Brain Bonus: Magic Brain

Last week, we talked with psychologist Lisa Miller about the science of spirituality. Today, we explore what those ideas can look like in everyday life. Miller explains why moments of connection, spiritual practices, and even periods of suffering can sometimes open the door to de ... Show More

Food, safety, and strong relationships are essential to our survival. Psychologist Lisa Miller says our brains also crave something else: transcendence. She suggests that spirituality is a universal human capacity, and that feeling connected to something larger than ourselves may ... Show More

Why does one bad experience have the power to overshadow an otherwise good day? Psychologist Alison Ledgerwood explores the negativity bias, the deeply human tendency to hold on to what went wrong and overlook what went right. She explains why our minds are drawn to losses and th ... Show More

<p>Why does magic fool us so easily? Is our perception of reality just an illusion? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Gary O’Reilly explore the neuroscience behind magic with magician Teller (of Penn & Teller) and neuroscientist Susana Martinez-Conde.</p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons ... Show More

Your brain does things without your permission. It is doing things right now that you did not choose; it's making choices you don't agree with... and it does it all without you even realizing it. In this episode, Andrew explains how your brain (and everyone else's brain) is a too ... Show More

Steven talks to us about how magic impacts well-being and what we can do to get some of that threefold goodness into our own lives. If you wait for the end you will hear an action-movie style ad for my audiobook Brainwash. http://gum.co/brainwash   

<p>A whirlwind of questions brings us to an odd conclusion: could reality be an illusion created by a quantum fluctuation of a brain?<br/><br/>For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse</p><p><a rel="payment" ... Show More

<p>A whirlwind of questions brings us to an odd conclusion: could reality be an illusion created by a quantum fluctuation of a brain? This is a rebroadcast of a past favorite.<br/><br/>For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.c ... Show More

Today’s brew is Part 1 to a multi-cosmic series about using magic to change your life. From dream analysis and chakras to spell casting and astrology, we dive into how much of this stuff is actually real and how you can utilize this hidden wisdom to create some magical shifts in ... Show More

<div>The magic of magic.</div> 

Our brain likes to play tricks on us, so it allows us to see the things we want to see and formulate biased conclusions, accordingly. In this episode, Rawane Affara explains how, at times, a child’s behavior is misunderstood and underestimated.Listen to The Ringlet on Podeopodeo. ... Show More

Today, Bob takes us on a short tour of the creative networks within your brain. Find out where those nonlinear, innovative ideas come from—scientists call it the “genius lounge”—and where your ability to focus for long periods at a time comes from. Plus, get a little lesson about ... Show More

The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries – from whispered warnings in folklore to pop culture-driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch now?Presenter India Rakusen, creator of the podcast 28ish Days Later, is on a journey to find out.What is ma ... Show More