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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

ABC Australia

Why do people lie? Why do relationships fall apart? Can trauma change your brain?

Every week on All in the Mind, award-winning journalist Sana Qadar explores the psychology behind the biggest questions in our lives — how we think, feel and behave.

Featuring leading experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross, you'll hear personal stories and practical insights that will leave you thinking long after the podcast ends.

Whether it's debunking pop psychology trends or translating the latest neuroscience research, more than 100,000 listeners join Sana each month to learn the best strategies for surviving life with your mental health intact.

All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and was awarded Best Health and Wellness podcast at the 2026 Australian Audio Awards

All In The Mind

Reading is good for you, but fiction has added benefits.

So how does reading work in the brain? Why are stories so impactful? 

And why, in this era of book clubs and booktok, are literacy rates not thriving?

Get your votes in for Radio National's Top 100 Books Countdown before October 1st. 

Guests:

Professor Genevieve McArthurAustralian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy, ACUDirector of Research Translation, Dyslexia SPELD Foundation

Dr Lili YuSenior Lecturer, School of Psychological SciencesMacquarie University Centre for Reading

Dr Raymond MarProfessor of PsychologyYork University

J.A. (Jess) StevensAuthor, A Change of Pace

BecJess' partner

Credits:

 • Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar
 • Reporter/producer: Rose Kerr
 • Senior producer: James Bullen
 • Sound engineer: Tim Jenkins

Resources:

Reading Writing Hotline • 1300 6 555 06
Literacy for Life FoundationDyslexia SPELD foundation
More information:

More than 1 in 3 Australian adults are functionally illiterate. How can we fix this?The benefits of reading narrative fictionA chapter a day: Association of book reading with longevityWhat Chinese can teach us about readingToo many students have 'reading anxiety'. New research suggests it is triggered by problems in primary schoolReading and associations with brain health, cognition, well-being, and mental health
To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Trying to read more? Your brain will thank you

The trauma of war and displacement has a negative impact on the mental health of hundreds of thousands of refugees around the world. Australian researchers recently travelled to a large refugee camp in Bangladesh* where around 500,000 Rohingya people are living. The researchers found that sports and exercise programs make a huge difference to these refugees' physical and mental health, and to their well-being.

*There are around 900,000 Rohingya refugees now living in Bangladesh

Refugees, sport, and mental health

In English there's no single word to describe an anxiety about how much aeroplane flight is damaging our environment. But in Swedish the word for this anxiety is 'flygskam'. And perhaps, having a word for this specific emotion may change the way we think about it Come on our tour of culture and language to explore some strange destinations and untranslatable emotions.

Untranslatable emotions

Our guest, Rhonda Macken, tells her remarkable story—a testament to the power of human creativity and resilience in the face of unimaginable childhood trauma. Rhonda created a complex jigsaw of multiple personalities as protection against her harsh reality. Now in her 70s, and after years of intense psychotherapy, she's fully integrated and enjoying the love of her family.

Creating selves to survive

Is an enlightened planet possible? Co-writers of a new film and book called The Portal say it is—through the power of collective meditation. They share personal stories of inspiring individuals who have come through adversity by reflecting inwards, using meditation. Hope for humankind may lie in the cumulative effect of individual meditation and whether mindfulness can promote empathy.

Meditation for the collective good

The Big Anxiety festival uses the arts and lived experience to re-imagine mental health. Through creativity and innovative technology, empathy replaces fear and stigma. Virtual reality worlds open up to an optimistic future and offer insight from ancient indigenous stories.

Empathy for mental health through the arts

Gabby was on an emotional roller-coaster, feeling empty and needy. After lashing out in anger, she’d regret it and say sorry over and over again. Her partner, Eliza, felt like she was walking on eggshells, always fearful of arousing Gabby’s intense emotions. Gabby was diagnosed with the highly stigmatised Borderline Personality Disorder. They share their journey together to a calmer and happier life.

** Trigger warning: please note that this interview contains references to self-harm, abuse, and violence**

A roller-coaster of emotion—Borderline Personality Disorder

When Tim was 11 years old he created his own superhero. Laser Beak Man now appears in colourful artworks showing Tim’s unique sense of humour connected to his literal understanding of language. And when Oakley was 5 years old he drew a pirate, inspiring his mother to write a kids’ book to raise understanding about autism and difference.

Autism and superheroes

Meet an Australian philosopher and cultural analyst who spent 20 years of his life addicted to just about every drug you could imagine. His best work was done when he was enveloped in haze of cannabis smoke, he prowled local pharmacies to score large doses of codeine, and drank until he lost consciousness. Amazingly he lives to eloquently share his insights into the thought processes of an addict.

A memoir on drugs and addiction

Anxiety is an essential human emotion—it kicks in to protect us from threats—but sometimes those threats are only perceived. When worries start to become overwhelming, approximately 25 per cent of us experience clinical anxiety. But it is highly treatable. A ten-year-old girl and a 30-year-old man share their anxious thoughts and their strategies to manage them.

Anxiety—and the 'worry bully'

Trauma has a deep impact on the lives of survivors. It’s associated with mental and physical health problems, including substance abuse, and neuroscience is showing that a traumatic memory is quite different from a normal memory. Mental health services now realise that early trauma must be taken into account as an essential part of recovery from mental distress.

Trauma, memory, and mental health

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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