mördern werden konnten. Seine psychologische Studie berücksichtigt bei der Suche nach Antworten auf diese Kernfrage Hunderte von Interviews und meist unzugängliche Prozessprotokolle, basiert aber vor allem auf dem direkten Dialog mit Tätern und solchen Opfern, die dem Tod entkommen konnten.

Propheten und Gurus, die den Weltuntergang verkünden, hat es immer gegeben. Seit jüngstem sind es jedoch wahnsinnige Terroristen, die die Zerstörung der Welt planen, um eben diese Welt zu erlösen. Der amerikanische Psychologe Robert Jay Lifton, international bekannt durch seine Studien über die Psychogramme der Nazi-Ärzte, zeigt in Gesprächen mit den Tätern, kriminalistischen Recherchen und psychologischen Analysen, warum sich aus religiösen Visionen Terrorakte entwickeln und wie diese Sekten als Staat im Staat organisiert sind.

Medicínské zabíjení a psychologie genocidy Kniha významného newyorského profesora psychiatrie a psychologie je brilantním dílem o medicínské etice a zároveň záznamem hrůzných zločinů lékařů, kteří se aktivně podíleli na nacistické genocidě. Autor hovořil s mnoha medicínskými vrahy i jejich přeživšími obětmi a jedinečným způsobem analyzuje vliv totalitní ideologie na myšlení a skutky inteligentních a vzdělaných lidí, jejichž původním posláním bylo léčit a zachraňovat životy, nikoli je ničit. Nejsilnější a nejdůležitější kniha renomovaného psychiatra je brilantní analýzou a historií rozhodující role, kterou němečtí lékaři sehráli při nacistické genocidě. V předmluvě k novému vydání Lifton uvažuje i o medikalizovaném zabíjení v průběhu nedávných masových vražd a o tom, jak se obyčejní lidé dokáží ztotožnit s genocidou.