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Episode #25 - Our Cognitive and Emotional Connection to Film Narrative with Dr. Weik von Mossner

Episode #25 - Our Cognitive and Emotional Connection to Film Narrative with Dr. Weik von Mossner

Welcome to “The Elements of Being” podcast, where I dissect and explore the minds and habits of psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and industry icons. Essentially, we examine the mental and emotional narratives and processes that steer the social stream of consciousness….Truly a chance to geek out over the psychology behind human behavior. Each episode is a glimpse into the trends and patterns of human behavior and the underlying influences that navigate us into different directions. Whether we primarily focus on nutrition or the unconscious, guests share insights, thought-provoking lessons, the nuances of creativity, and the elements of being….us.

In today’s episode, I examine our emotional connection to film narrative with Dr. Alexa Weik von Mossner….in particular, we focus on documentaries about veganism. She is a writer and ecocritical cultural studies scholar who works on American literature, film, and digital media. Dr. Weik von Mossner’s scholarly research explores contemporary environmental culture from a cognitive perspective with a particular focus on affect and emotion.

After working for several years in the German film and television industry, she earned her Ph.D. in Literature and is currently appointed as Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of Klagenfurt in Austria. Currently, Dr. Weik von Mossner is a principal investigator on the research project “Narrative Encounters with Ethnic American Literatures” as well as a researcher on the project “Cinema and Environment: Affective Ecologies in the Anthropocene”.

Along with other prominent researchers, she is developing a new interdisciplinary research field in the environmental humanities, Empirical Ecocriticism. Dr. Weik von Mossner’s academic book publications include Cosmopolitan Minds: Literature, Emotion, and the Transnational Imagination and Affective Ecologies: Empathy, Emotion, and Environmental Narrative. She is also the editor of Moving Environments: Affect, Emotion, Ecology, and Film and the co-editor of

#25 - Our Cognitive and Emotional Connection to Film Narrative with Dr. Weik von Mossner

#25 - Our Cognitive and Emotional Connection to Film Narrative with Dr. Weik von Mossner


The Anticipation of Catastrophe: Environmental Risk in North American Literature and Culture.


In our interview, here’s what we specifically discussed:

-Dr. Weik von Mossner’s experience in German television and her creative writing process.
-The foundation and long-term implications of cognitive ecocritical analysis.
-The depictions and narrativization of food and how they engage audiences.
-How the type of medium can change the imaginary culinary experience.
-Our emotional and neuro reaction to depictions of animal abuse, global warming, and food in general.
-The processes of liberated embodied simulation and how these processes are similar or dissimilar to real-life interactions with physical (edible) objects.
-How the narrative strategies of a documentary, such as Cowspiracy, are mutually reinforcing on the cognitive and affective level.
-The emotionalizing strategies of documentaries on veganism.

To learn more about Dr. Weik von Mossner, visit https://www.alexaweikvonmossner.com/!


Listen to all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Overcast, Castbox, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast platform!


Episode #24 - Exploring the Psychology of our At-Home Environment with Dr. Preston

Episode #24 - Exploring the Psychology of our At-Home Environment with Dr. Preston

Welcome to “The Elements of Being” podcast, where I dissect and explore the minds and habits of psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and industry icons. Essentially, we examine the mental and emotional narratives and processes that steer the social stream of consciousness….Truly a chance to geek out over the psychology behind human behavior. Each episode is a glimpse into the trends and patterns of human behavior and the underlying influences that navigate us into different directions. Whether we primarily focus on nutrition or the unconscious, guests share insights, thought-provoking lessons, the nuances of creativity, and the elements of being….us.

In today’s episode, I examine the effect of the at-home environment and space on our mental and emotional well-being with the business psychologist, Dr. Camille Preston. A fitting topic as we move into a winter of escalating COVID cases, social restrictions, possible lockdowns, and rampant remote learning and working. Dr. Preston is the founder and CEO of AIM Leadership—an executive leadership firm that works with leaders, teams, and organizations to align and optimize human capital to drive scalable and sustainable results. Since founding AIM Leadership in 2004, Preston has helped hundreds of leaders navigate the challenges of today's disrupted workplace. She also helps teams work together more effectively by discovering how to map priorities, build trust, and optimize systems.

Beyond her work at AIM Leadership, Preston partners with Blackhorn Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm, and serves as part-time faculty at The Center for Creative Leadership. A recognized thought leader on leadership, virtual effectiveness, and team optimization, Camille is the author of two books, Rewired and Create More Flow, a regular contributor to Forbes,


Psychology Today, Fast Company, and Thrive, and a sought-after keynote speaker.


In our interview, here’s what we specifically discussed:

-What sparks the drive of a business psychologist.
-The two questions every child and adult need to ask themselves.
-How to unwire and step back from technology to regain focus and clarity.
-How to reconnect with the spaces around us.
-How to extract the very character of the places you travel to and inject them into your home to provide the same neural stimulation.
-How to create an environment that invokes positive energy, inspiration, and flow states.
-How to minimize the attributes that contribute to our stress and anxiety during this time of uncertainty.
-How we can elevate our influence on the environment.

To learn more about Dr. Camille Preston, check out http://www.camillepreston.com/ and https://aimleadership.com/!


Listen to all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Overcast, Castbox, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast platform!