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Why Some People Want the World to Burn

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Manage episode 502324011 series 3570031
Content provided by Mind Media Tech, LLC and Leslie Poston. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Mind Media Tech, LLC and Leslie Poston or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

The Psychology Behind Apocalyptic Thinking and Why It’s Dangerous

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the growing phenomenon of apocalyptic thinking, exploring its psychological, sociological, and cultural roots. The episode examines why some people are drawn to the idea of societal collapse and how this mindset is manifesting in modern times through various ideologies and policies. Leslie discusses historical and contemporary examples, the role of trauma, and the disturbing impact of repeated COVID-19 infections on cognitive functions. The episode also highlights the commodification and monetization of despair online and argues for collective action, mutual aid, and hope as antidotes to the lure of apocalyptic thinking. Leslie concludes by emphasizing that positive change does not require collapse, but rather, requires human connection and collective effort.

00:00 Introduction to Apocalyptic Thinking
01:31 Historical Fascination with Endings
02:44 The Psychology Behind Apocalyptic Beliefs
03:34 Accelerationism: Pushing for Collapse
05:59 Christian Nationalism and Apocalyptic Theology
08:55 The Impact of Continuous Conflict
12:16 Neurological Effects of COVID-19
14:01 The Role of Social Media in Amplifying Despair
16:01 Climate Nihilism and the Elite's Response
18:04 The Profitability of Collapse
19:20 A Counter-Narrative: Post-Traumatic Growth
21:28 Conclusion: Choosing Hope Over Despair

Research

Abene, S. (2025) Pandemic brain aging: How Covid-19 affects cognitive health beyond infection. Contagion Live. https://www.contagionlive.com/view/pandemic-brain-aging-how-covid-19-impacts-cognitive-health-beyond-infection

American Psychological Association. (2020). Mental health and our changing climate: Impacts, implications, and guidance. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/02/climate-mental-health

Araújo, N., Silva, I., Campos, P. et al. Cognitive impairment 2 years after mild to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in a population-based study with matched-comparison groups. Sci Rep 15, 24335 (2025).

Bandura, A. (2000). Exercise of human agency through collective efficacy. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9(3), 75–78.

Lewis, R. (2018). Alternative influence: Broadcasting the reactionary right on YouTube. Data & Society.

Clayton, S. (2020). Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 74, 102263.

Li, Z., Zhang, Z., Zhang, Z., Wang, Z., & Li, H. (2023). Cognitive impairment after long COVID: current evidence and perspectives. Frontiers in Neurology, 14.

Freud, S. (1920). Beyond the pleasure principle (J. Strachey, Trans.). International Psycho-Analytical Press.

Ganesh R, Blitshteyn S, Verduzco-Gutierrez M, Abene S, Ciccone I. A deep dive: understanding the neurological toll of long COVID. Contagion. 2024. https://www.contagionlive.com/roundtables/a-deep-dive-understanding-the-neurological-toll-of-long-covid

Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1986). The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: A terror management theory. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Public self and private self (pp. 189–212). Springer.

Haidt, J. (2012). The righteous mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion. Pantheon Books.

Jost, J. T., Banaji, M. R., & Nosek, B. A. (2004). A decade of system justification theory: Accumulated evidence of conscious and unconscious bolstering of the status quo. Political Psychology, 25(6), 881–919.

Klein, N. (2007). The shock doctrine: The rise of disaster capitalism. Metropolitan Books.

Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness: On depression, development, and death. W.H. Freeman.

Solnit, R. (2009). A paradise built in hell: The extraordinary communities that arise in disaster. Viking.

Sontag, S. (1978). Illness as metaphor. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1–18.

Tufekci, Z. (2018). YouTube, the great radicalizer. The New York Times.

Turner, V. (1969). The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. Aldine.

★ Support this podcast ★
  continue reading

74 episodes

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Manage episode 502324011 series 3570031
Content provided by Mind Media Tech, LLC and Leslie Poston. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Mind Media Tech, LLC and Leslie Poston or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

The Psychology Behind Apocalyptic Thinking and Why It’s Dangerous

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the growing phenomenon of apocalyptic thinking, exploring its psychological, sociological, and cultural roots. The episode examines why some people are drawn to the idea of societal collapse and how this mindset is manifesting in modern times through various ideologies and policies. Leslie discusses historical and contemporary examples, the role of trauma, and the disturbing impact of repeated COVID-19 infections on cognitive functions. The episode also highlights the commodification and monetization of despair online and argues for collective action, mutual aid, and hope as antidotes to the lure of apocalyptic thinking. Leslie concludes by emphasizing that positive change does not require collapse, but rather, requires human connection and collective effort.

00:00 Introduction to Apocalyptic Thinking
01:31 Historical Fascination with Endings
02:44 The Psychology Behind Apocalyptic Beliefs
03:34 Accelerationism: Pushing for Collapse
05:59 Christian Nationalism and Apocalyptic Theology
08:55 The Impact of Continuous Conflict
12:16 Neurological Effects of COVID-19
14:01 The Role of Social Media in Amplifying Despair
16:01 Climate Nihilism and the Elite's Response
18:04 The Profitability of Collapse
19:20 A Counter-Narrative: Post-Traumatic Growth
21:28 Conclusion: Choosing Hope Over Despair

Research

Abene, S. (2025) Pandemic brain aging: How Covid-19 affects cognitive health beyond infection. Contagion Live. https://www.contagionlive.com/view/pandemic-brain-aging-how-covid-19-impacts-cognitive-health-beyond-infection

American Psychological Association. (2020). Mental health and our changing climate: Impacts, implications, and guidance. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/02/climate-mental-health

Araújo, N., Silva, I., Campos, P. et al. Cognitive impairment 2 years after mild to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in a population-based study with matched-comparison groups. Sci Rep 15, 24335 (2025).

Bandura, A. (2000). Exercise of human agency through collective efficacy. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9(3), 75–78.

Lewis, R. (2018). Alternative influence: Broadcasting the reactionary right on YouTube. Data & Society.

Clayton, S. (2020). Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 74, 102263.

Li, Z., Zhang, Z., Zhang, Z., Wang, Z., & Li, H. (2023). Cognitive impairment after long COVID: current evidence and perspectives. Frontiers in Neurology, 14.

Freud, S. (1920). Beyond the pleasure principle (J. Strachey, Trans.). International Psycho-Analytical Press.

Ganesh R, Blitshteyn S, Verduzco-Gutierrez M, Abene S, Ciccone I. A deep dive: understanding the neurological toll of long COVID. Contagion. 2024. https://www.contagionlive.com/roundtables/a-deep-dive-understanding-the-neurological-toll-of-long-covid

Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1986). The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: A terror management theory. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Public self and private self (pp. 189–212). Springer.

Haidt, J. (2012). The righteous mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion. Pantheon Books.

Jost, J. T., Banaji, M. R., & Nosek, B. A. (2004). A decade of system justification theory: Accumulated evidence of conscious and unconscious bolstering of the status quo. Political Psychology, 25(6), 881–919.

Klein, N. (2007). The shock doctrine: The rise of disaster capitalism. Metropolitan Books.

Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness: On depression, development, and death. W.H. Freeman.

Solnit, R. (2009). A paradise built in hell: The extraordinary communities that arise in disaster. Viking.

Sontag, S. (1978). Illness as metaphor. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1–18.

Tufekci, Z. (2018). YouTube, the great radicalizer. The New York Times.

Turner, V. (1969). The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. Aldine.

★ Support this podcast ★
  continue reading

74 episodes

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