Marionette Doll's

Send us Fan Mail Throughout history, people have reported hearing voices, seeing visions, and experiencing realities that others couldn't perceive. Were they prophets, mediums, or experiencing something psychology is still working to understand? In this episode, we explore schizophrenia, ghost stories, spiritual experiences, simulation theory, and the fascinating ways humans interpret reality...

Send us Fan Mail How does one person gain enough influence to reshape another person’s identity, beliefs, and behavior? In this episode of Psycho Babble , Sarah and Crystal examine Charles Manson, the formation of the Manson Family, and the psychological manipulation that contributed to the murders committed by members of the group. They explore how cults create a sense of belonging, isolate follo...

Send us Fan Mail What if the things people keep seeing… aren’t just stories? In this episode, we explore cryptozoology—the study of animals not yet proven by science—and why people across different places continue to report the same kinds of creatures. From Bigfoot to Skinwalkers, we examine the psychology behind these experiences, how perception shapes belief, and why some “myths” in history have...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Psycho Babble , Sarah and Crystal explore the psychology and systemic failures surrounding Jeffrey Dahmer. Focusing on control, awareness, and missed warning signs, this episode examines how proximity does not guarantee safety—and how institutions, perceptions, and biases can shape whether intervention occurs. This is not a story about a monster. It’s a story ab...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever survived something that should have killed you? A car crash you narrowly avoided. A fall that somehow ended differently than it should have. A moment where time seemed to slow… and you walked away alive. In this episode of Glitch in the Matrix, we explore the unsettling theory of quantum mortality, the idea that every time we face death, reality may split into parall...

Send us Fan Mail In the premiere episode of Psycho Babble , Sarah and Crystal explore the psychology behind Ed Gein, the man who unknowingly shaped the face of modern horror. Rather than focusing on shock value, this episode examines how identity collapse, isolation, attachment trauma, and untreated mental illness can fracture a person’s sense of reality. Through the lenses of nature vs. nurture,...

Send us Fan Mail https://marionettedolls.buzzsprout.com Episode 1 – Season One: Before We Had the Language In this episode, we go back to where it all began. Season One of My Strange Addiction introduced the world to behaviors that were framed as shocking, bizarre, and dangerous. But watching it through today’s lens, we see something very different: people trying to cope, connect, regulate, and su...

Send us Fan Mail Back-to-school season brings more than new backpacks and fresh supplies; it can also bring big feelings for kids and parents alike. Sarah and Crystal talk about first-day nerves, attachment and separation, fitting in, bullying, academic pressure, neurodivergence, IEPs and 504 plans, and the financial and emotional stress parents carry while trying to help their kids adjust. 🎒 A r...

Send us Fan Mail Sarah and Crystal are back with a life update and podcast reset after missing two episodes. Sarah shares about grief, a new narcolepsy diagnosis, medication changes, chronic pain, and learning to pace herself while starting an intensive grad school season. They also pull back the curtain on podcasting as a passion project: the costs, the behind-the-scenes work, Buzzsprout, subscri...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Sarah and Crystal descend into the strange, whisper-filled world of ASMR. Why do some people drift off to sleep listening to tapping, page turning, and soft voices, while others feel irrational rage, discomfort, or the overwhelming urge to throw their headphones into the nearest wall? We explore the history of ASMR, what researchers think is happening in the brain, the...

Send us Fan Mail Fireworks can represent celebration to one person and danger to another. Sarah and Crystal explain PTSD using the DSM-5-TR, explore how the brain reacts to trauma reminders, and discuss why fireworks may affect veterans, first responders, survivors of violence, people with sensory sensitivities, children, and animals. They also share ways individuals, families, neighbors, and pet...

Send us Fan Mail What if the brain begins showing warning signs before memory loss becomes obvious? Sarah and Crystal break down Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, mild cognitive impairment, EEG, and early screening in clear, everyday language. Sarah also shares her connection to the research as a student who has taken several classes with University of West Florida professor Dr. James Arruda and comp...

Send us Fan Mail Fatherhood is often reduced to stereotypes the grill master, the provider, the guy who falls asleep in the recliner halfway through a movie. But behind those stereotypes are real people navigating responsibility, identity, mental health, relationships, and the lasting impact they have on the lives of their children. In this Father's Day special, Sarah and Crystal explore the...

Send us Fan Mail Why do people get tattoos? For some, they're works of art. For others, they're reminders of the people they've loved, the battles they've survived, or the identities they've built along the way. In this episode of Psycho Babble, Sarah and Crystal explore the fascinating psychology behind tattoos and why humans have been marking their bodies for thousands o...

Send us Fan Mail Birthday's are supposed to be fun... right? So why do so many people feel anxious, awkward, overwhelmed, guilty, lonely, or emotionally exhausted when their birthday comes around? In this episode, Sarah and Crystal pull back the curtain on the psychology behind birthdays, gift-giving, social expectations, and the surprisingly complicated emotions tied to celebrations. From th...

Send us Fan Mail Sarah and Crystal discuss childhood behavioral disorders, emotional dysregulation, ODD, Conduct Disorder, trauma, school systems, parenting stress, and the barriers families face trying to access mental healthcare for children. This episode explores behavioral escalation, labeling, school discipline, trauma, evaluations, therapy access, and why early intervention matters before ch...

Send us Fan Mail Motherhood is often described as magical but rarely honest. In this Mother’s Day special, Sarah and Crystal talk about the realities people don’t prepare women for: pregnancy complications, labor trauma, postpartum depression, anxiety, rage, identity loss, feeding struggles, relationship changes, burnout, and the overwhelming pressure placed on mothers to survive all of it silentl...

Send us Fan Mail What if the voice in your head telling you “you don’t belong here”… isn’t telling you the truth? In this episode of The Marionette Dolls Podcast , we unpack imposter syndrome—what it actually feels like, where it comes from, and why it tends to show up the most in people who are capable but don’t feel like they are. We talk about the internal narrative of “they’re going to find me...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Sarah and Crystal break down what self-care actually looks like, why it’s so hard to maintain, and how burnout, guilt, and people-pleasing get in the way. They also dive into boundaries, why they’re uncomfortable, why people react to them, and why someone being upset doesn’t mean you’re wrong. Sometimes the issue isn’t your boundary… It’s that someone lost access...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Sarah and Crystal break down the psychology of grief, including the misunderstood “stages,” why emotions come in waves, and how loss can affect the mind, body, and relationships. They also explore how grief can show up differently within families and why tension can arise after loss. Sarah shares her experience losing her mother to lung cancer that metastasized to...

Send us Fan Mail One moment, you’re driving to work like any other morning. The next moment, your car is rolling down the highway, and everything changes. In this episode, Sarah shares the story of the accident that caused her traumatic brain injury and the long recovery that followed. From the immediate aftermath of the crash to months of rehabilitation, including physical therapy, occupational t...

Send us Fan Mail We lose an hour every spring and gain one in the fall, but our biology doesn’t change as quickly as the clock. In this episode, Sarah and Crystal explore how daylight saving time affects circadian rhythms, hormonal timing, mood regulation, and cognitive performance. They discuss why even a one-hour shift can disrupt sleep architecture, increase irritability and fatigue, and tempor...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Marionette Dolls , Sarah and Crystal take a deeper dive into why Mercury Retrograde feels so real — even if it isn’t physically affecting your phone, your plans, or your relationships. We explore how the brain searches for patterns when life feels chaotic, why uncertainty can feel unsafe, and how belief systems can shape perception, communication, and behavior w...

Send us Fan Mail ⚠️ Content / Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of childhood abuse, domestic violence, coercive control, racism, religious trauma, foster care involvement, and self-harm. Listener discretion is advised. Please take care of yourself while listening. This week on Marionette Dolls , we are honored to share a powerful listener story:  Pandora’s story. In this deeply per...

Send us Fan Mail ⚠️ Content Warning: This episode discusses intimate partner violence, coercive control, emotional abuse, and homicide. Please listen with care. If you need to pause or step away at any point, that is completely okay. In this deeply psychological and compassionate episode of The Marionette Dolls , Sarah and Crystal explore the dark side of love in “Bloody Valentine.” This conversat...