Harvesting Happiness is proud to partner with the researchers and scholars at the Mental Immunity Project (MIP) and Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE).

Listen to two separate 9-part Harvesting Happiness podcast productions that explore the emerging science of cognitive immunology. Both unique series examine how and why disinformation, conspiracy theories, and media propaganda are used to undermine critical thinking and common sense. This impacts how we think and behave as well as our collective well-being.

This episode is #1 of 9 on our flagship podcast. Find nine More Mental Fitness by Harvesting Happiness bonus sessions available exclusively on Substack and Medium.

The media has already begun priming the pump for the 2024 election cycle in the US. Swaying the average American to believe one thing over another will be the target of billions of dollars of advertising spending. Will all of the information we are exposed to be true? Probably not, but how do we know? What can we do to build our mental immunity and critical thinking skills? To discover how we can protect and preserve humanity when faced with misinformation, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with author, researcher, and founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE), Dr. Andy Norman. Andy and Lisa delve into what to expect from their new collaborative effort to tone our mental muscles through the Mental Immunity Project. They also discuss how to discern false narratives, how to have open and compassionate conversations, and ten rules of thumb to make the mind less susceptible to misinformation, all just in time for the deluge of political rhetoric on the horizon.

Andy Norman — Cognitive Immunity:

• Andy describes the science of mental immunity. {3:18}
• Why CIRCE is creating the mental immunity project which encourages compassionate and charitable dialogue. {5:48}
• Andy offers the solution to myths and false narratives within our tribes. {8:57}
• Resources and curriculum are available to make the mind less susceptible to misinformation. {20:21}
• How to maintain critical thinking versus cynical thinking. {25:02}

This episode of Harvesting Happiness Talk Radio is sponsored by: 

OUAI — Offers beauty-boosting head-to-toe self-care rituals. Visit www.theouai.com and use code HH to get 15% off of your entire purchase. 

About Lisa’s guest:

Andy Norman is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Psychiatric Times, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, NPR, and The BBC’s Naked Scientist. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind’s immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He is the founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE), a global think-tank leading the effort to inoculate humanity against cognitive contagion.

“I enjoy learning from people who think differently than me, and the why." - Lisa Cypers Kamen 

This episode is #1 of 9 on our flagship podcast. Find nine More Mental Fitness by Harvesting Happiness bonus sessions available exclusively on Substack and Medium.

Searching for more inspiration? Visit www.harvestinghappiness.com!