Identification is one of the core techniques of suggestion used in the internet and the media. As we have seen, almost anything can be the object of suggestion: a particular attitude toward ourselves, a certain interpretation of a situation, a deceptive idea about what someone thinks of us, a specific point of view, fears about possible risks and dangers, emotions, desires, states of mind, and so on. Identification creates an associative link between the individual who is the object of suggestion and the object that carries what is being suggested, or the association connected to it.

The simplest way to achieve suggestion through identification is by comparing the subject with another person—real or fictional—a character, an animal, or some object. The aim is to achieve identification of the subject with whatever they are compared to. There is nothing particularly “scientific” about this; from a very early age children insult one another by likening each other to all kinds of things. What is new here is when such suggestions are not made directly, but are hinted at, used in a veiled context, insistently, methodically, and over a long period of time. In this way, the subject is trained to identify even with the most subtle allusions, which has a stronger emotional effect than direct suggestion. Through such identification, a person may begin to view certain of their own shortcomings through the prism of the object with which they have identified, thus accentuating and exaggerating them in their consciousness. Over time, this can give rise to a psychological complex.

For example, if someone has even a slightly round face (or simply thinks they do), they may gradually be trained to identify with the Moon during a full moon. Let us assume that the environment of influence is an internet forum or a media outlet with comment sections. To achieve the goal in such an environment, at the outset the person’s attention is drawn—through posts—to this particular feature (or to their doubt about having such a feature). This may not be done directly, but through veiled language in which they are addressed or hinted at. Then, in another context—say, a discussion between other forum participants—a topic about the Moon and the full moon is opened, in which images of the full moon are posted, without this having anything to do with the subject of influence, nor addressing them in any way. The expectation is that the subject of influence, encountering this topic, will themselves make the association between themselves and the image of the Moon, because they have previously been “primed” with the idea of themselves as round-faced.

Here the principle is similar to anchoring, but in this case the “anchor” is associated with some real, imagined, or exaggerated characteristic of the individual. The important thing is that the individual believes in it. With repetition of these influences, it is likely that the subject will be trained to identify themselves every time they see an image of the Moon in that forum or media outlet. Subsequently, based on the existing “conditioning,” through analogous techniques, the individual may be trained to identify with all kinds of spherical objects—planets, balls, balloons, and so on. This is possible because of the associative nature of human thinking. Thus, every time the objects of identification—or “anchors”—are presented, the attitude that the individual has a very round face will be reinforced, given the nature of those objects—round and spherical—even though, objectively speaking, this may not be true at all.

Once an associative link or identification has been created between the subject and another person, object, idea, and so forth, it becomes possible to suggest traits of that object to the person who has identified with it, even if they do not actually possess those traits. In this way, a person may subconsciously project the traits of the object onto themselves, and even if this is not consciously realized, it can influence their inner world and their self-attitudes.

You may recall from the chapter “Suggestion” the example of the man with the long nose who is led to believe that he looks ridiculous. In case you have forgotten it, here it is again in essence:

On the internet, trolls—and sometimes journalists—use identification in order to suggest negative traits to someone by comparing them to an object that possesses such traits. This can be done through text, but also through images.

For example, if a person has a long nose and the goal is to suggest that they look foolish—without this actually being the case—they may be presented with a photo of another person with a long nose who does look foolish. The person may then subconsciously identify with the presented image on the basis of the shared feature, namely the long nose. Once such an association is established, the person may begin to think—and feel—that they themselves look foolish, just like the image with which they have already associated.

Sometimes suggestion aims not to influence self-assessment in terms of personal qualities or shortcomings, but rather in terms of social status and a sense of personal significance. For example, if the goal is to make someone perceive themselves as a failure, it is necessary to make them identify with an image of a failure. To achieve this, a story may be published describing a failure who possesses some traits of the subject of suggestion (preferably presented in a negative light): similar age, similar life context, resemblance in appearance, the same profession, and so on.

With good knowledge of the subject and careful use of this technique, they may identify with the failure. Once identification is achieved, whatever is subsequently mentioned about the character in the story may be subconsciously projected onto the individual who is the object of manipulation. Since we have seen how words “load” certain sensations and attitudes, once an associative link is present, the success of suggestion becomes even more likely. For example, if a manipulator wants the object of their manipulation to start smoking, they may present the character in the story as a desperate person who drinks and smokes. If the manipulators want to instill fear of an impending dismissal, they may present the character as someone who has just been fired. If they want to suggest illness, the protagonist of the story will be sick with a serious disease (and if the individual is a hypochondriac or fears or suspects that they may have this disease, the impact will, of course, be even stronger).

Often, when the goal is to “crush” someone, this technique is used in an even more negative way, aiming for the individual—consciously or not—to identify with repulsive images, so that they gradually begin to perceive themselves as such. If a lasting effect is achieved, it may influence their entire life.

As mentioned, suggestion and identification techniques are not only verbal or textual. They can also be visual, using images and video clips in an analogous way, where the emphasis may be on shared physical features between characters in the image (or clip) and the targeted individual, a similar contextual situation (for example, an element of the individual’s environment), or some other link connecting the individual to the presented visual image or idea.

In addition to training the targeted individual to identify themselves with what they are shown, it is also possible to train them to identify with any other idea that is merely hinted at. This could be a threat that can be activated with appropriate words or images, a hint at possible benefits, or a suggestion of an unfaithful partner, and so on. Any idea or emotion—doubt, fear, hope, anxiety, or something else—can be attached to verbal, textual, or visual symbols that the individual may identify as referring to themselves.

For example, let us assume that someone wants to awaken doubts in you about your wife’s fidelity (for convenience, let us assume you are a man). They must first establish a connection between what they present to you and your life context. They must train you to identify your situation in what they present. If your wife is, for instance, red-haired and tall, the manipulator might publish, in an internet forum you read, stories about infidelity by tall, red-haired women. They might also publish images that push you toward associations with your wife. The manipulator could use all kinds of hints to create as many associations as possible between the materials they publish and your life. Perhaps they will use your first name in a story, or your wife’s name, or hint at something related to the interior of your home—a distinctive piece of furniture, the color of a carpet, and so on. They will try to create a sufficient number of “coincidental” overlaps to capture your attention.

This will likely make you think and become more sensitive to what the manipulator publishes. Once you are “hooked,” they can play with you as they see fit, feeding you various hints and associations, developing their suggestions further, and introducing new ones, trying to provoke additional doubts and/or emotions. Once a link between you and the manipulator has been established, they can present you with all kinds of suggestions and “food for thought” that push you to construct the ideas desired by the manipulator yourself.

A person can not only be trained to associate themselves with specific stories, images, clips, and so on; they can also be trained to do this constantly, even without reason or intent. This happens mainly through intensified “attacks,” when the signals are so numerous that the individual “learns” to find them and continues to do so even when they have already ceased. In this way, the person may be pushed into a state of mental overload and paranoia.

Naturally, neither identification nor the adoption of a certain self-image, nor the suggestion of particular habits, emotions, and behaviors can be very effective in the complete absence of similarities or predispositions between the subject and the object presented for identification. However, when there are some similarities, methodical and systematic influence through different channels may, under certain circumstances, push the individual toward a degree of identification. Over time, this can lead to changes in self-perception.

It is important to note that the more tired and exhausted a person is, the more weakened their psychological defenses become and the more susceptible they are to suggestion. Consider, for example, when it is easier and calmer to defend your position—when you are fresh before work, or afterward, when you may already be tired? This is precisely why suggestions often go hand in hand with exhausting influences (be they insults, personal attacks, threats, ridicule, and so on), which aim to tire the individual and thus make them more receptive to what is meant to be implanted in their consciousness.

Since these are mechanisms and processes in the human brain that have been confirmed by research, every influence certainly achieves some effect, to some degree. However, the cumulative effect of multiple synchronized and coherent influences can produce a far stronger result. Essentially, what is influenced by such воздействия are our unconscious judgments, reactions, and decisions—our intuition and our inner attitudes.

Therefore, as a general rule, it is good to remember not to give in to first impulses, raw emotions, and impulsive reactions and decisions, but instead to try to act calmly and to allow ourselves time for reflection. Through the lens of calmness and logic, a person sees themselves differently—and the world looks different as well. Whatever appearances, games of imagination, doubts, and emotions manipulators may serve you, try to see beyond them and to live in the world of causes.