Episode 278: The Magical Manipulation of Desire

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I've mentioned before that advertising often takes advantage of those it targets psychologically, triggering latent vulnerabilities in all of us. Maybe it's more than just psychology, though, that makes ads tick. I explore one possibility in this Episode 278: The Magical Manipulation of Desire.

In this episode, I read from: John Michael Greer's essay "The Education of Desire," from his blog Ecosophia; and from the opening to Maricio Loza's book The Hounds of Actaeon: The Magical Origins of Public Relations and Modern Media. (I found the pdf through a pretty involved search that yielded no simple links, but it's a doable search if you're interested.)

Musically, I play: KMFDM backing Tristan Harris in the opening; and I close with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow."