In my book, Psychopathic Authoritarianism: A Disease of the Soul, I examine the question about why do Psychopathic Authoritarians continue to rise to power across time and culture? I also explore if there is a way to interrupt this pattern?
In Part 1, I examine the leader follower dynamics and apply what psychologists call the Dark Tetrad of Sadism, Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy, along with fear and control on a systemic level. This examination reveals the underlying mechanisms of Psychopathic Authoritarianism. In Part 2, I look at psychological mechanisms of control that are utilized and exploited by authoritarians. Here I review landmark social psychology studies and apply them to contemporary Psychopathic Authoritarianism. In Part 3, I look at globalism, the modern iteration of Psychopathic Authoritarianism. Finally, in Part 4, I discuss the ‘Disease of the Soul’ aspect of Psychopathic Authoritarianism. Here, spiritual corruption is more closely reviewed.
This is where I would like to focus on today. When we look at Psychopathic Authoritarianism (the systemic level authoritarianism) or Psychopathic Authoritarian Disorder (PAD) the individual level authoritarianism, we are not merely looking at psychological dysfunction. No, we are seeing a spiritual disturbance. An individual and systemic level imbalance enabling spiritual corruption and alignment with lower fields of consciousness.
Individuals and societies align with, then become influenced by, and eventually possessed by Dark Tetrad qualities emanating from these lower fields of consciousness. For instance, sadism isn’t just a psychological failing, it is a soul level hatred that is projected outwards toward the target or targets.
Make no mistake, we are seeing psychological imbalance and dysfunction. However, individuals erroneously see the State as an extension of their ego, and then in the process lose their humanity, empathy, and dignity as they surrender basic liberty in exchange for this vicarious sense of power. They also lose respect for the humanity of others, willingly stripping them of human dignity, and basic liberty.
We saw this during COVID, and we see this regularly with war propaganda. During COVID people willingly surrendered their liberty in exchange for a false sense of security and power as face masks and bioweapon injections were forced on others. With war, people cheer the bombs dropping on civilians on the other side of the world as if the civilians being bombed did not have families and dreams, instead they are viewed as the equivalent of characters in a video game.
We saw this with Flock and Axon cameras that were deployed against civilians across America and elsewhere. Some people literally argue against their own liberty believing the cameras will keep them safe. Ignoring the obvious danger of unfettered government. Imagine if these cameras existed at the height of COVID tyranny. In many places if you walked outside of your house for some fresh air, you would have been kidnapped and arrested by police.
Chillingly, Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth recently announced the intent to live stream the execution of Fort Hood shooter, Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The 2009 alleged shooter was sentenced to death by firing squad. This announcement has rightly received criticism from both political parties. The Pentagon has confirmed the intent to livestream the execution, however, Vice President Vance has expressed doubt that the execution will be livestreamed. Trump has recently stated that he will decide whether to livestream the execution of the alleged Fort Hood shooter. The latent hesitancy on behalf of the President and Vice President may be due to the across the board backlash. The backlash is healthy. The proposed public execution is not healthy, and is in fact a sign of just how dangerous this administration has become.
I talk about this issue in detail in my book’s chapter on sadism. Historically, Psychopathic Authoritarian systems of government engage in public execution and humiliation rituals. These public executions serve a few purposes. They create an avenue of expression for latent sadism for members of the public. Public executions also encourage more sadism as it becomes a form of entertainment. They also further erode empathy among members of the public. Those that make the error of seeing the State as an extension of their ego willingly surrender basic liberty and human dignity for the vicarious illusion of power experienced via the projection of state power. Think of your die hard football fans. One week they are happy because ‘their team’ won. The next week they are depressed because ‘their team’ lost. The extension of the ego through the State is much darker and often entails Collective Narcissism. This is where the individuals succumb to group superiority and fall into the ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ trap.
The sneak attack on Iran was another dangerous sign of Psychopathic Authoritarianism. As I wrote on March 3, 2026, shortly after the war started, Trump’s War with Iran is Unconstitutional, Stupid, Insane, and not in U.S. National Interests.
The bombing of an all girl’s elementary school on February 28, 2026, at the start of the U.S., Israel, and Iran war, led to the horrific murder of 165 Persian girls. The initial response from President Trump was to blame the Iranians for the attack. More recently, Trump has blamed Hegseth for the attack.
A sneak attack deliberately assassinating religious/political leaders and bombing civilians are not acts based on honor. Since the war on Iran started, both Hegseth, and Trump have made statements that make healthy functioning people cringe. These include Trump’s Easter blasphemy and anti Christ sentiments.
I also wrote on March 24,2026:
“Depending on the paradigm you view the war through, it was either the stupidest most incompetent war ever initiated, or a sophisticated takedown of America and much of the world. Regarding Trump, similar to the COVID Plandemic and Operation Warp Speed, we are left with, ‘is he an idiot or evil’?”
It is difficult at this point not to consider that this is a deliberate take down of America as we know it and that energy and food crises are deliberately being manufactured and are coming up around the corner.
In Chapter Six of my book, I outline the criteria for a proposed diagnosis of Psychopathic Authoritarian Disorder (PAD). The statements and actions of Hegseth, Trump, and others, are of grave concern. It would not be proper for me to apply a diagnosis at a distance. I will leave that to you to read the criteria in Chapter Six and determine if it applies.
To be clear, both political parties are on board with the agenda moving us toward Psychopathic Authoritarianism. Our focus here has been on the obvious examples related to the war.
As I stated above, this is a psychological disturbance, yet it is also a soul level corruption and lust for power that endangers us all. When individuals in power and even the systems themselves embody a bloodlust for power and literally get off on causing death and destruction, let alone a usurpation of basic liberty, it is time to review Federalist Paper Number 40.
One thing is certain. The modern State is a psychopath. In America and across the world, at least the Western world, we are witnessing the transformation of what were relatively benign governmental systems into systems that can only be described as Psychopathic Authoritarianism, which truly is a societal level disease of the soul.
Dr. Joseph Sansone is a psychotherapist opposed to Psychopathic Authoritarianism and the author of Psychopathic Authoritarianism: A Disease of the Soul.
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All those who seek power via force (as in government) are psychos. I would surmise most authority seeking people are psychos. They have to control the others so that they can pretend to be powerful.
99% of the time, these authorities have no relationship to your individual life. They treat everyone as being helpless without some authority to "guide" them. The exception would be guidance from the Heavens. This scares most psychos as their presumed authority will be usurped by a much higher power.
Iran has clearly won the war, Hormus will stay closed until they decide to open it. Trump doesn't know what to do now, he's running around like a chicken with its head cut off.