All In The Mind

On All in the Mind, we investigate why people behave the way they do. But there are some perspectives we don't often hear about. Introducing Criminal Psychology, a special series diving into just that. On this four-episode series, we'll cover arson, kleptomania, serial killers and Munchausen by proxy as we look at what drives people to the extremes of human behaviour. And we'll examine how our und...

Time and time again, Dr Rangan Chatterjee has seen chronic stress wreak havoc on his patients' lives — contributing to autoimmune disorders, gut problems, low libido and more. But the most devastating blow struck his own family, when his father's punishing work schedule forced him to medically retire in his 50s. It’s an experience that led Rangan to rethink his own work and approach to medicine. T...

Loneliness hurts. And we know it's bad for us, worse than smoking or obesity. Even though a third of us are lonely, we're embarrassed to say so.  So, what would happen if we talked about our loneliness openly? And how can we build more meaningful connections? This week we have a special episode from our friends at Ladies, We Need To Talk . Host Yumi Stynes speaks to women who are lonely, one withi...

Concussions are hard to diagnose, often get missed, and don't always get taken seriously. And if you're not a professional athlete, it can be surprisingly hard to get clear information on how to manage and recover afterwards. Why? The brain is your most important organ, after all! This week, we try and make sense of the confusion around concussions. This episode was first broadcast in October 2023...

Avoiding your emotions is generally a recipe for disaster — but Ethan Kross makes a case for occasional 'strategic' avoidance. He’s a professor of psychology from the University of Michigan, and he’s appeared in some of our most popular episodes: Controlling the chatter in your head and What influences your inner voice? Controlling 'chatter' part two . He’s back to share more tools for taking char...

Panicky. Irrational. Impulsive. These are the traits that have long been associated with crowd behaviour. But modern crowd science suggests that’s an incomplete, if not inaccurate picture. From crowd crushes to terrorist attacks, we take a closer look at how people really behave in crowds, and what you can do to keep yourself safe in one. Want to listen to more All in the Mind? Check out our episo...

Whether it's stamps, figurines, antiques or toys, plenty of people love collecting. But why? What are the psychological drivers behind the hobby? How much is marketing influencing us, and is there a risk of collecting turning into hoarding? If you enjoy the show or if you have feedback you'd like to share, please check out our survey here . Guests: Sam ToddContent creator and collector Professor N...

Over years of clinical practice, psychologist Dr Mary Anderson started to notice a peculiar pattern across her many clients. Despite being impressive high achievers on the outside, inside they were struggling with burnout, imposter syndrome, anxiety and self-criticism. So she set out to develop a guide for these high achievers. A framework to support their success ... without sacrificing their men...

If you're watching sport or browsing social media, odds are you will come across gambling ads. If you work in an office, you might've joined Melbourne Cup or footy tipping comps. In Australia, it can feel like gambling is everywhere. Today, we look at how everything from video games to shopping sites seem to be priming us for betting-like behaviours, and how the ubiquity of gambling ads is influen...

For years, psychologist Patricia Harney avoided true crime podcasts and documentaries. They hit too close to home. Recently she's been testing the waters, and noticing these whodunnit shows often leave out a crucial element of the story. This episode was first broadcast in July 2023 Take our listener survey here: https://forms.microsoft.com/r/pMNc8TK7b7

All in the Mind is doing its first-ever listener survey — can you tell us a bit about who you are and why you listen? We'd love to understand you better! We’ve kept the survey snappy — it's only seven questions. We’re especially keen to know the age range of our listeners. Take the survey here: https://forms.microsoft.com/r/pMNc8TK7b7 And you can always reach us at mind_rn@abc.net.au On behalf of...

Chat bots as therapists. Apps that can track your mood and behaviour, offering earlier detection of psychiatric illness. There's a lot happening at the nexus of mental health and AI – some of it promising, some of it perilous. Today, science writer and author of The Silicon Shrink, Daniel Oberhaus, takes us on a journey through this emerging space. We'll look at the potential benefits, the major l...

The brain might be an undiscerning blob that makes up just two per cent of your body, but what it does for you is extraordinary. How much about the day-to-day workings of the brain do we fully understand, and what does the future of medicine have in store for it? In this recording of our live show from the World Science Festival Brisbane, we explore the wonder of brain surgery, advances in neurote...

Madi's had 25 rental applications rejected. Seen absolute horror houses while searching for a rental. It's all driving her to despair. Today, how housing insecurity can alter our sense of agency and how we perceive the world around us. This episode was first broadcast in May 2024.

Be honest, how many times have you checked your notifications in the last hour? Or opened a new, totally unrelated tab? Or stopped what you're doing even though you really need to do it? Distractions are everywhere. And whether they're self-imposed or coming from our environment, it can be hard to focus. Today, we explore the ramifications of our rapidly shrinking attention spans, debunk some myth...

How strong is your memory?  Whether you're frequently forgetful or eager to improve, there are ways you can train your brain to recall faster and remember better.  This week, we bring you our live show from Podfest at the Adelaide Festival, featuring neuropsychologists, memory athletes, and even some listeners! If you'd like to check out another episode, why not listen to Is life coaching legit?

Dementia usually involves a decline in your ability to remember, think and reason over time. And those with dementia are at a high risk of feeling socially isolated, lonely and depressed. As artificial intelligence systems get better and better, researchers are investigating whether AI companion bots could help improve the lives of those with dementia. The combination might sound counterintuitive,...

Have you ever experienced "the ick"? It's that sudden, visceral feeling of being put off by someone you're dating. Maybe it's their hat, a hobby or even the way they laugh. Stories of the ick are prolific online, but it leaves us with a question - what causes it?  To separate red flags from disgust, we get into the psychology of the ick - why you might feel icky, if it should be a deal breaker, an...

NASA wants to send humans to Mars in the next decade or so. But can our minds handle it? We talk to a NASA psychologist and retired astronaut about the psychological challenges people already face on long-duration space missions — and find out what it will take to get to Mars. This episode was first broadcast in March 2024. Looking for another episode to listen to next? Check out Dark tourism + se...

Join us for a live episode of All in the Mind at Podfest in Adelaide this March. You can enter to win tickets here . Many of us have felt self loathing at some point in our lives — maybe when you've failed at an important task at work, or lost an important relationship. But some people hate themselves all the time — their inner monologue is a constant drumbeat of self-criticism and self-loathing. ...

Developmental paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey has seen a lot of kids with behavioural issue over the years, and there are ten things he wishes all parents understood about their kids mental health. From insecure attachment to separation anxiety to emotional difficulties – he gives us the low down on why kids get labelled ‘bad’ – and what’s really going on (usually). Looking for something to listen t...

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 decisi...

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...

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 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 all...