The Curious Introvert

Manxiety = Man Anxiety. Jon Patrick Hatcher experienced turmoil as a teen with crushing anxiety & self-harming. Writing & humor were coping techniques that turned into something more. He now has a regular comedy self-help segment on psychology today & together with the help of mental health professionals, he wrote a book to make mental health strategies palatable with humor and plain l...

Dr. Alexys Hillman is a medical doctor specializing in grief advocacy. In this episode, we explore how to make room for grief in moments of joy, what unresolved grief looks like in physical symptoms & how to move through less recognized sources of grief like estrangement & loss of opportunity. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 88: DEPRESSION OR SADNESS? HOW TO KNOW THE DI...

Iran hasn’t always been a conflict zone. 1970s Iran resembled most Western countries. But in 1979, the government changed from a monarchy to a theocracy, causing the mostly secular public to be ruled by radical Muslims. Now the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini has sparked country-wide protests, with Gen Z at the forefront. In this episode, Iranian American Shadi (last name left out for safety) exp...

Dr. Duana Welch is called Dear Abbey on Science. She’s the author of the book, Love Factually, a data-driven, how-to romance book for people looking for lifelong love. In this episode, she uses science to explain the friend zone, how to get out of it & why men propose with a ring, not a potato. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 68: CROSS-CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS? LESSONS OF LOV...

Dr. Loretta Breuning was unconvinced by prevailing theories on human motivation & after researching the animal origins of our brain chemicals, wrote the book Habits of a Happy Brain. Here she shares why we find ourselves saying, “I shouldn’t be so unhappy! I have everything I need” or doing late-night shopping at the expense of your savings account, drinking more than we said we would, or goin...

Dr. Joe Watkins has been studying archeology for over 50 years. He’s a Senior Consultant at Archaeological and Cultural Education Consultants, in Tucson, Arizona & visiting Professor at the Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education at Hokkaido University in Japan. He is also a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He was the 2nd native person to be president of the societ...

Psilocybin was approved for research of therapeutic potential in 2021 & Dr. Peter Hendricks is a part of that research. He’s a clinical psychologist and professor in the department of health behaviors at the University of AL Birmingham. Here he shares why psilocybin has historically been taboo, the therapeutic potential, the efficacy of drug prohibition & the CIA’s role in making magic mus...

Lopaka Kapanui is a native Hawaiian who was adopted by a non-Hawaiian family & raised Catholic. When he was 7, he died during a medical procedure & his near-death experience left him with some unusual gifts & an open door to connecting back to his culture. He now celebrates over 25 years of owning & operating Hawaii’s only locally-owned ghost tour company, Mysteries of Hawaii. In t...

Trish St John is the founder of Sensual Solutions in Vancouver, Canada, an intimate care service for adults with disabilities. With everyone trying to be more sex-positive, we ask the question, why then is it so uncomfortable to think about someone with a spinal cord injury having sex? In this episode, she shares how she went from HR executive to sex surrogacy agency owner, why we prefer people wi...

Jeff Adorador spent his 20s as an outdoor nomad, spending most of his time in nature & able to fit all of his possessions in the back of a truck. In his 30’s he got his Master's Degree in Counseling & in 2004 he combined his passions by founding Earthwalker, a service providing wilderness survival instruction, walk-and-talk outdoor counseling, and wilderness therapy adventures. In thi...

Joshua Harris is the author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, a best-selling book in the late ’90s touting courtship as the superior way to find God’s perfect match for you & avoid the perils of sexual sin. It was a required read for many in the evangelical Christian community. In this episode, Josh shares how he changed his mind about the ideas in the book, how our sex lives & careers are conne...

The Ysleta community of El Paso sits near the Mexico border & is known for its paranormal activity. Leon Baker was a border patrol agent for 23 years where he experienced paranormal activity like ghosts, shadow people & unexplainable thermal readings. In this episode, he shares his ghost stories as well as a few surprising immigration stories. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like ep...

You’ve heard what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but when it comes to your Vagus nerve, it’s everybody’s business! Dr. Jamie Tyler is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham & the Co-Founder of IST, a neurotech company that develops noninvasive human performance enhancement technology. He has developed biohacking earbuds as a solution for stress &...

Gill Tietz is a former pharmaceutical biochemist who uses science to approach the subject of sobriety in her podcast, Sober Powered. In this episode, she explains the difference between a pastime & a problem, why WHY we drink matters & if it’s possible to be a heavy drinker, but not be an alcoholic. So whether you are wanting to better understand your newly sober friends, are sober curious...

Jose Herrera had Marine squad leader training that included learning about & using a “sixth sense.” In this episode, he shares his journey to developing pre-cognitive abilities & how he used them in his 3 combat tours in Iraq & Afghanistan. He also shares a bit of military history around this topic & how we might all be able to upgrade our senses. If you liked this episode, you’ll...

Vicki Robin is considered the mother of the FIRE movement & has appeared on hundreds of shows, including Oprah & Good Morning America. She’s the co-author of the international best-seller, Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Achieving Financial Independence. Here we explore the heart-side of the balance sheet with concepts like money is life energy, the f...

Christophe Zajac-Denek  is a surfer, actor, journalist, drummer & stunt man. He is also a Little Person. He was born with Cartilage-hair hypoplasia, a rare form of dwarfism. In this episode, we talk about the mechanics of surfing with a spinal fusion & shorter limbs, and his journey of going from not wanting to be associated with other Little People to becoming an advocate. He also shares...

Dr. Benjamin Bergen is a Cognitive Science professor at the University of California San Diego, the author of the book, What the F, and was featured on the Netflix series “The History of Swear Words.” Here he shares what makes a word bad, discusses the future of cussing, the efficacy of word prohibition & the cultural influence of cursing etymology around the world. If you liked this episode,...

Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka is a Professor of religious history at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Her research focuses on religion and technology, but it was her research about purgatory specifically that lead her to UFO culture, a journey she documents in her book, American Cosmic. Here she helps us understand the connection between tech, religion & aliens, explains why you might th...

Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli is a  zero waste consultant and executive director of Common Ground Compost, a New York organization dedicated to waste reduction through zero waste program design, staff training, education, advocacy, collection & compost. Here she explains how trash & recycling really work, the socioeconomic dynamics in environmental causes & how we can be less trashy. If y...

Sister Kate of Sisters of the Valley shares how she went from homeless to housing others & why she transitioned away from THC products to a CBD model & now mushroom coffee as well. We talk about being inspired by the beguine sisters of Northern Europe, the occupy movement, moon ceremonies & privatizing sexuality. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 120: HOLY SMOKE: THE...

Matt Shifrin is a rock climber, podcaster, TedTalk speaker, musical composer & inventor. He’s also blind. He shares how he invented Lego instructions for the blind & how legos helped him rock climb. He also shares how his experience of the world differs from a sighted person in situations like getting a Lyft & crossing the street & how he’s using technology to “see” facial expressi...

Introverts are notorious for having a few close friends. Extroverts are known for having many friends, but none very close. Adam Smiley Poswolsky gives tips for both as we discuss the friendship gap, a term to describe being “connected” in a digital age, while experiencing heightened loneliness. He’s a speaker & author of Friendship in the Age of Loneliness. He answers the question, What IS fr...

Is the “ick” factor of cannibalism nature or nurture? Bill Schutt, a PhD zoologist & author of, answers this question by sharing the history of human cannibalism. He’s also the author of Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History . We discuss why accounts of historic cannibalism may have been exaggerated, cannibalism in Europe, eating placenta & taking holy communion. If you liked this episo...

When the Redditor known as Incrediblyshinyshart lost part of his leg in a motorcycle accident & had to have it amputated, he made an unusual choice – to eat it. He shares his thoughts on mourning, cannibalism & why eating part of his own body was life-changing. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 117: CHIN TATTOOS: HEALING & SOVEREIGNTY IN ALASKA Guest: https://www.redd...