Are We Transitioning to Doom or Doomed to Transition? (EXCERPT)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the multiple transitions humanity is currently experiencing, including political, economic, and gender-related shifts. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration between men and women in a new way that reflects current realities. Vaknin also highlights the dangers of atomization, individual anonymity, self-worship, and self-sufficiency in the age of virtual reality and the metaverse. He believes that if men and women do not find a way to collaborate and adapt to these changes, the human species may be doomed.
Narcissist Hates Himself, So Can’t Love YOU
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the nature of love and why narcissists cannot love. He explains that all love is self-love and that being loved is a way of experiencing existence and feeling alive. Narcissists, however, lack a true self and are incapable of self-love, making it impossible for them to love others. He delves into the psychological processes and theories behind narcissism, emphasizing the narcissist’s inability to empathize and experience true human connection. Ultimately, he highlights the importance of self-love as a prerequisite for loving others and contrasts healthy self-love with pathological narcissism.
Narcissist: YOU His Dream, HE Your Nightmare (EXCERPT, Seminar, April 12, 2022, Budapest)
Professor Sam Vaknin is giving a six-hour seminar in Budapest on April 12th, 2022, which is free of charge. The seminar is divided into four modules, each with two parts, and will cover hundreds of aspects of the relationship with a narcissist. One of the things he discusses is the discrepancy between how the narcissist sees themselves and how their partner perceives them. The narcissist regards themselves as a dream come true, but this is because they first idealize their partner, who becomes the source and regulator of their sense of self-worth.
Mystical Experiences, Religion as Mental Illness
Mystical experiences, which are the foundation of many religions, have been linked to mental illness and brain damage. Neuroscience has found that damage to certain areas of the brain, such as the frontal and temporal lobes, can increase the likelihood of mystical experiences. These experiences share similarities with dissociative states, addiction, and pathological narcissism. While some researchers argue that mystical experiences can be healing and transformative, others suggest that they are a result of mental illness or brain dysfunction.
Express Constructive Anger, Not Narcissistic Rage!
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the constructive expression of anger and the difference between anger and narcissistic rage. He emphasizes the importance of honest communication, describing one’s state of mind, and asking for change as constructive ways to express anger. He also delves into the characteristics and manifestations of narcissistic rage, highlighting its internal nature and its impact on the narcissist’s behavior and relationships.
Resist When Narcissist Triggers You Inner Voices (Death, God, Life Introjects)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the three types of voices in a narcissist: the voice of death, the God voice, and the life voice. These voices are introjects that originate from parental figures, role models, and caregivers. When a narcissist enters a relationship, they implant these voices in their partner’s mind, triggering corresponding introjects in the partner. To heal from a narcissistic relationship, one must identify and eradicate these implanted voices and replace them with their own authentic voice.
How To Talk to Narcissist, Borderline, OCD (with Joan J. Lachkar)
The text is a conversation between Sam Vaknin and Joanne Yuta Lachkar. They discuss the dynamics of narcissistic and borderline relationships, the impact of early childhood experiences, and the role of countertransference in therapy. They also touch on the topic of affairs and their effects on individuals.
Narcissistic Abuse Recovery: First Separate, Individuate
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the process of separation individuation, which involves dissociation, objectification, and grandiosity, and is a prime example of healthy narcissism. However, if anything goes wrong in this process, narcissism arises and erupts. Narcissism is a failure of separation individuation owing to a lack of boundaries between the child and their mother. The narcissist aggressively and grandiosely converts their partner into what is called a self-object or an object representation, eliminating their ability to separate from them and regarding them as a symbol, voice, or representation, not as a real person.
Here’s Why We’re All Doomed (Excerpt)
In a world that is mentally ill, the construct of individual mental illness is dead. Mental illness of the individual is positively reinforced in a deranged world. The environment no longer provides cues on how to be healthy, and there is no unscripted exposure therapy. Narcissism and psychopathy are thriving, and dark triad personalities are at the top. The sick rise to the top when the world is sick, and there is nothing we can do about this.
Genius or Gifted? IQ and Beyond (News Intervention Interview)
In this transcript, Professor Sam Vaknin discusses IQ, intelligence, genius, and giftedness in an interview with News Intervention. He clarifies that any result above 160 is not normatively validated and that intelligence is anything that endows an individual with a comparative advantage at performing a complex task. He also explains that giftedness resembles autism and that it is the ability to accomplish tasks inordinately well or fast by focusing on them to the exclusion of all else. Additionally, he notes that many so-called geniuses with high IQ are dysfunctional and deficient when it comes to life, intimacy, relationships, and social skills.