The Mind Society

We're all, in some way, familiar with the term "narcissist". Have you ever thought someone around you might be a narcissist, or perhaps, someone commented that you possibly may be one? This term is sometimes thrown around loosely to describe someone full of themselves or only thinking of their needs, but what exactly does narcissism mean? Do all people who show some narcissistic qualities be one? Dr. Ramani Durvasula helps us unpack exactly what the difference between someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder vs. someone who exhibits narcissistic traits. What are those qualities to look out for if we feel someone is truly a narcissist? How does we shield ourselves from gaslighting, a common tactic from these individuals. And what do we do when we're healing from narcissistic abuse? All of these questions will be answered and more in my riveting conversation with Dr. Ramani. Tune in!

Food is much more than just a source of sustenance and energy; it plays a crucial role in our overall health, influencing both our physical and mental well-being. It impacts our brain and mind equally as it does our physical body. During this episode with Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, nutritionist, and culinary expert, we engage in a fascinating conversation about the various implications foods have on our mental health, including its effects on mental disorders. Are there ways to suppress or mitigate symptoms of anxiety and depression through the eating of different and specific foods? How about psychotic disorders? Dr. Naidoo provides inspiring and surprising answers. She provides countless examples of different foods and spices that are both helpful and harmful to our psychology. Moreover, by highlighting the gut-brain connection, we explore the bi-directional activities between the brain and gut and how those effects make profound changes in our psyche. This episode is a riveting journey through understanding a very significant and essential part of nutritional psychology and provides important takeaways for any type of listener. A must listen!

Dr. George Bonanno (Columbia University) is a preeminent researcher of loss, trauma, and the emotions associated with these experiences. He’s made it his life’s work to explore why some individuals experience trauma while others do not, revealing a surprising resilience in human nature. His research shows that many people can maintain high functioning even after significant loss or trauma. This raises an intriguing question: why is this so, especially in a world where the term "trauma" is often used loosely? While it's true that some suffer from psychological impairments linked to posttraumatic stress disorder, Dr. Bonanno's research queries also prompt us to reconsider our understanding of what constitutes a "traumatic" experience, broadening our perspective on human coping mechanisms. For those who experience such resiliency, what cognitive or coping techniques are they employing? Fascinatingly, Dr. Bonanno reveals that those who exhibit more resiliency than others employ a technique of cognitive and emotional flexibility in coping with said adversity. He takes us through expressive flexibility and emotion regulation flexibility’s role in all of this, including many other compelling strategies. He also provides glimpse into his lab’s work, where he spends a great amount of work investigating veteran’s transition to civilian life in order to study these different flexibility techniques. Curious about how groundhogs contribute to our understanding of cognitive flexibility? You'll find these answers and more during my conversation with Dr. Bonanno in this episode.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), as elucidated by its founder, Dr. Albert Ellis, is more than a therapeutic technique; it's a philosophy for living. Dr. Ellis, a trailblazer in the field, introduced REBT well ahead of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), laying the groundwork for Aaron Beck, CBT's originator, with whom he shared a professional relationship. Having Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis, the late-Dr. Albert Ellis' esteemed wife and a dedicated practitioner of REBT, join us was enlightening. Her role as an adjunct professor at Columbia University and her therapeutic practice embody the essence of REBT. Central to REBT is the identification and challenging of irrational thoughts that lead to emotional imbalance. In a world brimming with stressors and irrationality, mastering REBT's techniques equips us to navigate life more effectively and healthily. Tune in to my conversation with Dr. Joffe Ellis to discover why REBT is a pivotal tool for cognitive and emotional regulation, essential for anyone's mental arsenal.

Language serves as a fundamental tool for communication with others and, intriguingly, as a conduit for self-dialogue. Have you ever pondered the profound influence the language we use on ourselves has on our emotional comprehension and regulation? Dr. Erik Nook from Princeton leads us on an exploration of these concepts, central to his laboratory's research. He unveils the idea of "psychological distancing," illustrating the powerful effects of eschewing personal pronouns like "I" in our internal narratives. In our conversation, Dr. Nook reveals the promising research trajectories of his fledgling lab and elucidates the broader implications of their discoveries. His insights are exceptionally enlightening, making this an episode brimming with wisdom and rich with actionable insights—a conversation with Dr. Nook that truly should not be overlooked.

A distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Leuven in Belgium, Dr. Batja Mesquita's research on culture and emotions has cleared a path for the deep understanding of how cultures mold our emotional experiences and expressions. By understanding these cultural variations, we gain valuable insights into the diversity of human affect and the significance of context in shaping emotional responses. This awareness enables us to navigate intercultural interactions more effectively, fostering empathy, reducing misunderstandings, and promoting cooperation. During our discussion, we dive deep into exactly these areas. What are the different ways in which culture influences our prioritization of certain emotions, such as shame? Why do some cultures reward emphasizing this emotion, while others do not? What are some ways that European and American emotions differ, and why are there stark discrepancies? All of these questions are unpacked and expanded upon within our episode. Listen to my conversation with Dr. Mesquita to learn more. (To dive even deeper, her book “Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions” can be purchased on any online bookstore.)

In the debut episode of our second season, we delve into a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. James Gross of Stanford University, an esteemed authority in the psychology of emotions and emotion regulation. Our discussion penetrates the intricate world of human emotions, highlighting the significant effects of cultural nuances and elaborating on the diverse strategies individuals adopt for emotional regulation. Dr. Gross underscores the necessity of self-awareness and comprehension in identifying and understanding our emotional frameworks as well as those operating in others. He elaborates on the pivotal role this understanding plays in our mental health, interpersonal relationships, and communal well-being. The episode serves not only as an academic discourse but also as a practical guide, offering valuable insights for those seeking to enhance their emotional intelligence and navigate the often turbulent waters of human emotion. This in-depth exploration transcends a basic understanding of the subject, providing listeners with a richer appreciation of the psychological mechanisms at play and imparting essential knowledge that is applicable in both personal introspection and professional contexts. Tune in to listen to my discussion with Dr. Gross. 

And we're back for a second season of The Mind Society! The next part of our journey will branch us out beyod the United States' northeastern region, away from the Ivies, and instead towards different regions domestically, including across borders and big ponds to different continents to hear from international psychological scholars conducting profound research. Our aim is to share what these experts have been investigating and, thus, what they've discovered. We'll cover topics such as how food plays a role in our mood, how cultural differences affect the way we interpret and engage with people from other cultures, and we'll delve deep into the impact our emotions have on our experience of the world around us. All of this and so much more! We look forward to sharing these conversations and are excited for you to come along for the ride. 

Anxiety has affected most of us directly. More so than not, we’ve all experienced some levels of anxiety, whether it’s feeling nervous, restless, tense or breathing rapidly, sweating, and even trembling. These symptoms are unmistakable feelings and can even become debilitating. Dr. Richard McNally, the Director of Clinical Training at Harvard University, sheds light into how anxiety surpasses the threshold from being a normal evolutionary adaptation to a mental disorder. Besides the severity levels one can experience, there are also a variety of diagnostic forms that it can take. Some include general (GAD), specific phobias, and panic disorders. During our discussion, we pick apart which are the most prevalent and traverse the different techniques that can help alleviate feelings of anxiety from an expert who has spent the past few decades researching this psychopathology. Dr. McNally provides concise details about the disorder and valuable take-aways that’ll help any person navigate the distressing effects of anxiety. Listen for these types of insights and more.

Each of our interpretations of the world around us is nuanced from one person to the next. In a way, consciousness can be loosely understood to be the representations we make of the world around us. It's in these representations that are computed, much like a computer. (Cue in "Computational Psychology"; the application of computational principles to understand human behavior.) And furthermore, the fact that it's a live system, makes it unique because now evolution is also playing a role in these processes and "there's pressure for presentation to be useful". Dr. Shimon Edelman, a faculty professor of psychology at Cornell, explains how we make these different representations during our conversation. His theoretical approach bridges many gaps in order to pave the way for more empirical endeavors in the realm of consciousness. We discuss how our sense, including our feelings, play a role in the construction of our realities. Dr. Edelman takes us on a deep dive into the psyche where we unpack how machine-like our minds can be and the manners in which we come to create the world around us.