Sustained Resistance: How Communities Keep Showing Up Under Repression

Host Leslie Poston closes PsyberSpace’s three-part series on American authoritarianism by focusing on the psychology of sustained resistance. Drawing on findings that real-world bystander intervention occurs in most incidents, she distinguishes one-time helping from long-term collective action and uses Minneapolis as an example of ongoing community response to state violence. She reviews research suggesting risk can increase commitment when paired with anger at repression and a belief that participation matters, and argues effective resistance relies on pre-existing collective efficacy built through repeated small acts of trust and mutual aid. She references Havel’s idea of “living in truth,” where refusing to perform compliance with obvious lies creates a growing space where propaganda fails. Poston also outlines factors that sustain activism under repression: emotional solidarity, alternative information/documentation sources as “epistemic infrastructure,” tactical flexibility, and the belief that others share one’s perception of reality. She also discusses the danger of pluralistic ignorance and discusses Erica Chenoweth’s research on civil resistance, including the higher historical success of nonviolent movements and cautions about overinterpreting the 3.5% threshold and changing success rates in the 2010s. Poston emphasizes diverse roles and tactics (street protest, documentation, legal support, sanctuary, labor action, and local noncooperation) and ends with practical guidance: build community relationships before crisis, maintain reality-testing against gaslighting, and choose an appropriate role to make dissent visible.

00:00 Welcome Back + What This Finale Covers
01:05 Beyond the Bystander Effect: What Sustained Resistance Requires
02:41 Risk, Anger, and Why Danger Can Fuel Commitment
03:47 Collective Efficacy: The Trust Built Before the Crisis
05:41 “Living in Truth”: Refusing to Perform the Lie
07:35 4 Keys to Staying Engaged Under Repression
10:17 Mass Participation, Nonviolence, and Diversity of Tactics
12:15 Practical Takeaways: Build Community, Protect Reality, Find Your Role
14:29 Series Wrap-Up + Final Thoughts and Next Episode Tease

The Power and Purpose of Obvious Lies in Authoritarian Regimes

In this episode of PsyberSpace®, host Leslie Poston explores why authoritarian regimes tell obvious lies that contradict available video evidence and their psychological impact on the public. The discussion digs into how such lies serve to dominate rather than persuade, sorting the population, degrading shared reality, and forcing individuals to either accept the lie, stay quiet, or openly reject it. The episode also touches on concepts like institutional gaslighting, epistemic violence, and moral injury, highlighting the social costs and potential resilience strategies against these tactics. The upcoming part three will focus on the psychology of resistance and collective action.

00:00 Introduction to Authoritarian Lies
00:36 The Psychology Behind Obvious Lies
01:44 Propaganda and Domination
02:25 Sorting the Population
03:08 Degrading Shared Reality
03:37 Forcing a Choice
04:22 Institutional Gaslighting
05:05 Epistemology of Ignorance
06:32 Racist Gaslighting
08:02 Moral Injury and Exhaustion
10:14 The Cost of Dissent
12:27 Social Connection as Resistance
14:22 The Power of Documentation
14:53 The Vulnerability of Obvious Lies
15:24 Looking Ahead: The Psychology of Resistance
15:46 Conclusion and Sign Off

Understanding American Authoritarianism Short Series Part 1 of 3: Expansion of State Violence

In the first part of a special three-episode series on PsyberSpace®, host Leslie Poston examines the psychology of authoritarianism with a focus on the expansion of state violence in the United States. Highlighting the significance of understanding how psychological patterns predict such outcomes, Leslie discusses recent events involving federal immigration agents and names the victims to humanize the statistics. She delves into various research by black scholars and others on moral exclusion, implicit bias, police violence, and the mechanisms behind systematic racism. The episode underscores the importance of recognizing and acting against the contraction of the moral circle and prepares the audience for the next episode on the psychology of manufactured reality.

00:00 Introduction to American Authoritarianism
01:11 Documenting State Violence
03:02 Moral Exclusion and Dehumanization
05:43 Intersectionality and Systemic Racism
06:37 Expanding Carceral State
11:21 Survivor Psychology and Clarity
13:13 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview

Research will be added to PsyberSpace later this week

The Illusion of Digital Safety: How Age Gates and Digital IDs Miss the Mark

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the ineffectiveness and risks of age gates and digital ID verification systems aimed at protecting children online. Highlighting global legislative attempts and their unintended consequences, Poston argues that these measures often exacerbate digital risks while failing to address root causes such as inadequate parental capacity, literacy deficiencies, and systemic economic struggles. The episode challenges the moral panic around social media's impact on youth mental health, pointing out that true protection requires structural change rather than symbolic, ineffective solutions.

00:00 Introduction and Data Breach Experiment
01:09 Global Push for Age Gates and Digital ID Verification
02:24 Moral Panic and Media Influence
02:51 Scientific Evidence on Social Media and Youth Wellbeing
07:02 The Real Issues: Parenting Capacity and Literacy Crisis
09:35 The Illusion of Control: Age Gates and Surveillance
14:09 Effective Solutions and Structural Change
15:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Hidden Dangers of Debate: Why It Can Legitimize Bad Ideas

In this episode of PsyberSpace®, host Leslie Poston explores the unintended consequences of debate formats in media, arguing that they often function as tools to distribute and legitimize harmful ideas rather than dismantling them with facts. Poston discusses psychological principles such as social proof, the illusory truth effect, and the continued influence effect to explain why debates can amplify bad ideas. She advocates for alternative approaches such as weight of evidence framing, pre-bunking tactics, and audience-centered harm reduction to effectively combat misinformation and reduce harm.

00:00 Introduction to Debate Content
01:14 The Unseen Consequences of Debates
02:06 The Psychology Behind Debate Failures
04:13 False Balance in Media
05:44 The Illusory Truth Effect
07:43 Debate as Entertainment
09:38 Incentives and Bad Faith Tactics
14:13 Strategies for Harm Reduction
16:20 Practical Tips for Responding to Misinformation
18:30 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Erosion of Consent in the Digital Age

In this episode of PsyberSpace®, Leslie Poston discusses the systematic erosion of consent both online and offline, and its devastating psychological consequences. Key topics include non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery, the mass theft of creative work to train AI systems, the exploitation of vulnerable individuals for social media content, and the influence of manosphere ideology on young men. Poston explores the dehumanization and objectification that results from these trends, the psychological theories behind them, and provides insights into moral disengagement and learned helplessness. The episode concludes with strategies for resisting these harmful practices and emphasizes the importance of maintaining and teaching respect for consent.

00:00 Introduction to the Erosion of Consent
01:15 Understanding Objectification and Its Harms
02:25 AI and Non-Consensual Imagery
05:20 Data Colonialism and Creative Theft
07:52 Exploitation for Social Media Clout
11:01 Manosphere Ideology and Consent
14:52 Surveillance and Privacy Violations
18:46 Psychological Consequences of Consent Erosion
23:08 Paths to Resistance and Hope
26:36 Conclusion and Call to Action

Research will be added to the PsyberSpace.com main website

PsyberSpace® on Navigating Therapy: Finding the Right Modality and Therapist for Your Mental Health

In this episode of PsyberSpace®, host Leslie Poston kicks off season three with an in-depth exploration of several of the many therapy modalities available to you. Leslie discusses that therapy isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, emphasizing the importance of finding the right match between therapeutic modalities, the therapist, and individual needs. The episode covers various therapeutic approaches including CBT, DBT, psychodynamic therapy, EMDR, somatic experiencing, and psychedelic-assisted therapy, highlighting their benefits, limitations, and suitable candidates. Additionally, Leslie highlights the importance of community-based healing and the ethical considerations surrounding therapy. The episode offers practical advice on finding, vetting, and (if needed) firing therapists, and underscores the need for personalized and culturally sensitive therapeutic practices.

00:00 Introduction to Season Three: Therapy Insights
01:47 Setting the Context: Western Psychology vs. Indigenous Knowledge
04:37 Exploring Therapeutic Modalities: CBT and Its Limitations
07:28 Diving into DBT: Emotional Regulation and Skills-Based Therapy
08:39 Unpacking Psychodynamic Therapy: Deep Self-Understanding
09:54 EMDR: Trauma-Focused Therapy
11:45 Body-Centered Therapies: Somatic Approaches
13:48 Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Emerging Field and Ethical Considerations
17:23 Community-Based Healing: Beyond Individual Therapy
20:58 Finding the Right Therapist: Questions and Red Flags
26:20 Firing Your Therapist: When and How to Move On
28:50 Conclusion: Your Healing Journey

Visit the main web site at PsyberSpace.com for the research and to comment on each episode. Research may take 48 hours to upload to the site, as we work to help make real research accessible and to defeat AI slop and AI fake citations.

Navigating Family Estrangement During the Holidays

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the trending issue of family estrangement, especially relevant during the holiday season. With so many adults experiencing estrangement, Poston dives into the research findings from the Cornell Reconciliation Project and other studies. The episode discusses the perspectives and reasons behind estrangement both from adult children and the parents' viewpoints, highlighting cultural shifts and the need for emotional intelligence. The show also covers the misconceptions around 'Parental Alienation Syndrome,' the impact of estrangement during holidays, and potential pathways to reconciliation.

00:00 Introduction to Family Estrangement
01:11 The Prevalence of Estrangement
03:18 Understanding the Reasons for Estrangement
05:24 Parental Perspectives on Estrangement
06:59 The Controversy of Parental Alienation
08:39 Cultural Shifts and Emotional Health
10:32 Pathways to Reconciliation
12:56 The Emotional Impact of Holidays
14:02 Final Thoughts and Takeaways