E12: Western Spiritualism, Ego Death, and the Problems with Psychology – Sam Vaknin Interview Pt 2

In Part 2 of the conversation with Sam Vaknin, we begin by exploring the cycle between covert and overt narcissism — how these shifts unfold, and why they matter. From there, the focus shifts to Western spiritualism: why movements that preach ego death and “killing the self” often misunderstand both healthy ego formation and the traditions they claim to borrow from.

We also look at how self-help movements decouple us from our intuition, turning healing into a commodity built on magical thinking. Finally, the discussion circles back to psychology itself: is the DSM a genuine map of human health, or just a manual for compliance? Where do the limits of psychology become most visible when it confronts individuality and suffering?

✨ Topics covered:

The covert–overt narcissism cycle
Western spiritualism, ego death, and magical thinking (At around 15 minutes in)
How self-help movements commodify “healing”
The DSM as a tool of conformity
Psychology’s cultural limits

This is Part 2 of our exchange — if you missed Part 1, you can watch it here:
https://youtu.be/KNDHDkkr-ss?feature=shared