The Rock & Roll Shrink Radio Show Ep. 78 Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (Halloween)

Fall or autumn is fully upon us now. Most people in our society and culture, regardless of spiritual or religious beliefs, participate in associating this time of year with the time things wither and go to sleep, hibernate or die. It is a time considered by our culture to be spooky and more prone to supernatural encounters, that are assumed to be of a scary or at the very least, mysterious nature.

This topic is not really related to a medical diagnosis, or even anything unusual or harmful, but is just an interesting look at our human societal and cultural coping mechanisms regarding our sense of community and identity, our fears about death and loss, anxiety about our ability to survive, the unknown, the inevitable, and that which is more powerful than us or out of our control.

Tonight, we will discuss:

• An overview of Samhain, Halloween, Day of the Dead, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day.
• The psychological function of ritualizing the dead, ancestors, and the earth dying (fall/autumn).
• The function of community and tradition, and honoring or breaking it.
• Processing fear, anxiety & loss through ritual.

We'll start off the evening with some topic-relevant Classic Rock played by Dr. Mathis, followed by Classic Rock trivia in "The Rock & Roll Shrink Recalls," followed by our topic discussion.

Please follow our bi-weekly, Wednesday evening shows, at 11 pm EST/EDT. We will have a new topic for you in two weeks!