We revisit the infamous case of Elisa Lam and her disappearance from the Cecil Hotel in L.A., California.After watching the new Netflix Docuseries ‘Crime Scene: The Vanishing at Cecil Hotel’, Michael explores Elisa’s symptoms of psychosis, her bizarre behavior in the elevator video, her actions leading up to her disappearance.
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: 237 - Escaping the House of Yahweh - The Psychology of Cults
Professor Michael Drane meets with Debryah Hawkins, a survivor of the House of Yahweh Cult. What started out as an innocent adventure and a 3-day feast quickly spiraled into a 10-year trap. They discuss how she was recruited, the lengths required for loyalty and submission, and how she Got The Hell Out!
Read moreEp. 231: The Art of Influence—An Unpopular Interview with Author Michael F. Schein
In this week’s episode, Professor Michael Drane sits down with Michael F. Schein, author of “The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets from the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers”, to discuss how himself and others have mastered the power of hype to get what they want. They also explore the psychology of influence and persuasion, and its impact socially.
Read moreEp: 230 - Paranormal Activity - The Psychology of Confirmation Bias
We explores the Psychology of Confirmation Bias through the lens of Paranormal Activity. We have with us Jeremy Enfinger, Paranormal Investigator.Jeremy, having spent several years investigating paranormal activity, is acting as the believer. Ryan, on the other hand, has never seen or felt a ghost, so he is acting as the skeptic.
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: 227 - The Psychology of Paranoia - (Preview)
We explore the different levels of paranoia, key traits of paranoid thinkers, as well as the differences between paranoid psychosis and paranoid personality disorders. Stay safe out there friends, and we hope you enjoy the show.
Read moreEp: 226 - The Psychology of Live-Streamed Suicide 2
This week Lou asked about live-streamed suicide and the motive behind ending one’s life on social media platforms, as well as the ramifications for those who encourage suicide on social media. We touch on some of the legal and social challenges associated with addressing live-streamed suicide.
Read moreEp: 225 - Murderous Parents & How to Erase Yourself from the Internet - The Psychology of Filicide and Cybersecurity (Preview)
👇Listen To The Preview Below👇
In this week’s episode, the whole team is bringing the Stalkers some bona fide bonus content as we answer your questions from the Stalker Group. Sam asked about the case of Amanda Sharp-Jefferson and filicide--we discuss her case and the common reasons that people murder their children. Elijah inquired about the Netflix Documentary ‘The Social Dilemma’ and whether it is possible to remove yourself from the internet – we discuss data privacy, geolocation data, and the ‘not-so-secret’ problems with Google’s Incognito Mode.
Stay safe out there friends, and we hope you enjoy the show.
Unpopular Culture Podcast is a psychology podcast hosted by Professor & Psychotherapistt 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: 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: 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: 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: 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
YOU CAN FOLLOW US HERE OR ANYWHERE YOU FIND AWESOME PODCASTS
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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.
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