Massachusetts experiment: truth or fiction

The story of the "Massachusetts experiment" quickly flew around the Internet. Shocking facts, the death penalty, mentally unhealthy patients and experiences over them ... In this photo, according to an anonymous author of the story, a man who designed and conducted the same "Massachusetts experiment" is depicted, James Rogers is a doctor of the University of Massachusetts psychology and neuropathology.

This whole story occurred in 1965, when the American authorities became aware of what the doctor-psychiatrist is doing at the university.

Massachusetts Experiment

According to the author of the story, the experiment on patients was carried out in the 60's. Dr. James Rogers developed a unique technique by which he achieved success even with terminally ill patients. The essence of the experiment was to increase their paranoia to such an extent that as a result, a new turn appeared, thereby correcting the already existing one.

For example, if the patient has always seen huge black bugs around him, Dr. Rogers did not try to dissuade him. He, on the contrary, said that it is so, that the world is inhabited by these huge creatures. Some people who have a highly developed sensitivity, they are seen, and all the others are so used to them that they just do not notice, the state is already aware of all this, but keeps it a secret so as not to inflate panic. Thus, thanks to the doctor's conviction, a person left the office believing that he was absolutely healthy, reconciled with the beetles around him and tried not to notice them. And after a while there were cases that patients were cured at all.

However, there were more complicated cases. For example, Aaron Platnovsky, who was a patient of the doctor and suffered a severe form of mental disorder. The patient was firmly convinced that he was a giraffe, and believed, thanks to the doctor's efforts, that this was absolutely normal. It was impossible to undece him in this. Neither a comparison of his picture with a picture of a giraffe, nor logical arguments did not help. Aaron got so accustomed to the role of giraffe, that he stopped talking at all, only made some mooching sounds. And then completely abandoned normal human food and switched to grass and leaves.

In 1965, for the "Massachusetts experiment" and mockery of the patients' psyche, Dr. James Rogers was sentenced to death as a punishment . The court found the doctor's actions inhuman, immoral and dangerous for people's lives. However, Rogers never waited for the execution to be carried out. A few days before the execution, he was poisoned with potassium cyanide, which was passed to him by one of the former patients.

According to the author of the story, Dr. Rogers left behind an angry message in which he said that people are used to the idea that everyone sees this world the same way. But this is not so, because everyone lives in different worlds. And those who believe that they are giraffes, are just as normal as those who see that the sky is blue. After all, there are scientists who can also prove that it is not blue at all. Therefore it does not matter how we see this world, but as long as we believe in what we see - we are mentally healthy and safe for ourselves and others.

Massachusetts experiment: true or false

An interesting story, is not it? But is it all true? Most likely, that is not present. After all, the story was widely publicized only in Internet, and then there can be anything. And it is not necessary that this is true.

No other information about the "Massachusetts experiment" or Dr. James Rogers, except for the above, nowhere, not even on the Internet. The author of this story wished to remain anonymous. And in the photo where the doctor is allegedly portrayed, it's not him, but Thompson's Hunter Stockton is a famous American journalist and writer who died in 2005.

And of course, the Massachusetts University of Psychology and Neuropathology does not appear anywhere, except for a sudden reference to the article of our anonymous author.

So do not believe everything you write on the Internet without reservation, even if it looks very believable.