Mass Formation And The Rise Of Totalitarianism - with Professor Mattias Desmet
Mattias Desmet is recognised as the world’s leading expert on the theory of mass formation as it applies to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a professor of clinical psychology in the Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Ghent University (Belgium) and a practising psychoanalytic psychotherapist. His work has been discussed widely in the media, including on The Joe Rogan Experience and in Forbes, The New York Post, Salon.com, and Fox News, among hundreds of other outlets. This week Mattias joins me to talk about the startling truth behind the lies told in academic and scientific research, and the terrifying ways in which we as a society are gradually slipping into mass formation - a dangerous, collective type of hypnosis—as we bear witness to loneliness, free-floating anxiety and fear, giving way to censorship, loss of privacy, and surrendered freedoms. KEY TAKEAWAYS The scientific methods currently being used do not allow valid and reliable conclusion drawing. Up to 85% of published research is false. Mass formation is a specific group dynamic, and historical examples permeate history including The Crusades, witch hunts, and the French revolution. The main characteristics are that impact occurs most strikingly at the individual level of functioning. Modern mass formation since the end of the 19th century, has become far longer lasting than those of history. This is largely due to the rise in technology, and the ability to share imagery, narrative and bias through the mass media. Going against mass thinking provokes a sense of loneliness, and in response, we can search for our own version of the narrative. However, in these cases, if we move too far towards conspiracy thinking, then it simply creates a new form of mass formation. BEST MOMENTS 'The danger of the virus was overrated' 'Academic research is plagued by a tragedy of errors' 'I don't think you can understand what makes people so prepared to buy into narratives that are blatantly wrong' 'When someone is in the grip of mass formation, he becomes blind to everything that goes against the narrative the group believes in' 'The mass media are an accessory to modern mass formation' VALUABLE RESOURCES On A Mission - https://omny.fm/shows/on-a-mission Mattias Desmet - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mattias-Desmet-2 Mattias Desmet Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mattias.desmet.7 Mattias Desmet LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattias-desmet-65a30013 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EllieMckay