Best Emory Center For Mind Podcasts (2025)

1
Unmuted: Burnout, Boundaries, and the Power of Saying Yes 1:04:11

2M ago1:04:11

1:04:11

What if burnout isn’t a personal failure—but a signal that something deeper is asking to be heard? In this powerful episode, Dr. Charles Raison sits down with Rachel Druckenmiller, a nationally recognized keynote speaker, and workplace wellness expert, for a raw and energizing conversation about what it means to unmute yourself—learning to speak up…

1
Lecture | Héctor Álvarez "Dilating Time: Tempo as Contemplative Tool in Ota Shogo’s Poetics of Deceleration" 1:02:26

2M ago1:02:26

1:02:26

Héctor Álvarez | Theater Studies, Emory University "Dilating Time: Tempo as Contemplative Tool in Ota Shogo’s Poetics of Deceleration" This talk explores Ota Shogo's groundbreaking wordless play "The Water Station" as a paradigm of temporal expansion in contemporary theater, examining how extreme deceleration creates unique spaces for audience refl…

1
Lecture | Shay Welch "The Bio-Psycho-Social Affect Loop, HyperSensitivity, and Radical Embodied Cognition" 1:19:30

2M ago1:19:30

1:19:30

Shay Welch | Associate Professor of Philosophy | Spelman College "The Bio-Psycho-Social Affect Loop, HyperSensitivity, and Radical Embodied Cognition" If you would like to become an AFFILIATE of the Center, please let us know. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get updates on our latest videos. Follow along with us on Instagram | Facebook NOTE: Th…

1
Lecture | Tara Callaghan "Fostering Prosociality in Refugee Children: An Intervention with Rohingya Children" 1:18:32

4M ago1:18:32

1:18:32

Tara Callaghan | Professor of Psychology, St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia, Canada "Fostering Prosociality in Refugee Children: An Intervention with Rohingya Children" Prosocial behavior is a distinguishing characteristic of human nature. Although prosocial behaviors emerge early in development, contextual factors play an important role i…

1
Psychedelics and the Future of Mental Health: Science, Faith, Hype and Healthcare Innovation with Fayzan Rab 56:08

4M ago56:08

56:08

What happens when the worlds of technology, medicine, and spirituality collide? In this fascinating episode, Dr. Charles Raison sits down with Fayzan Rab, a former Silicon Valley tech professional turned medical student and researcher, to explore how psychedelics are reshaping mental health as well as our understanding of the role of spiritual expe…

1
Exploring Consciousness with Christof Koch, PhD: The Mystery of the Mind 56:50

4M ago56:50

56:50

In this thought-provoking podcast, Christof Koch, Chief Scientist at the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation and former President of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, delves into one of humanity's most profound questions: What is consciousness, and where does it come from? With decades of experience studying the brain's mysteries, Koch offers insights in…

1
Dr. Mandy Bekhbat: Immune System, Metabolism, and Depression 55:08

5M ago55:08

55:08

How Your Immune System and Metabolism Shape Depression with Dr. Mandy Bekhbat In this episode, Dr. Mandy Bekhbat, a neuroscientist and assistant professor in the Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, takes us on a deep dive into the surprising relationship between the immune system, metabolism, and mental health. Her gr…

1
Lecture | Alexandra (Sasha) Key "Building a functional communication system: Does the baby have a say?" 1:14:12

7M ago1:14:12

1:14:12

Alexandra (Sasha) Key | Professor, Marcus Autism Center, Emory University School of Medicine "Building a functional communication system: Does the baby have a say?" For a long time, language development has been framed mainly in the context of nature-nurture interactions. However, research in non-typical development suggests that another critical c…

1
Roman Palitsky: The Risks of Meditation and Psychedelics 48:32

7M ago48:32

48:32

Exploring The Often Under-Appreciated Risks of Meditation and Psychedelics: a Conversation with Roman Palitsky, PhD In this episode, Dr. Roman Palitsky, a clinical psychologist and Director of Research Projects for Emory Spiritual Health, dives deep into the complex interplay between spirituality, meditation, and mental health. Drawing from his ext…

1
Lecture | Anna Ivanova "Dissociating Language and Thought in Humans and in Machines" 1:00:06

9M ago1:00:06

1:00:06

Anna Ivanova | Assistant Professor, School of Psychology | Georgia Tech College of Sciences "Dissociating Language and Thought in Humans and in Machines" “What is the relationship between language and thought? This question has long intrigued researchers across scientific fields. In this talk, I will propose a framework for clarifying the language-…

1
Glenn Auerbach: In Search of Good Sauna 51:10

9M ago51:10

51:10

In Search of Good Sauna: Heat, Tradition and Connection, with Glenn Auerbach, Founder and Editor of Sauna Times Heat is really having a moment. And not just heat, but cold, too. Saunas and cold plunges, sweat lodges, and swimming in freezing oceans. Infrared home saunas and cold showers. In the last year, all of these and more have been featured in…

1
Dr. Ira Bedzow: Life on Purpose 53:41

1y ago53:41

53:41

Life on Purpose: Insights on well-being and education from Ira Bedzow, PhD, Executive Director of the Emory Purpose Project Purpose and meaning are foundational to any definition of the good life. They are also a trendy topic these days. Like all trendy topics, they risk being trivialized by our intense hunger for easy answers to life’s difficultie…

1
Lecture | Leah Krubitzer "Combinatorial Creatures: Cortical Plasticity Within and Across Lifetimes" 1:08:29

1y ago1:08:29

1:08:29

Leah Krubitzer | MacArthur Fellow Professor of Psychology | University of California, Davis "Combinatorial Creatures: Cortical Plasticity Within and Across Lifetimes" "The neocortex is one of the most distinctive structures of the mammalian brain, yet also one of the most varied in terms of both size and organization. Multiple processes have contri…

1
Lunch | Ivana Ilic + Jasna Veličković "How Do We Know It's Music? On Musical Capacities of the Electromagnetic Field" 1:14:55

1y ago1:14:55

1:14:55

Ivana Ilic | Music Theory, Emory University Jasna Veličković | Composer and Performer "How Do We Know It's Music? On Musical Capacities of the Electromagnetic Field" What happens when the electromagnetic signal is not only deliberately made audible, but also exploited with a specifically musical aim? In this presentation, I investigate the distinct…

1
Lunch | Richard Moore | "Freedom, Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Lessons from Northern Ireland" 1:05:20

1y ago1:05:20

1:05:20

Richard Moore | Executive Director, Children in Crossfire "Freedom, Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Lessons from Northern Ireland" Dr. Moore’s talk is part of the CMBC's Spring 2024 sponsored course “Empathy, Theater and Social Change” taught by Dr. Lisa Paulsen and Dr. Brendan Ozawa-de Silva. This lunch talk was Co-sponsored by Emory’s Center for …

1
Dr. Chantelle Thomas: Sanity in the Wild New World of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy 52:41

1+ y ago52:41

52:41

Sanity in the Wild New World of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy The buzz about psychedelics is everywhere these days, especially in the mental health space, where these compounds are being hailed as the greatest potential therapeutic breakthrough of the last 50 years. What was once elemental to the hippie movement of the 60s and then stigmatized and f…

1
Lecture | Arkarup Banerjee | "Neural Circuits for Vocal Communication: Insights from the Singing Mice." 56:21

1+ y ago56:21

56:21

Arkarup Banerjee | School of Biological Science / Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY "Neural Circuits for Vocal Communication: Insights from the Singing Mice." My long-standing interest is to understand how circuits of interacting neurons give rise to natural, adaptive behaviors. Using vocal communication behavior across rodent species, my lab at CS…

1
Dr. Sue Carter: Oxytocin the Human Hormone: A Report from a Life in Science 52:21

1+ y ago52:21

52:21

Oxytocin the Human Hormone: A Report from a Life in Science If you are not holding the hormone oxytocin in the highest regard now, you will after listening to this episode’s guest, Sue Carter, PhD, as she explains how this remarkable hormone may hold the key to much of what makes us who we are. In particular, Dr. Carter describes the myriad ways th…

1
Lecture | Jack Gallant | "The Distributed Conceptual Network in the Human Brain" 1:10:42

1+ y ago1:10:42

1:10:42

Jack Gallant (Psychology, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science / University of California, Berkeley) "The Distributed Conceptual Network in the Human Brain" Human behavior is based on a complex interaction between perception, stored knowledge, and continuous evaluation of the world relative to plans and goals. Even seemingly simple tasks su…

1
McCauley Honorary | Claire White "An Introduction to the Cognitive Science of Religion" 49:57

1+ y ago49:57

49:57

Claire White | Religious Studies, California State University, Northridge "An Introduction to the Cognitive Science of Religion" In recent decades, a new scientiﬁc approach to understanding, explaining, and predicting many features of religion has emerged. The cognitive science of religion (CSR) has amassed research on the forces that shape the ten…

1
McCauley Honorary | Harvey Whitehouse "Against Interpretive Exclusivism" 59:04

1+ y ago59:04

59:04

Harvey Whitehouse | Anthropology, University of Oxford, UK "Against Interpretive Exclusivism" Interpretive exclusivism is the claim that studying cultural systems is exclusively an interpretive exercise, ruling out reductive explanation and scientific methods. Following the lead of Robert N. McCauley and E. Thomas Lawson, I will argue that the cost…

1
McCauley Honorary | Emma Cohen "From Social Synchrony To Social Energetics. Or, Why There's Plenty Left in the Tank" 59:40

1+ y ago59:40

59:40

Emma Cohen | Anthropology, University of Oxford, UK "From Social Synchrony To Social Energetics. Or, Why There's Plenty Left in the Tank" Thirty years ago, in an article entitled Crisis of Conscience, Riddle of Identity, Bob McCauley and Tom Lawson powerfully critiqued the “hermeneutic exclusivism” that by then prevailed in anthropology and the his…

1
McCauley Honorary | Dimitris Xygalatas "Ritual, Embodiment, and Emotional Contagion" 48:17

1+ y ago48:17

48:17

Dimitris Xygalatas | Anthropology, University of Connecticut "Ritual, Embodiment, and Emotional Contagion" While the Cognitive Science of Religion has brought the mind to the forefront of analysis, it has had little to say about the body. As a result, the mechanisms underlying much-discussed and well-documented effects often remain elusive. In this…

1
McCauley Honorary | Justin Barrett "Bringing Technology to Mind: Cognitive Naturalness and Technological Enthusiasm" 58:15

1+ y ago58:15

58:15

Justin Barrett | President, Blueprint 1543 "Bringing Technology to Mind: Cognitive Naturalness and Technological Enthusiasm" Sometimes new technologies spread before society has had sufficient time to evaluate them. Can we make better decisions about whether to be enthusiastic or reticent regarding new tech without waiting for thorough testing or t…

1
McCauley Honorary | E. Thomas Lawson - Special Valedictory Presentation 14:35

1+ y ago14:35

14:35

E. Thomas Lawson | Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion, Western Michigan University If you would like to become an AFFILIATE of the Center, please let us know. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get updates on our latest videos. Follow along with us on Instagram | Facebook NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the speaker do not necessa…

1
McCauley Honorary | Mark Risjord and Kareem Khalifa "Me and Bobby McC" 4:43

1+ y ago4:43

4:43

Mark Risjord | Director, Institute for Liberal Arts, Emory University + Kareem Khalifa | Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles pay a unique video tribute to their former mentor and friend, Robert McCauley on the occasion of his retirement. If you would like to become an AFFILIATE of the Center, please let us know. Subscribe to our YouTu…

1
McCauley Honorary | Pascal Boyer "What Kinds of Religion are “Natural”?" 52:37

1+ y ago52:37

52:37

Pascal Boyer | Psychology & Anthropology, Washington University, St. Louis "What Kinds of Religion are "Natural"?" McCauley emphasized that religious representations are “natural”, in contrast to other cultural systems that require systematic training or leaning and institutional scaffolding. Pursuing this line of reasoning, we can see how some lim…

1
McCauley Honorary | Kareem Khalifa "The Methodenstreit Ain't Right: McCauley on Interpretation and Explanation" 30:02

1+ y ago30:02

30:02

Kareem Khalifa | Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles "The Methodenstreit Ain't Right: McCauley on Interpretation and Explanation" Does interpretation distinguish the human sciences from the natural sciences? Or do explanations drive the human sciences in a manner akin to their more venerable natural-scientific cousins? These questions…

1
McCauley Honorary | Bryon Cunningham, "Evolution, Mood Disorders, and Religious Coping: Interactions Between Explanatory and Interpretive Theories in Clinical Practice" 1:00:12

1+ y ago1:00:12

1:00:12

Bryon Cunningham | Psychology, Occidental College "Evolution, Mood Disorders, and Religious Coping: Interactions Between Explanatory and Interpretive Theories in Clinical Practice" In this talk, I advocate for the view that explanatory and interpretive theories can be mutually enriching in clinical practice. I start with the ecumenical view that th…

1
McCauley Honorary | Jared Rothstein, "Surfing, Sharks, & The Limits of Reason" 43:21

1+ y ago43:21

43:21

Jared Rothstein | Philosophy, Daytona State University "Surfing, Sharks, & The Limits of Reason" Based on personal experience surfing in the “Shark Bite Capital of the World” (Volusia County, Florida) and interdisciplinary research from the fields of behavioral economics, neuropsychology, and philosophy of mind, the author rejects the traditional R…

1
McCauley Honorary | Charles Nussbaum "Why Normative Ethics Is Natural and Metaethics Is and Is Not" 1:11:07

1+ y ago1:11:07

1:11:07

Charles Nussbaum | Philosophy, University of Texas, Austin "Why Normative Ethics Is Natural and Metaethics Is and Is Not" Morality prescribes privileged standards for action and character. Ethics is the philosophy of morality. Normative ethics codifies the prescriptive principles of morality that justify considered judgments of cases. Metaethics is…

1
Dr. Don Noble: Part 2 - Want to Change Your Life? Take a Breath 17:20

1+ y ago17:20

17:20

Want to Change Your Life? Take a Breath, Part 2 This conversation between host Charles L. Raison and Donald J. Noble, PhD, picks up where the first part of this series left off by extending our discussion of the potential health benefits of breathing into more esoteric domains. We explore breathholding and its role in advanced Tibetan Buddhist medi…

1
Lecture | Oliver Rollins | "Towards an Anti-Racist Neuroscience: Possibilities and Problematics with Scientific Progress" 1:13:34

1+ y ago1:13:34

1:13:34

Oliver Rollins | American Ethnic Studies / African American Studies / Sociology, University of Washington "Towards an Anti-Racist Neuroscience: Possibilities and Problematics with Scientific Progress" Alongside the deadly COVID-19 outbreak, the biomedical and health sciences have been altered by the continued challenge of racism. Major academic sci…

1
Lecture | Sashank Varma | "Mathematical Concepts in Humans and Machine Learning Models" 53:03

1+ y ago53:03

53:03

Sashank Varma | Psychology and Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology "Mathematical Concepts in Humans and Machine Learning Models" The nature of mathematical concepts has long been a topic of philosophical debate. Recent theorizing in mathematical cognition has tended towards nativist accounts and postulations of built-in neural ci…

1
Chris Lindley: How One Valley Changed the Equation 48:19

1+ y ago48:19

48:19

How One Valley Changed the Equation: A Roadmap for Transforming Behavioral Healthcare in the United States It’s no secret that the United States is in the midst of a mental health crisis. There are a number of reasons why this is occurring, but none is more important than the fact that good mental health care is often somewhere between difficult an…

1
Lecture (co-sponsored) | Larry Young & Rev Patti Ricotta "Using the Science of Love and Bonding...(see below)" 1:48:04

2y ago1:48:04

1:48:04

Using the Science of Love and Bonding to Bring New Perspectives on Social Relationships, Health, and the Practice of Female Genital Mutilation in East Africa. Larry Young | Center for Translational Social Neuroscience | Psychiatry, Emory University Rev. Patti Ricotta | President, Life Together International Discussants: Kathryn M. Yount | Global He…

1
Dr. Boadie Dunlop & Dr. George Grant: Part 2 - Transcendent Experience and the Psychedelic Renaissance 22:30

2y ago22:30

22:30

Transcendent Experience and the Psychedelic Renaissance: A Conversation with the Co-Founders of the Emory Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality, Part 2 Anyone interested in mental health knows about the so-called psychedelic renaissance that has been gathering steam for the last half-decade. Compounds such as LSD and psilocybin lauded for their …

1
Lecture (co-sponsored) | David Haskell | Can “Wild” Sounds Teach Us What it Means to be Human? 1:25:26

2y ago1:25:26

1:25:26

"Can 'Wild' Sounds Teach Us What it Means to be Human?" David Haskell | Biology & Environmental Sciences | University of the South, Sewanee, TN Presented by hosts Laura Emmery (Department of Music / Emory University) and Cynthia Willett (Department of Philosophy / Emory University) Co-sponsored by the Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture, and The De…

1
Dr. Boadie Dunlop & Dr. George Grant: Part 1 - Transcendent Experience and the Psychedelic Renaissance 35:51

2y ago35:51

35:51

Transcendent Experience and the Psychedelic Renaissance: A Conversation with the Co-Founders of the Emory Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality, Part 1 Anyone interested in mental health knows about the so-called psychedelic renaissance that has been gathering steam for the last half-decade. Compounds such as LSD and psilocybin lauded for their …

1
Lecture | Tom Griffiths | "The Rational Use of Cognitive Resources" 1:13:52

2y ago1:13:52

1:13:52

Tom Griffiths | Psychology & Computer Science | Princeton University "The Rational Use of Cognitive Resources" Psychologists and computer scientists have very different views of the mind. Psychologists tell us that humans are error-prone, using simple heuristics that result in systematic biases. Computer scientists view human intelligence as aspira…

1
Lecture | Michael Goldstein | "Simple Interactions Construct Complex Communication in Songbirds and Human Infants" 1:16:06

2y ago1:16:06

1:16:06

Michael Goldstein | Psychology, Cornell University "Simple Interactions Construct Complex Communication in Songbirds and Human Infants" Despite the immense variety of sounds we associate with the animal world, the ability to learn a vocal repertoire is a rare phenomenon, emerging in only a handful of groups, including humans. To gain a better under…

1
Lecture (co-sponsored) | Martha Sprigge | Widowhood, Archives, and the Musical Work of Mourning in Postwar Europe 1:06:50

2+ y ago1:06:50

1:06:50

"Widowhood, Archives, and the Musical Work of Mourning in Postwar Europe" Martha Sprigge | Musicology | University of California, Santa Barbara Presented by Dept. of Music with co-sponsorship from Dept. of Philosophy / Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture / Center for Faculty Development and Excellence This presentation examines how gendered mournin…

1
Dr. Christine Whelan: Demystifying Purpose with Emory’s New Purpose Professor 27:42

2+ y ago27:42

27:42

Demystifying Purpose with Emory’s New Purpose Professor: What Matters Most to You and How to Make it Happen Purpose is one of those big ideas that we muse about in late-night conversations … and promptly put aside in the light of day. It’s a concept that can feel a little daunting, but research points to the fact that boosting our sense of purpose …

1
Workshop | Joyce Ho + John Lindo | NSF Early Career Development (CAREER) grant workshop 47:23

2+ y ago47:23

47:23

Have you thought about applying to the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)? These prestigious awards can provide a major boost to your career and require an integration of education and research activities different from more conventional research grant applications. Learn more about this program and how to put together a successf…

1
External Lecture | Dietrich Stout | The Evolution of Technology 52:45

2+ y ago52:45

52:45

Keynote Address | The Evolution of Culture and Technology Mini Symposium | Tel Aviv University The simple fact of tool-making no longer provides a sharp dividing line between “Man the Tool-Maker” and the rest of the animal world. It is now clear that many other species make and use tools, and that distinctly human technology emerged through a long,…

1
Lecture | Vernelle A. A. Noel | Craft + Computation: Culture, Design, Cognition 52:21

2+ y ago52:21

52:21

Vernelle A. A. Noel | Architecture & Interactive Computing | Georgia Institute of Technology Craft practices and communities carry histories and cultures of people, knowledges, innovations, and social ties. Some reasons for their disappearance include dying practitioners, lacking pedagogy, changing practices, and technocentric developments. How mig…

1
Lecture | Karen Adolph | How Behavior Develops from Perceiving, Planning, and Acting 48:40

2+ y ago48:40

48:40

Karen Adolph | Psychology and Neural Science | New York University All behavior is movement—walking, talking, reaching, eating, looking, touching—all of it. Motor behavior is foundational for learning and doing in everyday life. Most important for functional movement is behavioral flexibility—the ability to tailor movements to local conditions. Whe…

1
Dr. Rosalind Watts: Psychedelics as the Start, and Not the Ending, of the Journey of Healing 36:11

2+ y ago36:11

36:11

Psychedelics as the Start, and Not the Ending, of the Journey of Healing After decades of stigmatization, psychedelic medicines have re-emerged onto the world stage as the most promising new mental health treatments in a half-century. Our guest for this podcast, Dr. Rosalind Watts, has played an outsized role in these remarkable developments. Dr. W…

1
Lecture | Tobias Overath | Acoustic and Linguistic Processing of Temporal Speech Structure 55:38

2+ y ago55:38

55:38

Tobias Overath | Psychology and Neuroscience | Duke University Speech perception entails the transformation of the acoustic waveform that reaches our ears to linguistic representations (e.g., syntax, semantics) to enable communication. The nature of this acousto-linguistic transformation - how different acoustic properties of the speech signal are …

1
Lecture | Andrew Buskell | Kinds of Cumulative Cultural Evolution 48:42

2+ y ago48:42

48:42

Andrew Buskell | Public Policy | Georgia Institute of Techonology The current consensus in cultural evolution is that cumulative cultural evolution (“CCE”) set hominins apart: capacities for CCE are distinctive to hominins and help explain their geographic spread and evolutionary success. CCE is an intuitive idea: cultural traits are modified upon …

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