I'd argue it was a vassal state, not occupied (per se) at least from the 1950's onwards. Yes, the soviet troops did station in Poland, but the beatings were administered by other Polish citizens.
No. I mean the support USSR received from USA after the German attack.
A third of trucks used by the Red Army where US made
A third of soviet airforce was US made. US also sent a lot of high octane fuel needed for the airplanes.
A significant amount of food.
It is very likely that the USSR would not win if not for the US material support.
The USSR was perfectly capable of wrecking havoc on itself without the fed.
While the Soviet evacuation of it's industry to the east was impressive one must not forget the massive aid the USSR received from the western allies.
The vast majority of wars have been won by the party with stronger economy. There are of course exceptions. Especially when the theater of operation is on the other side of the globe (i.e. 1776)
One book that took on the subject in a neutral way was Des hommes, des dieux et des extraterrestres: Ethnologie d'une croyance moderne by Stoczkowski, Wiktor (I'm not sure if it was published in english). Unfortunately I can't recall much of the book - I've read it ages ago.
It was an anthropologist's study of groups who believed people originated in outer space.
In addition to what others have said - one way to gain knowledge of oneself is to try to understand your feelings and emotions in certain situations.
You can practice this by writing a diary where you list your emotions throughout the day.
Sth along: "I felt ______ when _____ happened." or "I felt_____ in ______ situation".
This can give you a better understanding on what makes you happy/sad/angry - from there you can analyze WHY.
We are not machines and emotions play a big part in our lives. This does not mean we have to be governed by emotions, but it's healthy to acknowledge them.