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

This episode is part of a series exploring disinformation, media literacy, and the emerging science of cognitive immunology.

Fear and doubt serve as powerful tools in the political landscape, allowing politicians to manipulate public perception and sow confusion. By labeling legitimate investigations or criticisms as "witch hunts," these leaders attempt to delegitimize the concerns raised against them. This tactic not only deflects attention from the actual issues at hand but also erodes trust in the democratic process. To discover how we can inoculate ourselves against cultural viruses, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with a lecturer of cultural history at the Department of History and Art History at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, Steije Hofhuis PhD.

Steije shares historical information about how witch hunts spread and how ideas about witchcraft adapted in new ways that stimulated more witch prosecutions. His research shows that cultural viruses, or mindbugs, adapted and evolved in a Darwinian manner throughout certain geographical areas and time periods.

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