Jung Chicago Radio Jung in the World B-Sides | Living as Someone Else: The Hidden Cost of Online Personas with Hilde Lynn Helphenstein (Part 2)
Oct 22, 2025
Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, a visual artist and digital storyteller behind the satirical persona Jerry Gogosian, shares her transformative journey from online identity to authenticity. She delves into the psychological costs of living as someone else, revealing how childhood trauma influenced her creative escape into art. Hilde discusses her groundbreaking MDMA therapy with her mother, which helped her break free from rumination and reclaim her true self. Now, she's focused on intentional rebranding and embracing vulnerability in real-life connections.
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Persona Is A Thin Social Interface
- Patricia frames persona as a social interface useful for adaptation but harmful when overinvested.
- Overinvestment produces escalating symptoms that eventually force a return to the true self.
Healing Through A Single Therapy Session
- Hilde described asking her mother for help in Zurich and undergoing MDMA-assisted therapy together.
- That one session allowed her to open her heart, accept apology, and end decades of rumination.
Childhood Abandonment Fueled A Persona
- Hilde recounts a traumatic childhood of abandonment at age 12 and prolonged abuse with large gaps in family memory.
- She escaped into art and the Jerry persona to cope with long-standing pain and resentment.
