[Basic] Skill of the week: Brainwashing (and Brain Hacking)

[johndallman]

Brainwashing (and Brain Hacking) are the skill of changing someone's motives and personality via mundane and technological means. Brain Hacking is doing this with computers, via some kind of direct brain-to-computer interface. The skill description doesn't mention virtual reality, but an immersive virtual reality, such as Transhuman Space VR, that you can't get out of, would seem to make Brainwashing much easier: that's definitely one area where Transhuman horror is justified. Changing Times and Transhuman Mysteries have some support for this. Brain Hacking in THS is only possible via a ghost editor program, although the skill also has legitimate uses in creating Ghosts.

Ultra-Tech has equipment for Brainwashing, but doesn't mention Brain Hacking. Madness Dossier, naturally , has a fair bit about both, and a character template where they're primary skills. It also has an unfortunate bit of phrasing that makes it look as if Empathy boosts Brainwashing: I've submitted errata. Social Engineering has extended rules for brainwashing and for healing its effects. Psis has benefits for using Telepathy powers with Brainwashing. Power-Ups 6: Quirks has a reminder that Brainwashing can give people new quirks, and the Residual Personality quirk.

Action, Banestorm, Horror, Reign of Steel, Space and Supers are alert to the plot possibilities of Brainwashing. Zombies covers zombies who are brainwashed rather than undead.

Brainwashing is generally considered villainous conduct, but I'd be curious to know of any cases where PCs have done it for good reasons. That's imaginable in reducing the effects of traumas, although the cases where I've seen that happen (not in GURPS) have been by making memories less immediate. What else has happened with Brainwashing in your games?

[vicky_molokh]

My character in Transhuman Space used Brain Hacking mostly for extraction of information from a ghosted omnihomicidal enemy astropus. Not really any edits, just info-extraction. Also to examine the Shadows of other PCs after exposure to some nasty memetic and other psychological warfare phenomena.

In the campaign I'm GMing, the party was seriously considering the option of using their defaults in Brain Hacking and Brainwashing to 'reeducate' a human-sacrificing cult leader instead of killing him (the most likely outcome would've been amnesia and other serious neurological trauma[s]). They eventually didn't go with this plan. (They also all but outright needed a field wetware kit - analogous to but weaker than the one from Madness Dossier - but the only one with the possibility of attaining one refused from the very beginning.)

Brainwashing shows up in the background of the campaign here and there, but isn't taken or rolled by or against any PCs so far except in the backstory.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Madness Dossier, naturally , has a fair bit about both, and a character template where they're primary skills. It also has an unfortunate bit of phrasing that makes it look as if Empathy boosts Brainwashing: I've submitted errata.

Out of curiosity, did you just submit it?
I'm wondering if the text of Brainwashing there is meant to be setting specific.

Brainwashing is generally considered villainous conduct, but I'd be curious to know of any cases where PCs have done it for good reasons. That's imaginable in reducing the effects of traumas, although the cases where I've seen that happen (not in GURPS) have been by making memories less immediate. What else has happened with Brainwashing in your games?

I've never used the skill in my games (I think I've mentioned that I shy away from mind control and related themes). Using it 'for good reasons' is a concept I have a hard time wrapping my head around. Wouldn't treatment like that just be done with Psychology or else move into dystopian territory?

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

Out of curiosity, did you just submit it?

I'm wondering if the text of Brainwashing there is meant to be setting specific.

I e-mailed it on the 13th. I tend to do most of the research for these posts straight after submitting the previous one, so that I have time to think about it before finalising the text. If Empathy is meant to boost Brainwashing in the Madness Dossier setting, then the text to say so seems to be missing.

I've never used the skill in my games (I think I've mentioned that I shy away from mind control and related themes). Using it 'for good reasons' is a concept I have a hard time wrapping my head around. Wouldn't treatment like that just be done with Psychology or else move into dystopian territory?

If a setting had reliable technological means of, say, altering brain chemistry to fix depression, but they required skilled use of equipment, rather than prescribing medicines, then the process of using them might resemble brainwashing with good intentions. I don't think there's any analogy to this in the real world, but people create some weird settings.

[Flyndaran]

It's manipulation of the brain/mind. It's only "evil" if done without consent or medical necessity just like nearly every other form of coercion.

[David Johnston2]

Brain Hacking is handy for Alpha Centauri Probe Teams

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

It's manipulation of the brain/mind. It's only "evil" if done without consent or medical necessity just like nearly every other form of coercion.

Now... how do you prove consent or medical necessity?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Otaku

Now... how do you prove consent or medical necessity?

Same way it's done in the real world I assume.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

It's manipulation of the brain/mind. It's only "evil" if done without consent or medical necessity just like nearly every other form of coercion.

Originally Posted by Otaku

Now... how do you prove consent or medical necessity?

Originally Posted by Otaku

Bit different when you're doing a procedure that can literally change the patient's mind I think.

Come to think of it, my character did voluntarily undergo some extensive mind-editing. Totally voluntarily. And is planning to undergo more. He also knows the process, so he was pretty informed.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Come to think of it, my character did voluntarily undergo some extensive mind-editing. Totally voluntarily. And is planning to undergo more. He also knows the process, so he was pretty informed.

And you know this because you're not your character; you know that he wanted his mind altered and so he underwent the process, and that the end results were what he wanted.

In real life with fantastic elements (as opposed to the "mundane" real world brainwashing)... could you know? That message you left yourself to remind yourself that you did indeed volunteer for the process... did you really leave it or is it a forgery. The memory of leaving it could be faked (assuming there is one) and if you can jack with someone's brain by altering memories, you could force someone to write such a note, record such a video, etc. before then wiping/replacing that memory as well.

Other people? Could be in on it. The good news is that eventually it does become improbable to downright ridiculous if "the entire world" has to be in on it. Still, for the PCs in a campaign, this sounds like quite the trap (or adventure starter).

Player: "The mysterious stranger tells you that he is your brother."

GM: "He tells you that your memory has been wiped and replaced. They also did some cosmetic work to avoid you resembling your former appearance."

Player: "Yeah but I know what actually happened."

GM: "Do you?"

In all seriousness, there are times when the GM must provide incomplete or faulty information to the PCs. That is why sometimes the GM rolls for you; if you fail a Perception check then the player knows the character missed something (barring "fake" checks that exist just to keep players guessing). If you get caught, for example, in an Illusion (or hallucination or virtual world etc.) the GM should be giving you some clues, but in accordance with the plot. This could mean gaming out events that aren't happening at all.