Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the functions of the ego, including reality testing and impulse control. He delves into the concept of emotional investment and its impact on reality testing, as well as the role of the ego in preventing regression.
Parents are primarily responsible for their children’s mental health, as their behavior and environment significantly shape the child’s development. Genetic predispositions can be activated or suppressed by the parents’ actions. Parents with mental health issues can transmit their problems to
The hippocampus is responsible for long-term memory, spatial perception, and social functioning. Recent studies have shown that it plays a crucial role in navigating social spaces and even music. The hippocampus is also involved in path integration, which involves keeping
Narcissists and psychopaths cry at movies due to a complex interplay of psychological factors. While there is a distinction between the two personality types, both can experience emotional reactions while watching films. For narcissists, the experience of watching a movie
Sam Vaknin discusses spiritual narcissism, where narcissists pretend to have spiritual functions, such as clergy, healers, or therapists, and claim a connection to a higher authority. He explains three types of spiritual narcissists: victim, godlike, and healer. He also delves
Professor Sam Vaknin is an expert on narcissism and narcissistic abuse. He authored the book “Malignant Self-Love: Narcissism Revisited” and is considered a pioneer in the field of narcissistic abuse, having established the first website and support groups on the
Dr. Sam Vaknin discusses the problems with labeling and diagnosing mental illnesses, emphasizing the need to focus on specific problems and issues rather than using diagnostic labels. He also highlights the influence of societal and cultural norms on the perception
Narcissists form unique bonds with pets, projecting their own traits onto them and finding a source of narcissistic supply. Pet ownership involves a mix of satisfaction and frustration, leading to a form of co-dependency. The discussion then shifts to the
Carl Rogers noticed problems in therapy in the 1940s, such as therapist anxiety and victim blaming. He developed person-centered therapy, emphasizing the client’s role in leading therapy and the therapist’s empathy and acceptance. The therapy focuses on the client’s self-exploration
Today’s video discusses self-supply in narcissists, where they generate supply from within to avoid collapse. Techniques include future orientation, exclusive reference, self-referential transcendence, self-audiencing, self-referential ideation, contemptuous withholding, and paranoid ideation. These techniques are used to maintain a sense of