Technology and the Mind

Follow Technology and the Mind
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Technology and the Mind is a podcast dedicated to exploring contemporary psychoanalytic ideas applied to consumer technology use cases. Each month we interview a seasoned practicing psychoanalyst about how they understand the impact of technology on our

Dr. Nicolle Zapien


    • Oct 29, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 47m AVG DURATION
    • 23 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Technology and the Mind with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Technology and the Mind

    AI and the Unconscious: The Importance of Psychoanalysis in Tech Development with Dr. Luca Possati

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2024 58:14


    Dr. Possati describes he work at the intersection of philosophy, psychoanalysis and AI. He discusses the mutual influence of tech on humans and vice versa, the importance of unconscious processes and interdisciplinary collaboration across fields to produce ethical AI systems.

    Critical Sexuality Studies and SexTech with Dr. Michelle Marzullo

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2024 58:31


    In this episode, Dr. Michelle Marzullo, chair of the Department of Critical Sexuality Studies at CIIS discusses her work and the importance of technology in sexuality studies. She provides a queer, intersectional and critical lens and shares a few projects she and her students are working on at the intersection of sexuality studies and technology.

    Human Virtuality and Digital Life: Philosophical and Psychoanalytic Investigations

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2024 60:03


    In this episode long time friends and collaborators, Drs. Richard Frankel and Victor Krebs carry on a decade long conversation in person and in google docs resulting in the book, Human Virtuality and Digital Life, a delightful and rich discussion of the philosophical understandings of virtuality as well as implications for the psyche. Their discussions are far reaching and deep leveraging myths, critical thought, important philosophers and psychoanalytic theorists. In the end we discuss AI, thinking, dreaming, and the generational divide and post-truth political landscape that is fueled by technology. For additional resources please see: Dreaming in the Digital Age, Thoughts on the Technological Pharmakon. POLIGRAFI , 28 (109/110), pp. 59-82.: http://ojs.zrs-kp.si/index.php/poligrafi/article/view/404 Digital Animism. Towards a New Materialism, Religions 2023, 14(2), 264; https://www.mdpi.com/2140582 The Power of Ghosts, Jung Journal Culture and Psyche September 2013 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272120809_The_Power_of_Ghosts Frankel, R. “Dreaming Life in the Digital Age” in Goodman, D and Clemente, M. (eds). (2024) The Routledge International Handbook of Psychoanalysis, Subjectivity, and Technology. London: Routledge. Frankel, R. "New Introduction to the Classic Edition of The Adolescent Psyche” in Frankel, R. (2023) The Adolescent Psyche: Jungian and Winnicottian Perspectives. London: Routledge. Frankel, R. “Digital Melancholy” in Jung Journal: Culture and Psyche. 2013, Vol. 7, No. 4.

    The Importance of Professional Advocacy for Mental Health Treatment Choice in the Times of Ubiquitous Technology

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2024 66:48


    In this episode Dr. Linda Michaels, Chair and Co-Founder of the Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAn) discusses grassroots efforts to provide public information and advocacy for therapies of depth, insight and relationship. She discusses the role of marketing as a major source of information to the public about treatment options for mental health. Further she emphasizes that psychoanalysts and psychodynamically-oriented clinicians should advocate and educate the public, particularly while there are significant strategic interests in among tech apps, investors and insurance companies in shaping the marketplace for consumers.

    Are the Kids Alright? Motivations, Decisions and Values Embedded in Educational and Consumer Technologies

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2024 63:34


    In this episode Catherine Saldutti, founder of EduChange, an innovative EdTech firm that is re-engineering formal secondary academic systems for increased equity describes the values and motivations that drive her team's design of The Integrated Science Program. This program creates the conditions for expert STEM learning. She discusses the power of systems thinking, circular economic principles, sustainable practices and the value of the unknown, creativity and a focus on process. In this episode we philosophize about what technology is, how it is impacting us, we discuss its implications for teaching and learning and for adolescent development and we draw connections to psychoanalytic theory. For additional reading please see: Study on Social Media ad revenue earned from teens in 2022: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0295337 How to ban phones effectively [in schools]: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/how-ban-phones-effectively The 2024 National Educational Technology Plan: https://tech.ed.gov/files/2024/01/NETP24.pdf By Sarah Lewis: The Rise: Creativity, The Gift of Failure and the Search for Mastery: https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Creativity-Failure-Search-Mastery/dp/1451629249 Common Sense Media's Impact of AI on Kids: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ai EDSAFE AI Alliance: https://www.edsafeai.org/ EduChange on Assessment https://educhange.com/functional-assessment/

    Dr. Alexander Stein on Psychoanalysis as a Technology for Positive Change and Influence at Scale

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2024 69:03


    Dr. Stein discusses his work consulting with executives and teams as a psychodynamic strategy consultant. He discusses the impact psychoanalysis can have on people and dynamics between people within business contexts. He centers decision making and caring in his work and muses about AI and the future from the perspective of the C-suite advisor role. His work is ultimately about how psychodynamic strategy consulting can be used as an intervention for social good and business success at scale. Introduction 2:58 — Professional Trajectory + Origin Story 7:33 — From Practice to Deployment 8:10 — Call to Retire Idea of Applied Psychoanalysis 11:25 — Considering the Social in Working with Leaders 13:35 — Differences Between Clinical Psychoanalysis, Conventional Consulting, & Psychodynamic Consulting 18:03 — Value + Benefits of a Psychoanalytic Approach with Executives and Teams: Creating Optionality 23:12 — Scaling Expectations + Meeting Goals 25:09 — Organizations as Human Ecosystems 26:03 — Approaching Varieties of Problems + Issues Across an Array of Practice Areas 27:47 — The Nodal Axis in Multiple Domains: Focused Delivery of Expertise in Decision-Making 29:14 — Human Architecture + Psycho-Social Dimensions in Cybersecurity 31:38 — Multidisciplinary Collaborations in Fraud Matters 33:11 — Psychoanalysis as a Technology to Solve Complicated Problems: Overcoming Challenges + Leveraging Value 35:30 — Building Solutions + Mitigating Risks in Socially Responsible + Commercially Profitable Technologies 40:05 — What Will the Future Hold? Barriers + Upsides to Bringing Psychological Expertise into the Technology Space at Scale 44:33 — AI: Risks, Benefits, Potentials 46:15 — A Critical Assessment of AI as a Project to Replicate + Computerize Human Thought 50:10 — Countering the Deficiency of Care in Developing Technological Applications & Services: Balancing the Psychological + Philosophical 52:25 — More on AI: Implicit Disdain for Humanity as a Driving Force 55:32 — Adverse Consequences of Divestiture of Human Connection 58:02 — How to Course-Correct: Technology Issues are Fundamentally Human not Technological 1:00 — The Value of Care: Shared Moral Responsibilities for Harms & Benefits 1:02:42 — Concluding Remarks + Calls to Action You can find Dr. Stein at: Dolus Advisors: www.dolusadvisors.com/ LinkedIn (individual): www.linkedin.com/in/alexandersteinphd/ LinkedIn (company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/dolus-advisors/ Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexanderstein/#1c06a3246220 The Dolus Advisors Briefing (a periodic newsletter providing analysis, counsel, and firm updates): https://www.dolusadvisors.com/subscribe + https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7025507656970694656/?displayConfirmation=true

    Morgan Venable on big tech, its consequences and the future

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2023 55:06


    Morgan Venable, inventor, product developer and former Ideo, Google, Microsoft and Amazon senior tech product developer discusses his current projects including his work on the Datahand, an ergonomic keyboard that prevents and heals repetitive stress injuries from keyboarding and the future of tech including its impact on our mental health and social landscape.

    Dr. Paul Slovic on feelings and decision making at the societal level including Technology and Political Applications

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2023 71:07


    Dr. Paul Slovic, decision scientist and accomplished academic and researcher discusses human decision making, judgements, and risk with an emphasis on the role of feelings as applied to genocide, war, smoking, advertising, addiction and nuclear arms.

    Stephen Cognetta on working in tech and the future

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2023 39:42


    In this episode we interview Stephen Cognetta, CEO of Exponent, a firm that helps tech workers land their dream job. We discuss his career development including running HackMentalHealth, the world's largest mental health hackathon, his thoughts on the future of tech and the role psychoanalysis might play in helping tech workers to develop.

    Second Season Trailer Episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2023 5:06


    This the a short trailer describing the focus of season 2 of Technology and the Mind. In this season we broaden our discussions by interviewing leaders in the tech sector, techno ethicists, business consultants, venture capitalists, politicians, philosophers and academics in dialogue with psychoanalysts about consumer tech products and services and the impacts these may have on our minds, relationships and society. We will consider the unconscious dynamics we may be participating in individually and socially via technology and whether or not these are important to analyze.

    Dr. Kimberlyn Leary on Race, Bias, Belonging, and Consumer Technology

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2023 45:53


    In this episode Dr. Leary discusses psychoanalytic ideas about race, bias, equity and belonging and how technology may play a role in how people and our communities experience race and belonging.

    Dr. Jeremy Soh on Creativity, Dreams and Technology

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2023 49:27


    Dr. Jeremy Soh discusses creativity and dreams - what they are, why we should care about them and how technology may impact our capacity to be creative and to dream.

    Dr. Isabel Millar on AI, Consciousness and Sex

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2023 48:19


    Dr. Millar shifts the question of is AI conscious to the question of does AI enjoy. She explores areas of sexuality, consent and suffering in AI and suggests that Kantian ethics and Lacanian notions of jouissance may be helpful in understanding how we might secure freedom and privacy as we relate to AI.

    Dr. Patricia Gherovici on Perversion and Porn

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2023 49:15


    Dr. Patricia Gherovici discusses perversion, sexuality and porn. She discusses the use of technology and muses about its impact on our ability to dream and imagine.

    Dr. Mitchell Wilson on materiality, embodiment and proximity in psychoanalysis

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2023 45:58


    Dr. Mitchell Wilson discusses a few cases that illustrate the importance of materiality, embodiment and proximity in psychoanalysis and muses about the meanings for our profession and the future.

    Dr. Todd Essig on teleanalysis and tech-mediated relating

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2023 40:22


    Dr. Todd Essig discusses the differences between teleanalysis and traditional in person psychoanalysis and how this may be useful in understanding tech-mediated relating outside of the consulting relationship.

    Professor Jan Abram on Winnicott, playing, the use of an object and video games

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 45:42


    In this episode, Professor Jan Abram discusses the Winnicottian notion of playing and the use of an object and how these ideas apply to our thinking about video game addiction and liveliness in our relationships.

    5. Dr. Tom Wooldridge on Narcissism and Consumer Technologies

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2022 34:01


    Dr. Tom Wooldridge discusses narcissism and how consumer technology can influence our sensitivities to narcissistic injury in both positive and negative ways. He offer several interesting examples of the use of technology in clinical cases.

    Dr. Stephen Lugar on the Kleinian Notion of the Depressive Position and the Cruel Optimization Mindset

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2022 41:18


    Dr. Stephen Lugar discusses the Kleinian notion of the depressive position, why it is of value and how consumer technology may facilitate a mindset of what he calls cruel optimization which then impacts our capacities to value and achieve the depressive position.

    Negative Capability - an interview with Dr. Catherine Mallouh

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2022 36:14


    An interview with Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst Dr. Catherine Mallouh about negative capability, what it is, why it is important and how it is developed. Dr. Mallouh will also consider how consumer technology may impact the development and maintenance of negative capability and creativity.

    Desire, lack, jouissance and consumer technology with Dr. Fernando Castrillon

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2022 56:44


    An interview with Lacanian psychoanalyst, Dr. Fernando Castrillon about the Lacanian notions of desire, lack and jouissance and how these ideas can help us to think about our use of consumer technology.

    Why Psychoanalysis and Technology - An interview by Dr. Susi Ferrarello of Dr. Nicolle Zapien

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2022 38:28


    Guest host, Dr. Susi Ferrarello, a philosopher, and ethicist, will interview the host of Technology and the Mind, Dr. Nicolle Zapien about what psychoanalysis might have to do with technology and how both disciplines might benefit from being in dialogue.

    Introducing: Technology and the Mind

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2022 3:25


    Technology and the Mind is a podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection between contemporary psychoanalytic theory and consumer technology use. Each month we interview a practicing psychoanalyst who will explore and apply what we know about key psychoanalytic concepts of the mind and relationships to technology use cases. We will get underneath the conscious, obvious dimensions of these issues and we hope to stimulate your imagination and help you to become more curious about your relationship to the technology products and services you use. We hope you will join us on Technology and the Mind.

    Claim Technology and the Mind

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel