What if our institutions were built not just on logic—but on magic?
We like to think of data, psychology, and governance as neutral, modern, rational. But beneath the surface lies something older, stranger, and often hidden.
The Hidden Curriculum is a new podcast exploring how symbolic systems—mysticism, psychoanalysis, and myth—shaped the foundations of modern institutions. From therapy to bureaucracy, from Freudian introspection to predictive policing, we ask:
What unseen forces guide how we classify, diagnose, and control people today?
EPISODE ONE:
Manipulating Minds — Psychoanalysis in the Service of State Power
In this premiere episode, I trace the evolution of psychoanalysis from its mystical roots in Jewish esoteric thought, to its absorption by Cold War intelligence agencies and modern surveillance regimes. Drawing on the work of David Bakan, we look at Freud not only as a scientist—but as a mystic secularizing old spiritual traditions into a new psychic language.
That language—the unconscious, repression, transference—would soon be picked up by institutions of power, turning personal exploration into state infrastructure.
From therapy couch to black site. From dream interpretation to metadata.
In this episode we uncover:
How Freud's theories drew from Kabbalistic and mystical thought
Why psychoanalysis became a tool of government influence and propaganda
How private insights became bureaucratic records
The legacy of these shifts in today’s data-driven systems of control
Why This Podcast?
As a former psychotherapist, higher education behavioral interventionist and researcher, I’ve seen how ideas meant to liberate can become tools of categorization and coercion. And as AI, behavioral tracking, and predictive systems expand, it's more urgent than ever to ask:
Where did our ways of knowing—and managing—people come from?
This podcast is for anyone drawn to:
The history of ideas
Critical psychology
Digital ethics and surveillance
Political philosophy
The unconscious, symbolic, or mystical
Questioning systems that feel "normal" but aren’t
If that’s you, you’re in the right place. Consider subscribing here for future episode breakdowns, reading recommendations, and behind-the-scenes reflections.
This isn’t just a podcast. It’s an invitation to see the world’s machinery—and your own mind—differently.