Neuroscience of Perception Transformation: Neural Mechanisms in Psychological Warfare and Mind Engineering

Vafaee, Farzaneh; Gorji, Ali

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Neuroscience of Perception Transformation: Neural Mechanisms in Psychological Warfare and Mind Engineering

Farzaneh Vafaee

, Ali Gorji ^*

a. Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran. b. Epilepsy Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany. , Gorjial@uni-muenster.de

Abstract: (45 Views)

Introduction: In the era of information explosion and unprecedented media power, human perception is not merely a passive reflection of the world, but rather the result of complex processing of sensory inputs, memory, expectations, and cognitive biases within the brain’s neural networks. This article, drawing on studies from cognitive neuroscience, explains how psychological warfare and perception engineering tactics, such as the bombardment of distorted information, rumor repetition, and fabrication of reality, target key brain circuits including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and the reward system, thereby altering decision-making processes, moral judgment, collective identity, and emotional responses. Neurobiological analysis reveals that tools, such as the induction of fear, judgment distortion, dehumanization, and the shifting of victim and perpetrator roles, through chronic repetetive stimulation of fear-related brain circuits (i.e. amygdala), lead to diminished function of empathy networks (the anterior insula and medial prefrontal cortex) and the rewiring of judgment and identity pathways. Conclusion: The outcome of such manipulations is a weakening of cognitive resistance, reduced moral sensitivity, increased tolerance of oppression, and the suppression of social solidarity. Furthermore, the article, referencing historical evidence, from the psychological warfare against Iran during the oil nationalization to the coup d’état of August 1953, demonstrates how these tactics succeeded in altering reality within the public mind. Ultimately, by integrating findings from neuroscience and social psychology, the article proposes strategies such as enhancing media literacy, reconstructing the national narrative, and strengthening the cultural front and collective solidarity as effective means to counter perception engineering.

Keywords: Neural Pathways, Mental Processes, Cognitive Science, Dehumanization

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Type of Study: Review --- Open Access, CC-BY-NC | Subject: Cognitive Neuroscience

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