Also called the
1984 Syndrome (Nineteen Eighty-Four Syndrome) and
1984 Effect (Nineteen Eighty-Four Effect), it is named after the George Orwell Novel "
1984". It is where one believes that there is both no individualism and independent thinking because it is being suppressed by the
government (Big Brother in
1984) that is controlling them. They also think that they are constantly being watched and monitored by the
government through the camera, causing a lack of privacy. It also causes them to believe that language is limited (Newspeak) so that they don'
t have individualism and independent thoughts. All of this causes them to be isolated from one another and causes self-censorship.
The symptoms include Hyperawareness, Anxiety, Paranoia, Hypervigilance, Self-Censorship, Conformity, Distrust, Social Isolation, Cognitive Dissonance, Confusion, and Perceptual Distortion. In order to get the 1984 Delusion (if it were to exist), then there would have to be one or multiple of these effects: Pervasive Surveillance, Authoritarian Governance, Propaganda and Indoctrination,
Fear, Punishment, Limited Privacy, Autonomy, Social Pressure, and Informants.
Man 1: For some reason, my
friend won't talk to me. He doesn't speak, he is scared all the time, he is hyperaware, he thinks that the
government for some reason which he calls "Big Brother", is watching him, he thinks that there are cameras everywhere, he is always alone by himself, and he even doesn't have or speak any thoughts out of his mouth. Do you know the explanation that causes this specific behavior?
Therapist: A-ha, then he is suffering from something called the "
1984 Delusion (Nineteen Eighty-Four Delusion)", also called the "1984 Syndrome" or "1984 Effect". It causes people to think that they are under control by the
government and have no freedom in anything, including thinking, speaking, or even language and individualism.
Guy 1: Oh my god! That's so horrifying!
