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 o ..read more

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 spec ..read more

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 posttraumati ..read more

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 es ..read more

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 fled ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ela ..read more

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 peop ..read more

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 ..read 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 prof ..read more