Mind of State

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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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." See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.© Copyright Original Music "Royal Flush Gang" by Composer Joel Goodman; Published by Oovra Music See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.© Copyright Original Music "Royal Flush Gang" by Composer Joel Goodman; Published by Oovra Music See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.