mind virus

noun2

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.

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