All In The Mind

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...

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 hea...

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!

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 hu...

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. 

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 des...

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 overwh...

Dopamine feels great, but is it always good for us? The answer is complicated, so today, we get into what dopamine actually does in the brain. How does it affect our motivation, movement and behaviour? And how does our environment influence that? Plus, should we be detoxing from dopamine ... and why are people raw dogging flights? If you're looking for something to listen to next, check out our ep...

We've come a long way in how we talk about mental health. But while diagnoses like depression and anxiety can empower people to seek help and support — they also influence how we see ourselves and how others might see us, too. Today, we investigate 'concept creep.' It's the idea that the labels we use to describe mental health are expanding and being applied to an ever-wider array of human behavio...

How clear is your inner voice? Do you internally narrate your life? And do you get songs stuck in your head? Almost all of us can imagine sounds in our minds. But a small part of the population don't have internal auditory imagery — a phenomenon called anauralia. Today, we explore the experience of anauralia, in an episode from Radio New Zealand's Our Changing World. Our Changing World is produced...

Music is a universal feature of the human experience — present from our very first cultures and civilisations. But do the features of particular songs and styles translate across cultural boundaries? Like, is a lullaby recognisable even when it's from a different culture? Can you identify a love song in another language? Today, we explore the special relationship between music and our minds, in an...

Laura would spend weeks feeling normal — even happy. But like clockwork, every month, suddenly she would feel intense depression, making her unrecognisable to herself and friends. It took her nearly two decades to identify what was causing this rollercoaster of mood: PMDD, AKA Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. So what is it about hormones that make some people feel such intense emotions? And why is...

Professor Chris French has been studying the paranormal for decades. But — he’s a sceptic. In an All in the Mind Halloween special, we explore the psychology behind our spooky encounters. What's going on in your brain when you see a ghost? How do people talk to the dead? And why would a sceptic study the paranormal?

How many hours have you spent on your phone today? And do you feel like it's too many? A growing movement of people are going without their smartphones and computers in favour of just about anything that doesn't have a screen. They say it's giving their lives more meaning — and improving their mental health. This week, meet the digital minimalists ditching their devices, and how you can do it too....