American journalist and writer
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3 episodes with Susannah Cahalan
6 episodes with Susannah Cahalan
2 episodes with Susannah Cahalan
2 episodes with Susannah Cahalan
3 episodes with Susannah Cahalan
2 episodes with Susannah Cahalan
2 episodes with Susannah Cahalan
2 episodes with Susannah Cahalan
2 episodes with Susannah Cahalan
Susannah Cahalan is the author of The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary (Viking). Cahalan is a #1 New York Times–bestselling author, journalist and public speaker. Her first book, Brain on Fire, has sold over a million copies and has been translated into more than twenty languages. Her second book, The Great Pretender, was shortlisted for the Royal Society's 2020 Science Book Prize. She lives in New Jersey with her family. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Get How to Write a Novel, the debut audio course from DeepDive. 50+ hours of never-before-heard insight, inspiration, and instruction from dozens of today's most celebrated contemporary authors. Subscribe to Brad's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Instagram TikTok Bluesky Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Becky, Jo, and Holly talk about books of the 1960s including: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, The Young Unicorns by Madeline L'Engle, Miami and the Siege of Chicago by Norman Mailer and much more! Holly recommends: The Acid Queen by Susannah Cahalan, The Life You Save May Be Your Own by Paul Elie, The Fire Is Upon Us by Nicholas Buccola, The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
In this episode, I sit down with Susannah Cahalan—American journalist and bestselling author of Brain on Fire, The Great Pretender, and most recently, The Acid Queen. We discuss her harrowing experience with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, a rare brain inflammation that led to seizures, vivid hallucinations and hospitalization during a month long psychotic episode. This ordeal that ultimately sparked her deep interest in psychology and neuroscience. Susannah also shares insights from her latest work, offering a compelling look into the life of Rosemary Woodruff Leary, a central figure in the 1960s psychedelic movement and the wife of Timothy Leary from 1967 to 1976. Check out our Merch Follow us on: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter For business inquiries contact: OtherworldTeam@unitedtalent.com If you have experienced something paranormal or unexplained, email us your story at stories@otherworldpod.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Best known as the wife and partner of Timothy Leary, Rosemary Woodruff was in fact a central figure in the psychedelic movement in her own right—a political radical, underground fugitive, and neglected architect of the counterculture. In this episode, Phil and JF speak with journalist and author Susannah Cahalan about Woodruff Leary's life and legacy. Cahalan's new book, The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary, brings its subject into focus as a complex and courageous individual whose story has been overshadowed for too long. The conversation follows the threads of the biography while branching into the weirdness of biographical writing, the ongoing relevance of the 1960s counterculture, the troubling figure of Timothy Leary, and the enduring promise—and peril—of psychedelics. Susannah Cahalan is the New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire, a memoir about her experience with autoimmune encephalitis. Her second book, The Great Pretender, which investigated a seminal study in the history of mental health care and diagnosis, was shortlisted for the the Royal Society's 2020 Science Book Prize. She lives in New Jersey with her family. Photo from the Los Angeles Times Photographic Collection at UCLA, via Wikimedia Commons. REFERENCES Susannah Cahalan, The Acid Queen Weird Studies, Episode 189 with Jacob Foster Marion Woodman, Canadian feminist author Peter Braunstein and Michael William Doyle, Imagine Nation: The American Counterculture of the 1960s & '70s Fred Turner, From Counterculture to Cyberculture Eric Davis, TechGnosis Lutz Dammbeck, The Net: The Unabomber, LSD, and the Internet Robert Greenfield, Timothy Leary: A Biography Anthony Storr, Feet of Clay Blanche Hoschedé Monet, French painter Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Susannah Cahalan's new book about Rosemary Woodruff Leary is "The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary." It is a portrait of Rosemary and her critical role to Timothy Leary's rise to high priest—and her trailblazing role for women in ‘60s American counterculture.
In this episode, meet comedian and podcast host Zarna Garg, journalist and public speaker Susannah Cahalan, and poet, performer, and educator Sarah Kay. Hear the hilarious Zarna Garg describe her experiences in the recording booth, Susannah Cahalan on what inspired her to write about the life of unsung counterculture icon Rosemary Woodruff Leary, and Sarah Kay on what she's most excited for listeners to hear. This American Woman by Zarna Garg https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/773166/this-american-woman-by-zarna-garg/9798217082490/ The Acid Queen by Susannah Cahalan https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/697209/the-acid-queen-by-susannah-cahalan/9798217013104/ A Little Daylight Left by Sarah Kay https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762977/a-little-daylight-left-by-sarah-kay/9798217065417/
The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Susannah Cahalan, spoke to me about her writing process, witch candles, and stepping into the shoes of psychedelic pioneer Rosemary Woodruff Leary in her new biography THE ACID QUEEN. Susannah Cahalan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and public speaker. Her first book, Brain on Fire, has sold over a million copies and has been translated into more than twenty languages. Her second book, The Great Pretender, was shortlisted for the Royal Society's 2020 Science Book Prize. Her latest biography The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary, “...chronicles the life of Rosemary Woodruff Leary (1935–2002), a prominent figure in the 1960s psychedelic movement and Timothy Leary's wife from 1967 through 1976.” Kirkus gave THE ACID QUEEN a glowing review, calling it a “well-wrought narrative that brings deserved attention to a lost figure in the counterculture,” and Publishers Weekly called it a “... stranger than fiction story [that offers] a vivid portrait of how flower power cracked up in the '70s.” Susannah Cahalan has been profiled in the New York Times, featured as an answer on Jeopardy!: delivered a TEDx Talk, and appeared as a guest on The Today Show, PBS, BBC's Inside Science, and Fresh Air, among many others. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you're a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Susannah Cahalan and I discussed: The throughline that connects all of her books Synchronicities that led her to the life story of a psychedelic icon How she used the research process to fully immerse herself in Rosemary's persona What she's learned over the course of her writing career Why you need to find time for “deep work” to get the pages And a lot more! Show Notes: susannahcahalan.com The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary By Susannah Cahalan (Amazon) Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport (Amazon) The Modern Library Writer's Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Stephen Koch Susannah Cahalan on Facebook Susannah Cahalan on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In Episode 189, author Karen Thompson Walker talks with Sarah about her career to date and her newest novel, The Strange Case of Jane O. Karen discusses her writing journey, including each book's inspiration and research process. She also touches on the challenges of promoting her latest book without giving away too much and her current work in progress. Plus, Karen shares her book recommendations. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights Books by Karen Thompson Walker: The Age of Miracles (2012), The Dreamers (2019), and The Strange Case of Jane O. (2025) Karen talks about going from working as an editor to a being published author The genre Karen feels her books best fit in The real-life inspiration for The Age of Miracles A peek into her research process and which book required the most work Karen's thoughts on writing about an epidemic (in The Dreamers) just before the real-life COVID-19 pandemic A brief spoiler-free overview of The Strange Case of Jane O. and the inspiration behind it Some of Oliver Sacks' interesting case histories that inspired Karen The difficulty in trying to promote and talk about a book like The Strange Case of Jane O. without giving too much away How Karen sees the relationship between her three published books A bit about Karen's current work in progress Karen's Book Recommendations [36:20] Two OLD Books She Loves The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (1993) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[37:22] The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:26] Other Books Mentioned: The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka (2023) [40:51] Two NEW Books She Loves The Antidote by Karen Russell (March 11, 2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[41:20] The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:39] One Book She DIDN'T Love My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:39] One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About Audition by Katie Kitamura (April 8, 2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:22] Other Books Mentioned: The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (2024) [49:20] A Separation by Katie Kitamura (2017) [49:35] Intimacies by Katie Kitamura (2021) [49:39] Last 5-Star Book Karen Read Trust by Hernan Diaz (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:14] Books From the Discussion Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan (2012) [22:54] Awakenings by Oliver Sacks (1973) [24:16]
Susannah Cahalan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire, joins the Lobotomommies today! She talks the doctor who saved her life, the importance of holistic mental health care, physiological causes of mental health conditions, and more. As the 217th person to be diagnosed with anti-NDMA receptor autoimmune encephalitis, naturally escaping the psych ward or death, Susannah has made it her mission to raise awareness about autoimmune encephalitis and how the body can attack the brain. You don't want to miss this! This podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, affordable, and convenient OCD therapy. Schedule a free 15-minute call today at https://learn.nocd.com/alegrakastens Follow Alegra on Instagram! Episodes edited by Donny Hadfield
Maddy, and her sister Ava, discuss the Netflix movie 'Brain on Fire' which is based on the real life story of NY Post journalist Susannah Cahalan. Buckle up for a wild ride where Maddy and Ava discuss the long road to diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis!
Susannah Cahalan is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, a memoir about her struggle with a rare autoimmune disease of the brain. She writes for the New York Post. Her work has also been featured in the New York Times, Scientific American Magazine, Glamour, Psychology Today, and other publications. She lives in Brooklyn. Buy the book from RJ Julia: Brain on Fire - Susannah Cahalan Sign up for our podcast newsletter Just The Right Book Subscription Promo Code (15% off): Podcast Email us at: podcast@rjjulia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Journalist Susannah Cahalan discusses her book "The Great Pretender," about a 1973 experiment, led by Stanford psychologist David Rosenhan, that was conducted to test the legitimacy of psychiatric hospitals in America. For the experiment, Prof. Rosenhan and seven other healthy individuals checked themselves into mental asylums claiming that they were experiencing hallucinations. Once inside, they acted normally and told doctors that the hallucinations had subsided, but they weren't allowed to leave until they admitted to having a mental illness and agreeing to take antipsychotic drugs to treat their conditions. Susannah Cahalan talks about the experiment and the impact that the resulting study – "On Being Sane in Insane Places" – had on the psychiatric profession. This program originally aired in November of 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Journalist Susannah Cahalan discusses her book "The Great Pretender," about a 1973 experiment, led by Stanford psychologist David Rosenhan, that was conducted to test the legitimacy of psychiatric hospitals in America. For the experiment, Prof. Rosenhan and seven other healthy individuals checked themselves into mental asylums claiming that they were experiencing hallucinations. Once inside, they acted normally and told doctors that the hallucinations had subsided, but they weren't allowed to leave until they admitted to having a mental illness and agreeing to take antipsychotic drugs to treat their conditions. Susannah Cahalan talks about the experiment and the impact that the resulting study – "On Being Sane in Insane Places" – had on the psychiatric profession. This program originally aired in November of 2019. Make your donation at: c-span.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Susannah Cahalan is a well-known author, journalist, and advocate for mental health awareness. Her book "Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness" chronicles her own experience with a rare autoimmune disease that attacked her brain and caused a range of symptoms including seizures, hallucinations, and memory loss. On this week's show we discuss:Susannah's personal journeyThe importance of mental health awareness and the need for strong advocacy Writing about personal experiences and how authoring her story aided in her recovery The future of mental health care, the importance of names and how proper care will save lives Go check out all of our episodes on our website: https://womeninthearena.net/If you are ready to tell your story or want to refer someone, please email me at audra@womeninthearena.net ***Last thing- I'd love to interview the following women: Joan Jett Dolly Parton Viola Davis Ina Garten Maybe you can help me get there****Thank you all for supporting this show and all of the Women in the Arena!!
Lisa is joined by Susannah Cahalan, the author of the New York Times Best Seller, Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. It's been 10 years since the release of BRAIN ON FIRE…Susannah Cahalan's bestselling memoir about the medical mystery that changed lives forever. When the book came out in 2013, Susannah was a guest on Lisa's NPR health radio show It's Your Health. There has bee a significant advancement in autoimmune encephalitis research, symptoms are better recognized leading to an earlier diagnosis and recovery. Writes Susannah, “I can say with certainty that my story has even saved lives. (Writing that sentence will never stop astounding me.) It's impossible to know how wide my story's reach has been, but I can say that hundreds of people have contacted me with stories of how my book helped them find a diagnosis.” After over a million copies...and a Netflix movie starring Chloë Grace Moretz…Susannah is available to talk about the major events in her life (married the boyfriend, has twins!)…and in medicine…since the book came out!BOOK DESCRIPTION: When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she'd gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family's inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn't happen. “A fascinating look at the disease that...could have cost this vibrant, vital young woman her life” (People), Brain on Fire is an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance that is destined to become a classic.
This week Dr. Audrey Nath speaks with author, speaker, and podcaster Jackie Stebbins about her experience with autoimmune encephalitis. Jackie shares how the neurologic condition affected her and her family's life, her journey to recovery, and what she is doing to raise awareness about the diagnosis. Next, Dr. Daniel Correa talks with Dr. Gregory Day, a neurologist and specialist in cognitive neurology at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Day shares information about the diagnosis, treatment, and possible causes of autoimmune encephalitis. Additional Resources: https://www.jmstebbins.com/ Unwillable written by Jackie Stebbins Brain & Life Podcast: Susannah Cahalan on Anti-NMDA Encephalitis and Her Journey to Diagnosis Brain on Fire written by Susannah Cahalan Encephalitis Society Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance We want to hear from you! Have a question or want to hear a topic featured on the Brain & Life Podcast? Record a voicemail at 612-928-6206, or email us at BLpodcast@brainandlife.org. Social Media: Guest: Jackie Stebbins @jmstebbs (Twitter); Dr. Gregory Day @GDay_Neuro (Twitter) Hosts: Dr. Daniel Correa @neurodrcorrea; Dr. Audrey Nath @AudreyNathMDPhD
Welcome to another inspiring episode of "In the Rising" podcast. In today's episode, we have Eric Daddario, a mentor, and coach who has dedicated his life to changing the lives of youth. Eric shares his personal tragedy and how it has fueled his passion for helping young people make better life decisions.By sharing his powerful story, Eric enlightens the youth he speaks to on how they can change their lives and impact others. He emphasizes the importance of making better life decisions now to lead a fulfilling life.If you're looking for inspiration and guidance on how to change your life or help others, this episode is a must-listen. You can also learn more about Eric and his work through his website.In addition, we recommend checking out episode 123 featuring Dr. Anna Lembke, a renowned author, and expert on addictive behavior. She shares valuable insights on how our brains change and create addictive behavior.Another great episode to check out is with Susannah Cahalan, who almost lost her life due to a misunderstood illness. Her story is a reminder to stay focused on finding the true cause of our behavior and actions.Tune in now to "In the Rising" and discover how you can change your life today.Dr. Anna Lembke on Dopamine and Our BehaviorAn Inspiring Story of Survival: Susannah Cahalan's Battle with Autoimmune Encephalitis Cheryl Ilov: Barely Coping With Trauma and PTSD to Full-Fledged Ninja Warrior I invite you to listen to In the Rising Podcast- a show dedicated to helping others create change and a life that they really want. "Living the life I want" was a phrase that I heard often while working with clients going through cancer, and so I created this podcast. I also saw that there is a gap in knowledge about cancer, lymphedema and how to manage recovery, so I created Fit after Breast Cancer.Thank you for your time and interest in this podcast! I invite you to leave a heartfelt review on whichever podcast platform you listen to. It does so much to bring exposure to the podcast and helps lift others up! Connect with me! Website: In the Rising Podcast Website Email: Bettina@intherising.com In the Rising Pinterest: In the Rising Facebook Many of my guests have come through Podmatch. If you are interested in joining this, or feel that you have a story should be on a podcast, check this out. * This is an affiliate link *
Best-selling author Susannah Cahalan joins host Dr Ava Easton for a special World Encephalitis Day edition of The Encephalitis Podcast. Ten years ago, Susannah published Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, the award-winning memoir and New York Times bestseller, which quickly become a Bible for members of the encephalitis community and many more people around the world. Brain on Fire follows Susannah's struggle with encephalitis and, in particular, her diagnosis and recovery. It was later developed into a Hollywood film by Charlize Theron and starred Chloe Grace Moretz. Susannah chats to Ava about the 10th anniversary, why the book resonated with so many people, its legacy, how she reacted when Hollywood came calling, and the impact it has had on the encephalitis community. The 10th anniversary edition of Brain on Fire is available from all good booksellers, including UK readers (Kindle and Paperback) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brain-Fire-My-Month-Madness/dp/1451621388 USA - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Brain-on-Fire-(10th-Anniversary-Edition)/Susannah-Cahalan/9781451621389 For more information about World Encephalitis Day on Wednesday, 22nd February, please visit www.worldencephalitisday.org If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/ Follow the Encephalitis Society: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society
Thank you for being part of the conversation. This is Play It Forward. Real people. Real stories. The struggle to Play It Forward Episode 555 With Susannah Cahalan Author Of Brain On Fire An award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, BRAIN ON FIRE: is the powerful account of one woman's struggle to recapture her identity. One day in 2009, Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a strange hospital room, strapped to her bed, under guard, and unable to move or speak. A wristband marked her as a “flight risk,” and her medical records—chronicling a month-long hospital stay of which she had no memory—showed hallucinations, violence, and dangerous instability. Yet only weeks earlier, she had been a healthy, ambitious twenty-four-year-old, six months into her first serious relationship and a promising career as a cub reporter at a major New York newspaper. BRAIN ON FIRE is Susannah Cahalan's astonishing true story of her inexplicable descent into lunacy and the brilliant, lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn't happen.
Susannah Cahalanhttps://www.susannahcahalan.com/There has been a significant advancement in autoimmune encephalitis research, symptoms are better recognized leading to an earlier diagnosis and recovery.The 10th Anniversary Edition of the Award-Winning MemoirWith a New Chapter by the Author Updating Her StoryBRAIN ON FIRE:My Month of MadnessBy Susannah Cahalanoriginally aired 04.06.2022Steven Josepheveryone's favorite crankiness expert is back with a new book for kids and adults to help them laugh a little while embracing crankiness. He is the author of the new book, Snoodles, Kidoodles, Poodles and Lots and Lots of Noodles. https://www.stevenjosephauthor.com/Sean Ibanibohttps://afrosoundzradio.com/
In 2009, Susannah Cahalan was only the 217th person diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis. Susannah went through an long month of numbness, seizures, headaches and into the depth of madness. Through her story, she highlights the wisdom and focus of Dr. Souhel Najjar, who identified the condition she had.Susannah was able to overcome her rare condition and write the book, Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. Her story is an inspiration to all who face difficult challenges in their lives. I invite you to listen! Thank you for your time and interest in this podcast! I invite you to leave a heartfelt review on whichever podcast platform you listen to. It does so much to bring exposure to the podcast and helps lift others up! Connect with me! Website: In the Rising Podcast Website Email: Bettina@intherising.com Pinterest: Facebook
It's been ten years since the release of Brain OnFire. Susannah's best selling memoir about the medical mystery that's changed lives forever...
It's been ten years since the release of Brain OnFire. Susannah's best selling memoir about the medical mystery that's changed lives forever...
It's been ten years since the release of Brain OnFire. Susannah's best selling memoir about the medical mystery that's changed lives forever...
12-19-2022 Susannah Cahalan Learn more about the interview and get additional links here: https://thedailyblaze.com/reissuing-of-bestseller-bring-important-updates-to-serious-condition/ Subscribe to the best of our content here: https://priceofbusiness.substack.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCywgbHv7dpiBG2Qswr_ceEQ
This book reignited an interest in neurology and also really made me interested in what “yourself” really is and what truly encompasses it. So listen to me talk about my thoughts on what our blind spots are to ourselves, and how grateful I am to have control over myself where Ms Cahalan didn't. Goodreads Summary: An award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman's struggle to recapture her identity. When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she'd gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened? In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Cahalan tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family's inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn't happen.
In this episode, Clerika discuss Susannah Cahalan's The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness. The book covers the famous Rosenhan experiment, which took place in the late sixties and early seventies and involved regular people faking their way into insane asylums. The experiment helped justify the closing of the asylums and the revamping of the DSM, so it was kind of a big deal. But wait--there's a shocking twist! Which we will annoyingly NOT reveal in the show notes! Links: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/pleasestayontopic https://clarehwang.substack.com/archive Got something to say to us? Email us at pleasestayontopicpod@gmail.com
Annie and Tessa talk with Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire and The Great Pretender. She is maybe the coolest person we've ever met, and we hope you love the conversation. Susannah's books: Brain on Fire The Great Pretender Also discussed:Deep Work by Cal NewportSupport the show
In this episode, Dr. Nath is joined by journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Susannah Cahalan. Susannah recounts her journey as one of the earliest individuals to be diagnosed with anti-NMDA encephalitis and speaks about the writing of her memoir Brain on Fire. Dr. Nath is then joined by Dr. Josep Dalmau, professor at the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies at the University of Barcelona and adjunct professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Dalmau shares how he and his colleagues discovered anti-NMDA encephalitis and the future of treatment options for patients. Additional Resources: https://www.susannahcahalan.com/ https://www.aan.com/research/patient-service-award-recipients Social Media: Guest: Susannah Cahalan @suscahalan Hosts: Dr. Daniel Correa @neurodrcorrea; Dr. Audrey Nath @AudreyNathMDPhD
Mais um episódio do novo segmento do podcast Livros para Pessoas Normais: A Joana lê. Aqui estão os 3 livros mencionados: As Raparigas, de Emma Cline https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32937073-as-raparigas Um terrível verdor, do Benjamin Labatut https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51053737-um-terr-vel-verdor Insana: meu mês de loucura, da Susannah Cahalan https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24828991-insana
On March 1, 2022, Jackie interviewed "Brain on Fire's" Susannah Cahalan for a Humanities North Dakota event, "One Book, One ND." Jackie and Susannah had a riveting conversation about autoimmune encephalitis, life, motherhood, mental health, writing, and more. Humanities North Dakota graciously permitted Jackie to share this interview (complete with an introduction from Jackie's neurologist at the Mayo Clinic) on Brain Fever!If you want to become a Humanities North Dakota member, click here to donate and join. You can then watch the recording of the interview.Thank you to Susannah and to Humanities ND for such a wonderful event!
Susannah Cahalan a NY based journalist was a normal 24-year-old woman just living her best life, when she started to exhibit some strange symptoms. She described life as feeling strange, brighter, louder, and more painful! Her health declined rapidly into paranoia, strange behavioural outbursts, seizures, and ultimately a catatonic state. Despite all the doctor's best efforts, they could not find a cause for her condition, until one bright doctor asked her to draw a clock! FB/IG @robotsforeyespodcast podbelly.com retrovague.com suikerapparel.com robotsforeyespodcast.com
Susannah Cahalan is an American journalist and author. She's best known for her memoir Brain on Fire which chronicles Cahalan's struggle with a rare auto-immune disease called Encephalitis. We talk through her diagnosis journey and the disparities between mental and physical healthcare.
It's October, and you know what that means: the spooky season is upon us! To celebrate, Rachel and Leah spoke with several library staff members about their worst fears & phobias. This episode is a digest of all that dark matter, so listen at your own risk! Check out what we talked about: Books mentioned: "The Butterfly Garden" by Dot Hutchison. "On Death and Dying" by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and "The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying" by Nina Riggs. "Prey" by Linda Howard and "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen. "The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness" by Susannah Cahalan and "Archival Quality" by Ivy Noelle Weir. Movies and TV shows mentioned: The Wicker Man (2006), Director Neil LaBute My Girl (1991), Director Howard Zieff The Walking Dead, AMC Networks The Body Snatcher (1945), Director Robert Wise Over the Garden Wall, Cartoon Network To access complete transcripts for all episodes of Not Your Mother's Library, please visit: oakcreeklibrary.org/podcast Check out books, movies, and other materials through the Milwaukee County Federated Library System: countycat.mcfls.org hoopladigital.com wplc.overdrive.com oakcreeklibrary.org
John interviews Susannah Cahalan, author of the bestselling memoir “Brain on Fire.” In 2009, Susannah's reporting career at the New York Post was derailed by a frightening set of symptoms. She grew paranoid, lost touch with reality, and alienated those around her with aggressive, seemingly inexplicable behavior. This culminated in multiple seizures, a hospital stay, and a diagnosis of anti-NMDA-receptor autoimmune encephalitis — Susannah's body was essentially attacking her own brain. While recovering, she reported on her own case, piecing together the details of a monthlong episode she only partially remembered, and turned it into the subject of her first book. John and Susannah talk about their common experience with different forms of autoimmune encephalitis; her second book, “The Great Pretender,” an investigation into a landmark study in psychiatry; and her next project, a history about women and psychedelics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Dr. Pejman Katiraei is a board certified pediatrician who is also board and fellowship trained in integrative and holistic medicine. He completed his undergraduate at UCLA and then obtained his osteopathic medical degree at Western University of Health Sciences. He then went on to complete a pediatric residency at Loma Linda University, where he stayed on as teaching faculty for over 4 years. Dr. Katiraei has also completed two fellowships in integrative medicine, one with the University of Arizona and another under Dr. Kamyar Hedayat in a French model of integrative medicine called Endobiogeny. Dr. Katiraei is now in private practice in Santa Monica, where he focuses on helping children with severe behavioral challenges. On today's podcast Nicolette talks to Dr. K. about his Holistic Minds digital portal that he is working on to better help kids with their stresses and anxieties. Computers will ask the questions so the doctors can have more time and focus on the physical side. They discuss how kids are born into environmental stressors and how kids are being raised into digital technology which causes cumulative stress responses like aggression, anxiety and depress. Dr. K. deals with what he calls 'Train wreck kids' – children who don't have the ability to regulate themselves and he offers solutions to help transform these children into healthy and thriving children. Find Dr K at: Website: www.wholistickids.com Facebook: @wholistickidsandfamilies Instagram: @wholistickids Discussed on the PODCAST: ‘Simplicity Parenting' Kim John Payne - https://www.amazon.ca/Simplicity-Parenting-Extraordinary-Calmer-Happier/dp/0345507983/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= PANDA or PANDS - https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/pandas/ ‘Brain on Fire' Susannah Cahalan – https://www.amazon.ca/Brain-Fire-My-Month-Madness/dp/1451621388/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1627924598&sr=1-1 Inlight Films – www.inlightfilms.ca If you are currently battling a Chronic Degenerative Disease, Nicolette is doing one on one consultations again. Go to www.nicolettericher.com to set up an appointment today! Our 22M Bike tour is still happening once the world returns to its new normal. Find out more about and support our 22 Million Campaign here - http://www.richerhealth.ca/ Want to improve your health… Click here to access our FREE resources so you can live your best life! https://nicolettericher.com/free-stuff Find out ways you can work with Nicolette to improve your health here: https://nicolettericher.com/work-with-me Join Nicolette at one of her retreats https://richerhealthretreatcentre.com/ Find out more about our non-profit society Sea to Sky Thrivers - https://seatoskythrivers.com/ Want to know more about Nicolette's Green Moustache Café's https://www.greenmoustache.com/ Sign up for the Eat Real to Heal Online Course - https://nicolettericher.com/eat-real-to-heal Buy the Eat Real to Heal Book here: https://www.amazon.ca/Eat-Real-Heal-Medicine-Arthritis/dp/163353782X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1567629190&sr=8-1
When he was working as a manager at Imo's Pizza, Michael Devlin put up a pretty good front. He was personable. Well read. Friendly. But back at his apartment, Michael was a different man. He was rude and quiet. His son, Shawn, appeared to have adopted Michael's habits. Neighbors said they never saw Shawn smile. But what they didn't know was that Shawn wasn't really Michael's son. His name wasn't even Shawn Devlin. It was Shawn Hornbeck. But the truth wouldn't come out until much later, when another boy, Ben Ownby, went missing. Then Brandi tells us about a kidnapping that shook Long Island, New York. It was July 4, 1956. Betty Weinberger's one-month-old infant, Peter, fell asleep in his carriage on the patio. As the little boy slept, Betty went inside the house. When she came back out a few minutes later, her baby boy was gone. Betty's husband later found a ransom note at the scene. In it, the kidnapper demanded $2,000 in exchange for the baby. The kidnapper warned the Weinbergers not to involve the police, but the couple felt they had no choice. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases. In this episode, Kristin pulled from: “Monster next door?” by Malcolm Gay for the Riverfront Times “One search, two boys found: The Missouri miracle 14 years ago,” by Tim O'Neil for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch “Michael Devlin stabbed in prison with ‘ice pick,'” by Todd Frankel for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch “I am still too scared to tell my mom and dad, ‘kidnap' creep admits,” by Susannah Cahalan for the New York Post “Shawn Hornbeck,” Crime Museum “MIchael J. Devlin,” entry on Wikipedia In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Held for Ransom” by Michael Dorman “Mark of a Murderer” by Mike McAlary, Esquire “JUSTICE STORY: Tragic kidnapping of Long Island infant shattered two young families” by Robert Dominguez, New York Daily News “Weinberger Kidnapping” FBI.gov “Vincent LaMarca” wikipedia.org YOU'RE STILL READING? My, my, my, you skeezy scunch! You must be hungry for more! We'd offer you some sausage brunch, but that gets messy. So how about you head over to our Patreon instead? (patreon.com/lgtcpodcast). At the $5 level, you'll get 19+ full length bonus episodes, plus access to our 90's style chat room!
Dr. Doug Pucci graduated from New York Chiropractic College, Long Island, NY, in 1987. His inspiration to be hands-on with patients and chart his own course as a clinician led him to open in private practice in 1990, in Oradell, NJ, where he still devotes himself to caring for patients using holistic, drug-free treatments. In his thirty years, he has become acutely aware of the limitations our current medical system has in treating chronic diseases using “conventional” methodology. In response to this, Dr. Doug Pucci began studying functional disciplines of medicine and neuro-endocrine-immunology together with testing technologies and nutraceutical supplements that are known to reverse disease. The root of his treatment philosophy is about asking relevant questions and discovering why systems are imbalanced. In addition to clinical observation and proper testing, Dr. Pucci also strives to educate patients by spending sufficient time with them explaining the results of their tests, while also supporting them in a broader lifestyle context. On today’s podcast Nicolette and Dr. Pucci discuss Covid, the health care system, chronic diseases, testing, sleep and more. Dr. Pucci is skilled at making the science relevant and relatable when he describes the nature of disease and the ways to reverse disease. When he works with his patients, he takes into consideration the entire body: the brain, central nervous system, spine, organs and glands, immune and endocrine systems and the nutritional chemistry for total healing. You’ll also better understand the role of inflammation in the body, the connection between the gut and the brain, and how 80% of your immune system is actually in your gut ultimately driving your immune system. Dr. Pucci also has a mini course that will take you deeper into the science of healing so that you, too, can achieve optimal health. Find Doug Pucci at: Website: www.drdougpucci.com Minicourse: www.getwell-now.com/minicourse Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @drdougpucci Discussed on the PODCAST: Book - The Brain that Changes Itself, Norman Doidge, MD - https://www.amazon.ca/Brain-That-Changes-Itself-Frontiers/dp/0143113100 Book - Brain on Fire, Susannah Cahalan - https://www.amazon.ca/Brain-Fire-My-Month-Madness/dp/1451621388/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1615230946&sr=1-1 PANDAS & PANS - https://www.anxietycanada.com/disorders/introduction-on-pandas-and-pans/ Alzheimer’s link Panel – Cyrex Laboratories - https://www.joincyrex.com/the-cyrex-system/alzheimers-linx If you are currently battling a Chronic Degenerative Disease, Nicolette is doing one on one consultations again. Go to www.nicolettericher.com to set up an appointment today! Our 22M Bike tour is still happening once the world returns to its new normal. Find out more about and support our 22 Million Campaign here - http://www.richerhealth.ca/ Want to improve your health… Click here to access our FREE resources so you can live your best life! https://nicolettericher.com/free-stuff Find out ways you can work with Nicolette to improve your health here: https://nicolettericher.com/work-with-me Join Nicolette at one of her retreats https://richerhealthretreatcentre.com/ Find out more about our non-profit society Sea to Sky Thrivers - https://seatoskythrivers.com/ Want to know more about Nicolette’s Green Moustache Café’s https://www.greenmoustache.com/ Sign up for the Eat Real to Heal Online Course - https://nicolettericher.com/eat-real-to-heal Buy the Eat Real to Heal Book here: https://www.amazon.ca/Eat-Real-Heal-Medicine-Arthritis/dp/163353782X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1567629190&sr=8-1
Recording of Off the Shelf Radio Show from WDLR with co-hosts George Needham and Nicole Fowles. This week, we talked to author Kate Quinn about her new book The Rose Code. Don't miss our Friends of the Library virtual author visit with Kate and Martah Hall Kelly on Thursday, April 29th at 7:00 pm. Head over to our events calendar to register for this event here! Other books reccommended include Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan. Read more about the episode here. Listen live every Friday morning at 9am https://wdlrradio.com/program-schedule/off-the-shelf/ This episode originally aired on April 16, 2021.
Summary: "Not a real Grandma." This week we all feel a little emotional after watching Minari. Also discussed: Lucky Grandma, our best bathing practices, and the graphic novel Stone Fruit. Show notes: “Minari” Star Alan Kim Gave a Sweet, Emotional Critics Choice Award Speech (Teen Vogue) The Specificity of ‘Minari’ (The Ringer) Make the Case: The Restraint of Steven Yeun in ‘Minari’ (The Ringer) Recommendations: Andrea W.: Stone Fruit by Lee Lai (graphic novel) Andrea G.: Lucky Grandma (Crave) Lisa: Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan (book) Music credits: "Good Times" by Podington Bear From Free Music Archive CC BY 3.0 Theme song "Pyro Flow" by Kevin Macleod From Incompetch CC BY 3.0 Intro bed: "OLPC" by Marco Raaphorst Courtesy of Free Music Archive CC BY-SA 3.0 NL Pop This! Links: Pop This! on TumblrPop This! on iTunes (please consider reviewing and rating us!) Pop This! on Stitcher (please consider reviewing and rating us!) Pop This! on Google PlayPop This! on TuneIn radioPop This! on TwitterPop This! on Instagram Logo design by Samantha Smith Pop This! is two women talking about pop culture. Lisa Christiansen is a broadcaster, journalist and longtime metal head. Andrea Warner is a music critic, author and former horoscopes columnist. Press play and come hang out with your two new best friends. Pop This! podcast is produced by Andrea Gin.
Hosť podcastu: BRANISLAV HROZIENČIK, literárna agentúra Insiders Zhovárame sa o novej úžasnej encyklopédii Knihy, ktoré ovplyvnili dejiny. Čím je originálna? Čo v nej nájdete a prečo by nemala chýbať vo vašej domácej knižnici? Venujeme sa niektorým konkrétnym knihám, dizajnu, grafickej stránke knihy. Hovoríme aj o nadnárodnom vydavateľstve tých najlepších encyklopédií Dorling Kindersley. Ako funguje spolupráca vydavateľstiev a literárnej agentúry Insiders, ktorá ich zastupuje v 29 krajinách? Čo znamená pojem category killer? Ktoré témy a oblasti v encyklopédiách letia u nás najviac? Ďalšie tipy na knižné novinky: Parížska knižnica - predstaví autorka Janet Skeslien Charles + úryvok číta Lucia Hurajová detektívka Čierne leto - viac povie autor M.W.Craven + úryvok číta Matej Landl krimi Vražda na ostrove Camino - hovorí John Grisham + úryvok číta Vlado Kobielsky detektívka Agathy Christie Vraždiť je hračka psychologický príbeh Majster pretvárky - viac povie autorka Susannah Cahalan a šéfredaktorka Danka Jacečková dojímavý príbeh Dom z iného sveta predstaví autorka Malgorzata Strekowska-Zaremba a prekladateľka Silvia Kaščáková Fyzioterapeut a bežec Chris Napier z Kanady predstaví svoju knihu Beh nová detská séria Zvierací agenti - Už letíme, zvieratká 3.diel série Holubí agenti - priblíži prekladateľ Peter Slížik
Susannah Cahalan är ung, framgångsrik och lever sitt drömliv i New York, men sakta men säkert börjar hennes tillvaro långsamt förändras och tillslut tappar hon helt kontrollen över sin värld. Brandon Soules är en helt vanlig kille som jobbar på en bilverkstad, men hans pappas gömda skatt i öknen gör honom till ett hett byte. Se bilder från fallen på vår Instagram Gilla oss på Facebook See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Wherein Beth and Matt discuss why we watch horror, choke holds, psychic driving experiments and the CIA, St. Sebastian, and asking why Netflix or someone won't just pick up season 4 already. Some things we cover: Saint Sebastian: History's first gay icon? by Kittredge Cherry The Manchurian Candidate 25 Years of Nightmares (David Remnick on psychic driving) The Birth of Soft Torture (Rebecca Lemov on psychic driving) Errol Morris' Wormwood on Netflix The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan
Susannah Cahalan tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen. Her New York Times bestselling book “Brain on Fire” was adapted for a movie starring Chloe Grace Moretz as her. It’s an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance. She was a healthy young person working at her dream job, The New York Post when she began having grand mal seizures and babbling. Her increasing paranoia and seizures were misdiagnosed by a neurologist as partying too hard combined with stress. Eventually, she’d become catatonic, trapped in her body unable to speak, write, or get thoughts out. Susannah was diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder with video of her in the hospital heartbreakingly capturing her real panic as she hallucinates she’s on the news while using the remote to try to call for help. After many misdiagnoses and on the verge of being “locked up” in a psych ward, a miracle doctor, Dr. Najjar comes along and asks her to draw a clock. The lopsided image opened up clues leading to a brain biopsy and spinal tap, she’s diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, a medical explanation pretending to be psychiatric. Her personal experience leads her deeper into the study of other “Great Pretenders,” the same name as her second New York Times best-selling book. She’d blow the lid on a groundbreaking 1973 study called “On Being Sane in Insane Places” that rocked the psychiatric world and still does. Susannah lives in Brooklyn with her husband and twin toddlers. SHOW NOTE LINKS: Susannah Cahalan Website Video of Susannah When Her Brain is On Fire Rachel's List- Fourteen Incredible Memoirs about Mental Illness and Addiction Rachel's List- Four MORE Insightful Memoirs and Non-Fiction Books about Mental Illness and Addiction The Angel and the Assassin by Donna Jackson Nakazawa Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying: Essays by Bassey Ikpi My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.
Hey guys, it's Christmas 2020! Erika is a practicing Christian, and Clare is an atheist who really enjoys presents, so we're audi today. However, we do have a minisode to tide you over until next week! When we were recording episode one, about Susannah Cahalan's "The Great Pretender," we ended up having to cut a section for time. Now, here it is! You should definitely listen to episode 1 before diving into this week's ep, but otherwise it should be fairly self-explanatory. Happy Holidays! See you next week! Got Something to Say to Us? rudehistorypodcast@gmail.com Social Media! @rudehistory on twitter, instagram, and facebook rudehistoryeducation on tumblr
What to Read Wednesdays comes at you every other Wednesday and is your one stop for reading, watching and listening recommendations from your favorite library staff members! This week's episode features recommendations from podcast host Annie, Mark at Powell, Jenny from Outreach, & Kristen from Orange! Books recommended include Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan, The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation by Rod Dreher and The Electric Hotel by Dominic Smith. Read more recommendations here: https://libraryaware.com/279157 Email us with book recommendations, suggestions, & feedback at whattoread@delawarelibrary.org
Today Robin is joined by author and journalist Susannah Cahalan. Her first book, Brain on Fire, was a smash hit memoir about contracting a rare auto-immune disease, anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis that was turned into a film of the same name with Chloë Grace Moretz playing the role of Susannah. Her new book is The Great Pretender in which she investigates the work of prominent psychologist David Rosenhan and how is famed experiments may not hold up to scrutiny. Note: This was recorded on the same day as last week's episode when Josie was indisposed. To hear an extended edition of this episode subscribe to Patreon on patreon.com/bookshambles
Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicide, graphic self-harm, and general discussion of mental illness. And we are BACK! We're going to a new season system so that Clare actually has time to research, and we're starting off with a Social Justice Book Club entry. This week, we cover Susannah Cahalan's The Great Pretender. Cahalan's book begins as an investigation into the Rosenhan experiment, in which a handful of people faked their way into mental institutions back in the late 1960s/early 1970s. From there, the book spirals out into a broader discussion of the history and present state of mental health care in the United States. Spoiler: It's real bad, folks. Got Something to Say to Us? rudehistorypodcast@gmail.com Social Media! @rudehistory on twitter, instagram, and facebook rudehistoryeducation on tumblr
If you contracted COVID will you then be protected from further infections and illness from SARS-CoV-2 in the future? We’re starting to hear about cases of people being infected by the novel coronavirus for a second time. A handful of these cases have been published in peer reviewed journals. Nottingham University’s Professor of Virology Jonathan Ball discusses how big the problem of reinfection might be. Is it likely to be a common event which could hamper efforts to bring the pandemic under control? In the latest in our series interviewing the shortlisted authors from this year’s Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize, Susannah Cahalan talks to Adam Rutherford about her investigative journalism into the scientific mystery that is mental illness. Her book ‘The Great Pretender - The Undercover Mission that Changed our Understanding of Madness’ focuses on a fundamental experiment carried out in the 1970s by renowned Stanford University Professor of Psychology David Rosenhan. His famous study was published in Science under the title ‘Being Sane in Insane Places’ and describes using ‘pseudo-patients’ to test whether they would be spotted presenting at psychiatric institutions in the US. They weren’t! His findings proceeded to shape modern psychology and psychiatry. It has been a study that Susannah, has come to find rather mysterious, with elaborate descriptions that don’t always seem to add up. Mental illness and applied neuroscience remain tricky disciplines to navigate, but Susannah has had personal experience with her own misdiagnosis of schizophrenia when she has an autoimmune brain disease. COVID does funny things to your sense of smell: Adam got a heightened sense of smell, producer Fi totally lost her sense of smell, and Inside Science reporter, Geoff Marsh – well… his sense of smell just got weird. To find out why, Geoff called in Professors Mathew Cobb, an expert on smell at the University of Manchester, and Tim Spector from Kings College London whose symptom tracker app was instrumental in getting changes to sense of smell on the symptom list for COVID. Presenter – Adam Rutherford Producers– Fiona Roberts and Andrew Luck-Baker Produced in collaboration with the Open University
Yoda the cat keeps jumping on my lap with his mouse toy as we play fetch and I keep reminding him that it's Your Life on Purpose work time. But he doesn't seem to understand, so if you hear a mouse squeaking toy, that's him saying hello. I just poured a delicious cup of coffee and am thinking of my students who -- about to enter their last year of school- are struggling to find clarity in their life's direction. Today's episode is all about finding clarity. Because, let's face it: we all feel a little lost at some point in time. I know I have before and it's led to some of my favorite memories. It turns out, however, that this is a good sign. It's a sign that we are pushing ourselves beyond status quo and hearing what Joseph Campbell calls “The Call to Adventure” or as I like to call it, The Call to Purpose. It's an inward journey. One that does slay dragons, meets mystical maidens and knights, and takes one far beyond the earlier reaches of adolescent maturity. It's one's collective evolution into a higher form of one's self. A journey that from the observer may look nothing out of the ordinary, but on the inside involves miles of spiritual vagabonding. -------------- Feeling lost sucks. It feels like floating on a life raft in the middle of the ocean of life as you watch a shark fin circle around and around and around. Try these paths the next time you feel a little lost: Writing for the Purpose of Investigation Yes, I'm a bit biased here, but writing is so often overlooked as a vehicle to draw out clarity in one's life. Why does it work? Because when we sit down to write (like in a journal), we bring to light meaning that has been inside us all the time. Just 5 minutes a day, trust me, with one day setting aside a bit more time to let your mind dance. This is what the Beat Generation writers are so famous for. Writers like Kerouac would hike to the top of a mountain, yell in splendor, then write feverishly in their journal writing down everything and anything that came up from the bottom of their mind. You meet a new part of your self every time you sit down to write. Meditation to Investigate The Senses Like writing, when we sit down to meditate, we grow more confident in the uncomfortable. As the mind races, we pull the mind in with the smooth and steady inhale and exhale and allow muddy water to settle. Just watch the TED talk by Amy Cuddy. Cuddy's research shows us how when we move the body into postures that display confidence, our hormones shift into actually feeling more confident. Meditation requires confident posture: spine stacked, shoulders gently rolled back, slight lift in the chest bone. Want to try meditation? Take a listen to a few meditations I made at yourlop.com or you can find them on Insight Timer. Living From The Heart The Yoga Sutras call this purusa. It basically means to practice two forms of love: self-love and compassion to others. To live from the heart means to let go of the past and to stop beating oneself up and to send love to what has brought us harm. During a meditation not too long ago, for instance, I couldn't stop from thinking about the tiny bugs that have brought Lyme Disease into my family and caused my wife (and me by extension) so much grief and torment. I kept imagining the bugs crawling throughout her body and felt carnal anger rise in me. So, instead of ignoring it, I focused on it intensely. I switched from hate to love. What happened surprised me. I immediately saw the Lyme spirochetes as living and breathing organisms just like myself. I began to feel compassion for them. They need a host and require my wife's body to fuel their life. They don't mean any harm, but instead are seeking out clarity in their own primitive life. Instead of wishing them dead, I felt love for them because I understood them. I imagined a radiant light and with a newfound appreciation for the spirochetes, I imagined telling the spirochetes that they are no longer welcome. Their harm is no longer welcome. They must move on. Since this meditation, I've gained clarity on what Lyme Disease has taught me and my family. It's deepened my love for my wife, fueled my desire for personal growth, and has brought to the forefront that which is important in my life: love, laughter, and gratitude. Vicarious Learning I'm a sucker for a good memoir. Why? Because unlike a personal development book like the many written by Dr. Wayne Dyer and Joseph Campbell (among others), a good memoir goes deeper into the anecdotes of another person's human experience. Through learning of another's struggle or suffering — called dukkha in Sanskrit — we can gain clarity in our own lives. Recently, I picked up the memoir, Brain on Fire, and have just a few pages left to finish it. I'm devouring this story because it relates so much to what I've seen my wife go through the past few years. A one-time writer for The New York Post, Susannah Cahalan, went from lexicon extraordinaire to brain-fogged flight risk in the psych ward in a matter of days. After many weeks of ambiguous doctor reports that summed up the hospitals confusion, doctors finally found out that inflammation of the brain caused Cahalan to lose her identity and motor function. Brain fog, lethargy, a roller coaster of emotions — this became the day-to-day for Cahalan. This is not much different from what I've watched my wife go through. Reading Cahalan's story, helps me empathize more with my wife. It helps me find clarity through compassion. Letting Go to Float Call it “Letting Go and Letting God” as Dr. Wayne Dyer used to say or call it Isvarapranidhana as Patanjali did thousands of years ago, it's the same thing. When we let go and realize that there's a higher power at play, it's a bit like learning to swim. When we first try to swim, we flail and exhaust our energy. Eventually, through practice and coaching, we learn how to let go into the buoyancy: we undulate our body efficiently so we can glide through water. As long as we breathe, we float. Thank you for joining me :)
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