Physical Control of the Mind: Toward a Psychocivilized Society

Physical control of the mind by direct manipulation of the brain is a novel event in human history. In this volume, Dr. Jose M. R. Delgado describes his pioneering work in implanting electrodes in the brains of cats, monkeys, and men. Through electrical stimulation of specific cerebral structures, Delgado demonstrates how movements can be induced by radio command, hostility may appear or disappear, social hierarchy can be modified, sexual behavior may be changed, and memory, emotions, and the thinking process may be influenced by remote control. The mind is no longer unreachable, and may be the subject of experimental investigations. According to Delgado, we need to reorient the aims of civilization to restore a balance between its physical and psychological evolution. Our present mechanized society is dangerously self-perpetuating, and should be “psychocivilized” in order to develop wiser minds, to intelligently control our awesome technological advances. Dr. Delgado believes mankind’s primary objective should be “not the development of machines, but of man himself.” He writes lucidly about his work, putting it into the context of what is known about the mind and the brain, and exploring long-range ethical and social implications of his discoveries. Despite the ongoing controversy over his work, the result is an exceedingly important and provocative book. Jose M. R. Delgado was born in Ronda, Spain, and received his medical training at Madrid University, where he was Associate Professor of Physiology until 1950, when he came to Yale University to work with Dr. John Fulton. He became Professor of Physiology at Yale, where he developed techniques for electrical and chemical stimulation of the brain. He published more than 200 scientific papers, and became perhaps the most notorious “mind control” researcher in the history of neuro-behavioral research.