This post is Part 1 of a series on thought control.

We are bombarded daily with others trying to influence our beliefs and behaviors.

This could be your child trying to convince you that she can wear an outfit with which you don't agree, a salesperson pushing a product you don't like, or an employee selling a new idea at work. Most of the time, these routine scenarios are quite benign—but not always.

Perhaps you are in an emotionally abusive relationship in which the other person is manipulating you to believe that you are worthless and incapable of being loved. Maybe someone close to you is gaslighting you into questioning something in which you believe deeply.

Each of these scenarios is an example of thought control.

I have researched thought control since my undergraduate days, focusing mainly on concepts embraced by military, government, and law enforcement agencies to extract information for security interests.

But the underlying concepts of thought control, whether benign or coercive, are remarkably similar. Understanding them can help you identify when you are being manipulated, preventing psychological or physical harm.

As long as there have been humans, there have been efforts to control others'........

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