Brainwashing and Anticipatory Systems Please Rate Vote 1 Vote 2 Vote 3 Vote 4 Vote 5 All mobile living things have an anticipatory system to model their world in order to avoid danger and to find resources. In humans, it operates at an unconscious level and it anticipates social as well as natural dangers. The reason people don't want to know about truths that challenge their mental models is that they unconsciously anticipate the social dangers entailed in changing their minds. They then rationalize their denial and resistance to contrary information by invoking the authority of consensus or any vaguely plausible explanation. We are victims of our evolutionary psychology. While Rosen's book is generally available in online bookstores, it is rather technical and very expensive (about $235 CA). A.H. Louie, a mathematical biologist in Ottawa, has produced a short expository introduction to Rosen's theory: Robert Rosen's anticipatory systems. As far as I know, neither Rosen nor Louie have extrapolated their research into the domain of propaganda psychology. I have done that on my own to provoke discussion and because it seems like a valid inference to me. You can learn more about Louie and his work in relational biology at ahlouie.com.