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Mind of State

43 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 149 ratings

Mind of State is a 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 and Jonathan Kopp engage in nuanced conversation with 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 by co-founders Betty Teng, Jonathan Kopp and Thomas Singer, together with Alletta Cooper and Jenny Woodward.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episodes

It's a Wrap

March 10, 2021 08:30 - 45 minutes - 63 MB

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...

Our Collective Trauma

February 17, 2021 08:30 - 38 minutes - 88.2 MB

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 step...

Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America REVISITED

February 10, 2021 08:30 - 40 minutes - 93.5 MB

[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 con...

Living Unarmed

February 03, 2021 08:30 - 45 minutes - 103 MB

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 ...

Restoring Faith In Democracy REVISITED

January 27, 2021 08:30 - 35 minutes - 80.9 MB

[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. Hosted on Acast. S...

When Myth Becomes History

January 20, 2021 09:00 - 41 minutes - 94.2 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Politics of Care REVISITED

January 13, 2021 08:30 - 48 minutes - 112 MB

[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 unpac...

Perfect Storm: Climate, Race and COVID

January 06, 2021 08:30 - 44 minutes - 101 MB

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...

America's Economic Myth REVISITED

December 30, 2020 08:30 - 38 minutes - 87.4 MB

[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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

Conspiracy Without Theory

December 23, 2020 08:30 - 46 minutes - 106 MB

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 discu...

Ambiguous Loss and the 2020 Pandemic REVISITED

December 16, 2020 08:30 - 41 minutes - 94 MB

[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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

Justice, Rage and Peace

December 09, 2020 08:30 - 46 minutes - 106 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. Se...

Restoring Faith In Democracy

November 25, 2020 08:30 - 34 minutes - 78.8 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Analyzing the Election

November 11, 2020 08:05 - 46 minutes - 106 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Case for Radical Openness

October 28, 2020 07:05 - 47 minutes - 109 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

Sounding the Alarm

October 21, 2020 09:00 - 36 minutes - 83.8 MB

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 a...

The Politics of Care

October 14, 2020 07:30 - 46 minutes - 107 MB

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 ...

America's Economic Myth

October 07, 2020 07:15 - 36 minutes - 84.2 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Voting and Democracy Survive the Internet?

September 30, 2020 01:41 - 40 minutes - 92.2 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ambiguous Loss and the 2020 Pandemic

September 16, 2020 09:00 - 39 minutes - 91 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America

September 02, 2020 11:47 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MB

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. Hosted ...

Season 2 Trailer

August 04, 2020 15:50 - 1 minute - 3.43 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politics and the Teenage Mind

April 16, 2019 02:00 - 1 hour - 53 MB

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.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politics & the Teenage Mind

April 16, 2019 02:00 - 1 hour - 53 MB

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.

The Trauma of Syria

April 09, 2019 03:08 - 1 hour - 51.2 MB

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." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

Anger & Racial Politics

April 02, 2019 01:30 - 39 minutes - 31.6 MB

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.

Anger and Racial Politics

April 02, 2019 01:30 - 39 minutes - 31.6 MB

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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The End of Truth?

March 26, 2019 03:00 - 56 minutes - 45 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

The Perilous Path to Asylum

March 19, 2019 03:30 - 1 hour - 51.5 MB

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). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump On the Couch

March 12, 2019 03:45 - 54 minutes - 43.9 MB

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Democracy & the Decline of Reason

March 05, 2019 01:31 - 55 minutes - 44.8 MB

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.

Democracy and the Decline of Reason

March 05, 2019 01:31 - 55 minutes - 44.8 MB

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

White Identity Politics Is Bigger Than the KKK

February 26, 2019 04:30 - 59 minutes - 47.7 MB

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...

Partisan Politics, Toxic Identities, Dangerous Divides

February 19, 2019 04:04 - 1 hour - 61.4 MB

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 dam...

Rep. Ilhan Omar's Tweet (Bonus Episode)

February 15, 2019 04:44 - 35 minutes - 28.3 MB

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. © Copyright Original Music "Royal Flush Gang" by Composer Joel Goodman; Published by Oovra Music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...

Why Everyone Hates the Jews

February 12, 2019 07:20 - 38 minutes - 31.2 MB

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 Cont...

Acknowledging Harm and Repairing the World

February 05, 2019 10:00 - 52 minutes - 42.2 MB

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 respons...

Breaking the Impasse of Entrenched Partisan Politics

February 05, 2019 10:00 - 52 minutes - 42.2 MB

How do we move past a political discourse of blame and shame to acknowledge real harm done and get to a vision of repair? In this episode, Dr. Jessica Benjamin applies her theory of 'doer and done to' the political context. We discuss the inevitable struggle against the defenders of authority, power and predation by those who seek to redress injustice and uphold a lawful order based on the common good. © Copyright Original Music "Royal Flush Gang" by Composer Joel Goodman; Published by Oovr...

The Symbolic Power of Trump's Wall

January 29, 2019 10:00 - 38 minutes - 30.6 MB

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 bel...

Delusions and Lies — the Mind of Trump

January 29, 2019 10:00 - 30 minutes - 24.3 MB

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 ...

Delusions & Lies — the Mind of Trump

January 29, 2019 10:00 - 30 minutes - 24.3 MB

What’s the difference between a lie and a delusional lie? 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 danger...

We Are All Going to Die — Someday

January 29, 2019 10:00 - 50 minutes - 40.1 MB

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. Sh...

Make America Sane Again (Teaser)

January 18, 2019 02:40 - 2 minutes - 2.11 MB

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 ...

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