All In The Mind

This episode deals with descriptions of abuse. Please take care while listening. Michael Baldwin cycled through seven therapists over 22 years. No one could help him overcome the trauma of his childhood — until he tried EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy). But why would eye movements help a person process their trauma? It sounds fantastical. Is it?

It's human nature to form groups — families, friends, online communities. We love to be surrounded by people similar to us. But that can also make us discriminatory and defensive. And social media makes that instinct worse. In this episode, we look at how our brains evolved to connect and divide, and what that means for the problems we face in our modern world.

A magical kingdom with ogres and fairies. A post-apocalyptic world ruled by machines. An underwater monster that resembles a dragon. These fictional worlds might only be described by words, but the images they create in our minds feel so real. Why are our brains so good at creating imaginary images? Producer Rose Kerr explores how an author's words translate into the mind's of readers.

Journalist Elfy Scott grew up in a loving and tight knit family, but there was one topic they never spoke about, for a long time: her mother's schizophrenia. Now, Elfy is sharing her family's story, and interrogating why stigma so often silences conversations about complex mental health disorders.

This episode was first broadcast in June 2021.  Have you ever tried a self-help book? Did it… well, help? On All in the Mind this week, why self-help sometimes falls short ... and the problem with pop psychology more generally.

A lot of us would like to think we could spot a scam a mile away. Spelling errors, suspicious email addresses and requests for money… all tip offs that something isn't right. But none of us are immune to scammers' psychological tricks – not even psychologists. In this episode, forensic neuropsychologist Dr Stacey Wood reveals the tricks and techniques scammers use, and what makes us most vulnerabl...

Do you wake up each morning refreshed and well slept? Or are you the kind of person who tosses and turns for ages before falling asleep, ruminating on all of your missteps and stresses from the day? If you chose option two, this episode is for you. We get advice on making nighttime more restful — beyond the standard 'don't look at your phone before bed.' (Though that's important too).

Doing something that goes against your beliefs feels pretty bad, right? But what if those beliefs are stopping you from doing something good for you? Producer Rose Kerr investigates the role cognitive dissonance plays in our lives: how it can lead to some creative mental gymnastics, and when it can be harnessed for good.

ARIA-nominated musician Parvyn knows what it's like to lose touch with reality. Delusions, mania, psychosis — she's experienced it all, often while on tour. Despite processing these experiences on her debut solo album 'Sa', she's never spoken publicly about her mental health — until now.

This episode was first broadcast in February 2022.  Most of us have an inner voice – it reminds you to pick up milk on your way home, helps problem solve, or rehearse what you’re going to say. But there are times that helpful voice veers into harmful chatter.

As a teen, Hunter Johnson wanted to be the best at sport, the best at getting girls, and the best at getting attention. But one moment would change everything for him — forcing him to rethink his ideas about masculinity. Now, he's paying it forward. Last week, we explored why toxic masculinity is tricky to talk about. Today, we hear from someone having that conversation daily — shifting the focus...

Do you get defensive when you hear the term toxic masculinity? You wouldn't be the only one, if so. In this episode, we follow one dad's attempts to understand where internet algorithms are sending his son… and ask, how do we deal with toxic masculinity, when the very term has become contested?

From phantom limbs to Alice in Wonderland syndrome — why does the brain sometimes mess up its awareness and understanding of the body it belongs to? Neuroscientist and author of Body Am I, Moheb Costandi explains.

Sex, scandal, money and misdeeds. All elements of good gossip. So why do we love the gossip, but not the gossiper? And why are we invested in the secrets of celebrities, even though they're strangers?

Where do you draw the line between brainwashing… and influence? Thought control… and mere suggestion? From the Korean War, to The Beatles, to current day, we trace the sometimes scary/sometimes weird history of brainwashing.

This episode was first broadcast in September 2022.  You might not think of yourself as a negotiator but big or small we all negotiate daily. Getting better at it could make your life easier. So what's the most effective way to negotiate? Is playing hardball ever a useful strategy? And what do you do when you're at a power disadvantage?

This episode was first broadcast in May 2022.  On All in the Mind this week, the early history of autism. With historian of science Professor Marga Vicedo we learn about the blame that was cast on mothers, the fight to get adequate help and support for families, and the movement that one mother, Clara Park, helped spark.

This episode was first broadcast in March 2022.  Why do we laugh, and what makes something funny? A psychologist, a neuroscientist and satirist Mark Humphries weigh in on humour and the brain.

Over summer, we're sharing some of our favourite episodes of the year. This one was first broadcast in April 2022.  Anxiety and alcohol misuse are a common pairing. How do the two egg each other on and what can be done to halt the cycle? Plus, the personality traits that shape our likelihood of harmful alcohol use.

This summer, we're sharing some of our favourite episodes of the year. This episode was first broadcast in April.  What are the constructive things our minds do when they wander? And when does mindwandering cross over … into not-so-constructive territory? Guests:Professor Moshe BarCognitive Neuroscientist, Bar-Ilan University; Author, Mindwandering: How It Can Improve Your Mood and Boost Your Crea...

As a toddler, Nicole's son was extremely aggressive. As he got older, his behaviour worsened. In our final episode of the year, we examine 'callous unemotional traits' — the early warning signs of psychopathy that emerge in childhood.

This episode was first broadcast in November 2021.  Are your colleagues rude? Do people regularly ignore each other or dismiss opinions in meetings? Ever gotten an all caps email? On All in the Mind this week, we examine the toxic effects of rude behaviour. And are we getting more rude as a society?

If you open any social media app, you're likely to eventually come across videos of people discussing trauma.  The hashtag TraumaTok has billions of views...   So how did trauma take over the internet? And what effect is it having on our mental health? Technology Reporter Ariel Bogle investigates. 

When you get nervous, can you feel it in your stomach?  The gut-brain connection is something many of us have experienced but probably not given much thought to.  Research into this connection has led to the rise of a seemingly unexpected treatment for IBS: hypnotherapy.  Producer Danni Stewart investigates how Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be treated. 

If the only certainty is uncertainty, how do we manage our anxieties about the unknown? Today we explore why the mind struggles with uncertainty and what we can do to manage it.