We explore Level 18 of the Gradations of Evil Scale, developed by Dr's Michael Stone and Gary Brucato. "Though psychotic, they do not typically prolong their torture. " Maury Travis, a quiet, unsuspecting man, shocked the St. Louis area after police discovered that he was responsible for the death of over 17 women. Known as the "Bi-State Strangler" or the "Street Walker Strangler",
Read moreEp: 223 - The Day After Doomsday: The Psychology of the Strong City Cult (Preview)
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?
Read moreEp: 222 - CBT 101 (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) - A Therapist Explains CBT
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!
Read moreEp: 221 - 4 Year Anniversary Show
UPC is turning 4 years old! To celebrate 4 years of Unpopular Culture, we are answering Stalker questions: What was our favorite episode to make? What if we had a device that controlled our emotions? How will Covid-19 impact future generations? These and more will be answered
Read moreEp: 220 - The Murder of James Bulger - The Psychology of Children Who Kill
Liverpool, 1993: Two 10-year-old boys kidnap and savagely murder 2-year-old James Bulger. What would compel such young children to commit a vicious act on a little kid? The investigation and trial produced overwhelming evidence against the two young killers.
Read moreEp: 219 - Cobra Kai Psychology - The Psychology of Cobra Kai
Psychology Professor Michael Drane teams up with Brihana from The Cobra Kai Kompanion Podcast to talk behind the scenes of Cobra Kai, easter eggs, and the psychology behind this show. This episode covers season 1 and Season 2. Cobra Kai Podcast
Read moreEp: 218 - Death Row Psychology - The Psychology of Death Row
Dr. Bill Kimberlin has interviewed multiple inmates just prior to their executions. He comes with a message: Death row is not what we think it is.The author of the book, "Watch Me Die!" has come to UPC to talk about what he has learned.
Read moreEp: 217 - Cult Vibrations & The Legacy of Teal Swan (RELOADED) - The Psychology of The Teal Swan Cult
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?
Read moreEp: 216 - Psychotic Fame - The Psychology of Being Famous
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.
Read moreEp: 215 - Walking Amnesia - The Psychology of Dissociative Fugue (Preview)
Walking Amnesia happens when you lose your memory and wake up somewhere else. Clinically known as "Dissociative Fugue", this condition has terrified people who have woke up driving on the freeway or assumed a whole other identity.
Read moreEp: 214 - Scale of Evil, (Part 12) - The Psychology of Rape and Murder
Category 17 is a dark part of the Gradations of Evil scale. Its covers serial killers, torturers, and sadists. They kill for the gratification of the murder itself, and can involve sexual contact with their victim. Ted Bundy & Richard Ramirez- two serial rapists and sadists.
Read moreEp: 213 - Therapist Profiles: Umbrella Academy, (Part 3) - The Psychology of Umbrella Academy (Preview)
This is a Psychological Breakdown of "Five" from "The Umbrella Academy" Featuring Professor Michael Drane and grad students Andrew Baker and Ashely Haynes-Gibson.
Read moreEp: 212 - Analyzing The Death of Elisa Lam - The Psychology Of A Murder Mystery (RELOADED)
👇Watch Below👇
In this episode, Michael Drane discusses the mysterious disappearance and death of Elisa Lam.
In 2013, Canadian college student Elisa Lam was last seen in an elevator acting very strangely..some say it was foul play, while others suspect mental illness.
Was it a mental illness?
Was it foul play?
Was it drugs?
Who is ultimately responsible for this death?
Professor Michael Drane and Paranormal Investigator Jeremy Enfinger from the Weirdos and Wine Podcast discuss the possible reasons for her death.
Check out Michael’s Interview with
A&E Real Crime!
“If you have a predisposition to psychosis through a pre-existing condition like bipolar disorder, then a stressor or not taking your medications or even a lack of sleep can cause a manic or psychotic state,” Michael Drane, a forensic psychotherapist who has examined the Lam case, tells A&E Real Crime.
“I’m convinced that Lam was not fleeing an attacker or under imminent threat,” says Drane. “She isn’t displaying typical fight-or-flight mechanisms, such as hands up in a defensive posture and being more guarded, and she does exhibit some vulnerable body language.”
“When Lam briefly steps out of the elevator, however, Drane notes that her behavior does become somewhat erratic and seems more consistent with something like paranoid ideation, almost as if she is responding to internal stimuli.”
“She was likely in a psychotic state of some kind, which is totally possible with bipolar disorder,” says Drane. “It’s a disconnect from reality, because the stimulus in your head is more powerful than the external reality around you.” It’s possible, in Drane’s opinion, that Lam was under the influence of a substance of some kind, which could have overridden her psych medications if she were taking them. Or she may have stopped taking her medications altogether.
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Unpopular Culture Podcast is a psychology podcast hosted by Professor & Psychotherapist 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.
Support the Show! —> patreon.com/upcpodcast
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Ep: 211 - Living With Borderline Personality - The Psychology of Borderline Personality Disorder (Preview)
Borderline Personality can be extremely challenging for the person that has it, and also for the relationships in that person's life. In this episode: We discuss what it's like living with Borderline Personality.
Read moreEp: 210 - Gang Stalkers -The Psychology of Gang Stalking
Have you ever been stalked, not just by a person, but an entire group of people? How do you know? And the more disturbing question… how can you prove it? The Psychology behind this phenomenon may be more provocative than the phenomenon itself.
Read moreEp: 209 - Therapist Profiles: Umbrella Academy, (Part 2) - The Psychology of Klaus Hargreeves - (Preview)
Who is your favorite Umbrella Academy character? Klaus Hargreeves? But how did he end up that way? Psychology Professor Michael Drane breaks down the personality structure and family dynamics of The Umbrella Academy characters.
Read moreEp: 208 - Therapist Profiles: Umbrella Academy, (Part 1) Luther, Diego, Allison - The Psychology of Umbrella Academy
What trauma goes into making a hero? Psychology Professor Michael Drane breaks down the personality structure and family dynamics of The Umbrella Academy characters. This episode breaks down Diego, Luther, and Allison or numbers 1,2, and 3.
Read moreEp: 207 - The Defense Mechanisms Trivia Game - The Psychology of Defense Mechanisms (Preview)
Do you know what a defense mechanism is? We all use these unconscious defenses to guard us against things we'd rather not face. Which ones do YOU use the most? In this episode: Grad students Andrew Baker & Ashley Haynes-Gibson square off in the ultimate showdown. How many can you guess?
Read moreEp: 206 - Generational Trauma - The Psychology of Family Trauma (Preview)
Can trauma be passed down through your family experience and bloodline? We discuss this through the lens of holocaust survivor’s children and grandchildren. We will also discuss OCD traits that are passed down in African Americans.
Read moreEp: 204 - Jeffrey Epstein “Filthy Rich” and The Unchecked Id - The Psychology of Jeffrey Epstein
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.
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