Adam Fisher – Collins Proposal LOST Psychology - 9/11s and Otherness - Indiana University Fall 2012 Instructor: Adam Fisher, M.A. Counseling & Educational Psychology Email: [email protected] Introduction What would really happen to your mind if you were stranded on a deserted island somewhere in the Pacific? How would you respond to surviving a plane crash? In LOST Psychology, we will use the groundbreaking television series LOST as a guide to examine human response to trauma and disaster, such as the shipwreck of Alexander Selkirk in 1703 and the more con- temporary events of 9/11 and the Norway attacks. Many of these accounts involve real and metaphorical monsters, from terrorists and other “Others” to inept social systems and dan- gerous weather. What happens when we “otherize” those who are different from us? How does trauma exacerbate this process? Additional issues around coping with trauma and exist- ence such as spirituality and the paranormal, free will vs. determinism, and why people per- form acts of heroism will be explored over the course of the semester. Most importantly, we will try to experience these psychological and existential phenomena for ourselves through class activities and discussion, relevant and engaging readings, and personal reflection. No prior knowledge of or previous viewing of LOST is required. While fans of the show will certainly enjoy the course, the purpose of viewing the series is not to enjoy watching TV per se, but to utilize the series as a lens or scaffolding for exploring the course content. Every week, we will engage in discussion, debate, and activities designed to enhance one’s knowledge of the psychology of LOST: catastrophe, trauma, and otherness. We will also analyze and discuss key episodes from the show, guided by readings from academic journals and pop culture, with an aim to better understand the self, the other, and trauma response. Course Objectives Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to… 1. Investigate accounts of disasters and survival with the lens of psychological research and theory, in order to better explain how people cope with trauma and disaster, and more accurately predict how you might respond to similar events. 2. Describe your personal philosophy on key topics in existential psychology and cop- ing, and evaluate how this philosophy influences your psychological health and ability to handle everything from daily challenges and ambiguity, to tragedy and trauma. 3. Engage with the award-winning television series LOST as a heuristic and an academic text to enhance your understanding of self, other, and society. 4. Assess how individuals and groups “otherize” in both useful and destructive ways. 1 Adam Fisher – Collins Proposal Required Texts Books (each book is $10 or less to purchase): • Herman, J. (1997). Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror. • Ripley, A. (2008). The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes – and Why. • Wood, J. (2007). Living Lost: Why We’re All Stuck on the Island. Episodes (viewing information is discussed in the course schedule, and Appendix A): • Abrams, J.J., Cuse, C., Lieber, J., & Lindelof, D. (Creators). (2010). Lost (television se- ries). Burbank, CA: ABC Studios. Articles (available on Oncourse): • Baumeister, R.F., Masicampo, E.J., & DeWall, C.N. (2009). Prosocial benefits of feeling free: Disbelief in free will increases aggression and reduces helpfulness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 260-268. • Becker, E. (1973). Human Nature and the Heroic. 8 pages. • Bem, D.J. (2011). Feeling the future: Experimental evidence for anomalous retroactive influences on cognition and affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 407-425. • Birmes, P., Arrieu, A., Payen, A., Warner, B.A., & Schmitt, L. (1999). Traumatic stress and depression in a group of plane crash survivors. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Dis- ease, 187, 754-755. • Bonetto, S. (2007). “No exit… from the island: A Sartrean Analysis of Lost. In S. Kaye (Ed.). Lost and philosophy: The island has its reasons. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. • Boudreau, T. (2003). Intergroup conflict reduction through identity affirmation: Over- coming the image of the ethnic or enemy “other.” Peace and Conflict Studies, 10, 87-107. 2 Adam Fisher – Collins Proposal • Brody, M. (2007). Holy franchise! Batman and trauma. In L.C. Rubin (Ed.). Using Super- heroes in Counseling and Play Therapy. New York: Spring Publishing Co. • CNN.com: Do loved ones bid farewell from beyond the grave? September 23, 2011. • Fischoff, S., Dimopoulos, A., Nguyen, F. & Gordon, R. (2003). Favorite movie mon- sters and their psychological appeal. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 22, 401-426. • Fraley, R.C., Fazzari, D.A., Bonanno, G.A., & Dekel, S. (2006). Attachment and psycho- logical adaptation in high exposure survivors of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 538-551. • Freud, S. (1929). Chapter I. Civilization and its discontents. (J. Strachey, Trans.). (pp. 10-21). New York: W.W. Norton & Company. • Gaffney, K. (2007). “The others are coming”: Ideology and otherness in Lost. In S. Kaye (Ed.). Lost and philosophy: The island has its reasons. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publish- ing. • Gandhi, P. (2009). Understanding the nature of spiritual experiences: A qualitative study. Indiana University. • Gersons, B. (1993). Plane crash crisis intervention: A preliminary report from the Bijlmermeer, Amsterdam. Crisis (Toronto), 14, 109-116. • Gleick, J. (2008). The Butterfly Effect. From Chaos: Making a new science. New York: Open Road. • Gottman, J. (2011). The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. • Hill, K. (1998). The psychology of lost. In Lost Person Behavior. Ottawa, Canada: National SAR Secretariat. • Koole, S.L. & Van den Berg, A.E. (2005). Lost in the wilderness: Terror management, action orientation, and nature evaluation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 1014-1028. • Laham, S.M., Tam, T., Lalljee, M., Hewstone, M. & Voci, A. (2009). Respect for persons in the intergroup context: Self-other overlap and intergroup emotions as mediators of the impact of respect on action tendencies. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 13, 302- 317. • Lee, S. (2007). Meaning and freedom on the island. In S. Kaye (Ed.). Lost and philosophy: The island has its reasons. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. • Loxton, H. (2009). Monsters in the dark and other scary things: Preschooler’s self- reports. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 21, 47-60. • Neimark, J. (2004). The power of coincidence. Psychology Today. • Weegman, M. (2008). Monsters: The social-unconscious life of ‘others’ and a note on the origins of group therapy. Group Analysis, 41, 47-60. 3 Adam Fisher – Collins Proposal Course Requirements 1. Short Assignments (6) – 20% of Final Grade, due weeks 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, & 9 The short assignments are related to assigned readings, course content, and themes that arise in the series. See the course schedule for details on each short homework assignment. 2. Philosopher Paper – 15% - due week 11 You will choose a philosopher or other notable figure that interests you from the following list (or someone else whose name is used in the series up through season three – discuss in advance with the instructor). We will cover these in class, and many of them are discussed in the readings. Here is a list of possible choices with very brief descriptions: • Kate Cooper Austin (died 1902) – American feminist, anarchist, and journalist. • Mikhail Bakunin (1876) – The Russian “Father of Anarchism.” • Joseph Campbell (1987) – American professor of mythology and religion. • Thomas Carlyle (1881) – Scottish philosopher who wrote “Heroes and Hero Worship.” • Anthony Cooper (1683) – English politician and mentor to John Locke. • Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) (living, born 1931) – American spiritual teacher. • David Hume (1776) – Scottish essayist and notable figure of Western philosophy. • John Locke (1704) – English philosopher and the “Father of Liberalism.” • Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1778) – Swiss philosopher. Influenced the French Revolution. • Edward Said (2003) – Palestinian-American professor of English and Comparative Lit. For the paper, you will: a) Write a brief biography of the philosopher’s life. b) Describe the ideas taught by your philosopher, including what he or she contributed to philosophy, psychology, or other notable areas of interest. You are expected to include the philosopher’s original works in writing your paper, but you may draw from secondary sources as appropriate. c) Compare and contrast these ideas and life events with the philosopher’s counterpart on the show (e.g. the philosopher David Hume with the character Desmond David Hume). d) Examine how the philosopher’s and the corresponding character’s ideas and actions are similar to and/or different from your own, and why that is so. No minimum page requirement, maximum 2000 words (approx. 5-6 pages). More detailed grading rubrics of the major assignments, including this paper, will be provided. 3. Content Analyses (5) – 25% - due weeks 3, 6, 10, 12, & 14 Many episodes and stories throughout the series are filled with psychological and philosoph- ical concepts. You will choose 5 episodes, events, or themes (if you need to draw from more than one episode to cover an event or theme) over the course of the semester that resonate