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: 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: 232 - Push Button, Get Happy (Preview)
Every day we experience psychological addiction through our most popular video games because these platforms utilize neuropsychology to keep the players coming back for more. This is the same process as a slot machine. But what happens when you put a slot machine into a human brain? What happens when humans are given an all-access pass to bliss? In a split second, your pain, physical discomfort, and emotional misery are all gone. All you feel is bliss. And all you have to do to get it is to push this button. What are the repercussions of this outcome? What are the societal consequences?
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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)
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Unpopular Culture Podcast - Ep: 212 - The Disappearance of Elisa Lam (RELOADED) - The Psychology of Elisa Lam - Professor Michael Drane - Unpopular Culture podcast - psychology podcast - Mental health - True crime case -
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. Professor Michael Drane and Paranormal Investigator Jeremy Enfinger from the Weirdos and Wine Podcast discuss
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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Unpopular Culture Podcast - Ep: 212 - The Disappearance of Elisa Lam (RELOADED) - The Psychology of Elisa Lam - Professor Michael Drane - Unpopular Culture podcast - psychology podcast - Mental health - True crime case -
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. Professor Michael Drane and Paranormal Investigator Jeremy Enfinger from the Weirdos and Wine Podcast discuss
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: 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: 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.
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