Pascal Lottaz speaks with Dr. Mattias Desmet, professor of clinical psychology in Belgium and author of The Psychology of Totalitarianism, about mass formation, totalitarianism, propaganda, loneliness, free speech, war narratives, and the emotional pull of group belief. The discussion covers the difference between dictatorships and totalitarian states, the role of education and media, and sincerity as a way to resist mass hypnosis.
Links:
Mattias Desmet Substack: https://words.mattiasdesmet.org/
The Psychology of Totalitarianism: https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/the-psychology-of-totalitarianism/
Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com
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Merch: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourthwall.com
Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:50 Mass formation and totalitarianism
00:10:02 Totalitarianism vs dictatorship
00:18:18 War narratives and media power
00:20:30 Education propaganda and democracy
00:32:18 Mechanics of mass formation
00:43:40 Breaking the spell with sincerity
00:50:40 Truth reality and the observer
00:57:42 Final thoughts and where to follow
