Mind of State

It's a Wrap

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 08:30:00 GMT

In this season finale of Mind of State, hosts Jonathan Kopp and Betty Teng, along with their co-founder, Tom Singer, look back at season 2 as a time of extraordinary intensity, when the country wrestled with its demons and angels. The months leading up to and after the 2020 election were so filled with emotion, rancor, and conflict that digesting this season’s themes, through-lines, and takeaways might be the work of generations. This wrap-up episode begins that process by providing some much needed room to think.

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Our Collective Trauma

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 08:30:00 GMT

We typically think of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as afflicting an individual who has experienced a terrifying event, such as combat, sexual assault or the death of a child. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Judith Herman, whose three-stage trauma recovery model has guided therapists for over twenty years. Tune in, as we explore with Dr. Herman the concepts of collective PTSD and intergenerational trauma — be it from a pandemic or the legacy of slavery — and how we can take steps to recover as a society.

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Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America REVISITED

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 08:30:06 GMT

[Replay of Episode 1 (09/02/2020), with new introduction] What underlying preoccupations – or “cultural complexes” – shape our country’s politics and collective psyche? On this premiere episode of season 2, we welcome Mind of State co-founder, Dr. Thomas Singer, who is also the editor of Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America and one of the authors of the NY Times bestseller, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump. Tune in, as we learn about cultural complexes and explore some of the key concepts influencing this second season of Mind of State.

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Living Unarmed

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 08:30:36 GMT

What’s the lesson plan for first day back in class after a school shooting? Our guest, Megan Doney, is an English professor at New River Community College in Virginia, where she lived through the nightmare scenario students and teachers across America try to prepare for with active shooter drills. In honor of National Gun Violence Survivors Week, Megan shares her personal story from that day and how she has processed the trauma since then. Doing so, she reflects on the personal and political impact of violent events, like the January 6th siege on the US Capitol, which has traumatized an entire branch of government.

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Restoring Faith In Democracy REVISITED

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 08:30:55 GMT

[Replay of Episode 9 (11/25/2020), with new introduction] Long after the news outlets called the election for Biden, Trump still refuses to concede his loss. This reminds us that our democracy relies on not only the rule of law, but also a shared set of beliefs about how we choose to govern ourselves. Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University, joins Mind of State to discuss his prescription for bolstering our collective faith in the ongoing experiment of the American democracy.

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When Myth Becomes History

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 09:00:34 GMT

Is the freedom not to wear a mask what America’s Founders had in mind with the phrase, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?" Is Donald Trump a modern day mad King George III? Join us in a discussion with British psychoanalyst and mythologist Jules Cashford, who discusses the dangers of conflating myth with history and what happens when leaders begin to believe they are bigger than the mere mortals that they actually are.

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The Politics of Care REVISITED

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:30:03 GMT

[Replay of Episode 5 (10/14/2020), with new introduction] Across America, some people are marching for progress, while others are text- and phone-banking to get others to register and vote. The former seek change from outside the system; the latter work the inside game. Dr. Deva Woodly, New School professor of Politics and author of The Politics of Common Sense: How Social Movements Use Public Discourse to Change Politics and Win Acceptance, tells us that both are core to democracy. She unpacks how social movements, even rebellion, are essential to progress, as they keep our leaders focused on the people they serve, rather than on preserving its own power.

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Perfect Storm: Climate, Race and COVID

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 08:30:13 GMT

For too long, the adverse impacts of climate change have disproportionately burdened poor and underserved communities of color in the US. When COVID-19 hit, we were beset with not only a pandemic, but also an economic downturn, an historic uprising against racial injustice, and a series of massive wildfires and hurricanes. Dr. Adrienne Hollis, the Senior Climate Justice and Health Scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, contends these events are interconnected. She joins Mind of State to discuss this syndemic and how it has sparked an unprecedented public reckoning with environmental racism. She also describes the holistic approach it will take to better prepare us for the next perfect storm.

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America's Economic Myth REVISITED

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 08:30:30 GMT

[Replay of Episode 4 (10/07/2020), with new introduction] A debate rages in the US over protecting our health versus preserving our wealth. Can our faith in the almighty dollar withstand a deadly pandemic and climate change? Join us, as we explore the roots of America’s economic myth, the natural forces challenging our long-held assumptions, and the possibilities for what’s next, with Dr. Betty Sue Flowers, an expert in societal myths.

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Conspiracy Without Theory

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 08:30:30 GMT

Alien life? JFK’s murder? The Moon landing? These are classic topics for conspiracy theorists, who gather data, connect dots, and see where the evidence leads. But with more recent controversies, such as Birtherism, Pizzagate, QAnon, evidence is optional. For Trumpists, mere assertion is all that’s needed to draw outrageous conclusions and spread untruths. Dr. Nancy Rosenblum, author of A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy, joins Mind of State to discuss the danger behind this new, loose standard of proof.

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Ambiguous Loss and the 2020 Pandemic REVISITED

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 08:30:42 GMT

[Replay of Episode 2 (9/16/2020), with new introduction] How can we make sense of the tumult and tragedy of this moment – the loss of lives and jobs from the COVID-19 pandemic, the societal tensions borne of systemic racial injustice, the worsening climate crisis, and the final stretch of a volatile presidential campaign? Join us, as Dr. Pauline Boss applies her groundbreaking concept of “ambiguous loss” to help us process the traumas of America in 2020.

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Justice, Rage and Peace

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 08:30:51 GMT

Post election, we are exhausted. Joe Biden won, yet Trump and his Trumpists refuse to concede, and authoritarianism remains a significant threat to democracy. How do we combat the rising tide of fascism and defuse the racism and anti-Semitism that fuels it? Civil Rights leader Eric Ward, of the Western States Center and the Southern Poverty Law Center, shares his vision for how we process the trauma and move forward, constructively and inclusively, in the post-Trump era.

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Restoring Faith In Democracy

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 08:30:51 GMT

Long after the news outlets called the election for Biden, Trump still refuses to concede his loss. This reminds us that our democracy relies on not only the rule of law, but also a shared set of beliefs about how we choose to govern ourselves. Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University, joins Mind of State to discuss his prescription for bolstering our collective faith in the ongoing experiment of the American democracy.

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Analyzing the Election

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 08:05:00 GMT

As the dust settles and the votes get sorted in the 2020 presidential election, Mind of State welcomes Boston Globe columnist, Michael A. Cohen, to help us process the results. With Michael, we discuss the politics, the polls, Trump, Trumpism, what it all says about the electorate, and what we might expect in the coming Biden era.

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The Case for Radical Openness

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 07:05:02 GMT

What if we listened more intently, instead of merely waiting for the chance to state our case? What if we engaged in dialogue, instead of debate, and allowed ourselves to be moved by another person’s expression and context? Dr. Anton Hart joins us to discuss his concept of "radical openness” and how it could help enhance interpersonal understanding between therapists and patients, politicians and constituents, and employers and employees, among others.

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Sounding the Alarm

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 09:00:00 GMT

At a time when democratic institutions and norms are under siege, authoritarianism and white nationalism are on the rise, the COVID-19 pandemic is killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, and climate change is ravaging our planet, Dr. Robert Jay Lifton sounds the alarm about the dire stakes of the 2020 election. Dr. Lifton is a National Book Award–winning psychiatrist, historian, and public intellectual whose latest book is, Losing Reality: On Cults, Cultism, and the Mindset of Political and Religious Zealotry.

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The Politics of Care

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 07:30:00 GMT

Across America, some people are marching for progress, while others are text- and phone-banking to get others to register and vote. The former seek change from outside the system; the latter work the inside game. Dr. Deva Woodly, New School professor of Politics and author of The Politics of Common Sense: How Social Movements Use Public Discourse to Change Politics and Win Acceptance, tells us that both are core to democracy. She unpacks how social movements, even rebellion, are essential to progress, as they keep the our leaders focused on the people they serve, rather than on preserving its own power.

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America's Economic Myth

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 07:15:00 GMT

A debate rages in the US over protecting our health versus preserving our wealth. Can our faith in the almighty dollar withstand a deadly pandemic and climate change? Join us, as we explore the roots of America’s economic myth, the natural forces challenging our long-held assumptions, and the possibilities for what’s next, with Dr. Betty Sue Flowers, an expert in societal myths.

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Can Voting and Democracy Survive the Internet?

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 01:41:39 GMT

How do we maintain balance during a volatile election season? Does social media foster debate or threaten democracy? Election law expert Nate Persily joins us to discuss the Internet’s impact on democracy, healthy elections during a pandemic, and what keeps him up at night about the 2020 presidential election.

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Ambiguous Loss and the 2020 Pandemic

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 09:00:00 GMT

How can we make sense of the tumult and tragedy of this moment – the loss of lives and jobs from the COVID-19 pandemic, the societal tensions borne of systemic racial injustice, the worsening climate crisis, and the final stretch of a volatile presidential campaign? Join us, as Dr. Pauline Boss applies her groundbreaking concept of “ambiguous loss” to help us process the traumas of America in 2020.

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Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 11:47:19 GMT

What underlying preoccupations – or “cultural complexes” – shape our country’s politics and collective psyche? On this premiere episode of season 2, we welcome Mind of State co-founder, Dr. Thomas Singer, who is the editor of Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America and one of the authors of the NY Times bestseller, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump. Tune in, as we learn about cultural complexes and explore some of the key concepts influencing this second season of Mind of State.

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Season 2 Trailer

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:50:56 GMT

Get ready for season two of Mind of State, a podcast where politics and psychology meet. Tune in, as co-hosts Betty Teng and Jonathan Kopp welcome an exciting lineup of fascinating guests to discuss how mind impacts state and vice versa in the midst of a global pandemic, economic meltdown and racial tensions, and in the run up to the 2020 presidential election.

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Politics and the Teenage Mind

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 02:00:30 GMT

New York Times bestseller Dr. Lisa Damour lends her expertise in child and adolescent psychology to discuss how current events impact the teenage mind. Join us as Lisa shares her wisdom about how to engage our teens on politics, immigration, race, #metoo — and yes, pornography.

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The Trauma of Syria

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 03:08:51 GMT

Veteran war correspondent Anne Barnard — Murrow Fellow at the Council on Foreign Affairs and NY Times Beirut Bureau Chief from 2012-2018 — discusses the complex trauma of Syria's ongoing civil war, its impact on politics in Europe and the US, and the inability of the UN and other international institutions to deal with such a profound magnitude of human suffering. Anne gives us a unique eye into the traumatic impact on journalists covering "forever wars."

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Anger and Racial Politics

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 01:30:00 GMT

University of Maryland professor Antoine Banks joins us to talk about how anger — specifically white anger — impacts everything from opinions on Obamacare to how black candidates are perceived and talked about. We also discuss how race and anger — on both side of the aisle — will impact the 2020 election.

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The End of Truth?

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 03:00:06 GMT

What is truth in the post-modern world, where facts are in the eye of the beholder and ppartisans turn to their own tribes for reporting that reaffirms their polarized world views? Scotty McLennan, an ordained minister, lawyer, professor, and former Dean of Religious Life at Stanford University, joins us for a conversation about the quest for objective truth and journalistic ethics amidst a sea of media fragmentation and moral relativism.

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The Perilous Path to Asylum

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 03:30:00 GMT

What does our Statue of Liberty stand for when we reject so many asylum seekers fleeing torture, war and persecution? We explore this vital topic with human rights psychologist Dr. Hawthorne “Hawk" Smith, Director of the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture (survivorsoftorture.org / @_PSOT).

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Trump On the Couch

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 03:45:00 GMT

Is Donald Trump mentally and emotionally unfit to execute the duties of President? Join us for a conversation about narcissism, misogyny, deception, racism, and more with Dr. Justin (“Justy”) Frank, a former clinical professor of psychiatry at GWU Medical Center with more than 40 years of experience in psychoanalysis. Justy is the best-selling author of Trump on the Couch, Inside the Mind of the President, among other works.

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Democracy and the Decline of Reason

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 01:31:03 GMT

Do facts matter when experts are dismissed as partisan propagandists or out-of-touch elitists? Political economist William Davies, author of Nervous States, joins us to discuss Trump, Brexit and the triumph of emotion over reason in modern politics.

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White Identity Politics Is Bigger Than the KKK

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 04:30:00 GMT

Amidst ongoing tension over America’s growing diversity, white identity is on the rise as a force in US politics. Are Americans who embrace their whiteness racists? How do we distinguish between white identity, white supremacy, white racism & prejudice? Duke political scientist Ashley Jardina, author of White Identity Politics, joins us for a riveting conversation.

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Partisan Politics, Toxic Identities, Dangerous Divides

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 04:04:00 GMT

What do Duck Dynasty and The Family Guy have to do with US politics? And what happens when we so identify with a group that we want it to win, even when it's against our self-interest? Our guest, Dr. Lilliana Mason, explores the political impact of "in-group / out-group" dynamics in her book, Uncivil Politics: How Politics Became Our Identity. She uses social psychology to explain how both Republicans and Democrats have come to view politics through an emotional "us / them” lens, and how damaging this is to our political process that relies on negotiation, compromise, collaboration and cooperation -- not winning at all costs.

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Rep. Ilhan Omar's Tweet (Bonus Episode)

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 04:44:03 GMT

Peter Glick returns for a bonus episode to help us unpack and understand the week’s controversy surrounding Rep. Ilhan Omar’s tweet about the pro-Israel lobby, specifically AIPAC. Michael, Betty, and Peter take on the difficult and fraught conversation about anti-Semitism and Israel, and add important psychological insights missing from the debate.

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Why Everyone Hates the Jews

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 07:20:00 GMT

Recently, the US has seen a disturbing uptick in hate crimes, especially those directed against Jewish people and institutions. From neo-Nazis in Charlottesville to the tragic mass murder at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, anti-Semitism seems to have found a deadly new voice in America. What drives anti-Semitism today, and how is it different from other kinds of prejudice and hate? Drs. Susan Fiske (Princeton) and Peter Glick (Lawrence U.) join us to talk about how their Stereotype Content Model helps explain the rise of modern anti-Semitism in America and what events like the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide share in common.

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Acknowledging Harm and Repairing the World

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 10:00:24 GMT

How do we move out of a political discourse of blame and shame into one that acknowledges past and present harm done and the need to repair it? In this episode, renowned psychoanalyst, Dr. Jessica Benjamin, discusses the psychological barriers to the struggle for a lawful world based on recognizing our common humanity and universal needs. When basic human needs for recognition are denied, the resulting trauma creates a fragmented, black-and-white world of “doer and done to,” in which responsibility for harm done is denied. The myth that both sides are equally responsible for "doing to the other" then serves and obscures the perpetuation of the systemic asymmetry of racism, injustice, inequality, and economic exploitation. Deprived of recognition for their needs, many turn to exalting authority and stigmatizing weakness, affirming a predatory worldview in which only one can survive at the expense of the other. Dr. Benjamin talks to us about her useful idea of creating a third space in which we are able to to acknowledge and repair such harm, while taking account of the powerful forces of fear and resentment that have prevented recognition.

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The Symbolic Power of Trump's Wall

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 10:00:35 GMT

When is a wall not just a wall? When it’s Donald Trump’s Wall. Dr. Thomas Singer, a Jungian psychoanalyst, argues that the Wall needs to be recognized for the symbol it has become in the minds of Trump’s most ardent supporters and harshest critics. Reason, facts, and well-argued positions don’t matter when they come up against the powerful, visceral emotions of a symbol. Tom reminds us that symbols motivate, provoke, and drive us. That’s what Trump has effectively done with his wall. Tom believes that the power of symbols is what lurked behind the longest government shutdown in US history and thus deserves our attention.

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Delusions and Lies — the Mind of Trump

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 10:00:06 GMT

What’s the difference between a lie and a delusional falsehood? It’s a matter of perspective—especially when you’re talking about Donald Trump. In this episode of Mind of State, we are joined by Dr. Michael Tansey, a psychoanalyst with a self-proclaimed obsession for Donald Trump. (How else can you explain starting every day by reading Trump’s tweets?) Michael helps us better understand the nature of lying, something we all do to some degree, and why Trump’s lies are so very different, even dangerous. With shout-outs to Oculus Rift and Wilt Chamberlin.

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We Are All Going to Die — Someday

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 10:00:04 GMT

Humans are uniquely aware of our own mortality. Someday, hopefully later rather than sooner, each of us is going to die. For our guest, Dr. Sheldon Solomon, recognition of our own death is the most important idea in human history. Sheldon argues, and he has the proof to back it up, that the awareness of our own death (“mortality salience,” is his fancy term for it) influences all aspects of our lives, from religion, to art, to—and this where it gets really interesting for us—our politics. Sheldon calls it “Terror Management Theory,” and he explains that this is what sits at the core of Donald Trump’s appeal.

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Make America Sane Again (Teaser)

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 02:40:48 GMT

Mind of State is a weekly podcast where politics and psychology meet. Each episode features lively commentary on current events, policymakers, and the body politic, and how we have arrived at this moment, as observed through both a political and psychological lens. We explore how "mind" impacts "state" — and vice versa. Tune in, as co-hosts Betty Teng, a NYC psychoanalyst and trauma therapist, and Michael Epstein, an award-winning filmmaker, engage in nuanced conversation with distinguished experts from the worlds of politics and psychology, as well as others from related fields who have studied the complex dynamics between individual/group psychology and political processes. Mind of State is produced and recorded out of Hangar Studios in NYC, by Michael Epstein, Jonathan Kopp, Thomas Singer and Betty Teng. New episodes released Tuesdays. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Soundcloud and RSS.

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