245: Sarah Rose Cavanagh | Psychologist On Emotions, Collective Consciousness, And Emotional Regulation In “Hivemind”

We dive into the collective consciousness of humans on episode 245 with Dr. Sarah Rose Cavanagh, author of “Hivemind”. The book takes us through how group elements and stories spread among people, the ways that people can build each other up or tear each other down via the internet, vulnerabilities of certain groups of people, and lessons for people to take through their days.

Dr. Cavanagh is Associate Professor of Psychology at Assumption College, and got her PhD in Experimental Psychology from Tufts University. Her research is on how patterns of emotional reactivity illuminates trajectories of risk and resilience in individuals.

Show notes:

• how Dr. Cavanagh got into psychology in the first place
• the way that elements can spread from group to group
• what the hivemind represents, and how we operate as a collective consciousness
• the way that stories can propel a fiction or nonfiction from a small form to a societal belief
• the impact that online frameworks have had on people, whether to build them up or tear them down
• who is most vulnerable to manipulation due to their current life condition and physiology
• how many are walking through life in the form of a constant form of minor fight-or-flight response
• a lesson about how serendipity can be built or supported in one’s existence

Glad to have Dr. Cavanagh on the show, and you can check out her faculty page, Hivemind on Amazon, or follow her on Twitter.