Terror Management Theory (TMT) links death anxiety with ideological rigidity, ingroup favoritism, outgroup aggression, and attraction to charismatic leaders – all the ingredients that make persons and populations vulnerable to fascism. Although numerous studies show that fascist tendencies increase after people think about their own mortality, it is not death anxiety that causes this increase but rather the attempt to suppress thoughts of death and the anxiety they arouse. In other words, fascism’s allure is a negative externality of our control agendas surrounding our fear of death. Within an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework, the solution becomes clear: Treat thanatophobia like any other anxiety and undermine the control agenda with psychological flexibility. A growing body of research suggests that death acceptance has equal and opposite effects to death avoidance, promoting prosociality, psychological flexibility, tolerance, authenticity, and experiential appreciation. This IGNITE invites you to use your ACT knowledge and skills to join the death acceptance movement and dissolve fascism at its roots!
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This is a recording of the IGNITE speech I gave at the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science 2024 World Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. IGNITES are five minute speeches with powerpoint slides that autoadvance every 15 seconds.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with death anxiety, acceptance and commitment coaching can help you drop the struggle and revitalize your life. See my website www.lifeanddeathcoaching.com to learn more or contact me at DrDevinGuthrie@LifeandDeathCoaching.com …...more
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