If you really think about it, the efforts of Communists to drive people mad, the assaults on their minds, are the more vicious of the crimes they commited when compared to the actual murders, and famines.
You look at histories, say CIA mind control, a lot of it was designed to counter the techniques that had already been developed by the Soviets, and which the CIA had to fear might be used on their own agents, if captured.
Look at brainwashed soldiers from Korea. People born into normal American families, who came home believing that the most oppressive political system ever invented was desirable.
This was done to millions of people. This is as evil an act as can be imagined. Simply inflicting pain on someone is much less evil than stealing their souls. You are creating beings who are not autonomous yet who still possess independent awareness.
I think I posted on this a while back, but I rarely repeat myself, since I can’t remember what I said.