docu-mental: mapping the american states of mind

Hi, I’m Whitney. Welcome to docu-mental.

Why subscribe?

There is nothing else like it.

Funny, provocative, topical, and well-written, the award-winning docu-mental: mapping the american states of mind is an on-going philosophical rumination on the nature of freedom.

It began in 2018 as a trusted weekly source of well-wrought analyses and podcast interviews on how public and corporate policy in this nation correlates with our declining rates of mental wellness and spiritual connection. It has always ranked in the top most-read mental health publications at Susbtack, although now my focus is more on philosophy and culture.

Mostly, what I do is think out loud, ask questions no one else asks publicly, and puzzle things out with you as witness. My explorations are vulnerable without being sentimental, and fearless — because I don’t care what people think of my conclusions.

My reason for doing this is to prompt better questions, ones that open up more space in our hearts and minds.

What are some examples of topics are covered?

A digest of the highlights from the past four years can be read here.

Podcast guests have ranged from, New York Times bestselling-authors, to internationally recognized thought leaders in public health policy, economics, religion, psychedelics, and post-modern theory, as well as experts in mental health and psychiatry, corporate power, culture and the arts, and other relevant fields. Interviews were conducted through the lenses of personal experience and cultural analysis (and are all still available in the archives to paid subscribers).

Feel free to puruse the archives for deep thoughts on the nature of hierarchical thinking, critical race theory, the perils of monopolies, shame as a tool of empire, psychedelics as an end-run around Captialism and empire, kindness as a tool of progress, the ideal v. reality of democracies, ETs and democracy, and many other philosophical and societal topics pertinent to living in america (little “a”).

Who else reads it?

Smart, curious people who seek to glean wisdom not receive instructions. Often, my readers are disillusioned — they want to know how come, even though they have done “all the right things”, they didn’t get what was promised by the Powers That Be.

My readers range from names you know, to powerful beind the scenes people you don’t, to every day citizens who are tired of being told what to think but aren’t sure they have the permission or agency to follow the threads of what’s beyond the bounds of acceptable, status quo conversation.

People who want to reclaim their human right to freedom without necessarily staging an over revolution, but won’t say no to doing so if that is what it takes. (Personally, I prefer less commotion, but sometimes, needs must…)

About Me

I’m Whitney McKnight, formerly a Washington, DC-based journalist, whose 30+ years of writing about healthcare antitrust law, federal health policy, clinical psychiatry, and other medical disciplines, helped me develop a deep and multi-faceted understanding of how the system itself is largely what undermines freedom and creates despair.

I also came to abjectly reject the Media and its pernicious power to dull our own powers of observation and essentially, keep us stupid.

Looking for a remedy, I turned to the serious study of the Western esoteric traditions. Happily, they work and do not require me to give up an ounce of personal freedom. If you’d like to learn more, I have a weekly podcast with astrologer and former NBC and CNBC producer, Elisabeth Grace.