All In The Mind
Episodes
Taking back control of your time
09 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our brains are easily distracted or overwhelmed. And that can make getting stuff done harder than it needs to be.This week, we look at methods and st...
Not broken, just wired differently: ADHD in adulthood
02 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine getting a diagnosis in adulthood that suddenly made so much of your life make sense.It explains why you’ve always had trouble being on time...
The secret life of secrets
25 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Slepian researches the psychology of secrets.But what he didn't know — until about a decade ago — was that his family had a major secret ...
Does guilt have a silver lining?
18 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guilt and shame are often used interchangeably, but researchers in emotion and psychology say they are distinct – and often motivate people into ve...
How we make up our minds: Sydney Writers' Festival
11 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the uncertain times we live in, how exactly are we meant to make up our minds?How do we weigh up pros, cons and risk factors, and how do stress an...
You've got the music in you
04 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Music is central to the human experience. We celebrate with it, commiserate through it - often some of our strongest memories are tied to it.On All ...
'Refrigerator mothers' and the history of autism
28 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Can you change your personality?
21 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wanted to change your personality?Many people do - studies find we're keen to become more extroverted, more agreeable and more conscien...
Natural disasters: how floods and fires shape the psyche
14 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Two disasters, two years apart - the ongoing mental health impact on survivors and what the research can tell us about the different ways people resp...
The psychology of charitable giving
07 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The quirks of psychology that influence when we give to charity … and when we don't.
'I'm going to cook my baby'
30 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dolls can tell us a lot about how kids see the world – especially when it comes to race.One American researcher spent months watching pre-schoolers...
The vicious cycle of alcohol and anxiety
23 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Grief and the pandemic
16 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Grief is deeply painful but it's something the majority of us …eventually … find ways to live with.But research is starting to emerge on how the ...
Co-morbidity: why one mental illness can lead to more
09 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
About one in five Australians experience a mental illness in any given year. But what about when mental health issues occur ... together?On All in th...
What happens when our minds wander?
02 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are the constructive things our minds do when they wander?And when does mindwandering cross over … into not-so-constructive territory?
Why heartbreak hurts so bad
26 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re lucky enough to have fallen in love at some point in your life, you’ve probably also had your heart broken.The experience can be excr...
Hacking humans: social engineering and the power of influence
20 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Hadnagy’s job involves breaking into banks. But he’s not after money, gold or jewels. He’s searching for weaknesses – in systems, in ...
Humour me: why we laugh and what counts as funny
12 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we laugh, and what makes something funny? A psychologist, a neuroscientist and satirist Mark Humphries weigh in on humour and the brain.
All In The Mind presents... What The Duck?!
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An excerpt from a new ABC podcast called What the Duck?! Each week the ABC's resident nature nerd Ann Jones explores the most unusual elements of our...
The pleasure of pain
05 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Spicy food, scary movies, BDSM … why do humans sometimes chase painful experiences and how are they linked to pleasure?
'Utterly catastrophic' — life with frontotemporal dementia
26 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, is tricky to pick up at the doctor's office and impossible to cure. And for those who live with the condition, their...
Seeing red — anger and aggression
19 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when we let our most destructive emotion dominate?On All in the Mind this week, we explore why we get angry, how you might control aggre...
Toxic positivity — when happiness becomes harmful
12 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're urged to stay positive and keep up a cheerful disposition ... but sometimes things are just awful, aren’t they?On All in the Mind this week w...
Controlling the chatter in your head
05 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
How our brain chemicals drive our behaviour
29 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve heard of adrenaline, oxytocin and cortisol, but what about glutamate and GABA?And how much do you really know about the chemicals coursin...
Post-partum psychosis
22 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Having a baby is supposed to be a joyous time, despite the sleep deprivation and constant crying.But for many women, it can be a dark time. We know o...
The damage done by emotionally immature parents (and how to heal)
15 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How would you describe your parents?Nobody's perfect, of course, but some parents leave more of a mark than others.On All in the Mind this week, we l...
Does self-help ... help? The problem with pop psychology
08 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The making of a magnificent memory
01 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One spring weekend a few years back, around 15 people gathered in a south Melbourne office space.They were mostly neuroscience and maths types and th...
Mood and the magic ion
25 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the lightest metal on the periodic table. Its origins lie in the very beginnings of our universe. And it's taken, in the form of a pill, by th...
Misadventures in multitasking
18 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How many times in a day are you doing just one thing?Or is it more common that you’re multitasking – maybe texting and walking? Reading while lis...
Psychedelics for mental illness
11 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Major trials are bringing us a step closer to seeing psychedelic substances used in therapy practice for PTSD, anxiety and depression. On this episod...
Overcoming resentment with gratitude
04 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We all have resentments in our lives, big or small. How can we move past the feeling and even repair relationships that get bogged down in resentment...
How dopamine drives our addictions
27 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What role does dopamine play in cycles of addiction — and how might we use that knowledge to break them?
Making big decisions
20 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Career, family, relationships - how do we think about big decisions and in turn how do they shape our lives? And what makes a 'good decision?'On All ...
The toxic effects of rudeness
13 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are your colleagues rude?Do people regularly ignore each other or dismiss opinions in meeting? Ever gotten an all caps email?On All in the Mind this ...
Language and loss
06 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What goes on in the multilingual mind? And what does it mean to 'lose' your language?Author and linguist Julie Sedivy with a story of losing – an...
Habits and making them stick
30 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Habits are notoriously hard to change—exercising more often, practising calmness, getting healthy—it all takes time and effort. So perhaps you’...
Tears, fears and hope — your pandemic life
23 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With restrictions easing around the country, we wanted to know how you've survived the past year and a half - what's gotten you through and what you ...
'As real as waking life' — exploring lucid dreams
16 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever realised you were dreaming ... while in the middle of a dream?Lucid dreams are a common phenomenon, but many people don't realise that ...
The peculiar power of talking to strangers
09 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you the kind of person who loves chatting to strangers? Like people in cafes, parks or the train?Or does the thought of small talk make you cring...
The building blocks of wellbeing
02 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Wellbeing' has become a bit of a buzz word recently, but what does it really mean?It's not the same as simply being happy, or experiencing pleasure -...
Hey you! Tell us about your pandemic life
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're working on an episode about how Australians have been coping through the pandemic, and we want your stories.We want to know what’s been getti...
Whispers, taps and tingles — what is ASMR?
26 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you heard of ASMR?Whispery, clicky, crinkly videos are massive on YouTube - racking up millions of views.The idea is that these sounds elicit a...
Machiavellianism, and the 'dark triad' of personality
18 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you consider yourself a shrewd manipulator? Are you cynical about the nature of human beings? If so, you might rank highly in Machiavellianism - a...
Forget dad bod ... what about dad brain?
11 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
During pregnancy and then in childbirth, new mums experience some dramatic hormonal changes.But while these changes in women are relatively well stud...
COVID and the brain
04 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As the pandemic continues, the long-term effects of COVID-19 are a growing concern.Much is still unknown, but one major study suggests up to a third ...
Electroconvulsive therapy — they still do that?
28 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
ECT has a chequered history, but its modern iteration is nothing like the scenes depicted in films like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Used to tre...
Neuromarketing — how brands target your brain
21 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Would you be able to tell the difference between a bargain bin red and a top drop? Or how about what separates a duck paté … from one made of...
The 'benevolent' brand of sexism
14 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You’re no doubt familiar with 'hostile sexism' – blatantly negative or restrictive attitudes towards women.But there's another type of sexism...
The 'hidden histories' of autistic adults
07 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past two decades, our cultural understanding of autism and what it means to be autistic has grown - though we have a long way to go. But the...
Hacking humans: social engineering and the power of influence
31 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Hadnagy’s job involves breaking into banks. But he’s not after money, gold or jewels. He’s searching for weaknesses – in systems, in ...
Delirium in the ICU
24 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a condition which affects some patients who end up in intensive care … and can continue after they’re released from hospital.People ofte...
Why being a beginner is good for you
17 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Vanderbilt didn’t know how to play chess.That fact had never bothered him – until his four-year-old daughter decided she wanted to have a ...
On becoming a mother in a pandemic
10 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
More than a year after the novel coronavirus pushed much of the world into lockdown, a generation of new mothers are still coming to terms with havin...
Antidepressants and young people
03 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From 2008 to 2018, the prescription of antidepressants in young people grew by 66 per cent. There’s data to suggest that last year, among the lockd...
Are the teens alright?
26 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Your teenage years can be tumultuous, but did you know that half of all mental conditions in adulthood emerge by the age of 14?And on top of regula...
When your eyeballs become audible
19 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There's a condition so bizarre and rare that most doctors haven't even heard of it.It causes people to hear their own blood moving, bones creaking, l...
Does self-help ... help? The problem with pop psychology
12 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The guru playbook
05 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On All in the Mind this week, the guru playbook and why we should get smart to their tactics.
The making of a magnificent memory
29 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anastasia Woolmer explains the techniques memory athletes use to recall names, facts and figures, and how you can apply them to everyday life.
Super-voice-recognisers
22 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you good at recognising voices?
Screaming fans and overzealous stans — the psychology of fandom
15 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From the Beatles to the Backstreet Boys, Taylor Swift to BTS – music changes, but screaming fans never seem to fade.
The damage done by emotionally immature parents (and how to heal)
08 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How would you describe your parents? Nobody's perfect, but some parents leave more of a mark than others.
Phobias, paranoia – and how VR can help
01 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Virtual reality technology is increasingly being used as a form of therapy – treating everything from the depressive symptoms of dementia to the pa...
Post-partum psychosis
24 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Having a baby is supposed to be a joyous time, despite the sleep deprivation and constant crying. But for many women, it's an extremely vulnerable pe...
The mind of a murderer
17 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Richard Taylor is a forensic psychiatrist — and he’s assessed well over a hundred accused killers in his career.
The dark side of daydreams
11 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For two decades of Hannah Byford’s life, she kept a secret. When things at home got too much to bear, she’d retreat to an imagined life, insi...
'I'm going to cook my baby'
04 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A few years back, Dr Toni Sturdivant was looking for a preschool for her three-year-old daughter. After considering a few schools around their Texa...