Narcissist Swindler Wants Your MIND, Not (Only) Your Money or Body
This conversation between journalist Eve Tawfik and Dr. Sam Vaknin explores how narcissistic con artists don’t just target victims for money—they seek emotional control, admiration, and psychological dominance. Vaknin explains that financial fraud often mimics romantic seduction, where the scammer offers love, trust, or belonging in exchange for loyalty and resources. These individuals, often narcissistic or psychopathic, manipulate through either grandiose confidence or performative victimhood, creating a powerful emotional bond with their targets.
The key insight is that scams are rarely just about money—they’re about need. Whether the scammer says “you need me” or “I need you,” it’s a manipulation tactic rooted in shared fantasy and emotional dependency. Vaknin emphasizes that the real red flag in any relationship is the presence of neediness, which should prompt immediate caution or disengagement.
Great Reset: True Healing Only After Hitting Rock Bottom (with Vera Faria Leal)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, highlighting its historical, religious, and economic dimensions. He emphasizes the intractability of the conflict and the lack of compromise due to the intertwining of religious, nationalistic, and economic factors. Vaknin also delves into the psychological underpinnings of the conflict, discussing narcissism, victimhood, and the need for a collective crucifixion or apocalypse to bring about transformation. He stresses the importance of philosophers, psychoanalysts, and psychologists in the negotiation process and advocates for a shift towards communitarianism as a potential solution.
How Narcissists, Psychopaths Shot Themselves in the Foot (Ecosystem, Predator-Prey, Victimhood)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the evolution of narcissists and psychopaths in targeting victims and how they have adapted their strategies to the changing times. He explains how the growing awareness of narcissistic abuse has made it more difficult for predators to find victims, leading them to transition from hunting individuals to targeting groups and reshaping society to create an environment conducive to their behavior. This has resulted in a binary ecosystem where individuals are forced to choose between being predators or prey, leading to the rise of victimhood movements and paranoia. However, this has also created an imbalance between the number of predators and prey, as well as a situation where victims seek out abusers, ultimately backfiring on the narcissists and psychopaths.
Narcissist Stalks Your Dreams, Nightmares
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the concept of lucid dreaming and its application to the narcissist’s shared fantasy. He explains how the narcissist manipulates and entrains the victim into the shared fantasy, triggering repressed memories and emotional release. The lecture delves into the psychological impact of the shared fantasy, the role of dreams in processing trauma, and the brain’s response to threats and stress during sleep. Vaknin emphasizes the importance of paying attention to nightmares and dreams as they may provide insight and self-awareness to help individuals navigate the shared fantasy.
Mental Illness, Left and Right with Prof. Ed Dutton, Jolly Heretic
Professor Sam Vaknin, an expert on narcissism and diagnosed narcissist, discussed various aspects of narcissism, including its nature, types, and prevalence in society. He explained that narcissism is characterized by an absence of true self, replaced by a false self that acts as an imaginary friend or deity. Vaknin also touched on the differences between overt and covert narcissism, the concept of psychopathic narcissism, and the societal and cultural shifts that have led to an increase in narcissistic traits. Additionally, he addressed the impact of social media on narcissism and the importance of addressing the conflict between men and women as a critical issue for society.
Helicopter, Bad Parenting Foster Narcissism Pandemic (with Conor Ryan, Eyes Wide Open, EXCERPT)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the increasing prevalence of narcissism in society, fueled by societal messages and parenting practices that promote self-centeredness and grandiosity. He explains the detrimental effects of narcissism on individuals and institutions, and the impact on the formation of a healthy self. Vaknin also highlights the abusive nature of overindulgent and controlling parenting, and the collusion between modern education and parenting in fostering a fantasy bubble for children. He emphasizes the importance of allowing children to experience suffering and challenges for their personal development, and the need for clinical and therapeutic interventions to address narcissistic behaviors.
Narcissist: Negative Introjects, No Superego, Only Bad Object Internalized
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the difference between the super ego and negative introjects, emphasizing the confusion caused by self-styled experts online. He explains that the primitive superego is not the same as the superego and that the superego is the moral component of personality, representing parental and societal standards. Vaknin also delves into the concept of the internalized bad object and negative introjects, distinguishing them from the superego and highlighting the role of defense mechanisms in coping with these internal voices. Additionally, he touches on the self-system theory proposed by Harry Stack Sullivan.
YOLO Psychopaths vs. WOLF Narcissists
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the trilateral model of the psyche, consisting of the id, ego, and superego. He emphasizes that the superego is a part of the ego and plays a role in reality testing and socialization. Without a functioning ego and superego, individuals may lose reality testing and act on base desires without considering consequences, leading to antisocial behavior. Vaknin also explores the psychological phenomena of impulse control, disinhibition, and attentional narrowing in narcissists and psychopaths, linking them to reactive attachment disorder. He highlights the impact of rising narcissism and psychopathy on society, leading to a culture that glorifies lack of impulse control and disinhibition, and the subsequent challenges faced by victims and targets of narcissists and psychopaths.
Introduction to Chronon Field Theory (Vaknin-Suchard)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the Cronon Field Theory, which he proposed in his PhD dissertation in 1984. The theory went dormant for 30 years until Eitan Sachet recast it in geometric terms. The theory posits that time is yielded by interactions of Cronons, which are time elementary particles. The theory also suggests that the entire universe is essentially a quantum machine or device, and it provides a single basic assumption that gives rise to all known physics and provides falsifiable predictions.
20 Ways to Provoke the Narcissist to Meltdown, Tantrum, Apoplexy
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses how to infuriate a narcissist by using specific sentences that challenge their grandiose self-perception. He explains that statements like “I agree with you,” “I won’t do it,” or “Do you need some help?” can trigger a narcissistic injury and lead to rage. Vaknin emphasizes that narcissists view themselves as unique and superior, and any suggestion of equality or criticism can enrage them. He also warns against trying to empathize or compliment a narcissist, as it may be perceived as an insult. Ultimately, Vaknin advises against engaging with narcissists, as their fragile egos make communication akin to navigating a minefield.