The Psychology of Empire and Resistance with Lara Sheehi

<p>In this episode, I’m joined by Lara Sheehi, practicing clinical psychologist and Research Fellow at the University of South Africa&#39;s Institute for Social &amp; Health Sciences, to discuss her new book <a href="https://www.plutobooks.com/product/from-the-clinic-to-the-streets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>From the Clinic to the Streets: Psychoanalysis for Revolutionary Futures</em></a><em> </em>(Pluto Press, 2026). In this conversation, we explore the various ways in which empire uses psychological warfare as a weapon to sustain itself and crush resistance, and discuss how the concept of ‘psychic militancy’—informed by the experiences and practices of revolutionary struggles and resistance movements in the Global South—can help us fight back against capitalist imperialism’s psychic intrusions.</p><p><strong>About the show:</strong></p><p><em>Return to Bandung</em> is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You can learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his <a href="https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">website</a>, as well as on his Substack blog, <a href="https://www.culture-shock.xyz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>culture shock</em></a>.</p><p><strong>Support </strong><em><strong>Return to Bandung</strong></em><strong>:</strong></p><p>If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! If you’re able, please also consider supporting my work—which encompasses both my writing and this podcast, as well as various other political education projects by signing up as a paid subscriber to my Substack or making a one-off contribution:</p><ul><li><p><a href="http://www.culture-shock.xyz/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Become a paid Substack subscriber</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/returntobandung" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Buy Me a Coffee</a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Sources and helpful links:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Lara Sheehi — <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/products/600-our-history-is-the-future?srsltid=AfmBOoqbTfgW_VGJ-ZSW9TawP28N2wjKjzRRP4pNCVvKkb0ZP-aZ0r2K" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer