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All In The Mind is ABC RN's weekly podcast looking into the mental universe, the mind, brain and behaviour — everything from addiction to artificial intelligence.

All In The Mind

How do you feel as you move through a busy space — like an airport, a city street or a crowded shopping centre?

For some of us, these spaces are energising — being among the rush of people and the noise of the crowds. But for others, these situations can be a little much. 

And for some neurodivergent people — especially those with sensory issues — being in these public spaces can be utterly overwhelming, even harmful. That's a problem when you want or need to use them just like everybody else.

Today, audio engineer and producer Amelia Geiss takes you inside their mind — for a first-hand perspective of what it's like to move through public spaces as someone with sound sensitivities. 

We'll hear about how these sensitivities manifest in the brain — strategies for managing them — and building public spaces that are accessible for everyone.

If you're looking for something to listen to next, why not check out our episode, How the drive to be perfect is linked to eating disorders.

When life is too loud: what are sound sensitivities?

What influences your shopping behaviour? Well, it's likely a mix of what you need, what's presented to you in store and probably some neuromarketing (which we've covered on our program before).

But what about the role of product designers? 

Today, we get into the psychology of design and the battle designers face balancing innovation with our human need for the familiar. And given all the ways design can manipulate us into wanting something, what role will AI play in the future of design?

Extra information:

The Psychology Behind Design: A Marketing Perspective

See the Yamaha Silent Violin

The design tricks brands use to get you to buy

What do working for the CIA, navigating hot button topics and talking to teenagers all have in common? They're all situations that supercommunicators excel at.

Today, we explore how you can become a supercommunicator too. 

This episode was first broadcast in February 2024. 

Why not check out Introversion vs Extroversion. If you enjoyed this episode, you'll love that one too.

The skills supercommunicators use (and how you can learn them)

Patric Gagne is a sociopath, but she doesn’t fit the stereotype.

From a violent kid, to a PhD and author - we track the unusual story of a sociopath who learned to be 'good'.

Plus, there's been some controversy and questions about the veracity of her PhD - so, we fact checked it.

This episode was first released in May 2024.

Need something to listen to next? Check out our episode Why heartbreak hurts so bad.

Inside a sociopath's mind: "I'm capable of almost anything"

That voice inside your head - where does it come from? 

We bring back a topic that was one of our most popular for a long awaited part two. 

Today, what shapes your internal chatter.

This episode was first released in March 2024.

Our original episode on chatter is called Controlling the chatter in your head, if you liked this episode you'll love that one!

What influences your inner voice?

The AI revolution is coming. Your mind isn't ready for it.

Cognitive neuroscientist Joel Pearson walks us through the many ways artificial intelligence is messing — and will mess — with our psychology.

From falling in love with AI to unforgettable deep fakes, we dive into an uncertain future and what you can do to prepare for it.

This episode was first broadcast in April 2024.

If you'd like to hear more from Joel, he featured on our episode about intuition called When to trust your gut instinct, and when to ignore it.

"Scarier than killer robots": why your brain isn't ready for AI

If you could manifest anything into your life, what would it be? A perfect partner, your dream house, winning the lottery?

Manifesting promises a limitless potential of dreams to achieve — through methods like vision boards and affirmations.

But does manifesting actually help us realise our goals? Is it harmless fun? Healthy positive thinking? Or can manifestation lead the brain down some dark alleys that you might not expect?

In this episode we mention another episode called Visualisation and values — goal setting like a winner. It's part two of our two part series on the athlete's mindset. Part one is called A winning mindset — how top athletes think. 

This episode was first broadcast in March 2024.

The promise and perils of manifesting

Politics, war, abortion, gun control — why do some topics make us so outraged?

One theory is that our preoccupation with preventing harm is to blame.

So today, we examine how humans developed morality, why we differ in what we consider right and wrong, and how that drives us to moral outrage.

And after all of that, we'll find out how to have better conversations with people you disagree with (even if you're feeling outraged).

If you want to hear more about that, check out The skills supercommunicators use, which you can learn too.

Age of rage: the psychology behind our moral outrage

Harry had been lucky. He'd never struggled with his mental health.

Then, when he was 18, seemingly out of nowhere — he had his first psychotic episode.

It was an abrupt change, with ripple effects across his family.

Today, the shock of experiencing psychosis, why you're most likely to get it when you're young, and how you can recognise the signs and support a loved one.

If you'd like to hear more about this topic, we have an episode called A musician processes her bipolar diagnosis.

Extra resources:

SANE AustraliaOrygenHeadspacePsychosis Understood

'My brain snapped': Harry's sudden psychosis

There are some decisions in life that can be trickier to navigate. Do you want to get married? Should you change careers? Do you want a baby?

Parenthood is a choice more vexed than ever in a world threatened by climate change, political instability and cost-of-living crises. 

So how can people approach this choice? And if you're lucky enough to have a choice, how do you make peace with your decision?

Decision coach Merle Bombardieri has been working with couples on this very topic for decades — today, we ask her about the tools, tips and strategies you can use to tackle the baby question.

If you're interested in hearing more about parenthood, check out our episode called Why do we sing to babies?

The baby decision — how to decide when you can't decide

This week we're talking about something intimate … And at-times taboo … Masturbation.

From self-love, to disordered behaviour, and back again, how our perceptions of masturbation have changed over the course of history and why it's still linked to shame and confusion for some.

Also — why do humans (and other animals) masturbate in the first place?

Just a heads up, if the topic didn't give it away, this episode may not be suitable for little ones.

After listening, why not check out Sex is Weird, a series from our fellow science podcast, What the Duck?!

Once taboo, now good for you: the psychology of masturbation

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