How Mass Persuasion Works

The UC San Diego Library presents a fascinating talk by Dr. Joel Dimsdale, distinguished professor emeritus in the UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry.

Dimsdale discusses his latest book “Dark Persuasion: A History of Brainwashing from Pavlov to Social Media,” which traces the evolution of brainwashing from its beginnings in torture and religious conversion into the age of neuroscience and social media.

When Pavlov introduced scientific approaches, his research was enthusiastically supported by Lenin and Stalin, setting the stage for major breakthroughs in tools for social, political and religious control. Tracing these developments through many of the past century’s major conflagrations, Dimsdale explores the history of different methods of interrogation and how Nobel laureates, university academics, intelligence operatives, criminals and clerics all populate this shattering and dark story—one that hasn’t yet ended.

Joel E. Dimsdale is distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego. He consults widely to government agencies and is the author of numerous other works, including “Anatomy of Malice: The Enigma of the Nazi War Criminals.”

Watch Dark Persuasion – The History of Brainwashing from Pavlov to Social Media with Joel Dimsdale .

Improving Your Emotional Well-Being

The outbreak of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 cause feelings of stress, anxiety, grief, and worry. Learning to cope with these feelings in a healthy way will help you become more resilient.

The Emotional Well-Being series from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UCSF features mental health and emotional wellness experts showing how you can reduce personal stress now, as well as develop coping skills for other disasters.

The sessions are moderated by Vice Chair for Adult Psychology Elissa Epel and include wide-ranging topics with experts sharing insights on reducing stress and trauma, coping with grief, managing pandemic fatigue, addressing interpersonal and systemic racism, parenting and educating young people as they transition back to in-person learning and jobs, mitigating the climate crisis, and the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

After the past 18 months, improving our stress management skills is something we can all use.

Watch Improving Your Emotional Well-Being.

Integrative Mental Health Care

In today’s society, we are often disconnected from the elements of a balanced life, making emotional wellness harder to achieve.

This new series brings together integrative mental health experts inspired by the wisdom of healing paradigms from around the world. Speakers explore and illuminate the multiple dimensions of emotional well-being and share practical methods of cultivating resilience and recovery in the face of changing stressors and evolving life narratives.

Browse more programs in Embracing Life Challenges: Finding Balance through Integrative Mental Health Care

Developmental Disabilities Update

Check out highlights from this year’s conference addressing a variety of topics, including the impact of trauma and immigration on child development and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Offering a unique update for primary care and subspecialty health care professionals and others who care for children, youth, and adults with developmental disabilities and complex health care needs, the conference covered a broad spectrum of developmental disabilities across the lifespan including autism spectrum disorders, mental health, genetic screening and diagnoses, and intervention and therapeutic consideration. Focus on special education, law enforcement, and policy from a variety of specialists adds to the content.

Presentations by expert faculty should be of interest to pediatricians, family physicians, nurse clinicians, psychologists, and internists who are involved in the healthcare of individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as to those in other health-related disciplines including health policy, epidemiology, psychiatry, school health, social work, and case management services.

While the conference is designed for health care professionals, families and individuals with developmental disabilities will also learn from the various represented disciplines. The conference was held at UCSF on March 14 and 15, 2019.

Browse more programs in Developmental Disabilities Update