Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton Dies at 99

Robert Jay Lifton, a distinguished psychiatrist and author known for his profound studies on war, violence, and the psychological effects of mass atrocities, died at 99 in his Truro home. He authored more than 20 influential books, including the National Book Award-winning "Death in Life: Survivors of Hiroshima" and "The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide," which deeply shaped understandings of trauma related to nuclear war, the Holocaust, and genocide. Lifton was the founder of the Wellfleet Psychohistory Group, a circle of scholars and intellectuals examining the intersections of psychology, politics, and history, which included luminaries such as Erik Erikson and Margaret Mead. Throughout his career, Lifton was politically engaged, publicly critiquing figures like President Donald Trump for what he described as a dangerous and solipsistic relationship to reality. His final book, "Surviving Our Catastrophes," reflects a lifelong commitment to exploring resilience in the face of extreme human crises. A founding member of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and a faculty member at Yale and other institutions, Lifton left a lasting legacy in psychiatry, psychohistory, and social activism.