Writer David Lewis is with me today to share
a little bit about his historical non-fiction book, Triumph of the Will? How Two Men
Hypnotized Hitler and Changed the World.
Welcome, David. Please tell us a little
bit about yourself.
I am an
author, psychohistorian, Chartered Psychologist and award winning broadcaster who
has devoted much of the last 20 years to studying the psychology of influence
and the role of hypnosis in political, social and commercial persuasion.
Please tell us about your current
release.
In the early
70s, American Intelligence declassified a previously secret report which
claimed that Hitler’s blindness in October 1918, following a British gas
attack, was due to mental breakdown rather than physical injury.
At a remote
clinic near the Polish border, he was treated by means of hypnosis. While this
restored his sight, it left him convinced that he had been singled out by
destiny to make Germany, shattered by four years of vicious fighting, great again.
It was this
belief in his ‘divine’ mission which motivated his drive to power.
Triumph of the Will? explored the different ways, many of
them extremely brutal, that soldiers suffering from what was widely called
‘shell shock’ were treated during World War I.
I go on to
recount how, in the 30s, Hitler came under the influence of a second hypnotist
named Eric Jan Hanussen. He was a celebrity clairvoyant, magician, hypnotist,
and showman with a headline act in Berlin's most prestigious theatre. He was
also a media mogul, who promoted Hitler and the Nazi party through his
newspapers, a multimillionaire who funded the brown-shirted S.A. and a mentor
who coached Hitler in showmanship and public speaking.
We only know
about his treatment via a book Der
Augenzeuge (The Eyewitness) which had been sent to America, from Paris,
just prior to the outbreak of war. It lay for many decades in a dusty New York
filing cabinet unread and unnoticed until it was finally published in Germany
as a work of fiction. It is now widely considered to be based on Hitler's
original medical notes. These had been made available, in Paris, two German
émigré writers and journalists after Dr Edmund Forster decided to fight back
against the Nazis whose regime he despised
After the
Nazis came to power all those who knew about Hitler's mental breakdown were
eliminated if he and his Party bosses considered they posed even the slightest
risk to his reputation.
Edmund
Forster, the doctor, patriot and Naval Officer, who had treated Hitler in 1918
was found shot dead in his bathroom.
Eric Hanussen
was murdered by his friends in the S.A. All documents relating to the case were
confiscated by Himmler and the hospital where he had been treated turned into a
Nazi shrine.
The author of
Der Augenzeuge, Ernst Weiss, killed
himself on the day the Germans marched into Paris.
What inspired you to write this book?
In 1998 I met
the Rudolph Binion, Professor of Modern History at Brandies University, Boston.
Fluent in German, Russian and French he had undertaken much of the early
research into Forster’s life and the way in which he treated Hitler for his blindness.
I worked with
Binion on a number of projects and became very interested in what psychology
can tell us about history. Reading the research papers, he had retrieved from
behind the Iron Curtain, I became convinced that this was a story which needed
to be told if we are to get a clear idea not only of how Hitler came to power,
and changed the world forever, but the role of hypnosis in political
persuasion. Something which is becoming ever more urgent and resonant in the
world of "fake news" and Social Media.
What exciting story are you working on
next?
I am
currently writing a book on Altered States of Consciousness, explaining what
they are, how they can be achieved and why they matter. The basic message is
that by changing your mind through developing altered states you can change
your life.
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| David as psychologist lecturing to students on brain function |
When did you first consider yourself a
writer?
I wrote my
first published book at the age of 16, a thriller entitled Mantissa of Death. Later I paid my way through medical school and
university by writing fiction for an American paperback house. As a qualified
clinical psychologist and director of a university-based research laboratory, I
have subsequently written more than 20 books on psychological topics. My two
most recent are Impulse – Why We Do What We Do Without Knowing
Why We Do It (Random House/Harvard University Press) and The Brain
Sell (Nicholas Brealey Publishing) about the ways in which retailers
and service providers set out to influence and manipulate consumers.
Do you write full-time? If so, what's
your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find
time to write?
I write
regularly for four hours a day, between working at the University and
undertaking broadcasts. I work in both television and radio, always on programs
with a psychological theme.
What would you say is your interesting
writing quirk?
I'm pretty
boring actually. I just switch on my computer work for four hours and then
switch it off again. I especially like the research part and the writing when
it flows, which it often does. When I get stuck I just stick at it until I get
unstuck, but this is hard work and not so much fun.
 |
| David as a photojournalist in a war zone |
As a child, what did you want to be when
you grew up?
I wanted to
be a doctor, at least that's what my parents wanted, but gave up medicine for a
while in favor of photography. I became a photojournalist travelling the world
and covering battle, murder and sudden death as well as everything from funny
animals to death-defying car, plane and motorcycle stunts. After a decade of
working in journalism, I returned to university to study psychology and
neuroscience. I obtained a doctorate from the University of Sussex in 1984
where I researched the role of self-help in the treatment of anxiety,
depression and stress. I later established up my own laboratory, Mindlab
International Ltd, in that University’s Science Park.
I have
written a book about my time as a photojournalist entitled The Way It Was: A Photographic Journey Through 60s Britain (MLI
Press 2019)
Anything additional you want to share
with the readers?
While working
as a photojournalist I learned skydiving and SCUBA, obtained a private pilot's license
and marine qualifications in order to expand my scope as a photographer.
Today, while
I have given up flying and parachuting, I still enjoy diving as a leisure
activity. I live with my partner and four rescue dogs in a small village on the
south coast of Britain, just 30 minutes’ drive away from the University.
Thank you for being a guest today,
David.
