Psychohistory Forum

Clio’s Psyche Call for Papers:
Honoring and Remembering Robert Jay Lifton (1926–2025)

Due Date: February 28, 2026, for the Spring 2026 issue

Robert Jay Lifton (1926–2025) was one of the most influential psychohistorical thinkers of the past century. From Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of “Brainwashing” in China (1961), which brought “totalism” and “brainwashing” into public discourse, to his late reflections in Surviving Our Catastrophes: Resilience and Renewal from Hiroshima to the COVID-19 Pandemic (2023), Lifton consistently confronted the urgent moral and existential challenges of modern life. His work spanned Hiroshima survivors, Vietnam veterans, Nazi doctors, apocalyptic movements, and climate change — always asking how individuals and societies face death, catastrophe, and the possibility of renewal.

Lifton’s legacy is also organizational.  As leader of the Wellfleet Group (1966–2015), he convened generations of psychohistorians, clinicians, and scholars. At the Center for the Study of Violence and Human Survival (1986–2002), he gathered public intellectuals and researchers to grapple with the psychology of war, genocide, atrocity, and survival. Though often cautious about the label “psychohistory,” he remained — after Erik Erikson — its most recognized public face.

We invite colleagues, students, and admirers to contribute essays reflecting on Robert Jay Lifton’s life, work, and influence. Submissions may range from personal recollections to critical analyses of his major books and theories, and from tributes to reassessments of his public role.

Symposium Article for Inspiration and Response

To help spark reflection and guide possible submissions, we are also sharing the symposium article written for this special issue:

“Robert Jay Lifton and the Moral Method of Psychohistory”
by Inna Rozentsvit
Abstract: Robert Jay Lifton (1926-2025), psychiatrist and pioneering psychohistorian, explored how people confront coercion, genocide, and catastrophe while seeking moral renewal. From Thought Reform (1961) to Death in Life (1967) and The Nazi Doctors (1986), he examined the psychology of evil and survival. Drawing on Witness to an Extreme Century (2011) and his 2023 Psychohistory Forum address, this essay highlights his enduring method: experience over speculation, disciplined self-revision, and the ethical practice of witnessing.
Download the article (PDF):
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ihtqsdk8302hutsvpawvv/Robert-Jay-Lifton-and-the-Moral-Method-of-Psychohistory-by-I.-Rozentsvit-Peer-reviewed-for-Commentaries-11-22-25.pdf?rlkey=wdwl36kgp84404t9yig74wxut&dl=1

Contributors may respond directly to the symposium article or submit work on any aspect of Lifton’s life, method, or major themes, as outlined below.

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

  • Lifton’s formative years and the impact of military service.
  • The concept of “totalism” and applications beyond Maoist China.
  • Death in Life and the psychology of the survivor (trauma, testimony, witnessing).
  • The Wellfleet Group as a crucible for psychohistory: ethos, membership, influence.
  • The Nazi Doctors: “doubling,” perpetrator psychology, and medical ethics today.
  • Theoretical contributions: symbolic immortality, protean identity, survivor mission.
  • Method and stance: interviewing, narrative craft, moral witnessing, interdisciplinarity.
  • Lifton as mentor, colleague, and friend (vignettes and letters welcome).
  • Recollections/assessments by Wellfleet members and other collaborators.
  • Lifton and Erikson: convergences, divergences, and shared ambivalence toward “psychohistory.”
  • Apocalyptic movements and state violence (e.g., Aum Shinrikyo) and contemporary echoes.
  • Veterans, PTSD, and moral injury: Lifton’s role in shaping trauma language.
  • Lifton as a public intellectual: nuclearism, climate change, and civic responsibility.
  • Reception across disciplines (history, psychiatry, political science, ethics).
  • Critiques and debates: limits, misreadings, and productive tensions in his framework.
  • Teaching Lifton: classroom modules, case discussions, and student responses.
  • Archival/biographical notes: letters, interviews, and lesser-known talks.
  • Applying Lifton today: genocide, authoritarianism, digital radicalization, climate grief.
  • Lifton’s style and voice: clarity, restraint, and the ethic of careful description.

As always, Clio’s Psyche seeks thought-provoking, clearly written articles based on psychological/psychohistorical insight, illuminated by examples from history, current events, and human experience. We welcome both personal reflections and scholarly analysis, provided they are written in accessible language and avoid excessive jargon or citation. Submissions deemed suitable will undergo our double-blind peer review process.

This issue will honor not only Robert Jay Lifton’s immense scholarly achievements but also his role as a moral witness to the catastrophes and possibilities of modern history. We urge you to join us in remembering, celebrating, and critically engaging with his life and legacy.

Length & submission:

We welcome articles of 500–2,500 words (including title, author name with affiliation, 50-word abstract, 7–10 keywords, and a brief 3–4 sentence biography ending with your email address).

Vignettes & Memories (250–600 words): brief scenes — first meetings, Wellfleet moments, classroom encounters, correspondence — that capture Lifton’s voice, method, or moral presence.

Submit via form below:

 

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We may also consider an outstanding symposium article of up to 3,500 words if received by November 15, 2025.

Sincerely yours,

Paul
Paul H. Elovitz, PhD, Historian, Research Psychoanalyst, Online Professor, Editor-in-Chief, Clio’s Psyche, Founder and Director of the Psychohistory Forum, and author The Making of Psychohistory: Origins, Controversies, and Pioneering Contributors (Routledge, 2018).  E-mail: cliospsycheeditor@gmail.com.

Inna
Inna Rozentsvit, MD, PhD, MBA, MSciEd, Associate Editor of Clio’s Psyche, and Associate Director of the Psychohistory Forum, Neurologist, Neurodiversity & Neurorehabilitation Specialist, Psychoanalyst, and Psychohistorian who may be contacted at innarozentsvit@gmail.com.