Psyche

In this solo episode, I dive into Peter Wessel Zapffe’s haunting “existential elk” theory of consciousness — the idea that our self-awareness is both magnificent and unbearably heavy, like oversized antlers we were never built to carry. The topic resurfaced after my friend Aaron Inkrott recently shared the metaphor with me, and it immediately brought me back to when I first encountered it years ago in Thomas Ligotti’s The Conspiracy Against the Human Race.As a psychotherapist who spends my days sitting with people’s despair, loneliness, and deep existential pain, I find myself drawn to these darker currents of thought. But I’m equally interested in how we can work creatively and hopefully within them. In this episode, I reflect on how Zapffe’s theory shows up in therapy — especially with teens and neurodivergent young adults — and how the metaphor of “the elk with oversized antlers” can help us understand both the burden and the possibility of consciousness.I invite you to explore your own antlers, the weight you carry, and the ways therapy can help us hold our awareness with more courage, imagination, and maybe even meaning.

In this solo episode, I explore the ancient alchemical phrase solve et coagula—“dissolve and coagulate”—and how it offers a powerful metaphor for the work of psychotherapy. Drawing from my experiences as a psychotherapist, I look at why real transformation often requires a softening or breaking down of old stories, identities, and defenses before anything new can take shape.I discuss how therapy becomes a protected space where people can let go of rigid patterns, sit with uncertainty, and slowly re-form themselves in healthier, more authentic ways. If you’re curious about personal growth, identity, or the deeper process of psychological change, this episode offers a thoughtful and accessible look at how dissolution and re-formation show up in the human psyche.Listen, reflect, and explore the alchemy of healing.

In this episode of Psyche Podcast, I sit down with philosopher and Lacanian theorist Todd McGowan for a deep exploration of Frantz Fanon’s engagement with G.W.F. Hegel. Together, we unpack how Black Skin, White Masksreimagines Hegel’s master–slave dialectic through the lens of colonialism, race, and psychic struggle.Todd explains how thinkers like Alexandre Kojève shaped the 20th-century obsession with recognition and how Fanon both inherits and critiques that legacy. We explore Fanon’s bold claim that freedom must be won through struggle, not simply mutual understanding—and how his universalism sets him apart from later postcolonial and identity-based readings.Our conversation also moves into psychoanalysis, examining Fanon’s dialogue with Freud and Lacan, his implicit engagement with the death drive, and his view of colonialism as a system driven by disavowed self-destruction. We also touch on Fanon’s reflections on violence, alienation, and the tension between theory and political action.This is a wide-ranging discussion about freedom, universality, and the cost of liberation, and why Fanon’s work still speaks urgently to our moment.

In this solo episode, I explore what Erich Fromm and Frantz Fanon can teach us about suffering, freedom, and what it means to be human. I’m not speaking as a scholar — I’m speaking as a psychotherapist who sits with real people in real pain every day. This is my humble, subjective take on how their ideas show up in the therapy room.I look at how both thinkers believed our struggles aren’t just personal — they’re shaped by the world we live in. Fromm leans toward love, boundaries, and humanistic change; Fanon toward rupture, fire, and reclaiming dignity through action. I also reflect on our tendency to idealize intellectual heroes instead of learning to think for ourselves.If you’re curious about the intersection of mental health, meaning, and the social world we’re all trying to survive, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, I talk with Tyrique Mack-Georges, a PhD student in philosophy at Penn State, about the deep connections between Frantz Fanon and Jean-Paul Sartre. We explore how both thinkers help us understand the systemic nature of racism, the power of language in maintaining or challenging colonial systems, and Fanon’s vision of a new humanism.Tyrique shares how his Caribbean background shapes his philosophical journey and how Fanon reworked Sartre’s existentialism to illuminate what it means to become fully human in a world structured by domination.🎧 A thoughtful conversation on philosophy, race, and the ongoing project of liberation.