Rendering Unconscious

This episode – “Dark Gods of Modernity: Why We Still Need Monsters” – argues that our age is full of monsters, even if we pretend we’ve outgrown them—and that we actually need them. The episode starts with the old role of monsters: they used to patrol the edges of maps and myths, marking what was dangerous or sacred. Dragons, demons, trickster gods gave shape to fears and taboos; they were ways of saying, “There is something here we don’t understand, but it matters.” Modernity claimed to banish them with science and rationalism, yet they’ve only changed costume. Today’s monsters show up as serial killers in prestige TV, pandemics and plagues, rogue AIs, shadowy elites, conspiracy cabals, zombies and apocalypses in endless variations. Even in a secular culture, we keep inventing figures that condense dread, guilt, and awe. The episode’s core claim is that monsters are how a society metabolizes what it cannot face directly. Climate change, systemic racism, algorithmic exploitation, ecological collapse—these a

RU371: KLARA NASZKOWSKA ON SABINA SPIELREIN & EARLY WOMEN PSYCHOANALYSTS https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru371-klara-naszkowska-on-sabina Rendering Unconscious episode 371. Rendering Unconscious welcomes Klara Naszkowska back to the podcast! EARLY WOMEN PSYCHOANALYSTS 14-week doctoral-level course with Dr. Klara Naszkowska & Dr. Mark Beitel begins Wednesday, January 21. https://www.spielreinassociation.org/about-1 Feel free to contact Klara Naszkowska directly at spielrein @ spielreinassociation.org Be sure to pick up her book Early Women Psychoanalysts. History, Biography, and Contemporary Relevance (Routledge, 2024). https://amzn.to/3MyAUZY FREE Online Talk - Klara Naszkowska joined by Ana Tomcic to discuss her latest book ‘Early Women Psychoanalysts,’ Freud Museum London on Wednesday, December 10th. https://www.freud.org.uk/event/early-women-psychoanalysts-history-biography-and-contemporary-relevance/ Register for Composing with Spielrein: Contemporary Applications of Sabina Spielrein’s

Welcome to Rendering Unconscious – the Gradiva award-winning podcast about psychoanalysis & culture, with me, Dr Vanessa Sinclair. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com On Monday December 8th, we have a very special event: Rendering Unconscious Podcast will be hosting our first live event with an audience! Welcome Alenka Zupančič and Todd McGowan as they discuss their work On Comedy. Alenka’s book The Odd One In: On Comedy (MIT Press, 2008) and Todd’s Only a Joke Can Save Us (Northwestern University Press, 2017) are two of my favorite books by them, and I’m so excited to be able to host them for this sure to be brilliant discussion! https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/monday-december-8-alenka-zupancic We will meet live via zoom on Monday, December 8th at 12 NYC (9AM San Francisco/ 5PM London/ 18:00 Stockholm/ 19:00 Beirut) for 90 minutes. All paid subscribers to Rendering Unconscious Podcast and RU Center for Psychoanalysis are welcome to attend! There will be plenty of time for Q&A/ discussio

RU6: STEVEN REISNER ON THE DANCE OF THE OCCULT & UNCONSCIOUS IN FREUD https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru6-steven-reisner-on-the-dance-of Rendering Unconscious episode 6. This episode of Rendering Unconscious is a lecture by Dr. Steven Reisner “On the Dance of Occult and Unconscious in Freud” given at Morbid Anatomy Museum, NYC, October 2016, as part of a lecture series hosted by Dr. Vanessa Sinclair on Psychoanalysis, Art & the Occult. In this lecture, Dr. Reisner explores Freud's interest in the occult and its implications for psychoanalytic theory. Reisner argues that Freud's curiosity extended beyond sexuality to include phenomena beyond sensory perception. He discusses Freud's experiments with telepathy and thought transference, emphasizing the importance of integrating denied knowledge. Reisner also highlights Freud's cautious approach to disseminating such knowledge, balancing scientific rigor with public perception. Additionally, Reisner links Freud's theories to contemporary issues like

RU370: GENESIS BREYER P-ORRIDGE AT THE WARHOL MUSEUM https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru370-genesis-breyer-p-orridge-at As Hannah Haddix and I spoke a bit about Genesis and Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge in the previous episode RU369, I thought I’d share this talk Gen gave at the closing event weekend for their exhibition S/HE IS HER/E at The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh in 2013, curated by Nicholas Chambers. I had the good fortune to accompany Gen for this weekend, and s/he asked me to record this talk. Enjoy! All month, I've been posting my course on Scansion in Psychoanalysis and Art to RU Center for Psychoanalysis Substack. All 4 classes are up now, and include my in depth look at the life and work of Genesis and Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge. https://rucenterforpsychoanalysis.substack.com/t/classes News & updates: On Wednesday, December 3rd, join us as we explore Freud's life-long interest in telepathy – Phantoms of the Clinic: From Thought-Transference to Projective Identification with Dr. Mik

RU369: ARTIST HANNAH HADDIX ON CUT-UPS, SPIRITUALITY, ONLINE CENSORSHIP & JOINING THE CIRCUS https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru369-artist-hannah-haddix-on-cut Rendering Unconscious episode 369. Rendering Unconscious welcomes artist Hannah Haddix to the podcast! Follow her: Newsletter https://hannahhaddix.kit.com/yeshello Instagram https://www.instagram.com/skinslippers/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/hjhaddix On this episode, Hannah discusses her new newsletter as a means to avoid online censorship and connect directly with her community. We share our frustration with social media algorithms that censor art, particularly nudity. Hannah shares her background in collage art, influenced by William Burroughs and Brion Gysin’s cut-up method, and her belief in the sacredness of all things. She also shares her journey to sobriety, the impact of ketamine therapy, and the importance of creating art without preconceived notions. We also discuss the magic of analog collage, future potential collabo

RU368: CARL ABRAHAMSSON "FROM MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MAGICIANS TO INTRODUCTION TO OCCULTURE" https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru368-carl-abrahamsson-from-meetings Rendering Unconscious episode 368. In this crossover episode of The Fenris Wolf and Rendering Unconscious podcasts, my lovely husband Carl Abrahamsson presents a recent lecture he gave as the keynote speaker at this year’s Occulture conference in Berlin, presenting his books Meetings with Remarkable Magicians and the forthcoming Introduction to Occulture. https://thefenriswolf.substack.com Join us THIS SUNDAY for Carl’s 4-part course Into the Devil’s Den and Back: An Introduction to the History and Magical System of Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan with Carl Abrahamsson, Begins November 16 online via Morbid Anatomy Museum. All classes will be recorded and available for registrants, so don’t worry if you can’t attend live. https://www.morbidanatomy.org/classes/p/into-the-devils-den-and-back-an-introduction-to-the-history-and-magical-syst

RU367: NICK STOCK & NICK PEIM ON THE LACANIAN TEACHER: EDUCATION, PEDAGOGY & ENJOYMENT https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru367-nick-stock-and-nick-peim-on Rendering Unconscious episode 367. Rendering Unconscious welcomes Drs. Nick Stock and Nick Peim to the podcast! They’re here to talk about their new book The Lacanian Teacher: Education, Pedagogy and Enjoyment (The Palgrave Lacan Series). https://amzn.to/47LBV8c In this episode, Nick Stock and Nick Peim delve into their Lacanian perspective on education. They discuss the fantasy of the English teacher’s unique role, the pervasive myth of educational redemption, and the enjoyment derived from teaching despite its challenges. The discussion highlights the symbolic order of education, the impact of neoliberalism, and the ontological significance of the signifier. They explore the pleasure in teaching, the tragic ethic, and the hysterical mode of teaching, emphasizing the importance of the signifier and the teacher’s subjective experience within th

Carl Abrahamsson, a prominent figure in the realm of occulture, reflects on his journey through the occult underground in a presentation originally written for the Occulture conference in Berlin, 2025. He shares insights from his life, which has been heavily influenced by various artistic and magical movements, as well as notable figures like Aleister Crowley, Anton LaVey, and Genesis P-Orridge. Abrahamsson discusses his experiences with different magical orders, including the Church of Satan and the OTO, and emphasizes the importance of individual intuition and creativity in the practice of magic and culture. He introduces his recent works, including “Meetings with Remarkable Magicians” and “Introduction to Occulture,” highlighting the need for practitioners to articulate their experiences and ideas in ways that academics can understand, thus bridging the gap between esoteric knowledge and mainstream culture. He elaborates on the concept of “occulturation,” the process by which hidden knowledge becomes mani

RU366: REUBEN DENDINGER & ANNA SEBASTIAN ON CURSED IMAGES, DREAMS, ART, WRITING, SURREALISM: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru366-reuben-dendinger-and-anna-sebastian Rendering Unconscious episode 366. Rendering Unconscious welcomes author Reuben Dendinger and artist Anna Sebastian to the podcast! They’re here to talk about the book Cursed Images by Hyperidean Press. https://www.hyperideanpress.com/shop/p/cursed-images-by-reuben-dendinger On this episode, Ruben Dendinger, a fiction writer and playwright, discusses his books Cursed Images and The Weeping Hemlock, which explore surrealist themes based on dreams and internet images. Anna Sebastian, a painter, shares her work, including the astrological painting “Venus” featured on Dendinger’s book cover. They discuss the intersection of myth, history, death, and the natural world in their art. Dendinger also mentioned his upcoming novel on vampirism. The conversation touches on the impact of Venus in astrology, the influence of dreams on their wor

RU365: MARY WILD ON FEMININE JOUISSANCE, DAVID LYNCH, PSYCHOANALYSING HORROR CINEMA https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru365-mary-wild-on-feminine-jouissance Huge thanks to everyone who came out yesterday for the second installment of my Introduction to Psychoanalysis class! We had a great discussion about dreams, creativity, and poetry as resistance, and covered Freud’s correspondence with Fliess, Screen Memories (1899), The Interpretation of Dreams (1900), and The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (1901). You can watch the recording HERE. https://rucenterforpsychoanalysis.substack.com/p/recording-of-an-introduction-to-psychoanalysis Next up, THIS SATURDAY, October 25th Mary Wild will be presenting her work on Feminine Jouissance in Horror Cinema. It’s a 2 hour online class beginning at 5PM London (9AM San Francisco/ 12 noon NYC/ 18:00 Berlin/ 19:00 Beirut). This event will be recorded and archived at RU Center for Psychoanalysis. Join us! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/feminine-jouissance-in-horro

Welcome to Rendering Unconscious – the Gradiva award-winning podcast about psychoanalysis & culture, with me, Dr Vanessa Sinclair. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU364: KIERAN SAINT LEONARD ON MAGIC, MUSIC, THE MUSE & THE GOLDEN HOUR https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru364-kieran-saint-leonard-on-the Rendering Unconscious episode 364. Rendering Unconscious welcomes Kieran Saint Leonard to the podcast! He’s here to talk about his new book A Muse from Hyperidean Press. https://www.hyperideanpress.com/shop/p/a-muse-by-kieran-saint-leonard-pre-order Be sure to check out his new album The Golden Hour. https://xelon.ffm.to/slgoldenhour On this episode Kieran Saint Leonard discusses his novel “A Muse,” which blends autobiographical elements with fictional elements. The book features a protagonist inspired by his own experiences, including moving into a Gothic church in the UK and later to Los Angeles. Kieran emphasizes the book’s allegorical nature, influenced by Carl Jung’s ideas and the o

Welcome to Rendering Unconscious – the Gradiva award-winning podcast about psychoanalysis & culture, with me, Dr Vanessa Sinclair. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU363: JARED WARE FROM MILLENNIALS ARE KILLING CAPITALISM: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru363-jared-ware-from-millennials Rendering Unconscious episode 363. Rendering Unconscious welcomes Jared Ware from Millennials are Killing Capitalism to the podcast! Follow MAKCapitalism at YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@MAKCapitalism Instagram https://www.instagram.com/makcapitalism/ Patreon https://www.patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism Linktree https://linktr.ee/makcapitalism Support Lifeline4Gaza https://www.instagram.com/lifeline4gaza/ On this episode, Jared discusses his work with the Millennials are Killing Capitalism podcast and how it has evolved over the past 8 years. He discusses reoccurring guests who have contributed to building the MAKCapitalism community, including Lara Sheehi, Abdaljawad Omar, and Stephe

Welcome to Rendering Unconscious – the Gradiva award-winning podcast about psychoanalysis & culture, with me, Dr Vanessa Sinclair. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU362: MIKITA BROTTMAN & MELISSA DAUM ON A PSYCHOANALYTIC EXPLORATION OF NAMES https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru362-mikita-brottman-and-melissa Rendering Unconscious episode 362. Rendering Unconscious welcomes Mikita Brottman and Melissa Daum to the podcast! They’re here to talk about their forthcoming paper “Nomen Est Omen: A Psychoanalytic Exploration of Names”. On this episode, Melissa and Mikita discuss their psychoanalytic exploration of names, focusing on the depth and significance behind seemingly casual names. They share personal anecdotes, such as the story behind Mikita’s unique name and Melissa’s naming her son Isaac. They delve into the cultural and psychological aspects of naming, including the impact of inherited names, the ritual of naming, and the symbolic weight of names. They also touch on the challenges

Huge thanks to everyone who attended the first An Introduction to Psychoanalysis class live! It was such a fun time. Here are some clips! To access the full recording, become a paid subscriber at RU Center for Psychoanalysis Substack: https://rucenterforpsychoanalysis.substack.com For this first class on September 13th, I presented on Freud’s early development and the Zeitgeist of the times culturally and politically in which he grew up, came of age, and began his studies at university. We took a look at Freud’s early research interests, his time working with Charcot and the influence it had on his work, and delved into his early work with Breuer, culminating in the publication of Studies on Hysteria (1895). https://rucenterforpsychoanalysis.substack.com/p/an-introduction-to-psychoanalysis-86f News and events: Coming up October 4th, the next event in The Queerness of Psychoanalysis series of events, Simone Atenea Medina Polo presents her work on Tiresias as the Patron Saint of Psychoanalysis. Register her

Welcome to Rendering Unconscious – the Gradiva award-winning podcast about psychoanalysis & culture, with me, Dr Vanessa Sinclair. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU361: VANESSA SINCLAIR ON RU CENTER FOR PSYCHOANALYSIS: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru361-vanessa-sinclair-on-ru-center Rendering Unconscious episode 361. Welcome to a very special episode of Rendering Unconscious! I discuss my upcoming course An Introduction to Psychoanalysis, and the journey leading to the founding of RU Center for Psychoanalysis. https://rucenterforpsychoanalysis.substack.com The episode discusses the launch and mission of the Rendering Unconscious Center for Psychoanalysis, which began in the summer with two well-attended events focusing on The Queerness of Psychoanalysis, including a presentation by Myriam Sauer on trans affirmative care and a discussion by M.E. O'Brien on trans childhoods and Freud’s family romance. Beginning this Saturday, September 13th, RU Center will offer a 12-month course,

Welcome to Rendering Unconscious – the Gradiva award-winning podcast about psychoanalysis & culture, with me, Dr Vanessa Sinclair. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU360: CORPO FREUDIANO VANCOUVER: LACANIAN SCHOOL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru360-corpo-freudiano-vancouver-lacanian Rendering Unconscious episode 360. Rendering Unconscious welcomes the folks from Corpo Freudiano Vancouver to the podcast! Be sure to check out their website for LaConference 2025 Registration, Corpo Freudiano Vancouver Fundraiser, calendar of events, and more! https://corpofreudianovancouver.com Hilda Fernandez-Alvarez, Alois Sieben, and Wayne Wapeemukwa also contributed to the Rendering Unconscious book series! Rendering Unconscious: Psychoanalytic Perspectivesvols. vols 1:1 & 1:2 (Trapart Books, 2024) edited by Vanessa Sinclair. https://amzn.to/400QKR7 For links to everything visit: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru360-corpo-freudiano-vancouver-lacanian News and upco

Welcome to Rendering Unconscious – the Gradiva award-winning podcast about psychoanalysis & culture, with me, Dr Vanessa Sinclair. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU359: CHARLENE PUTNEY ON WRITING, CUT-UPS, GAMING, AI, CREATIVITY, TAROT & YOGA https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru359-charlene-putney-on-writing Rendering Unconscious episode 359. Rendering Unconscious welcomes Charlene Putney to the podcast! On this episode, Charlene discusses a procedural generation game she and her partner created using AI, fine-tuning a large language model on Aleister Crowley's Book of Thoth to generate new tarot card meanings, working with the cut-up method, and her fantasy novel The Art of Time. Charlene, who has a master's in ancient Near Eastern languages, transitioned from tech to game development, developing a Mahjong-inspired game. She also teaches a free online yoga class called One Calm Hour. Charlene emphasizes the importance of doing work one loves, reflecting on her journey from tech to cr

Welcome to Rendering Unconscious – the Gradiva award-winning podcast about psychoanalysis & culture, with me, Dr Vanessa Sinclair. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU358: CARL ABRAHAMSSON ON LEGACY OF HORROR, THE FENRIS WOLF, AN ART APART, ANTON LAVEY & OCCULTURE: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru358-carl-abrahamsson-on-legacy Rendering Unconscious episode 358. This episode is a special collaboration between Rendering Unconscious and The Fenris Wolf podcast! https://thefenriswolf.substack.com This conversation between Carl Abrahamsson and Vanessa Sinclair reveals a rich dialogue between two collaborators deeply engaged in exploring the intersections of occult culture, psychoanalysis, and contemporary society. Carl discusses his long-running project, The Fenris Wolf, which he has been publishing since 1989 as a journal dedicated to what he terms "occulture" - the fascinating intersection where occult practices meet and influence mainstream culture. Now in its 12th issue with a 13th fo

JOIN US TOMORROW Friday, August 8th, online for The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: Trans Childhoods and the Family Romance with M.E. O'Brien. Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-queerness-of-psychoanalysis-trans-childhoods-and-the-family-romance-tickets-1503646018719?aff=oddtdtcreator August 17th join us for The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: Transitioning our theories and practices hosted by Liberate Mental Health: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/6e376e9a-c1b0-4832-b07b-f38bb72c57c1@2e9f06b0-1669-4589-8789-10a06934dc61 https://www.instagram.com/liberatementalhealth/ August 21st, Eman Abdelhadi presents Writing Liberatory Futures: A Workshop for Speculative Fiction: https://www.workshops4gaza.com/calendar/writing-liberatory-futures Then beginning September 13th, join me for An Introduction to Psychoanalysis! To enroll, simply become a paid subscriber to https://rucenterforpsychoanalysis.substack.com Everyone who becomes a paid subscriber for RU Center for Psychoanalysis will be atomically