Iran is witnessing one of the most violent and unprecedented crackdowns on protests in its modern history. Nationwide demonstrations that began in late December 2025 have spread to hundreds of cities, met with live ammunition, mass arrests, and widespread repression by the regime. Reports from human rights groups, journalists, and international organizations suggest that tens of thousands may have been killed or injured, though the exact numbers remain unknown. Due to censorship, intimidation, and the near-total shutdown of internet and communications imposed on January 8, 2026, countless deaths, injuries, and arrests remain unreported or impossible to verify, leaving people both inside and outside the country in the dark about the true scale of what is unfolding. Dr. Gabor Maté is a Canadian physician, trauma expert, and bestselling author whose work bridges medicine, psychology, and social justice. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and a trauma-informed, holistic biopsychosocial and spiritual perspective, he is widely known for exploring how individual suffering and collective crises are shaped by historical, cultural, and systemic forces. In this conversation with Mehran Seyed Emami, he reflects on Iran through the lens of trauma, disillusionment, polarization, and human resilience, asking what happens when old stories collapse and a society is forced to confront painful truths in real time. Beyond the headlines, this moment is not only political, but deeply psychological and collective. Gabor Maté https://www.instagram.com/gabormatemd https://drgabormate.com Mehran Seyed Emami https://www.instagram.com/mehran_soma Ravannama Psychedelic Community https://www.instagram.com/ravannamacommunity https://ravannama.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
