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The last two years have seen a culmination of a nearly century-long effort to perfect social
engineering and psychological warfare techniques in the Western world. Some observers have
remarked that a significant portion of the population appears to be under a spell. They may be closer
to the truth than they think.
As previously reported by The Guardian and The UK Column, governments across the Western
world—especially among the Five Eyes—have been using “Nudge Theory” and Neuro Linguistic
Programming (NLP) to effectively change people’s behaviors without their conscious knowledge.
The purpose of this article is to provide an in-depth look at precisely how these psychological
techniques work, as well as the main nodes tasked with weaponizing them. We will then consider
how a precise understanding of how the methods are used can essentially allow people to neutralize
them, as well as their future use.
Notable among the array of techniques used in the covid-19 pandemic response is Neuro Linguistic
Programming (NLP). NLP includes the idea of “re-framing” people’s perception of reality by
changing the context in which various situations or realities are viewed by individuals. Interestingly,
the first book on NLP, The Structure of Magic, includes such chapters as “Becoming a Sorcerer’s
Apprentice” and “The Final Incantation.”
Therapeutic techniques associated with NLP are often described as having magic-like qualities.
While these techniques may be considered neutral and potentially very useful for clients wishing to
resolve personal issues, they can by their very nature be weaponized and used to redefine people’s
perception of reality. As we will see, by “re-framing” an individual’s perception and transforming
their “linguistic model,” they may be convinced to make choices that they would not consciously
make were a wider or alternative “context” presented.
Re-wind to the UK Institute for Government’s 2010 MindSpace discussion document and we find
something akin to a twenty-first century “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” handbook. Commissioned by the
UK Cabinet Office, MindSpace is filled with techniques that could be used to target what its authors
refer to as “automatic processes” i.e. unconscious processes. The document reads like a “how to” on
changing people’s thoughts and behavior patterns without their conscious knowledge or consent. As
we will see “re-framing” techniques feature prominently in the form of the document’s “context”
model of behaviour change. Today, we observe their application in virtually every sector of public
policy-making.
Ostensibly a discussion document, the “About this document” section of the report describes its
purpose as “exploring the application of behavioural theory to public policy for senior public sector
leaders and policy-makers.” Hailing from several of the UK’s “elite” institutions, including London
Imperial College, Oxford, and the London School of Economics, its authors are some of the leading
experts in the fields of social psychology and behavioural science.
On page 14, the MindSpace authors outline the basic outlook and insights guiding their approach to
“behaviour change” by making the distinction between “automatic processes” and “reflective
processes”:
“The contrasting model of behaviour change focuses on the more automatic processes of judgment
and influence – what Robert Cialdini calls “click, whirr” processes of mind. This shifts the focus of
attention away from facts and information, and towards altering the context within which people
act. We might call this the “context” model of behaviour change. The context model recognises that
that people are sometimes seemingly irrational and inconsistent in their choices, often because they
are influenced by surrounding factors. Therefore, it focuses more on “changing behaviour without
changing minds.” This route has received rather less attention from researchers and policymakers.”
Page 14 of the “Introduction” section includes a chart outlining the characteristic differences
between the two systems:
“Changing behaviour without changing minds” is in many ways similar to NLP “re-framing”
techniques. Considering its significance and potential future use, a few words on the nature of NLP
should be added.
In fact, as the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) March 22nd, 2020 board
meeting summary documents, the perception of personal threat and danger in respect to covid-19
had to be increased in order to increase compliance with covid-19 social-distancing measures. Point
2, under the “Persuasion” option of the SAGE meeting minutes reads as follows:
Perceived threat: A substantial number of people still do not feel sufficiently personally threatened;
it could be that they are reassured by the low death rate in their demographic group (8), although
levels of concern may be rising. Having a good understanding of the risk has been found to be
positively associated with adoption of COVID-19 social distancing measures in Hong Kong (10).
The perceived level of personal threat needs to be increased among those who are complacent,
using hard-hitting Evaluation of options for increasing social distancing Page 2 emotional
messaging. To be effective this must also empower people by making clear the actions they can take
to reduce the threat.
Entering MindSpace
With some background knowledge of how the latest research into social psychology and
behavioural science is being applied, let us take a closer look at exactly how specific knowledge of
MindSpace and its particular “behavioural insights” can vastly transform our own ability to not only
defeat present psychological warfare operations, but may also prevent future ones.
As we have said, the main focus of MindSpace is centered on the crucial distinction between
“reflective processes” and “automatic processes”:
The two systems have different capabilities: the reflective mind has limited capacity, but offers more
systematic and “deeper” analysis. The automatic mind processes many things separately,
simultaneously, and often unconsciously, but is more “superficial”: it takes short-cuts and has
ingrained biases. As one academic source explains, “once triggered by environmental features,
[these] preconscious automatic processes run to completion without any conscious monitoring.”
“Without any conscious monitoring” means if certain messages are framed in such a manner that
they bypass conscious processes and speak directly to the automatic processes, then by the nature of
the evolutionary mechanisms built into us (for example, fight or flight responses), humans are hard-
wired to respond without having to resort to self-conscious decision-making. An example of triggers
for our automatic processes and motivations are the sudden appearance of existential danger, or
someone threating our children: our bodies and minds are hard-wired to respond; our adrenaline
spikes; fight or flight responses kick in whether we wish them to or not. Furthermore, regardless of
whether the perceived threat is real or not, the perception of such a threat has essentially the same
effect on our built-in mechanisms and “automatic processes.”
In this light, consider the fact that Mindspace is essentially a document discussing the vast array of
techniques to trigger and direct our automatic motivations with scientific precision and with the
least amount of intervention by our “reflective processes.”
Page 18 in the “User’s Guide” section presents a checklist of influences on our behaviour:
So today, it is believed that by “re-framing” reality and the narratives people live their lives by i.e.
“the context model” and “nudging” people from the standpoint of various behavioural insights
found in MindSpace, including natural “defaults,” “norms,” “cues,” “priming”—all of which target
the automatic processes—it’s believed that people can be “nudged” into making choices they
otherwise would not make. Morever, it’s believed that because behaviours and thoughts will be
changed “below-board” i.e. using automatic motivations, even if people know their ideas have
changed, they won’t necessarily be able to know how or why.
In a word: the whole art of “nudging” and “re-framing” lies in crafting messages that speak directly
to our automatic processes with the limited intervention of our “reflective processes.” For, the latter
instantly slows down the “click whirr” response of automatic processes and leads to more questions.
Of course, MindSpace uses benign examples to demonstrate how its “non-coercive” influences
work, from putting a vegetable option first in school cafeterias in order to improve diet among
children, to creating more smoke-free zones using distance. However, when looked at more closely,
it is precisely the “automatic motivations” that can be triggered and weaponized within various
contexts, especially in times of perceived crisis or threat.
Having discussed the basic outlines and intentions behind MindSpace, we can now fast-forward to
the application of these techniques in the recent two years. Enter the Behavioural Insights Team
(BIT), also known as the “Nudge Unit.”
Conclusion
As we mentioned at the beginning of this report, these latest developments in psychological warfare
represent a culmination of a century-long effort to perfect social engineering in the Western world.
While we discussed the application of these techniques in respect to covid-19 messaging, these
techniques can be seen in public-policy messaging across virtually every sector of society,
especially concerning the environment and economic policy.
When considering the current and future use of these kinds of techniques for “behaviour change,”
let us remember the words of an early social engineering enthusiast and descendent of one of
England’s oldest imperial lines, Lord Bertrand Russell. Over a half a century ago, Russell remarked:
The social psychologists of the future will have a number of classes of school children on whom
they will try different methods of producing an unshakable conviction that snow is black. Various
results will soon be arrived at. First, that the influence of home is obstructive. Second, that not
much can be done unless indoctrination begins before the age of ten. Third, that verses set to music
and repeatedly intoned are very effective. Fourth, that the opinion that snow is white must be held
to show a morbid taste for eccentricity. But I anticipate. It is for future scientists to make these
maxims precise and discover exactly how much it costs per head to make children believe that snow
is black, and how much less it would cost to make them believe it is dark gray.
Concluding his optimistic musings on the future of social engineering techniques, Russell writes:
Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class.
The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated. When the technique
has been perfected, every government that has been in charge of education for a generation will be
able to control its subjects securely without the need of armies or policemen.
Bertrand Russell – The Impact of Science on Society (1951)
While much of the applied research in the fields of social psychology and behavioural science
appears to have enabled social engineers to imbue their messages with an almost spell-like quality,
as even the founders of NLP described in The Structure of Magic—these “incantations” and
“nudges” have a very definite structure. They are formulaic and therefore easily identifiable once a
name has been put on them.
Since the would-be sorcerer’s apprentices of today appear to have no plans of letting up on the
application of these techniques across virtually every sphere of thought and action, the simple act of
putting a name on them may be the essential step to “breaking the spell.” For, the act itself
essentially neutralizes the “nudges” by turning them into conscious objects. Suddenly, “the
populace” is “allowed to know how its convictions were generated.”
As MindSpace authors mentioned, automatic processes can go on operating unimpeded and without
any monitoring by the conscious self until completion. In the case of an ever-changing crisis-
management response and the organization of society around “pandenomics,” those simply waiting
for the spells to wear off may find themselves disappointed, and neck-deep in crises far beyond the
control of a twenty-first century sorcerer’s apprentice. The key to breaking the spell is naming it.
Once a name is put on these “structures,” forcing them out of the automatic processes and
into conscious processes, the programs essentially stop running at their automatic “click,
whirr” speed. Unconscious thoughts—the “deep structures”—are brought into view of other
analytical processes—essentially gumming up the works. Suddenly, the “magic” disappears.
The smooth and well-oiled thoughtless automatic flight forward reaches a screeching halt.
The spell is broken.
David B. Gosselin is a poet, translator, and linguist based in Montreal. He is the founder of The
Chained Muse poetry website and the founder of the New Lyre Podcast. His new collection of
poems is entitled Modern Dreams.
Works Cited
Bandler, Richard, and John Grinder. The Structure of Magic. Science and Behavior Book, Inc. 1975
Halpern, David, et al. MindSpace. Institute for Government. UK Cabinet Office (2010).
Russell, Bertrand. The Impact of Science on Society. Routledge; 1st edition (Jan. 1 1985)