In 1950 the term "brain washing" was first used in the popular Press. This was in response to accounts of the "brain washing" of American prisoners of war by Communist China and North Korea.

In 1951, the book 'Brain-washing in Red China', by foreign correspondent Edward Hunter, further popularized the term. In the late 1950s, Hunter was shown a copy of the mysterious "secret Russian text" under discussion here. He responded:

"The book is a hoax, and what it has mostly achieved is to fool people into thinking they are getting my 'Brain-washing in Red China' which is based on first hand sources, and put the word into the language."

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From: "muldoon" <brian9511@dslextreme.com>
Subject: Re: Questions Spacetraveler avoids answering
Date: 6 Jun 2005 07:12:17 -0700

According to L. Ron Hubbard, the Brainwashing Manual appeared mysteriously, and was the Russian handbook on how to take over the West using psychiatry as a vehicle or "front." Beyond this his story on the Brainwashing Manual varied:

1) It had been "gathered" and "synthesized" into a single volume by a mysterious American named "Stickley."

2) It had been published in Berlin in 1947, having been written by someone named "Paul Fadkeller," or possibly "Fadkeller" was only the German translator of the Russian text.

3) The Russian Manual, now in English, inexplicably had become two different Manuals, which were finally "compiled" into one text by Hubbard.

The uncertain origin of the Brainwashing Manual made it possible for an individual (a real person, not a Hubbard invention) by the name of Kenneth Goff to re-publish it in 1956, deleting the "Stickley Editorial Note" and inserting his own.

Kenneth Goff was a Pentecostal minister, and appears to have been oblivious to the Manual's recurring references to Dianetics, and the use of other Scientology terminology. Apparently, he was unaware of Hubbard's references to the Manual in various 1955 Scientology writings.

Goff used his version of the Manual for his own purposes; unknowingly, he did a service for Scientology by keeping the Manual in circulation, and by further clouding the Manual's connection to Hubbard.

Goff vouched for the Manual's authenticity, declaring, "In its contents you can see the diabolical plot of the enemies of Christ and America." Ironically, there is some truth to this statement if applied to Scientology, which tells its membership that they must make Earth a "Scientology planet." This would mean the eradication of Christianity. "Upper level" Scientology teachings describe Christianity as "a religion of the insane."

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