Stories About Denial: Ernst Becker and the Denial of Death

We begin tonight's narrative with a discussion of the documentary "Gasland" which details how the modern extraction of natural gas is destroying huge amounts of the planet's fresh water supply and adding to the problem of greenhouse gasses and climate change. Evidence is presented that the energy companies, the politicians and large segments of the public continue to deny the clear and present danger of despoiling our land, air and water. Psychology has also little to say about this mass denial of what is in front of us as it continues to focus of problem of the individual and sometimes the family. We will discuss this problem beginning with Becker's two masterpieces (now denied and forgotten) "The Denial of Death" and "Escape from Evil."