The Mind of Dr. Anna Lisa Derr

Boban Dedović Host

00:11 Hello, I'm Boban Dedović and this is episode eight of the "What we talk about when we talk about mind" podcast.

Boban Dedović Host

00:17 Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Anna Lisa Derr. She completed her doctorate in mythological studies with an emphasis in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. As a former actress, Dr. Derr also earned a B.A. In Theatre Arts and trained with international master teachers in Italy, India, and New York City. Her doctoral dissertation explored the impact of cultural connotations of female menstration wherein she analyzed the Sumerian myth known as "The Descent of Inanna." While completing her Ph.D., she also did original one-time performances on the same topic in Italy, Greece, and California. Currently, her dissertation is under contract as a book with a publisher named Inner Traditions and is pending release. Dr. Derr also provides original programming as the hostess of JourneyToTheGoddessTV, a YouTube channel I'll be sure to provide the link for. Finally, she is an assistant editor for the Mary Magdalene Studies Association Journal. Today we're going to discuss her unique background in both mythology and psychology before digging into the topic of her forthcoming book on the Sumerian myth named Inanna's Descent to the Netherworld. We're going to go through this old piece of literature line-by-line and analyze it from the perspective of agency, or the words people use to describe emotions, feelings, and intentions. I'm excited to discuss with Dr. Derr what she talks about when she talks about mind.