Mechanisms for manipulating public consciousness

In the article, based on such methods of scientific research as analysis, classification, description and comparison, a palette of basic mechanisms for manipulating public consciousness in political life is developed. The authors propose a four-part division of manipulative practices into perceptual, psychological, cognitive and political manipulation itself. Perceptual manipulations are branched by the authors into numerical manipulations, gesture manipulations, symbol manipulations, color and verbal manipulations. Particular attention is paid to the methodological foundations of some manipulative technologies, in particular, incorrect attribution of the past, cognitive limitations of the stereotype, and deliberately false attribution of the whole according to the parameters of its parts. The paper suggests that the disclosed methods are not limited to the political sphere and cover marketing technologies and interpersonal communications. The authors draw a conclusion about the connection between effective manipulative combinations and the general level of education of citizens, the type of political culture, the dominant political regime and the state of mass communication channels.