Down God’s Rabbit Hole: Religious Apologetics
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses his experience at a Cold Therapy seminar in Romania and his thoughts on a book he received as a gift. He critiques arguments made in the book about atheism, religion, and spirituality, and emphasizes the importance of reason and trust in understanding the world. He also challenges the concepts of intelligent design and the existence of God.
GREAT NEWS New Treatments, BPD Redefined ( Borderline Personality Disorder Literature Review)
Recent studies have challenged common perceptions of borderline personality disorder. One study found that individuals can qualify for a diagnosis without engaging in self-harm or self-mutilation. Another study showed that combining individual and group schema therapy can lead to a reduction in symptoms for patients with borderline personality disorder. Additionally, a study suggested that early interventions focusing on clinical case management and psychiatric care may be more effective for young patients with borderline personality disorder than individual psychotherapy. Other studies explored the effectiveness of various psychotherapies and interventions for borderline personality disorder, with mixed results.
YOU are Narcissist’s Tradition, His Reflexive Self
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the concept of the reflexive self, which is the idea that individuals form their identities through constant self-reflection and self-awareness. He explains that in traditional societies, self-reflection was limited by the boundaries set by traditions, which provided a sense of stability and ontological security. However, in post-traditional societies, the collapse of traditions has led to an extension of reflexivity, which can be both empowering and anxiety-inducing. While Giddens’ work on reflexivity has been criticized for oversimplifying the relationship between social structures and individual agency, it remains an important concept in understanding the formation of identity in contemporary society.
Why Narcissist Distrusts You ( Ontological Insecurity)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the concept of ontological insecurity and its impact on identity. He emphasizes the importance of ontological security in developing a stable sense of self-identity and the potential consequences of ontological insecurity on mental and physical health. Vaknin also highlights the role of trust and the impact of modern society on ontological security. He references the work of Anthony Giddens and advocates for the reintroduction of past psychological concepts into education.
Victim of Abuse: Rescue Me NOT! Back Off!
Professor Sam Vaknin warns against attempting to rescue victims of narcissistic abuse, as they are often trauma-bonded to their abuser and may not want to be saved. Victims may have a shared fantasy with their abuser, which is their comfort zone, and may resent any attempts to extricate them from it. Vaknin identifies five common fallacies that victims of narcissistic abuse may hold, including the belief that their abuser defines who they are and that they are lucky to have found them. Any attempts to rescue or fix the victim may be rebuffed, and the rescuer may be perceived as a threat.
Insider Tips: Rid Yourself of Your Toxic Partner (with Sarah Davison)
Sam Vaknin explains the differences between healthy and pathological narcissism, and the differences between psychopaths and narcissists. He also discusses gaslighting, confabulation, and the strategies that children who experience abuse and trauma adopt. Sam believes that narcissists are very sick people and should not have any access to their children. He also explains that narcissists reject reality at an early stage in life and invent an imaginary friend, which later becomes the false self and a paracosm.
Free Will: Illusion or Reality?
Free will is a useful fiction that helps humans make sense of life and provides self-efficacious guidance. It is an article of faith rather than a fact or hypothesis, and has no place in modern scientific discourse. However, it is crucial for human civilization and moral responsibility. The concept of free will depends on the frame of reference and level of description, and while it may not exist from a cosmic point of view, it is a powerful organizing principle from a human perspective.
Why Childhood Abuse Victims Hate And Are Hated
Victims of childhood abuse tend to hate themselves and provoke others to hate them as well, as they feel more comfortable when despised and rejected. This self-destructive behavior is influenced by the reactions of adults in their environment, shaping their self-states and molding their brains. Abused children develop trauma and post-traumatic conditions due to the reactions of the adults around them. Narcissists, in particular, love to be hated and hate to be loved, fearing intimacy and seeking punishment through provoking negative reactions from others.
External Regulation: Inverted Narcissist not Codependent or Borderline (with Daria Żukowska)
Inverted narcissism is a form of covert narcissism where the individual derives their narcissistic supply from an overt narcissist. They have a symbiotic relationship with the overt narcissist, as they receive attention and supply from them, even if it’s in the form of abuse. Inverted narcissists are different from echoists, as they focus on self-annihilation and becoming their source of supply, while echoists are more focused on their own internal dynamics. Inverted narcissists are unlikely to become classic narcissists, as they are a subtype of covert narcissism and are more focused on obtaining supply in any form.
Are YOU a simulation? (with Benny Hendel)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses philosopher David Chalmers’ view that simulations are as real as reality and that reality may be a simulation. Vaknin disagrees with Chalmers on two main points: 1) Vaknin believes that there will always be a conscious act of will required to switch between reality and simulations, and 2) even if our reality is a simulation, it is still our privileged frame of reference and cannot be escaped. Vaknin argues that Chalmers’ view requires an impossible vantage point outside of both reality and simulations to compare them.