Sam Vaknin

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Sam Vaknin
Sem-vaknin-naj-naj(3).jpg
Vaknin in 2019
Born
Shmuel Vaknin

April 21, 1961 (1961-04-21) (age 63)
Kiryat Yam, Israel
OccupationWriter
Known forSelf-help material on narcissistic personality disorder. Work on chronons.
SpouseLidija Rangelovska
Website samvak.tripod.com

Shmuel "Sam" Vaknin (born April 21, 1961) is an Israeli writer and professor of psychology and business studies. [1] [2] He is the author of Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited (1999), an IMF and World Bank affairs consultant for several nation states, [3] he also was the last editor-in-chief of the now-defunct political news website Global Politician , [4] and runs a private website about narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). [5]

Contents

He has also postulated a theory on chronons and time asymmetry. [6]

Background

Early life

Vaknin was born in Kiryat Yam, Israel, the eldest of five children born to Sephardi Jewish immigrants. Vaknin's mother was from Turkey, and his father, a construction worker, was from Morocco. He describes a difficult childhood, in which he writes that his parents "were ill-equipped to deal with normal children, let alone the gifted". [7]

He left home to serve in the Israel Defense Forces from 1979 to 1982 in training and education units. Between 1980 and 1983 he founded a chain of computerized information kiosks in Tel Aviv, and in 1982 worked for the Nessim D. Gaon Group in Geneva, Paris, and New York City.

In the mid-1980s, he became aware of difficulties in his relationship with his fiancée, and that he had mood swings. In 1985 he sought help from a psychiatrist, who diagnosed him with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Vaknin did not accept the diagnosis.

From 1986 to 1987, he was the general manager of IPE Ltd. in London. He moved back to Israel, where he became director of an Israeli investment firm, Mikbatz Teshua. [5] He was also president of the Israeli chapter of the Unification Church's Professors for World Peace Academy. [8]

Arrest and imprisonment

In Israel, in 1995, he was found guilty on three counts of securities fraud along with two other men, Nissim Avioz and Dov Landau. He was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment and fined 50,000 shekels (about $14,000), while the company was fined 100,000 shekels. [9] [10] In 1996, as a condition of parole, he agreed to a mental health evaluation, which noted various personality disorders. According to Vaknin: "I was borderline, schizoid, but the most dominant was NPD," and on this occasion he accepted the diagnosis, because, he wrote, "it was a relief to know what I had." [11]

Later life

Vaknin moved to Skopje, Republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia), where he married Macedonian Lidija Rangelovska. They set up Narcissus Publications in 1997, which publishes Vaknin's work. [12] Between 2001 and 2003, Vaknin was a Senior Business Correspondent for United Press International. [13] [14] He has also written for Central Europe Review about political issues in the Balkans, [15] as well as for the Middle East Times . [16] Until a few weeks before the September 2002 Macedonian election, he served as an adviser to Macedonia's Ministry of Finance. He writes regularly for other publications, such as the International Analyst Network, [17] Brussels Morning, [18] and the online American Chronicle. [19]

Vaknin was a visiting professor at Southern Federal University in Rostov Oblast, Russia in 2017–22 [20] holding a course of lectures there on personality theory. [21] He is also a professor of management and a professor of psychology in the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) in Nigeria, Canada and the United Kingdom. [22] He is a visiting professor of psychology and economics in South East European University in North Macedonia. [23]

Vaknin served as a founding member of the Steering Committee for the Advancement of Healthcare in the Republic of North Macedonia between 2009-2011. [24] Vaknin is a member of the Board of Advisors of CFACT Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. [25]

Vaknin and his wife, Lidija Rangelovska, established in 2024 the Vaknin-Rangelovska Foundation which distributes grants to further the study of Vaknin's work in psychology, economics, and physics. [26]

Work in psychology

Views on narcissism

Vaknin has a prolific online presence, writing on narcissism and psychopathy. [27] His views have been solicited by the media. [7] [28]

True self and false self

In his view, narcissists have lost their "true self", the core of their personality, which has been replaced by delusions of grandeur, a "false self". Therefore, he believes, they cannot be healed, because they do not exist as real persons, only as reflections: "The False Self replaces the narcissist's True Self and is intended to shield him from hurt and narcissistic injury by self-imputing omnipotence… The narcissist pretends that his False Self is real and demands that others affirm this confabulation." [29] The false self is, according to him, an unreal facade or cover that a narcissist shows to the world which involves what the narcissist intends to be seen as - powerful, elegant, smart, wealthy, or well-connected. This false self is subsequently projected to elicit a constant stream of attention or narcissistic supply from others, which may consist of reactions to this projected false self. [30]

Narcissistic supply

Vaknin extends the concept of narcissistic supply and introduces concepts such as primary and secondary narcissistic supply. [31] Both positive attention and negative attention ("sadistic supply") can serve as narcissistic supply. [32]

Primary narcissistic supply is based on attention in both its public forms such as recognition, fame, infamy, stardom, and its private, more interpersonal, types of praise, admiration, applause, fear, and repulsion. Primary narcissistic supply represents attention of any kind–positive or negative. Appearances qualify more than the content; it is not the truth that matters, but their perception of it. Therefore, as long as they receive the expected reaction or attention that they had projected through their false self, the connotation attached to it is inconsequential. [30]

Secondary narcissistic supply refers to the reinforcement a narcissist derives from projecting an image of success, security, and social acceptability. This includes financial stability, upward mobility, and the perception of living a fulfilling life. Sources of secondary narcissistic supply may include having a partner, owning significant property, engaging in creative pursuits, running a business, experiencing a sense of personal freedom, belonging to a community, achieving professional recognition, displaying wealth, or otherwise signaling status. [30]

Triggers of narcissistic supply are stimuli that provoke sources into providing validation, reinforcing the narcissist’s False Self. Publicity—whether through fame, notoriety, or infamy—is a key trigger, as it compels others to pay attention, thereby fueling the narcissist’s need for recognition. Other triggers include an air of mystery, sexual validation, and proximity to power, whether political, financial, military, or spiritual. Narcissists actively seek out these triggers through self-promotion, creative endeavors, or provocative actions, ensuring a continuous flow of attention. Since both admiration and hostility serve as validation, they may embrace controversy or infamy as readily as praise, prioritizing perception over reality. [30]

Cerebral and somatic narcissism

He distinguishes between cerebral and somatic narcissists; the former generate their narcissistic supply by applying their minds, the latter their bodies. According to Vaknin, cerebral narcissists display their intellectual abilities and knowledge ostentatiously, while giving their bodies little importance, often to the point of the body being utterly devalued. Somatic narcissists, on the other hand, focus on areas related to the body, such as appearance and sexual abilities. Attention and sexual conquest are in his view the narcissistic supply which upholds the cerebral narcissist's favorable body-image. However, Vaknin claims that narcissists switch between these two modes of acquiring narcissistic supply, particularly as a result of threat or damage to the erstwhile mode. He considers himself a cerebral narcissist. [33]

Other work, views and postulations

Vaknin suggests that narcissists and their intimate partners regard each other as introjected, idealized maternal figures ("snapshotting" [34] ) in a shared fantasy and attempt to re-enact early childhood dynamics in their relationships, in what he dubs a "dual mothership". [35] He believes that disproportionate numbers of pathological narcissists are at work in the most influential reaches of society, such as medicine, finance and politics [11] as a manifestation of growing collective narcissism. [36] He observes that narcissists possess "cold empathy" (cognitive and reflexive). [37]

He calls narcissistic co-dependents "inverted narcissists." [38] "[They] provide the narcissist with an obsequious, unthreatening audience… the perfect backdrop." [39] He postulated the existence of a type of narcissistic borderline he dubbed covert borderline. [40]

In 2022, Vaknin proposed a theory of psychodynamics, Intrapsychic Activation Model (IPAM), which involves self-states that trigger constructs and introjects and are reactive to stimuli emanating from both the internal and the external changing environments. [41] [42]

Vaknin developed a new treatment modality for narcissism and depression, dubbed "Cold Therapy". [43] It is based on recasting pathological narcissism as a form of CPTSD (Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder) and arrested development, which result in an addictive personality with a dysfunctional attachment style. The therapy uses re-traumatization and a form of reframing. [44] [45] [46]

Work on chronons and time asymmetry

A model of quantised time was proposed by Vaknin in his 1982 Ph.D. dissertation, titled "Time Asymmetry Revisited". [47] The dissertation was published by Pacific Western University (California). The dissertation submitted postulates the existence of a particle (chronon). In the proposed theory, time is the result of the interaction of chronons, very much as other forces in nature are the result of other particle interactions. Vaknin postulates the existence of various time quarks (up, down, colors, etc.) whose properties cancel each other and thus the arrow of time is derived (time asymmetry). The postulated particle (chronon) is not only an ideal clock, but also mediates time itself (analogous to the relationship between the Higgs boson and mass). In other words, what we call "time" is the interaction between chronons in a field. Chronons exchange between them a particle and thereby exert a force. "Events" are perturbations in the Time Field and they are distinct from chronon interactions. Chronon interactions (particle exchanges) in the Time Field generate "time" and "time asymmetry" as we observe them. [6] [47] [48] [49]

Film appearances

Selected publications

References

  1. ↑ CIAPS Faculty https://ciaps.org/faculty/
  2. ↑ CIAPS Letter of Re-appointment as full professor of psychology and management studies https://samvak.tripod.com/ciapsappointment.pdf
  3. ↑ https://www.upi.com/Business_News/2002/06/05/The-Last-Politburo-IMF-and-Development-II/61561023289926/
  4. ↑ "GP Editors". Global Politician . Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Race, Tim (July 29, 2002). "New Economy; Like Narcissus, executives are smitten, and undone, by their own images". The New York Times . p. 2.
  6. 1 2 Vaknin, Sam (September 2018). "Chronon Field, Time Atoms, and Quantized Time: Time Asymmetry Re-Visited". International Journal of Applied Sciences. 4 (9). London, England: IJAS Publications – via samvak.tripod.com.
  7. 1 2 Roberts, Yvonne (September 16, 2007). "The monster in the mirror". The Sunday Times . Archived from the original on June 15, 2011.
  8. ↑ Curriculum Vitae http://samvak.tripod.com/cv.html
  9. ↑ Rosenfeld, Jose (July 27, 1995). "Business Briefs". The Jerusalem Post .[ dead link ]
  10. ↑ Gordon, Evelyn (June 14, 1996). "Supreme Court rejects appeal of three stock manipulators". The Jerusalem Post.[ dead link ]
  11. 1 2 Tempany, Adrian (September 4, 2010). "When narcissism becomes pathological". Financial Times .
  12. ↑ Vaknin, Sam. "Malignant Self-love: Narcissism Revisited", samvak.tripod.com, accessed October 30, 2010.
  13. ↑ UPI Sam Vaknin Author Archive https://www.upi.com/search?ss=%22SAM+VAKNIN%22
  14. ↑ Vaknin, Sam (October 4, 2002). "Commentary: The morality of Child labor". United Press International. Archived from the original on March 15, 2005. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Author Archive: Articles by Sam Vaknin". Central Europe Review. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  16. ↑ Vaknin, Sam (April 3, 2003). "The 'axis of oil'". Middle East Times . Archived from the original on April 30, 2003. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Profiles: Dr. Sam Vaknin". International Analyst Network. Archived from the original on 2011-10-28. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Author Archive: Sam Vaknin". Brussels Morning. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Sam Vaknin, Ph.D." American Chronicle. February 26, 2013. Archived from the original on February 27, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Letter of Appointment Southern Federal University" (PDF). samvak.tripod.com (in Russian). Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Southern Federal University website" (in Russian). Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  22. ↑ "CIAPS faculty: Sam Vaknin". ciaps.org. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Prof. Sam Vaknin is appointed to lecture as a visiting professor at SEEU". www.seeu.edu.mk. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  24. ↑ ECDC Mission Report https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/media/en/publications/Publications/1001_MIR_Public_consultation_advancement_health_system_FYROM.pdf
  25. ↑ CFACT Board of Advisors https://www.cfact.org/about/#directors
  26. ↑ Vaknin-Rangelovska Foundation https://www.vrfoundation.net
  27. ↑ Sam Vaknin website
  28. ↑ France, Lisa Respers (February 2, 2011). "Reality bites after the lights go out". CNN . Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  29. ↑ Vaknin, Sam. "The Dual Role of the Narcissist's False Self". samvak.tripod.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  30. 1 2 3 4 "Narcissists, Narcissistic Supply and Sources of Supply". samvak.tripod.com. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  31. ↑ Vaknin, Sam Narcissists, Narcissistic Supply and Sources of Supply
  32. ↑ Vaknin, Sam Narcissistic vs. Sadistic Supply
  33. ↑ Vaknin, Sam The Cerebral vs. the Somatic Narcissist
  34. ↑ Vaknin, Sam Why Narcissist Snapshots YOU
  35. ↑ Vaknin, Sam How Narcissist Betrays You to Become Himself
  36. ↑ Collective Narcissism: Narcissism, Culture, and Society https://web.archive.org/web/20021014112738/http://samvak.tripod.com/14.html
  37. ↑ Vaknin, Sam Arrested Empathy: Instinctual, Emotional Cognitive, and Cold Empathy
  38. ↑ Vaknin, Sam The Inverted Narcissist
  39. ↑ Crompton, Simon (2007). All About Me: Loving a Narcissist. London, England: HarperCollins UK. p. 31. ISBN   9780007585977.
  40. ↑ Vaknin, Sam Psychopathic, Covert Borderlines (Literature Review)
  41. ↑ Journal of Psychiatry and Neurology IPAM (Intrapsychic Activation Model)
  42. ↑ Vaknin, Sam Decode, Heal Your Mind with IPAM (Intrapsychic Activation Model) (Conference Presentation)
  43. ↑ "Cold Therapy, Warmly Recommended", condensed and translated from German.
  44. ↑ Narcissism: Treatment Modalities and Therapies
  45. ↑ Vaknin, Sam (6 August 2018). "Cold Therapy and Narcissistic Disorders of the Self" (PDF). Journal of Clinical Review & Case Reports.
  46. ↑ German language introduction to Cold Therapy
  47. 1 2 Pacific Western University, available on Microfiche in UMI and from the Library of Congress http://lccn.loc.gov/85133690
  48. ↑ Journal of Physics: Conference Series Electro-gravity via geometric chronon field https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/845/1/012019/meta
  49. ↑ Cornell University ArXiv.org Physics Electro-gravity via Geometric Chronon Field and on the Origin of Mass https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.05244
  50. ↑ Woolaston, Sam "Last night's TV", The Guardian, February 6, 2007.
  51. ↑ Walters, Conrad (March 25, 2010). "Brain scan". Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  52. ↑ How Narcissists Took Over the World Vice Media 12 September 2016
  53. ↑ Plugged-in: The True Toxicity of Social Media Revealed
  54. ↑ ואקנין, שמואל (1997). Baḳashah me-ishah ahuvah. Prozah. ISBN   9789654483414. LCCN   97826249.
  55. ↑ Project Gutenberg - books by Sam Vaknin
  56. ↑ Central Europe Review Accessed December 22, 2020
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