We present one of America’s most notorious serial killers, the Truck Stop Killer. Also known as Robert Ben Rhoades, Ben acquired his fame after a police officer unsuspectingly checked on his semi-truck, parked haphazardly on the side of the road.
Read moreEp: 245 - 44 Days to Die: The Case of Junko Furata - The Psychology of Murder
Junko Furata was senselessly tortured, raped, and murdered by her own classmates. There is evidence suggesting parents and even police knew about it and did nothing. We explore psychological phenomenon dubbed "Lord of the Flies Syndrome", and other psychological theories.
Read moreEp: 238 - The Werewolf of Wysteria (RELOADED) - Forensic Analysis of Serial Killer Albert Fish
Albert Fish is notoriously one of our most famous episodes, so we've decided to resurrect him from the digital grave. We explore one of America's most gruesome serial killers, Albert Fish. He was a living Boogeyman. Listen in as we explore the nature vs. nurture of Fish, his psychopathology, cannibalism, and sexual paraphilia.
Read moreEp: 228 - Death Row Psychology: The Case of Lisa Montgomery
We meet up with Dr. Bill Kimberlin to discuss the case of an inmate he has been interviewing for over 6 years, Lisa Montgomery. She is the first female prisoner to be federally executed on Death Row in over 70 years. Listen in as they discuss the different types of execution styles, the different drugs used in an execution, the psychology of the executioner, and more.
Read moreEp: 224 - Scale of Evil, Part 13: Torture Murders - The Psychology of Murder
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: 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: 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: 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: 212 - Analyzing The Death of Elisa Lam - The Psychology Of A Murder Mystery (RELOADED)
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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.
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Ep: 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: 188 - Laura Brand and Analyzing The Toolbox Killers - The Psychology of Serial Murder
We interview Laura Brand, a private investigator who helped find the location of 2 missing victims from the Toolbox Murders of the late 1970s. Laura Brand is one of the leading experts on serial killers and has worked with over 50 serial killers including Lawerence Bittaker (Tool Box Killers).
Read moreEp: 168 - Scale of Evil, (Part 9) “Mommy & Clyde”- The Psychology of Murder
Shante Kimes spent her entire life as a murderous con artist, ruthlessly scheming against anyone she can benefit from. Now that her son Kenneth is older and her husband is dead, Shante has recruited Kenneth- and the two work together to create chaos.
Read moreEp: 161 - Scale of Evil (Part 8) Inadequate, Rageful Psychopaths - The Psychology of Murder
We look at level 13 on the scale of evil these are Psychopathic murderers with inadequate, rageful personalities.Ed Gein and Benjamin Nathaniel Smith as examples of these murderers. The Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul, was a convicted murderer and body snatcher.
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