The Positive Psychology of Zombies

Abstract

Ryan M. Niemiec "I don't like zombie films. I can't stand to watch horror films. I want nothing to do with the topic of zombies." These are common sentiments expressed by me and a wide range of people I've spoken with. .. and then came The Walking Dead, the most popular TV series on cable. Now in its seventh season, this series features its antiheroes in a postapocalyptic nightmare in which other survivors and the sects they've created are more dangerous than the slow-moving but ferocious zombies. The Walking Dead offers a profound commentary on the topics of death, dying, meaning, existence, resilience, teamwork, and leadership. It offers substance, artistry, and complex characters, along with gore and suspense. Viewers can use a positive psychology lens and learn from the characters what bad and good leadership look like, how to collaborate or sabotage a team, how to be virtuous and strength based, and how to be resilient when there is absolutely no other choice. Consistent with Priester (2005), who observed there is great value in adopting a metaphorical lens when viewing zombie productions, viewers can understand that a deeper examination of these productions almost always contains a commentary on mindfulness and mindlessness. The one-dimensional behavior of zombies is a prototype of what social psychologist/philosopher Erich Fromm (1955) called the automaton, a condition in which human beings are trapped in automatic routine. Modern mindfulness researchers and practitioners refer to this as operating on autopilot, giving little or no attention to one's driving, eating, listening, working, or breathing (Kabat-Zinn, 1990; Niemiec, 2014; Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2013). Mindful attention is purposeful and involved; scientifically speaking, it refers to self-control of our attention and an attitude of curiosity, openness, and acceptance (Bishop et al., 2004). Humans experience a pervasive vulnerability to returning to a zombie-like mode, often unaware they are in that mode, wandering and meandering aimlessly, not unlike zombies on the big screen.