Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or "I, Psychopath"?

[dant]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

Hmm. Seems like a classic response: "blame the victim"?

If my logic is correctly formulated below:

"Why should anyone believe a psychoanalyst,
if the psychoanalyst is a psychopath?"

should this be the response to the blog?

 

[Approaching Infinity]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

Just wanted to point out that in the documentary I, Psychopath, Vaknin gets a high score on the PCL-SC, classifying him as a psychopath. He scored 18/24, which translates to 30/40 on the PCL-R, the cut off for psychopathy. 30 is usually the score of successful psychopaths, i.e. snakes in suits.

 

[Laura]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

Invicta has watched the documentary, "I, Psychopath", and gives a good account of it.

Sam Vaknin: Diagnosed Psychopath

I have been debunking SV and his acolytes ever since an aborted stint of revictimisation on his forum at Suite 101 (now, happily, defunct.) I have always asserted that he is a psychopath: Anatomy of Malignant Narcissism, Malignant Narcissism: Vaknin Revisited.

I was watching a documentary last night, "I, Psychopath" where a purported psychopath allows himself to be filmed as he travels in search of a diagnosis. It turned out to be Sam Vaknin. What the...? He has always proclaimed himself a narcissist, spamming the web with declarations of extra special knowledge, with particular insight into the victims of narcissists.

I was blown away. This little gem of a documentary follows him and his wife of 11 years, as they are tested and interviewed by various researchers, SV for psychopathy, Lydja as victim. There is now solid, empirical proof that he is a psychopath.
Link
Outcomes:
In England, SV was given the MMPI. He began to throw a tantrum when the researcher, a psychologist, probed about his so-called Ph.D., which we know for fact, is from a diploma mill. Can't touch Sammy's ego, expose him, even though in a sequence later, he casually had admitted to the film-maker, Ian Walker, that he, indeed, purchased it from a diploma-mill and that it's worthless. Which throws the filmmaker for a loop. SV simply moved the goalposts when it was to his advantage. What we see here is the psychopath playing whatever angle suits him at the moment. For him, all "truths' are equal. He is not invested in any of them, or, as it turns out, in anything.

His MMPI profile was illustrated by a graph showing several personality disorders; this, as I understand, represented a 'trend' which is compared with similar graphic trends from different populations: successful corporate psychopaths, criminal psychopaths, and the psychiatric population. SV boasts that he made and lost millions and that is borne out in the research. But, surprisingly, SV did not match the trend of successful corporate psychopaths- he matched the psychiatric population! In other words, he's nothing special.

Afterwards, the researcher mused about the implications: what does someone do, how does someone manage, if they lose that identity? Walker took it a step further: was SV putting on this persona and he really wasn't a psychopath? Was he conning everyone about being a con? Yet conning suggests a psychopath!

Secondly, SV's wife of 11 years, Lidja, was interviewed by another researcher who studies victims of psychopaths. She was tested, and then asked to answer the psychopathy checklist for SV. She scored similarly to other victims of psychopaths in that she was highly empathic, highly emotional and generous. Yet, her scores for SV on the psychopathy checklist were very low, which the researcher said was unusual. Asked about her perception of SV afterwards, Lidja asserted that he was not abusive and was an honest man.

Yet late in the film, we hear her being callously and coldly evaluated, 'clinically' trashed by SV in a separate interview. He 'dispassionately' asserts that there is no love and no sex and she wants a baby but there will be no baby and yet she stays. It's an intensely humiliating moment for Lydja, as she watches the tape and has no obvious reaction though there is a light veil of frozen pain suffusing her face. Much later on she says she had given up on love so then she met SV. In my estimation her reactions and thoughts were classically those of someone completely held in thrall, brainwashed. SV is no slouch in that department and very thorough.

The third set of researchers in Germany revealed some truly hard evidence. SV and Lydja were subjected to MRIs to watch for changes in the insula, an area of the brain which has a role in basic emotions. They were each given a visual challenge to control their emotions; emotions were quantified visually by a bar graph for the subject who must then think of things to raise the bar or lower it. His wife was the control subject and showed normal emotional response. His flatlined. SV is only capable of "cold emotion".

SV was also given a battery of tests and a series of interviews over several days, and the researchers secretly obtained reports from his family in Israel. He was also given an abbreviated version of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist .

On the European scale SV scored a 13 which suggests he is not a psychopath. He immediately adapted to that idea by saying he always thought he was a narcissist anyway. On the American scale, he scored an 18, which Hare, in the film, said represents less than 1% of the general population. In relation to psychopathy, it is in the stratosphere.

Sam Vaknin is a psychopath (I believe him to be a sadistic psychopath), not just a garden variety narcissist. He has adopted this persona of narcissist because it suits his purposes and allows him to victimise a world full of vulnerable people while aggrandising and amusing himself. He purportedly has an IQ of 185; that's a lot of potential damage.

The most telling aspect of this film for me is the effect of hanging with SV on the film-maker, Walker. There are secret camera-phone videos of SV raging at him. More on this later.

I, too, was creeped out; I have described in the past how insidious and toxic are the effects of a psychopath on the victim's psyche. I described it as a slowly creeping poison***. That's what the psychopath says at the beginning- those are his exact words. What were the chances, huh? And that is what we see in the film- how over time SV affects Walker's ability to think straight, raises doubts about his perceptions and reality. It's a perfect case study of what happens when you come into contact with a mental rapist. You can see the mind fuck unfolding and if you're really well-versed in their strategies, you can see how the psychopath operates. And of course, the most important aspect to the mind fuck is that the victim listens to the content.

And therein lies the crux and the warning, in my estimation: if you listen to the content, you will be destabilised and lose your mental and emotional footing, you will be subtly undermined, mind fucked and start to fragment and disintegrate bit by slow bit. It concerns me because SV's essays on the victims of narcissists is a psychopath's unreal, distorted assessment of human beings. As a psychopath, he is not capable of seeing human beings as a whole; he is only capable of seeing them through a damaged and twisted lense. Anyone who listens to his perceptions and especially his advice, no matter how convincing it seems, is being revictimised and damaged further. The psychopath does only damage. SV is the (also psychopathic) L Ron Hubbard of the psychobabble movement.

The psychopath lives from moment to moment, changes his story at will, and is not invested in anything. The only true emotions he knows are paranoia, rage and contempt. The thin veneer of civilisation and civility lies in his moments as a 'master assessor' of the human condition. Psych speak is his nuclear arsenal. That is all. He has no insight into himself or anyone else. Just jargon. His entire world is created of psychiatrese. There is nothing real about it, or understandable. He is merely a technician who is incapable of fixing anything. His pyrotechnical con is just more elaborate than most. Epic fail.

The final moments of the film are spent with the reactions of the filmmaker, Ian Walker, as SV (via secret camera) rages on and on at him, not bothering with charm any longer. Unleashing on him an unrelieved arsenal of criticism and scorn, I wonder why... I think it's because the filming was coming to an end and the filmmaker was no longer useful... Or it amused the psychopath to do it... It's about control... Whatever. I realise I am getting seduced by the content. 'Why' doesn't really matter when it comes to dealing with a psychopath.

Walker admits to doubting his own reality over time, that he is starting to wonder if he is to blame for everything, wonders if he is being manipulated to make the film that SV wants. He cancels the last day of filming, there is a cold parting. In his hotel room, while scraping off a scruffy, days old beard, he takes a long, hot, cleansing shower.

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/wilddocs/2009/psychopath/index.html

Nearing the end of the film, and seeing Walker's dawning distress, I became agitated. Even watching it, you feel the mind fuck over time. This is what it was like for me with psychoguy- he didn't rage per se, unless you can call rage an icy and callous barely hidden moral imperiousness. They adapt to the interests and 'vulnerabilities' of the person they've targeted for their own desires; I truly doubt that they know the reasons. Now I feel like taking a shower.

After watching this, I seriously entertained for the first time, the notion of whether psychopaths are actually human as we understand human beings to be. I have called psychopaths subhuman in the past. They look like human beings, walk and talk like human beings, but what if they are am evolutionary sub-species, indeed, subhuman? The majority of research suggests that they are hard-wired. Perhaps there should be a new homus sub-classification for them. Is it possible that they, after all, don't have a soul?

Well, ummm.... yeah, that's about the size of it! If you don't have a conscience, you don't have a soul. But until you witness someone like Vaknin or Vinnie Bridges and gang, you really can't grok it. I think it is harder to see this when you are dealing with someone in a personal relationship because your projection of emotion is blinding you.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

Invicta has watched the documentary, "I, Psychopath", and gives a good account of it.

Sam Vaknin: Diagnosed Psychopath
......


In England, SV was given the MMPI. He began to throw a tantrum when the researcher, a psychologist, probed about his so-called Ph.D., which we know for fact, is from a diploma mill.

...............

Seems y'all don't 'know' the 'facts' after all.

Vaknin's Ph.D. NOT from a diploma mill.

See this (from Vaknin 3/19/09):

I studied in 1982-3 in ENCINO, California. At that time, there was a university there called "Pacific" (yes, replete with a campus with very real students, faculty, exams, and all the paraphernalia of higher education). Later, to distinguish itself from other Pacific universities, it added the moniker "Western". Sometime during the 1990s it merged out of existence.

I have never been to Hawaii, let alone studied there. The diploma mill that used to call itself "Pacific Western University" (and then was litigated into changing its name) was based in Honolulu.

To obtain my Ph.D., I had to submit a dissertation and defend it.

That I have a bona fide doctorate is very easy to prove: it is available from the Library of Congress and from UMI.

HOW TO VIEW MY DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

To see a list of some of the books I had published in the English language, please follow this procedure:

1. Go to the Library of Congress Catalog by clicking on this link (http://catalog.loc.gov/)

2. Click on Basic Search

3. Select Author/Creator Browse from the Search Type pull-down menu

4. Type "Vaknin" in the Search Text dialog box.

My books (and doctoral dissertation) are listed under Vaknin, Sam; Vaknin, Sem; and Vaknin, Samuel.

To view my books click on "Vaknin, Samuel" and "Vaknin, Sem" and select the Full Record tabs.

To view my doctoral dissertation, click on "Vaknin, Sam".

You will be forwarded to a page titled: Time Asymmetry Revisited

Select the Full Record tab.

My dissertation is also included in UMI's databases (University Microfilms International).

Here is some correspondence which may be of interest to you (though it is 10 years old):


----- Original Message -----
From: "Dawn Perri" <puccinsk@2xtreme.net>
To: <sam@vessolink.ru>
Sent: Sunday, November 23, 1997 1:01 AM

Here is the reply I received with respect to your dissertation

Pax.
D Perri

From: "Connell, Bonnie" <bconnell@umi.com>
To: "'puccinsk@2xtreme.net'" <puccinsk@2xtreme.net>
Subject: RE: Vaknin
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 15:08:21 -0500
X-Mailer: Microsoft Exchange Server Internet Mail Connector Version
4.0.995.52


From: Liming, Lee
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 1997 1:31 PM
To: Sales Support
Subject: FW: Vaknin
From: Dawn Perri[SMTP:puccinsk@2xtreme.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 1997 12:41 PM
To: Webmaster
Subject: Vaknin

I am looking for a dissertation that was registered with your service in
the early 1980's. The Author is Sam Vaknin, and the title of the
dissertation is "Time Asymmetry Re-Visited" , I did not have any luck
finding it with your search engine. I am reasonably sure that it is
registered with your service, as the author himself has directed me here
for a copy.

Thank you for your time,
Dawn Perri

Thank you for your recent inquiry. The dissertation(s) or thesis(es) you
requested is/are available from UMI. To order by phone please call
1-800-521-3042. If you wish to pay by check or money order, please mail
your request to the address listed below. Copies can also be orderedover
the Internet at http://wwwlib.umi.com/dxweb/gateway. Please feel
free to contact a UMI representative if you require further assistance.

Best regards.

Pricing: Catalog #LD00714

Academic(students/faculty) Non-Academic
Paper - softcover: $36.00 Paper - softcover: $57.50
Paper - hardcover: $43.50 Paper - hardcover: $69.50
Film/Fiche: $32.50 Film/Fiche: $46.00


Author Title Order #

Please allow 2-3 weeks delivery time.
A 5 to 6 day rush service is available for an additional $25 per copy.
Some restrictions may apply.

 

[Laura]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

Sorry, but a "dissertation" on file in a database does not a real Ph.D. make. And books on file with the library of congress don't give credibility either. Anybody can write anything they want, send it to the library of congress and get it "on file."

Please re-read this post:

which notes:

A check of
the Curriculum Vitae published on Mr. Vaknin's web site as of August 11
brought forward several concerns. First, there is no listing for where Mr.
Vaknin obtained his Bachelor [or] Master's degree. Next, there is a disturbing
aspect of Ph.D. that Mr. Vaknin claims from Pacific Western University. A
check of the Pacific Western web site revealed, "The University is oriented
to those individuals not seeking licenses or credentials requiring
accredited degrees. Our programs are not designed to meet any established
requirements by private or professional associations. If a license or a
credential is desired, a check should be made of state, federal,
association, and credential requirements before applying. Pacific Western
University has not sought membership in any independent accrediting
association."

[...]
Mr. Vaknin's biography also claims a certificate in counseling offered
through Brainbench, an online "school". As near as I can tell from examining
the criteria that Brainbench lists on their web site the only requirement
for receiving such a certificate is to pass an exam, which appears to be
open book. There are no requirements for working in a professional
counseling setting and receiving supervision on counseling techniques. It
should also be noted that the link to the transcript that is included on Mr.
Vaknin's site does not have his name or other readily accessible information
for a visitor to confirm this is indeed Sam's transcript, so are being asked
to place our trust in his word.

Psychopaths lie as easily as they breathe.

 

[Laura]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

By the way, I searched the UMI database for Sam's dissertation; these are the results:

Citations
Fair pricing and inflation inertia
by Vaknin, Michael Ph.D., Columbia University, 2006, 91 pages; AAT 3215534

Transcriptional regulation of target genes by c-Myc proteins
by Vaknin, Uri Aaron Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, 2003, 117 pages; AAT 3085803

Major excitatory pathways in rat visual cortex
by Vaknin, Gad Ph.D., Kent State University, 1989, 216 pages; AAT 8920480

I tried searching with the order number above and obtained no returns.

Like I said, psychopaths lie as easily as they breathe.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

By the way, I searched the UMI database for Sam's dissertation; these are the results:

Citations
Fair pricing and inflation inertia
by Vaknin, Michael Ph.D., Columbia University, 2006, 91 pages; AAT 3215534

Transcriptional regulation of target genes by c-Myc proteins
by Vaknin, Uri Aaron Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, 2003, 117 pages; AAT 3085803

Major excitatory pathways in rat visual cortex
by Vaknin, Gad Ph.D., Kent State University, 1989, 216 pages; AAT 8920480

I tried searching with the order number above and obtained no returns.

Like I said, psychopaths lie as easily as they breathe.

You folks are the only ones I know having trouble with this. Several high profile types I know investigated this months ago. They have lots on online experience, are suspicious by nature, have advanced degrees, are Mensa Club members, one is a psychologist. All you have to do is follow UMI's/Vaknin's directions.

For instance, the UMI link to Vaknin's dissertation took only seconds to find:
_http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v3=1&ti=1,1&hd=0,0&SEQ=20090523175049&Search_Arg=Vaknin&Search_Code=NAME_&CNT=100&PID=516FegwtEkO1sXWxvPmUpSn_QCR5&SID=1

NOTE: above link doesn't work after it's 'timed out' by UMI (which it does after a very short time). Follow Vaknin's directions (see my earlier post above) to link to his work, including Ph.D. dissertation.


Vaknin is obviously very smart. Imo, it's not necessary for him to lie re this.

 

[anart]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

J.D., I'm curious what your connection to Vaknin is? Why are you spending such time and energy traveling to internet forums in order to defend Vaknin, a diagnosed psychopath? Just curious.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

J.D., I'm curious what your connection to Vaknin is? Why are you spending such time and energy traveling to internet forums in order to defend Vaknin, a diagnosed psychopath? Just curious.

Where/when and by whom was Vaknin 'diagnosed' as a pychopath?


Speaking of, has 'I, Psychopath'* (in its entirety) been released anywhere?



* http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/docplayer2.html?playlistId=c2f20474164d74b082f21de0605a0c6fe96267e2&id=1058861631
* http://www.magicreal.com.au/filmandtv.php?film=4

 

[anart]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

Where/when and by whom was Vaknin 'diagnosed' as a pychopath?


Speaking of, has 'I, Psychopath'* (in its entirety) been released anywhere?



* http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/docplayer2.html?playlistId=c2f20474164d74b082f21de0605a0c6fe96267e2&id=1058861631
* http://www.magicreal.com.au/filmandtv.php?film=4

How very odd (or is transparent a better word) that you did not answer my question, yet you referred directly to the film that documents the diagnosis.  Seriously, J.D.  - what is your connection to Vaknin?  At this point it has become obvious that you are here with an agenda - something that is not tolerated on this forum.  So, perhaps, if you are sincere about participating here, you could answer the question asked?  In case you have forgotten the question, it is:

J.D., I'm curious what your connection to Vaknin is?  Why are you spending such time and energy traveling to internet forums in order to defend Vaknin, a diagnosed psychopath?  Just curious.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

Where/when and by whom was Vaknin 'diagnosed' as a pychopath?


Speaking of, has 'I, Psychopath'* (in its entirety) been released anywhere?



* http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/docplayer2.html?playlistId=c2f20474164d74b082f21de0605a0c6fe96267e2&id=1058861631
* http://www.magicreal.com.au/filmandtv.php?film=4

How very odd (or is transparent a better word) that you did not answer my question, yet you referred directly to the film that documents the diagnosis. Seriously, J.D. - what is your connection to Vaknin? At this point it has become obvious that you are here with an agenda - something that is not tolerated on this forum. So, perhaps, if you are sincere about participating here, you could answer the question asked? In case you have forgotten the question, it is:

J.D., I'm curious what your connection to Vaknin is? Why are you spending such time and energy traveling to internet forums in order to defend Vaknin, a diagnosed psychopath? Just curious.

I'm not obligated to answer you. You can insinuate whatever you like, but your personal question was was off-topic (TOPIC: Vaknin's qualifications).

I noticed you didn't answer either of my questions, which were on-topic (TOPIC: Vaknin a psychopath?).

I suggest you stick to the topic, and not try to bait and/or threaten me. It won't work.

 

[NormaRegula]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

I'm not obligated to answer you.

It is curious that you waltzed in here defending Vankin's qualifications by providing questionable data, and then refused to acknowledge a moderator who inquires as to what your affiliation with Vankin and reasons for doing so might be.

You can insinuate whatever you like, but your personal question was was off-topic (TOPIC: Vaknin's qualifications).

Anart did not insinuate. She was pretty straight forward. Nor was Anart's question off-topic given a reasonable observation of your claim concerning Vankin's qualifications. Your opening statement: "Seems y'all don't 'know' the 'facts' after all. Vaknin's Ph.D. NOT from a diploma mill." accompanied by links to a questionable data source needed further inquiry. One of this forum's goals is to separate assumptions and identification with a topic and/or person to get to the root of the matter without bias. The more you remain silent, the more you give other members here pause as to what your agenda is.

I suggest you stick to the topic, and not try to bait and/or threaten me. It won't work.

Bait you? Threaten you? When? Where? Please furnish proof that Anart has baited and threatened you. J.D., this forum's aim is to discover the truth via facts. Just because someone claims something is so doesn't make it true.

 

[Laura]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

You folks are the only ones I know having trouble with this. Several high profile types I know investigated this months ago. They have lots on online experience, are suspicious by nature, have advanced degrees, are Mensa Club members, one is a psychologist. All you have to do is follow UMI's/Vaknin's directions.

For instance, the UMI link to Vaknin's dissertation took only seconds to find:
_http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v3=1&ti=1,1&hd=0,0&SEQ=20090523175049&Search_Arg=Vaknin&Search_Code=NAME_&CNT=100&PID=516FegwtEkO1sXWxvPmUpSn_QCR5&SID=1

NOTE: above link doesn't work after it's 'timed out' by UMI (which it does after a very short time). Follow Vaknin's directions (see my earlier post above) to link to his work, including Ph.D. dissertation.

Sorry, but what you have given above is NOT the "UMI link to Vaknin's dissertation", it is a link to the library of Congress. We already established that the library of congress archives whatever an individual sends there. A madman in a nuthouse could write a diary, send a copy to the Library of Congress and it would be archived and listed in the database (eventually, it takes some time sometimes...). It proves nothing and only demonstrates the sliminess of your "proof."

So, again, we have some prevarication and twisting of facts.

Then, we additionally have insults and suggestive ad hominem attacks.

All of that spells pathology.

One of the rules of this forum states:

We the moderators reserve the right to do anything and everything we see fit to ensure a friendly comfortable environment for our guests; that includes deleting you and all of your posts if you break any of these rules or act like a psychological deviant at any time past present or future. Oh yeah people, I said future, Tom Cruise has nothin' on us.

Being a psychological deviant is against the rules.

 

[dantem]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

...For instance, the UMI link to Vaknin's dissertation took only seconds to find:
_http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v3=1&ti=1,1&hd=0,0&SEQ=20090523175049&Search_Arg=Vaknin&Search_Code=NAME_&CNT=100&PID=516FegwtEkO1sXWxvPmUpSn_QCR5&SID=1

NOTE: above link doesn't work after it's 'timed out' by UMI (which it does after a very short time). Follow Vaknin's directions (see my earlier post above) to link to his work, including Ph.D. dissertation.

This link simply don't work, and there's no Ph.D. around.

Found this one instead:

And regarding Sam Vaknin's purported Phd

as Pacific Western University of California (PWU). [1][2] Pacific Western University was also the name of a now defunct university in Hawaii (Pacific Western University (Hawaii)).

Accreditation status

California Miramar University is not accredited[3][2] by any higher education accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (agencies that recognize the accepted higher education accreditors in the United States). As such, its degrees may not be acceptable to employers or other institutions. In some jurisdictions the use of degree titles from the university may be restricted or illegal. [1][4] Jurisdictions that have restricted or made illegal the use of credentials from unaccredited schools include Oregon [2][5], Florida, [6] Michigan[7], Maine[8], North Dakota[5]New Jersey[5],Washington[2][9], Nevada[2], Illinois[2], Indiana[2], Texas,[1] and Mexico.[10] Many other states are also considering restrictions on unaccredited degree use in order to help prevent fraud. [11]

California Miramar University received state approval to operate[12] from the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. State approval should not be confused with accreditation; regionally or nationally accredited institutions were not required to seek California state approval.[13] According to the Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning, "There truly is no simple answer to the accredited vs. unaccredited issue, other than to say that one can rarely go wrong with a properly accredited degree. We hear from a moderate number of people who have made good use of an unaccredited (but totally legitimate) degree, but we hear from many more who have had significant problems with such degrees, in terms of acceptance by employers, admission to other schools, or simply bad publicity." [14]


Controversy

As Pacific Western University, i.e., prior to changing its name to California Miramar University, the institution was criticized on multiple occasions as a substandard educational institution or diploma mill. [20]

In May 2004 the US General Accounting Office presented the results of an eight-month examination of diploma mills and other unaccredited schools and federal employees holding their degrees to the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.[21] Pacific Western University in Los Angeles was one of the six schools on which the investigation focused.

Later that year, investigative reporters from television station KVOA of Tucson, Arizona described the Los Angeles campus of Pacific Western University: "We don't find students, classrooms or professors. Only a small office with two receptionists and a man who introduces himself as the dean."[22] KVOA noted that federal investigators had identified PWU as a diploma mill.[22][23] The station reported that Pima Community College in Tucson had reduced the salaries of two faculty members who previously had been paid at the Ph.D level based on their degrees from PWU.[22]

Internationally, Pacific Western University has a similar reputation. It was reported in the Irish Independent on 9 October 2005 that the Chief Science Advisor to the government of Ireland, Barry McSweeney, had been found to have advanced his career using a suspect degree obtained from Pacific Western University.[24][25]The newspaper report stated that McSweeney had obtained his Ph.D. in biotechnology and biochemistry from PWU in 1994 after just 12 months of study. It described PWU as having "no merit or standing in the academic world" and having been "the subject of numerous official investigations, state bans and media exposés" during its 28 years of operation.[24] McSweeney was forced to resign his position as a result.[26] In Australia, a lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland was banned from using the title of "Doctor" after it was discovered that his Ph.D. had been obtained from Pacific Western University.[27] [...]

 

[Laura]

Re: Sam Vaknin - Narcissist or Psychopath?

Good find, Dantem. I had a look at the page and found that it was extracted from Wikipedia. there's additional gems like:

Notable alumni

The following are among the notable people who have received degrees from Pacific Western University (some may actually have attended the Hawaii PWU) or California Miramar University:

* Susan Block - sexologist[28]

* Marcus Einfeld, Australian judge, claimed a Ph.D. from Pacific Western University [29]

* Earl Ofari Hutchinson - journalist, author, and broadcaster [30]

* Bingu wa Mutharika, President of Malawi, received a Ph.D. in development economics from Pacific Western University in California[31]

* David Reardon, biomedical ethicist known for his opposition to abortion who identifies himself as holding a Ph.D.,[32] has been reported to have obtained his Ph.D. in biomedical ethics from Pacific Western University [33][34]

* Eddy Shell - Louisiana educator and Bossier Parish Police Jury member[35]

* Dan Voiculescu - Romanian politician and founder of the Conservative Party (Romania).[36]

See: _http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Miramar_University

The list of names above may be a rich vein of pathology to investigate! Especially note Marcus Einfeld. Have a look here:
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/179769-Marcus-Einfeld-Judge-founding-president-of-Human-Rights-Commission-jailed-for-Perjury
and here:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/the-infeld-follies-a-study-in-go/2006/08/20/1156012408310.html

This guy is a typical psychopath who has risen to power based on fraud and conning other people. The story of how he got caught out is classic! And how many others are there just like him who never get caught???