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On today's episode, Admin Andy Baker and Professor Michael Drane explore CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and how it's used to help clients gain awareness of their thoughts, feelings, emotions and sensations. Tune in for aliens, Mr. Wizard and much more!
In This Episode: Teal Swan stands in the center of controversy. This is the story of a female Cult Leader/Spiritual Teacher who recruits members via YouTube & Facebook. Is she responsible for leading her followers to suicide?
Celebrities like Jennifer Lawerence, Daniel Radcliffe, and Amy Schumer describe being famous as a kind of disorientating whirlwind. Are you someone who fantasizes about being world-renown? If you suddenly became famous, you would find that the way you once existed in the world has changed.
This is a Psychological Breakdown of "Five" from "The Umbrella Academy" Featuring Professor Michael Drane and grad students Andrew Baker and Ashely Haynes-Gibson.
Chester Wheeler Campbell is often described as a ladies man who loved fine clothing, liquor, and luxury. He was also the favorite contract killer for street gangs and mafia bosses alike.
Cambell planned his killings with great care, using sophisticated surveillance equipment far beyond anything used by intelligence agencies of his day. Cambell liked stalking his victims before killing them.
We analyze the psychology behind the Jeffrey Epstein “Filthy Rich". Did he kill himself? Was it Murder? What kind of person would do this? Was he a psychopath? What was Ghislaine Maxwell's role.
In this episode we talk about the difference and similarities between cults and military. Both groups are known to break down their members to psychologically rebuild them.
We discuss possible diagnoses of Batman. Is Batman a Psychopath? Is he Depressed? Maybe he has PTSD? We psychoanalyze this iconic character. Michael Drane is a masters degree level counselor and has diagnosed and teaching diagnostics for years.
In this episode we explore the psychology of celebrity stalkers- the 4th type of Stalker in our 6 types of stalkers series- "The celebrity Stalker." A type of stalking that truly embodies what happens when someone obsesses over the unattainable. We discus Selena Gomez's stalker Thomas Brodnicki. We are a forensic psychology podcast that focuses on true crime, pop culture, and psychology
What are the fabled “Cargo Cults” of the pacific? Indigenous tribes that were overwhelmed by technology. So much that they began to worship the American Servicemen as gods. We explore religions vs. cults. What makes a cult?
Do serial killers and murderers have to look like the devil to be one? In this episode, we present the Case of Dorothea Puentes, one of the most cited cases for level 15 on Dr. Michael Stone’s Gradations of Evil Scale.
If the characters in Better Call Saul were superheroes, what would their special power be? We will also discuss the “Svengali Effect” to see if Charles McGill’s accusations about Jimmy McGill are true. Is he a sociopathic mastermind? We are going to hold him up to the criteria of what it means to be manipulative sociopath to understand the psychology behind this beloved character.
We talk about abusive relationships. We discuss the types of abusive relationships, warning signs, relationship dynamics, and crisis management.
We delve into what's the difference between a "Serial Killer" and a "Cult Leader". What is the psychological profiles of Jim Jones, and Charles Manson? We also discuss the differences between spree murder, and mass murder, using two of the most notorious villains in history.
This is the fascinating case of June and Jennifer Gibbons, a.k.a "The Silent Twins. They were admitted to Broadmoor Hospital where they were held for eleven years. For most of us, our shadow is a metaphor for our darker side, a way to describe another part of us, but not for these ladies.
We investigate the worst spree killing in Dayton Ohio History. Over a 3-day period in December 1992, four young people embarked on a shooting rampage that left five people dead and three wounded. They would soon be known as the “Downtown Posse”.
Masha & Dasha were conjoined twins who were relentlessly experimented on by Russian Scientists. Though they shared a body, their psychological makeup different. It's widely claimed that Dasha was empathic, while Masha was a psychopath. Did nature or nurture cause this?
In May of 1977 a sadistic Mormon cult leader Ervil Lebaron orders his cult to walk into a clinic and gun down a rival cult leader. This is where our episode on the level 12 scale of evil begins- With a warning about what it means to follow your own killer down a path of weaponized religiosity. Michael drane, true crime, forensics, killer, dr. Michael Stone, gradation of evil, scale of evil,
We bust the following Myths: 1- Never go to bed angry. It will destroy your relationship. 2- Ways to deescalate and walk away 3- You should learn to love your partner’s worst qualities. 4 - How to tell if your partner is toxic 5 - Is using alcohol or marijuana is a good stimulant for sex.
We dive into the mysterious True Crime case of Jeffery MacDonald. This is the case that ALMOST made it onto UPC as level 11 on Dr. Stone's "Scale of Evil". Media sources who have reviewed The Scale of Evil have cited Jeffrey MacDonald as a level 11 murderer, even though there is serious controversy around this case.
Continuation of the series on Scale of EvilWe review the case of John List, a semi-psychopath "In The Way" killer who murdered his entire family to save their souls. Level 10 on Dr. Michael Stones Gradation of Evil Scale.
To continue UPC's Year 3 celebration, here is a follow up conversation about the psychology of gullibility .
We rank 9 pseudo-psychology "facts" found on Instagram under the hashtag #psychologyfacts. Are these accurate or do they just feed into socially accepted notions of social norms.
Prof. Michael Drane dives answers this question- When is cannibalism morally justified? Can someone give consent to be eaten? What about religious or tribal practices? What about the health concerns over eating human meat?
We cover levels 6-8 on Dr. Michael Stones "Gradation of Evil Scale”. How can anger push someone to murder?
What do U.S. Presidents and psychopaths have in common? Prof. Michael Drane explores personality traits shared by government leaders and serial killers alike.
HOW DO YOU CONVINCE SOMEONE THAT NEEDS HELP, TO GET IT?
In the past week I have binged your podcast! Now that I've gotten the compliments out of the way. My sons 18 year old girlfriend was diagnosed a few years ago with depression and anxiety. She hasn't been taking any prescription medications for her condition for well over a year now, Over the past month, her depressive symptoms have been bad. My son has strongly suggested that she go sees professional help again, but she seems to be shrugging it off. I have also talked to her about getting help, because I have have suffered with the same condition for years. All of this being said, how do you convince someone who needs help to get it?
ENVIRONMENTAL CLUES
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST MONTH TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN?
Psychologists think environmental factors are awesome! Obviously not for the person suffering from the illness, but for the therapists, being able to see what triggers the person is helpful in diagnosis and treatment.
WHAT FLAVOR OF DEPRESSION DO YOU HAVE?
What are her depressive symptoms? Because they range quite a bit, All the way from mild social withdrawal, laying in bed a little bit more, binge eating not eating, or eve3n worse: engaging in self-harm behavior or attempting/threatening suicide? Gaining weight, losing weight?
WE ARE ADVOCATES OF PRESCRIPTIONS AS A LAST RESORT.
Not to say that there aren't people out there that need certain medications to cope with severe mental disorders. But the tendency to take medications like Wellbutrin and other anti-depressants the moment you feel sad is running rampant these days. It is encouraging to hear that the 18 year old has only had issues in the past month. I would resist the temptation to jump back on medication if she has been off of it for a more than a year, successfully. Try to look at what environmental trigger was present in her life at that time, about a month ago.
We actually believe that certain psychotropics can cause brain damage over a long period of time. Justin Krause cleverly makes the analogy on air that Medications are not surgical, the pill you take doesn't affect just that specifically desperate area of your brain specific to your illness. No, it works like chemotherapy, attacking it all like a battlefield. And the side effects are not scarce.
For Depression and Anxiety, we suggest:
Exercise, Meditation, Mindfulness, engaging in thing you like, interacting with people. The best cure for depression is activity. Engage, do things.
Unpopular Culture Podcast is a psychology podcast hosted by Professor & Psychoanalyst Michael Drane. With help from professionals in different fields, he seeks to shine light into the broken underbelly of society.
Listen as he takes on the psychology behind subjects like:
True Crime: serial killers, murders, stalkers, cults, forensic analysis
Psychology: mental illness, social phenomenon, mob mentality, psychoanalysis, etc.
Culture: Sexuality, Satanic Panic, love, Tv analysis, movie analysis.
We are an independent psychology podcast. Help us keep UPC free of ads and on the air. Please consider supporting the show and get access to our "Stalkers Only" archive, and help be a part of the creative process.
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Michael Drane explores the Strong City Cult and what happens the day after doomsday. How do they live with the cognitive dissonance? What do they say to their leader once the prophecy fails?