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Stream of SubconsciousnessAt the intersection of psychology, neurology, and physics. A physicist/therapist looks at mental health, insight, and change. The overlap of healing and excellence. Author: Lincoln Stoller PhD CHt CCPCPr
Self-hypnotic explorations of physical and mental health, purpose, self-awareness, self-love, lineage, and ancestry. Building on science, psychology, and spirit. Finding balance in the subconscious mind. mindstrengthbalance.substack.com Language: en Genres: Alternative Health, Health & Fitness, Mental Health Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Psychology of the Devil (podcast)
Friday, 6 March, 2026
“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” — Robert AnthonyLacking a Sense of VirtueInsecurity, guilt, and shame are powerful personal and political weapons. Once an opponent is accused of these, they are on the defensive. Once a point of view has been tainted as guilty or shameful, it is difficult to defend.The reason these emotional manipulations are powerful is that emotion always overpowers reason. Emotion so overpowers reason that it’s an emotion connection that gives a person persuasive power, not reason or intellect. The general term for being emotionally overpowered is seduction, a combination of satisfying your emotional wants and neutralizing your reasonable powers.A psychological ploy used in political or personal discourse applies these “tools” to defeat an opponent. This involves accusing another person of insecurity, guilt, and shame which, when done skillfully, undermines their certitude and virtue. For those people who are guided by emotion, which is most of us, appeals to emotion overwhelm reason.This is what Trumpian politics has normalized with negative labeling, such as “sleepy Joe,” “half Whitmer,” “Crooked Hillary,” “Crazy Bernie,” “Marjorie Traitor Green,” and many others. By attaching simple epithets of flaw and failure Trump implants these ideas in the minds of simple listeners.This is not charisma, it is emotional seduction. It leads insecure people back to the emotions of their adolescence to accept simple truths. The Pied Piper is the appropriate fable of manipulation and collective failure. According to this fable, the Piper’s retribution of stealing away the children is the result of the town’s reneging on their agreement to pay him for removing the rats. The children are never recovered.The DevilThe ultimate explanation for failure is that the Devil is responsible. If you cannot convince people that your opponent is stupid, then call them evil. There is the odd use of The Devil as an excuse for yourself. By admitting your failure and renouncing your allegiance you can be absolved. Modern absolution provides a full pardon, and only requires a donation and a pledge of subservience.The Devil provides an ever-ready reason to indict an opponent and exonerate yourself. Having these handy rationales is why people are drawn to judgmental religions in the first place. Sanctifying the virtuous while overriding your opponent’s explanations... This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindstrengthbalance.substack.com/subscribe
