Brain Neuroplasticity: Neuroscience Of Self States
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses neuroplasticity and its implications for the concept of a unitary self. He also touches on the four S’s of a narcissist’s intimate partner and delves into various psychological phenomena such as ambivalence, cognitive dissonance, and compartmentalization. Vaknin provides a detailed breakdown of different types of neuroplasticity and their impact on the brain’s ability to change and adapt. He also challenges traditional models of psychology and identity, advocating for a self-states model.
Psychedelics Hype Or Hope
Professor Sam Vaknin argues that claims about the healing effects of psychedelics on narcissistic personality disorder are exaggerated and misleading. He states that there is not enough scientific evidence to support these claims, as most studies on psychedelics have not been conducted with proper control groups. Vaknin believes that talk therapy is the recommended treatment for pathological narcissism, while antidepressants can be used for comorbid depression and OCD. He advises against self-treatment with psychedelics for psychological disorders, as it may cause more harm than good.
Solitude: Why Are We So Lonely, Alone? (with Benny Hendel)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the increasing trend of people choosing to be alone, with half the adult population in the United States being single or in short-term relationships. He attributes this to factors such as technological self-sufficiency, the hollowing out of family functions, overcrowding, societal collapse, and a preference for being alone when needs are met. Additionally, Vaknin mentions the rise in depression and anxiety rates, which can lead to social isolation. He warns that this trend could lead to social unrest and violence on a global scale.
Autism, Borderline, Narcissism: Some Similarities And Differences
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the polythetic problem in modern diagnostic psychology, where comorbidities, or multiple mental health issues, are diagnosed in the same individual. He explains that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) has not yet recognized that there may be only one personality disorder, which is a form of complex trauma or CPTSD. Vaknin also discusses the similarities and differences between autism, narcissism, and borderline personality disorder, noting that both narcissists and borderlines experience separation insecurity and create shared fantasies with intimate partners. However, borderlines distance themselves due to overwhelming anxiety, while narcissists devalue and discard partners to separate from a maternal figure.
Narcissistic Women vs. Borderline Women vs. Narcissistic Men
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the differences between men and women when it comes to personality disorders. He states that there is little difference between male and female narcissists in terms of their psychodynamics, but their behaviors may differ due to societal and cultural expectations. Within the same diagnosis, the variation between men and women is low, but the variation between diagnoses is much higher. Vaknin also notes that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) is gender-neutral in its language, but some claims within it can be seen as sexist.
Mentally Ill: Bail Out, Save Yourself – Not THEM!
Mentally ill people often emotionally blackmail others into becoming their rescuers, and once they have, they want to infect them with their illness. This is because they want to share their pain and feel accepted. However, mentally ill people do not want to be helped, and they have strong resistances and defenses against healing. Therefore, it is important to harden your heart and walk away from mentally ill people to save yourself.
Adapting to Dystopian New Normal (Interview with Shot Magazine)
The transcript features a conversation between the interviewer and Professor Sam Vaknin, discussing societal trends, psychology, and the future of human behavior. Vaknin expresses a pessimistic view of current societal trends, suggesting that narcissism and psychopathy are becoming more adaptive traits in modern society. He argues that technology and certain ideologies have led to increased isolation, self-sufficiency, and a decline in empathy and intimacy. Vaknin proposes that limiting harmful ideologies and regulating technology could reverse these trends, but he doubts the political will to make such changes. He also notes that younger generations seem disengaged from life, showing less interest in traditional markers of adulthood. Vaknin believes that while there is potential for societal healing, the current trajectory is concerning, with a shift towards materialism and self-objectification.
20 Steps to Fix This Horrible Mess We Are All In (Shot Magazine)
In the transcript, Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the current state of society and proposes a series of steps to reverse the negative trends. These steps include encouraging a transition from cities back to nature, suppressing certain types of speech and ideologies, regulating technology and social media, reforming education, and promoting mental health and life skills. Vaknin believes that implementing these measures can lead to a better future, but it requires individual and collective will, political will, and social capital.
Reaction Formation: Why White Supremacists Attack LGBTQIA+
Reaction formation is a psychological defense mechanism where individuals behave in a way that denies their hidden feelings and motivations, which they find unacceptable. This defense mechanism is often exaggerated, compulsive, and intended to overcompensate for anxiety related to socially unacceptable thoughts and emotions. Reaction formation is commonly seen in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder, paranoia, and social activists with high narcissistic and psychopathic tendencies. To help someone with reaction formation, it is important to provide a supportive environment, legitimize their true feelings, and show them that their real feelings are more socially acceptable than their reaction formation behaviors.
Shapeshifting Borderline, Morphing Narcissist Identity Disturbance
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the concept of self-states in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD), noting that BPD individuals switch between different personalities and identities. He explains the three types of identity disturbance, which include cyclical, allotropic, and object-related identity disturbance. Patients with borderline personality disorder have disturbances in the structural level of selfhood, resulting in an incomplete sense of substance, substantiality, embodiment, and a feeling of having divorced their own body. Narcissistic pathology is a more egregious form of the borderline pathology, and both the borderline and their typically narcissistic partner try to appropriate the other person’s identity as a sound and medicine to their own identity disturbance and knowing emptiness.