mind virus

plural mind viruses

1. A concept, belief, or message that propagates through a population by, analogized to the spread of a biological virus; a self-replicating idea or notion that spreads between individuals, typically by exploiting psychological incentives such as fear, hope, or social pressure.

   I am tired of the mind viruses that are crippling people living in the western world — especially in my own nation. Sadly, Australia is becoming known as a nation of whingers.

   2011, Pat Mesiti, The $1 Million Reason to Change Your Mind

   1 more example

   Dawkins deserves credit for looking at traditional materials from a novel perspective. But the discovery of memes and particularly of the St. Jude mind virus was new only to biologists.

   2003, Bill Ellis, Aliens, Ghosts, and Cults: Legends We Live, Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, page 80

   Synonyms: brain virus

2. literatureA type of virus, or virus-like entity, that targets the brain, disrupting it or causing it to think in a specific way.

   1 more example

   ‘I had to kill Palmoon,’ I told him. ‘He killed Wandour and Lavault. Flayr told me, before he died, about the mind virus. I got a touch of it — it must have driven Palmoon mad.’ ‘There was no mind virus. The toy planted that idea itself, to keep you confused. ‘But Flayr told me.’ ‘He was probably already dead.’ I remembered a hole the size of a fist in the side of Flayr's head. ‘But there must have been a mind virus,’ I protested. ‘She must have slipped it to us in the drink.’

   1974, Brian M. Stableford, In the Kingdom of the Beasts, London: Quartet Books, page 94