Watch the archived recording of this event.
On Oct. 6, thousands of young adults drove down to Israel’s southern border to enjoy music and dance the night away at the Nova festival. In the morning, the celebration turned into a nightmare when Hamas terrorists infiltrated the border and murdered, raped and kidnapped hundreds of the festivalgoers. Making the experience even more harrowing for the victims, many of them were under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Joining us today is University of Haifa’s Prof. Roy Salomon, a cognitive neuroscientist specializing in brain mechanisms of self-consciousness, who is also co-founder and board member of SafeHeart NGO, a nonprofit initiative providing psychological aid to survivors of the Nova festival attack. At the University, he is a Full Professor and the Primary Investigator at the SLab.
Prof. Solomon will discuss how SafeHeart has provided much-needed support for survivors of the Nova attack, such as sessions with therapists who have experience working with extreme traumatic events. These clinicians understand rave culture and how to support psychedelic users. He will also explain his ongoing research with the Nova survivors aimed at reducing the chances of them experiencing PTSD, examine why Israel is on the brink of a mental health crisis, and explore what can be done to address it.