Your Introjects (Inner Voices) are NOT YOU!
The internal objects, introjects, and voices that populate your inner world are not a part of your core identity, but rather a kind of attribution error. These voices are triggered by circumstances and events in your life, but they are not your identity. Silencing the introjects does have an effect on your behavior and choices, but it doesn’t have an effect on who you are. Therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy, schema therapy, and Gestalt therapy can help silence these introjects and remove them, leaving your authentic self.
Engulfment Anxiety Tips Bad Vs. Good Voices In Borderlines, Codependents, People Pleasers
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is commonly associated with abandonment anxiety, but there is another type of anxiety that is less reported in literature, which is engulfment or enmeshment anxiety. This anxiety is triggered when a Borderline gets too intimate with someone, and it creates a feeling of being controlled from the outside, leading to a fear of being assimilated or digested. This anxiety is caused by the Borderline’s bad object, which is a collection of internal voices that inform them of their unworthiness and inadequacy. To cope with this anxiety, Borderlines should establish a people-free time and zone, introduce structure into their lives, and stop being emotionally invested in the past or future.
Regretting Your Promiscuity? Do This!
In this video, Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the differences in social sexuality and how it relates to mental illness. People with unrestricted social sexuality, who can have sex with strangers without any problem, are typically subclinical psychopaths. However, there are people who sleep with strangers habitually but hold conservative values, leading to cognitive dissonance and egodystonic behavior. These people may spiral down into a state of alcoholism and self-trashing, but there are effective treatments available, such as dialectical behavior therapy and behavior modification techniques. Vaknin encourages people to seek help and not give up on life.
WARNING: Your Best Friend Will Poach Your Partner!
Mate poaching, or attempting to romantically attract someone who is already in a relationship, is a common seduction technique and mating strategy. Studies show that friendship is the best predictor of cheating, as it is the most common relationship invasion tactic. Friends with benefits can evolve into long-term romantic relationships, as friendship leads to investment and commitment. However, relationships formed from poaching tend to be of lower quality than non-poached counterparts, and individuals with a history of mate poaching often report poorer quality relationships.
7 Signs of Abusive Relationship: Ask DAILY (Intimate Partner Abuse)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses abusive relationships and provides seven questions to ask oneself to determine if they are in an abusive relationship. The questions include whether one treats themselves with dignity, sets clear boundaries, tolerates abuse and aggression, is assertive, knows themselves, treats others the way they want to be treated, and if they are habitually disrespected. Vaknin emphasizes the importance of honest communication, self-preservation, and self-love in relationships.
Muddle Intimacy, Emotions, Attachment Style, Sex
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the confusion between intimacy, emotions, sex, and attachment. He argues that intimacy is not necessarily connected to emotions and that emotions, such as love, require intimacy. Attachment styles should match for relationships to work, and mate selection should be informed by attachment style. However, attachment style is not an integral part of mate selection. Flat attachment style is a type of attachment style where people are incapable of bonding or relatedness to others. Confusing these concepts has led to blurring lines and wrong conclusions in the field of gender studies and sexology.
Monetizing Suffering: Victimhood Capitalism (Atlantico Interview)
Narcissism is on the rise, particularly among young people, and technology both reflects and enhances it. Society is becoming more narcissistic, and it is a positive adaptation as it can lead to success. However, the confluence of victimhood and narcissism is dangerous, as it can lead to a lack of empathy, entitlement, and exploitativeness. To combat this, it is important to redirect public discourse away from compensating for victimhood and towards overcoming it, emphasizing triumph and resilience.
Narcissist’s Hypnosis And Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is a phenomenon that remains largely unexplained, with various theories suggesting it is either a special state of mind or a people-pleasing behavior. Professor Sam Vaknin proposes that hypnosis is an extreme form of empathy, where the subject and hypnotist synchronize their minds and become one. Hypnotherapy has shown some medical value, but its efficacy in treating mental health conditions is limited. Despite the mystery surrounding hypnosis, it should be treated with respect and investigated further as a potential treatment for mental illness.
Transhumanism: Culture Replaces Evolution (with Benny Hendel)
Dual inheritance theory, or gene-culture co-evolution, suggests that humans develop both genetically and biologically, as well as through culture or civilization. Culture, as the totality of human creativity, is a form of evolution that can shape humans and their offspring. This control over evolution through culture allows humans to adapt to diverse habitats and environments. However, the future of human evolution could be influenced by the choices made in using culture and technology, potentially leading to a more narcissistic and psychopathic society.
Entitled Victims Turn Violent (Excerpt courtesy Michael Shellenberger)
Victim-mode movements are dangerous and pernicious developments that are threatening to society. Certain people are prone to adopt victim-mode as an identity, which endows their life with meaning and makes sense of the world. Victim-mode movements are one of the most threatening developments, and they have the potential for aggression and even violence. The potential for aggression and violence in victim-mode movements is much larger than in the general population, and it’s equal to psychopathic movements like the Nazi movement.