From stage hypnosis to group and individual therapies and long-term conditioning, Captive Minds: Hypnosis and Beyond explores the power of suggestion and its ability to influence behaviour--sometimes for life. By focusing on such disparate institutions as an Indian ashram, a United States Marines training camp, a monastery, and the Moonie cult, the film reveals the striking similarities in the indoctrination methods each uses to achieve long-term effects. It is a film that serves as a reminder that we are all vulnerable to persuasion, and one that provokes serious consideration of the far-reaching implications of any form of psychological manipulation.