The Mind Society

We're all, in some way, familiar with the term "narcissist". Have you ever thought someone around you might be a narcissist, or perhaps, someone commented that you possibly may be one? This term is sometimes thrown around loosely to describe someone full of themselves or only thinking of their needs, but what exactly does narcissism mean? Do all people who show some narcissistic qualities be one? Dr. Ramani Durvasula helps us unpack exactly what the difference between someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder vs. someone who exhibits narcissistic traits. What are those qualities to look out for if we feel someone is truly a narcissist? How does we shield ourselves from gaslighting, a common tactic from these individuals. And what do we do when we're healing from narcissistic abuse? All of these questions will be answered and more in my riveting conversation with Dr. Ramani. Tune in!

Food is much more than just a source of sustenance and energy; it plays a crucial role in our overall health, influencing both our physical and mental well-being. It impacts our brain and mind equally as it does our physical body. During this episode with Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, nutritionist, and culinary expert, we engage in a fascinating conversation about the various implications foods have on our mental health, including its effects on mental disorders. Are there ways to suppress or mitigate symptoms of anxiety and depression through the eating of different and specific foods? How about psychotic disorders? Dr. Naidoo provides inspiring and surprising answers. She provides countless examples of different foods and spices that are both helpful and harmful to our psychology. Moreover, by highlighting the gut-brain connection, we explore the bi-directional activities between the brain and gut and how those effects make profound changes in our psyche. This episode is a riveting journey through understanding a very significant and essential part of nutritional psychology and provides important takeaways for any type of listener. A must listen!

Dr. George Bonanno (Columbia University) is a preeminent researcher of loss, trauma, and the emotions associated with these experiences. He's made it his life's work to explore why some individuals experience trauma while others do not, revealing a surprising resilience in human nature. His research shows that many people can maintain high functioning even after significant loss or trauma. This raises an intriguing question: why is this so, especially in a world where the term "trauma" is often used loosely? While it's true that some suffer from psychological impairments linked to posttraumatic stress disorder, Dr. Bonanno's research queries also prompt us to reconsider our understanding of what constitutes a "traumatic" experience, broadening our perspective on human coping mechanisms. For those who experience such resiliency, what cognitive or coping techniques are they employing? Fascinatingly, Dr. Bonanno reveals that those who exhibit more resiliency than others employ a technique of cognitive and emotional flexibility in coping with said adversity. He takes us through expressive flexibility and emotion regulation flexibility's role in all of this, including many other compelling strategies. He also provides glimpse into his lab's work, where he spends a great amount of work investigating veteran's transition to civilian life in order to study these different flexibility techniques. Curious about how groundhogs contribute to our understanding of cognitive flexibility? You'll find these answers and more during my conversation with Dr. Bonanno in this episode.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), as elucidated by its founder, Dr. Albert Ellis, is more than a therapeutic technique; it's a philosophy for living. Dr. Ellis, a trailblazer in the field, introduced REBT well ahead of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), laying the groundwork for Aaron Beck, CBT's originator, with whom he shared a professional relationship. Having Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis, the late-Dr. Albert Ellis' esteemed wife and a dedicated practitioner of REBT, join us was enlightening. Her role as an adjunct professor at Columbia University and her therapeutic practice embody the essence of REBT. Central to REBT is the identification and challenging of irrational thoughts that lead to emotional imbalance. In a world brimming with stressors and irrationality, mastering REBT's techniques equips us to navigate life more effectively and healthily. Tune in to my conversation with Dr. Joffe Ellis to discover why REBT is a pivotal tool for cognitive and emotional regulation, essential for anyone's mental arsenal.

Language serves as a fundamental tool for communication with others and, intriguingly, as a conduit for self-dialogue. Have you ever pondered the profound influence the language we use on ourselves has on our emotional comprehension and regulation? Dr. Erik Nook from Princeton leads us on an exploration of these concepts, central to his laboratory's research. He unveils the idea of "psychological distancing," illustrating the powerful effects of eschewing personal pronouns like "I" in our internal narratives. In our conversation, Dr. Nook reveals the promising research trajectories of his fledgling lab and elucidates the broader implications of their discoveries. His insights are exceptionally enlightening, making this an episode brimming with wisdom and rich with actionable insights—a conversation with Dr. Nook that truly should not be overlooked.

A distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Leuven in Belgium, Dr. Batja Mesquita's research on culture and emotions has cleared a path for the deep understanding of how cultures mold our emotional experiences and expressions. By understanding these cultural variations, we gain valuable insights into the diversity of human affect and the significance of context in shaping emotional responses. This awareness enables us to navigate intercultural interactions more effectively, fostering empathy, reducing misunderstandings, and promoting cooperation. During our discussion, we dive deep into exactly these areas. What are the different ways in which culture influences our prioritization of certain emotions, such as shame? Why do some cultures reward emphasizing this emotion, while others do not? What are some ways that European and American emotions differ, and why are there stark discrepancies? All of these questions are unpacked and expanded upon within our episode. Listen to my conversation with Dr. Mesquita to learn more. (To dive even deeper, her book “Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions” can be purchased on any online bookstore.)

In the debut episode of our second season, we delve into a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. James Gross of Stanford University, an esteemed authority in the psychology of emotions and emotion regulation. Our discussion penetrates the intricate world of human emotions, highlighting the significant effects of cultural nuances and elaborating on the diverse strategies individuals adopt for emotional regulation. Dr. Gross underscores the necessity of self-awareness and comprehension in identifying and understanding our emotional frameworks as well as those operating in others. He elaborates on the pivotal role this understanding plays in our mental health, interpersonal relationships, and communal well-being. The episode serves not only as an academic discourse but also as a practical guide, offering valuable insights for those seeking to enhance their emotional intelligence and navigate the often turbulent waters of human emotion. This in-depth exploration transcends a basic understanding of the subject, providing listeners with a richer appreciation of the psychological mechanisms at play and imparting essential knowledge that is applicable in both personal introspection and professional contexts. Tune in to listen to my discussion with Dr. Gross. 

And we're back for a second season of The Mind Society! The next part of our journey will branch us out beyod the United States' northeastern region, away from the Ivies, and instead towards different regions domestically, including across borders and big ponds to different continents to hear from international psychological scholars conducting profound research. Our aim is to share what these experts have been investigating and, thus, what they've discovered. We'll cover topics such as how food plays a role in our mood, how cultural differences affect the way we interpret and engage with people from other cultures, and we'll delve deep into the impact our emotions have on our experience of the world around us. All of this and so much more! We look forward to sharing these conversations and are excited for you to come along for the ride. 

Anxiety has affected most of us directly. More so than not, we've all experienced some levels of anxiety, whether it's feeling nervous, restless, tense or breathing rapidly, sweating, and even trembling. These symptoms are unmistakable feelings and can even become debilitating. Dr. Richard McNally, the Director of Clinical Training at Harvard University, sheds light into how anxiety surpasses the threshold from being a normal evolutionary adaptation to a mental disorder. Besides the severity levels one can experience, there are also a variety of diagnostic forms that it can take. Some include general (GAD), specific phobias, and panic disorders. During our discussion, we pick apart which are the most prevalent and traverse the different techniques that can help alleviate feelings of anxiety from an expert who has spent the past few decades researching this psychopathology. Dr. McNally provides concise details about the disorder and valuable take-aways that'll help any person navigate the distressing effects of anxiety. Listen for these types of insights and more.

Each of our interpretations of the world around us is nuanced from one person to the next. In a way, consciousness can be loosely understood to be the representations we make of the world around us. It's in these representations that are computed, much like a computer. (Cue in "Computational Psychology"; the application of computational principles to understand human behavior.) And furthermore, the fact that it's a live system, makes it unique because now evolution is also playing a role in these processes and "there's pressure for presentation to be useful". Dr. Shimon Edelman, a faculty professor of psychology at Cornell, explains how we make these different representations during our conversation. His theoretical approach bridges many gaps in order to pave the way for more empirical endeavors in the realm of consciousness. We discuss how our sense, including our feelings, play a role in the construction of our realities. Dr. Edelman takes us on a deep dive into the psyche where we unpack how machine-like our minds can be and the manners in which we come to create the world around us.

What makes us smart? This is the overarching question that Dr. Sam Gershman is researching at this lab in Harvard's psychology department. How is it that we make so many mistakes as humans, such as certain cases of cognitive biases or heuristics, but on the other hand there are accounts of human cognition that suggest that we're somewhat close to functioning optimally? Is there a way to reconcile these two conflicting concepts? Dr. Gershman is investigating just that. During our discussion, he provides insight into how two sets of biases specifically (inductive and computational) are error-inducing and, simultaneously, make rational sense. What's most interesting is that his computational cognitive neuroscientific work isn't just limited to humans. He also looks at single-celled organisms to study their ability to learn. The findings he uses from these specimens provide additional fuel to theories and a richer understanding of how humans might neurobiologically acquire knowledge as well. Our conversation delves deep into a myriad of topics that will leave you in awe at how we get to be as smart as we are.

Two significant, yet rarely discussed in the mainstream, psychological phenomena are heuristics and cognitive biases. Heuristics, also known as “mental shortcuts”, are used to help us make judgements and, thus, decisions without having to exhaust a lot of mental energy. These sets of simple and efficient rules are an evolutionary adaptation meant to help us; however, in certain situations these rules are erroneous, thereby creating cognitive biases. Cognitive biases are an individual's subjective construction of reality that influences the way they perceive and behave in the world. When cognitive biases can become harmful is when they lead to illogical interpretations and perceptual distortions of their immediate environment, leading to irrationality. We see this in a preference over one group versus another, towards people more like us, and in negotiations situations where “anchoring” is present, such as car leasing or purchasing. Cornell-based and Stanford-trained, Dr. Tom Gilovich has spent decades studying about what all of this means and why understanding heuristics and biases are so important to navigate the world more effectively. Listen to our conversation to hear his insights and more.

As a developing child, one of our most important tasks is to make meaning of the world around us. We do it subconsciously, picking up on small minute details of our social environment, collecting them in a mental database, and putting them through a meaning-making process. This is a simplistic way of describing our process of knowledge acquisition. With the help of Dr. Yarrow Dunham, a Harvard-trained, Yale-tenured professor of psychology, we're provided a nuanced insight into what processes take place in the realm of intergroup social cognition. How do children make sense of socially constructed entities, such as the paper we use as currency and the diplomas that can represent our educational self-worth? How do we determine fairness between in-group and out-group members? And how do culturally specific biases play a role? All of these questions make up just a sliver of what Dr. Dunham is set to investigate. We'll touch on these topics and more during our conversation.

We all experience an intricate range of emotions daily. Yet what kind of roles do they play in our close relationships? How do our abilities to read emotions in other people affect the quality of these connections? Moreover, how does it affect our own cognition? Does it have the potential to interrupt or facilitate our own lives? These are the types of questions that Dr. Margaret Clark has been working on answering in her lab at Yale. Besides her decorated background in social psychology and academia, she's actively working towards understanding the processes that promote supportive close interpersonal relationships. She believes emotions play a significant role in how these interactions play out. However, our emotions don't just “happen”, Dr. Clark argues that we construct them. Hear more about this constructivist theory of emotions and much more during our conversation.

Memories make up an integral part of the human experience. We use them to steer clear of potentially risky or harmful future situations or to even evoke a sense of joy and happiness in the present from reflecting on positive past experiences. They influence our everyday decisions and judgements. But how reliable are our memories? Do we really remember everything exactly the way they happened? Dr. Daniel Schacter, a faculty professor and researcher at Harvard, investigates exactly these types of inquiries. He's one of the nation's top experts in memory, and his book, The Seven Sins of Memory, explains that although we are prone to, and often experience, memory failures, it's exactly how evolution intended. Surprisingly, Dr. Schacter argues that memory may be much more about the future than the past, contrary to what we usually consider memories to be – “of the past”. We discuss false memories and false crime confessions, along with the notion that we construct our memories based on past experiences, current knowledge and beliefs. Listen to all of these riveting topics and more during our conversation.

As a preeminent expert in emotional intelligence and personality psychology, Dr. John D. Mayer (University of New Hampshire) has spent decades understanding the features of personality through the current group of intelligences that exist. At the genesis of his research, he partnered with Peter Salovey, Yale's President since 2013, and David Caruso to study the intricacies of these intelligences, specifically emotional. Before emotional intelligence became the current trendy state many strive towards, Dr. Mayer shares his journey towards the popularization of the word combination and how many people early on didn't give it much attention. He also elaborates on a new term called “people-centered intelligence”, which primarily includes personal and emotional, and explains how this term is slightly different, yet possibly more important than its peers. Listen to why this may be along with us covering more topics during our conversation.

Dr. Daniel Casasanto has a knack for explaining complex and abstract concepts in a such a digestible way that you're left leaving the conversation inspired. And this comes at no surprise. After receiving his PhD in Cognitive Science from MIT and currently a professor and active researcher at Cornell, he's spent almost two decades exploring how language, culture, and bodily experiences influence the way people think, feel, and make decisions. By exploring how people with different experiences think differently, we can better understand universal processes by which people turn concrete interactions with their environment into abstract thoughts. During our conversation, he shares his insight into how language affects our perception and relativity of time, how our right- or left-handedness affects our subconscious understanding of what is good, and how these same hand tendencies affect our approach-avoidance behavior. We discuss all this and more.

With a Ph.D. from Yale and currently on the psychology faculty at Cornell, Dr. David Pizarro has been investigating the correlations between our emotional states on thinking and deciding for almost two decades. More specifically, he's been researching how emotions, such as anger, disgust, and fear, impact the ways we process information, remember events, and generate moral judgments of others. We take a deep dive into what disgust is and how that word has shaped our interpretation of experiences, both generally and interpersonally. During our conversation, Dr. Pizarro shares his fascinating findings linking a person's unique “disgust sensitivities” to political orientation, aversion to change, and the small clues into their personality. These exact sensitivities suggest ways in which we perceive and judge others, especially from a moral perspective. Ever wonder how your tongue may play a role in determining which direction you might lean morally? We discuss all of this and more

Dr. Ellen Langer has been considered by many as the "mother of mindfulness". As the first tenured female professor of psychology at Harvard, she's spent over 40 years studying what exactly being mindful means and how to cultivate it for personal and interpersonal good. During our conversation, Dr. Langer shares the different studies that she's been working on these past years and most recently, along with where her research is going. She's an unwavering force within the world of psychology, and perhaps it's because her mantra, "uncertainty should be the rule, not the exception", has provided her with the grit and understanding to weather any type of storm. She provides invaluable takeaways on how to harness mindfulness and what the solution is to some of our mindless problems. We discuss all of this and more.

Welcome! The Mind Society lecture series was created to be a reliable source for anyone looking to understand the workings of the mind on an abundantly deeper level. Featuring scholars from top institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, you'll hear engaging conversations presenting the latest findings on thought-provoking topics ranging from mental disorders, trauma, relationships, to mindfulness and more. The format of each episode is designed to conduct a deep dive into specific psychological topics and highlight its relevant takeaways so that you leave with a richer understanding. We hope this series provides an opportunity for its audience to gain knowledge, generate inspiration, and cultivate further curiosity into why we, and the people around us, are the way we are.