In this episode of Messy Minded, we explore how the brain builds reality through perception, memory, and emotion—and how that process can sometimes go wrong. From sensory perception and optical illusions to false memories, cognitive bias, and the neuroscience behind how we interpret the world, your mind is constantly filling in gaps with its best guess.

We’ll look at how memory reconsolidation can change your past, why eyewitness testimony isn’t always reliable, and how psychological phenomena like the McGurk effect and Pareidolia reveal the limits of human perception.

We’ll also dive into sensory deprivation, hallucinations, and moral psychology—exploring how even your emotions and sense of right and wrong can be influenced by physical sensations like disgust.

Your brain is an incredible prediction machine… but it doesn’t show you reality—it constructs it.

And sometimes?

It gets it wrong.

@MessyMindedPod

Sources:

Anil Seth – Being You: A New Science of Consciousness

Cronin et al. (2014) – Visual ecology (UV vision in animals)

Orfield Laboratories (Minneapolis) – Anechoic chamber research & demonstrations

Eskine et al. (2013) – Ginger reducing disgust → more lenient judgments

Many thanks for music by:

SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", “Quirky Sneaky”, “Quirky Sneaky Mystery”, “Quirky Sneaky Comedy” Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov, "spellcraft" by Geoff Harvey.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What started with a tree blocking a line of sight quickly escalated into violence, a tense military confrontation, and one of the most heavily armed “landscaping” operations in history.

In this Messy Morsel, we head into the Joint Security Area of the DMZ—where North and South Korean forces stood face-to-face, tensions ran high, and even the smallest actions could carry enormous consequences.

Because in a place like that…

nothing is ever just about a tree.

@MessyMinded

If you want to ready more on the topics - check these out:

• United Nations Command historical summaries on the Korean DMZ incident
• U.S. Army Center of Military History – Operation Paul Bunyan overview
• News World Encyclopedia – Korean DMZ & Joint Security Area history
• Blaxland, John. The Joint Security Area at Panmunjom (Australian National University)
• Oberdorfer, Don. The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History
• Various historical accounts and declassified Cold War materials on the 1976 Korean Axe Murder Incident 

Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", "funny Comedy Kids", and The Mountain for "Quirky Sneaky Mystery", “Lucky go Lightly Quirky” by Geoff Harvey, and "Tension" by Alex Grohl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Easter… apparently.

In this Messy Morsel, Jess digs into the strange mix of traditions behind one of the most confusing holidays of the year—tracing its roots through ancient spring rituals, shifting beliefs, and a few ideas that somehow just stuck around.

It’s a little history, a little myth, and a reminder that even the messiest traditions tend to circle back to something deeply human.

Primary reference to Bede (De Temporum Ratione, 8th century) for “Eosturmonath” and Eostre; broader context from Ronald Hutton (The Stations of the Sun) on seasonal festivals and pre-Christian traditions; general scholarship on Germanic spring rituals and fertility symbolism; Eastern Orthodox traditions for red-dyed eggs and resurrection symbolism; German folklore (16th–17th century) for the “Osterhase” and early Easter hare traditions; development of modern Easter customs (chocolate eggs, candy, baskets) tied to 19th–20th century European and American confectionery industry and consumer culture.

A big thank you for our music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", “Celtic Handmaiden” by Geoff Harvey, Easter Day Spring Music" by Andrii G, "Quirky Children Music" by , "Funny Comedy Kids" by

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A pope ordered the body of his predecessor to be dug up… and placed on trial. 

The event became known as the Cadaver Synod, and it remains one of the most bizarre episodes in the long history of the Catholic Church. 

In this Messy Morsel, Jess explores the strange political rivalry that led to this shocking spectacle, the surreal courtroom scene that followed, and the consequences that came when the people of Rome saw what their leaders had done. 

Sometimes history is serious. 

And sometimes… 

it involves putting a corpse on trial. 

@MessyMindedPod

Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", “Bone Tower” by DSTechnician 

For further reading try: Liutprand of Cremona. 

Antapodosis (Retribution) – Book VI. 

10th-century chronicle describing the Cadaver Synod and papal politics of the period. 

Auxilius of Naples. 

Libellus de Ordinationibus a Formoso Papa Factis. 

Written during the controversy surrounding Formosus’s ordinations and the Cadaver Synod. 

Moore, Michael Edward. 

The Body of Pope Formosus. 

Speculum 84, no. 2 (2009). 

One of the most detailed modern academic analyses of the Cadaver Synod and its political context. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jess reflects on what the testing revealed, the coping structures she’s built over the years, and what it means to understand your brain a little better.

@MessyMindedPod

https://open.spotify.com/show/3htrTJx4ORepBRYxJ7ZGPv?si=0f78e1cd20114a98

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messy-minded-podcast/id1819603605

Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", catch 22music for "Yeah Baby Yeah", "funny COmedy Kids", and The Mountain for "Quirky Sneaky".

Sound effects by Do what you want "Ritual" and Sdanezis "Moving transition SFX"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Messy Minded, we unpack what was actually said during the House Oversight hearing, including claims from former intelligence officer David Grusch about alleged crash-retrieval programs and “non-human biologics.” We also revisit the now-famous Navy encounters involving David Fravor and Ryan Graves, including the near-miss incidents, the Gimbal and GoFast videos, and what those recordings do — and do not — show.

What was presented as firsthand evidence?

What was secondhand testimony?

What has been officially confirmed — and what remains unproven?

Along the way, we look at why public reaction was surprisingly muted, how intelligence agencies perfected the art of “neither confirm nor deny,” and why both scientists and lawmakers are calling for better data sharing and oversight.

Astronomer Professor Chris Impey joins in to help ground the conversation in astrophysics, probability, and the realities of interstellar travel.

No tinfoil hats required — just curiosity, skepticism, and a willingness to sit in the uncomfortable middle.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The episode weaves together Aztec mythology and the god Xolotl, neoteny, and the misunderstood “smile”. We also confront the collapse of wild axolotl populations in Lake Xochimilco, conservation efforts, and why one of the most studied animals on Earth is critically endangered in its natural habitat.

Funny, dark, science-forward, and unexpectedly philosophical, this episode asks what it means to stay in a liminal state — and whether sometimes the smartest move isn’t to transform at all.

@MessyMindedPod

https://open.spotify.com/show/3htrTJx4ORepBRYxJ7ZGPv?si=0f78e1cd20114a98

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messy-minded-podcast/id1819603605

A foundational overview of axolotl regeneration can be found in “Regeneration in the Axolotl: A Model for Mammalian Wound Healing” published in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. Other sources for this episode were a 2018 paper “The Axolotl Genome and the Evolution of Key Tissue Formation Regulators” in Nature, work by James Godwin and colleagues, particularly “Macrophages Are Required for Adult Salamander Limb Regeneration” published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), The Journal of Experimental Biology and Integrative Zoology,and Biological Conservation. Myth largely from various internet searches and “Aztec Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of the Aztecs” by David Carrasco and “The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya” by Mary Miller and Karl Taube. 

Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", "Quirky sneaky memes background music" by Mykola Odnoroh, "Bass Stories" by Unknown Artist, "Latin Mexican Latino Music" by HitsLab and Levgen Poltavsky, "On TipToe" by Geoff Harvey, and Music by IKOLIKS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess traces how a medieval dancing plague became a medical diagnosis… and how that same name resurfaced generations later in her own family, attached to a childhood illness, a period of restraint, and a very unexpected form of therapy.

This is a story about what happens when bodies refuse to behave — and how, when language fails, we reach for meaning wherever we can find it.

https://open.spotify.com/show/3htrTJx4ORepBRYxJ7ZGPv?si=6e5942d7bf1746bd

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messy-minded-podcast/id1819603605

@MessyMindedPod

Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", Vibehorn "French France Music (See their website at vibehorn.com)

St. Vitus’ Dance

Dancing Plague of 1518

Strasbourg dancing plague

Medieval mass hysteria

Mass psychogenic illness

Chorea

Sydenham’s chorea

Medical history

History of medicine

Medieval Europe

Saints and superstition

Saint Vitus

John the Baptist

Religious belief and illness

Mind–body connection

Autoimmune disorders

Pre-antibiotic medicine

Childhood illness history

Unexplained historical phenomena

True history podcast

Weird history

Medical mysteries

Psychology and culture

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess explores the digital afterlife: the growing world of AI griefbots, memorial chatbots, and artificial companions trained on the voices, messages, and personalities of people who have died.

Ela Darling (adult entertainer, worlds 1st VR camgirl, ex-librarian, former co-host of the 'Ill Repute' podcast, and not-so-secret nerd) guests this episode for Jess as they dive into the ethical, psychological, and emotional questions behind griefbots and “dead chatbots” — from early experiments and viral apps to real stories of people using AI to cope with loss.

Together, they explore:

• What griefbots are and how they work
• The rise of AI-powered digital afterlife tools
• Why this technology feels both comforting and unsettling
• Whether griefbots help with mourning — or prolong it
• Ethical concerns around consent, memory, and digital legacy
• Potential risks, including emotional dependence and manipulation
• How grief, memory, and identity change when AI enters the picture

Whether you’re curious about AI, grieving someone you love, or just trying to understand where technology is taking us next, this episode sits right in the uncomfortable middle — where most honest questions live.

Topics include:

AI griefbots, digital afterlife, memorial chatbots, grief and technology, ethics of AI, AI companions, digital legacy, mourning and memory, artificial intelligence and grief, emotional AI, Black Mirror comparisons, consent after death.

And yes — Ela may or may not place a fake curse on humanity that ensures her opinions echo forever. You’ve been warned.

This episode isn’t here to tell you what to think — just to give you better questions to sit with.

https://open.spotify.com/show/3htrTJx4ORepBRYxJ7ZGPv?si=6e5942d7bf1746bd

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messy-minded-podcast/id1819603605

@MessyMindedPod

@ElaDarlingX

ElaDarling.com

Sources & Further Reading

Grief, Psychology & Memory

• Worden, J. W. Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy
• Neimeyer, R. A. (2019). Meaning Reconstruction in Bereavement
• Shear, M. K. (2015). Complicated grief and neural processing
• Harvard Medical School — grief and neuroplasticity research

AI Griefbots & Digital Afterlife

• Eugenia Kuyda & the origins of Replika (following the death of Roman Mazurenko, 2015)
• MIT Technology Review — “The Chatbots That Help You Grieve”
• The Verge — coverage on AI companions and emotional attachment
• Wired — digital resurrection, memorial AI, and ethics
• University of Kent & University of Cambridge research on posthumous chatbots and user responses

Ethics, Consent & Technology

• Mozilla Foundation — AI ethics and emotional manipulation
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) — data privacy and consent
• EU AI Act discussions on emotional AI systems
• Stanford Human-Centered AI — long-term impacts of conversational AI

Scams & Social Engineering

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports
• FTC guidance on impersonation scams and emotional manipulation
• Studies on authority-based persuasion and compliance psychology

Listener Note

This episode discusses grief, death, and emotional vulnerability. Please take care while listening, and step away if you need to.

Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", Geoff Harvey for "Mischief Maker", and Audio Coffee for "Funny", BFC Music "Funny Comedy Kids",

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas Secrets explores the hidden rituals, anonymous kindnesses, secret identities, and strange traditions that surface during the holiday season — stories that are rarely advertised and often deeply personal.

From secret celebrations held behind locked doors, to anonymous gifts left without explanation, to Santas who absolutely should not have been trusted with anonymity — this episode is a reflective look at what people do when the year is ending, the nights are long, and no one is really watching.

Music credit goes to SoundPlusUA and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezsalov for "Spark Groove", "Dark Somber Serious", Nikita Kondrashev "spooky horror piano"and "Cosy Quirky Comedy", Geoff Harvey "Playdate", "Our Christmas", "More Fun and Games", and "Lucky go lightly quirky", BFC Music "Christmas Party time", "Funny Comedy Kids", music for video "Christmas Magic Night",

Christmas secrets, strange Christmas traditions, hidden Christmas stories, mysterious Christmas, dark side of Christmas, Christmas folklore, unusual holiday traditions, Santa stories, acts of kindness, storytelling

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Smithsonian Magazine — https://www.smithsonianmag.com/

LIFE Magazine Archive — https://books.google.com/books/about/LIFE.html

Atomic Ranch — https://www.atomic-ranch.com/

Paleofuture (Smithsonian) — https://paleofuture.com/

Atomic Age design resources

Official Site — http://www.thevenusproject.com/

Future by Design (documentary)

Zeitgeist Addendum (documentary)

World’s Fair Museum — https://worldsfairusa.com/

WIRED — https://www.wired.com/

National Archives — https://www.archives.gov/

r/RetroFuturism — https://www.reddit.com/r/RetroFuturism/

What did people in the 1950s and '60s think the year 2000 would look like? Flying cars? Robot maids? A kitchen that cooked dinner with the push of one shiny chrome button? A perfectly cheerful smart home that—ideally—didn’t spy on you?

In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess dives into the gloriously unhinged futures we once imagined: from retro-futuristic dream houses made of plastic, to food pills that never took off, to Cold War fallout shelters disguised as cozy family retreats. We’ll wander through world’s fairs, peek inside mid-century “homes of tomorrow,” and explore how sci-fi—from The Jetsons to The Matrix—shaped the future we’re living in now (and the future we definitely aren’t).

Along the way, we’ll visit the Venus Project, revisit the push-button optimism of the Atomic Age, and laugh at the predictions that aged like milk. Think of it as a guided tour through yesterday’s tomorrows — equal parts hopeful, weird, and wonderfully wrong.

Curl up with your metaphorical space blanket, hop into the retro time machine, and join me for a trip to the future… as imagined by the past.

Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Bobby Cole for "Fifties Jukebox Moods Full" and "Milkshake Girl", Black Scorpion Music-Ali Afshar for "Matrix", "Get Ready",

William Medeirosri for "Tension" , Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", Geoff Harvey for "Mischief Maker", and Audio Coffee for "Funny"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://shows.acast.com/messy-minded-podcast

https://www.instagram.com/messymindedpod/

https://www.tiktok.com/@messymindedpod

https://www.youtube.com/@MessyMindedPod

Sources:

An Abbreviated History of Gatlinburg – Gatlinburg Inn

Gatlinburg – The Story of Radford Gatlin – Visit My Smokies Staff

Gatlinburg History from the 1700s – Today – Elk Springs Resort Blog Team

Music by:SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", and "Cosy Quirky Comedy"

#History

#AmericanHistory

#Appalachia

#Tennessee

#SmokyMountains

#Folklore

#WeirdHistory

#SmallTownHistory

#Storytelling

#MessyMinded

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In this short and snack-sized episode of Messy Minded, Jess explores the limbic system — the emotional part of the brain involved in trauma, fear, memory, emotional regulation, and survival responses. We’ll talk about why the limbic system reacts the way it does, how it stores old emotional patterns, and how to start healing trauma gently through self-regulation, nervous system care, and patterned safety.

https://shows.acast.com/messy-minded-podcast

https://www.instagram.com/messymindedpod/

https://www.tiktok.com/@messymindedpod

https://www.youtube.com/@MessyMindedPod

Sources:

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

PsychologyToday.org (Therapist Finder)

Harvard Health – Brain & Emotion Overview

Yale Scientific – The Science of Emotions

NICABM – How Trauma Triggers the Nervous System

Greater Good Science Center – Mindfulness Overview

The Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges

American Psychological Association – Types of Therapists

Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", "Cosy Quirky Comedy", Geoff Harvey for "Lucky go lightly", Audio Coffee for "Funny"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I tumble headfirst into the weird, wonderful history of Halloween — from druids and divine wars to bonfires, banshees, and the night the fairies basically handed humanity the keys to the world. Grab your pumpkin spice and a flashlight — things are about to get folklorically flammable.

https://shows.acast.com/messy-minded-podcast

https://www.instagram.com/messymindedpod/

https://www.tiktok.com/@messymindedpod

https://www.youtube.com/@MessyMindedPod

Sources:

Encyclopædia Britannica, “Samhain” – britannica.com/topic/Samhain

Ronald Hutton, The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain (Oxford University Press, 1996)

National Museum of Ireland, “The Festival of Samhain” – museum.ie/en-IE/Museums/Country-Life/Exhibitions/Folklife-Collections/The-Festival-of-Samhain

Library of Congress, Headlines & Heroes Blog: “The Origins of Halloween Traditions” – blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/10/the-origins-of-halloween-traditions

History.com Editors, “History of Halloween” – history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

Wikipedia, “Samhain,” “All Saints’ Day,” and “Cottingley Fairies” – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Day; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottingley_Fairies

BBC, “The Truth About the Cottingley Fairies” – bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42456384

Leeds University Library Galleries, The Cottingley Fairies: A Study in Deception – artsandculture.google.com/story/lgVB6Ceti9WVAw

Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Sosin Mykola "Halloween Spooky Eerie Music", Mykola Sosin "Mystery Mystic Mystical Music" and "Eerie - Wizard Mystery Music", MMAudio for "Chasing Faries", Hits Lab - Levgren Poltavsky " Halloween Background Music" and War Battle Military Drums", "Hunters of darkness epic and mystical fantasy music", Leigh Robinson " Alban Arthan (The Druids Christmas", scary horror creepy music, "Secret Room"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://shows.acast.com/messy-minded-podcast

Music by SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Geoff Harvey "Spellcraft", ProgressiveTape "Gaslight Waltz", Jerome Chauvel "Middle Eastern Desert", Nick Panek "Energetic Rockabilly Instrumental", Denis Pavlov Music "Magical Ritual Shaman Amazonian Indians", Geoff Harvey "The Secret Room". Andorios "Gypsy Moderate", "Funny and Scary", Levgen Poltavski "Scary Horror Creepy Music", Studio3D Music "Podcast music good vibe", and Dmitry Taras "Scary Horror Music".

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we ever carved pumpkins, there was Jack: a trickster, a drunk, and the reason we light a candle every Halloween night. In this Messy Minded Halloween story, Jess retells the eerie Irish legend that gave us the jack-o’-lantern — and explains why some lights aren’t meant to go out.

https://shows.acast.com/messy-minded-podcast

https://www.instagram.com/messymindedpod/

https://www.tiktok.com/@messymindedpod

https://www.youtube.com/@MessyMindedPod

Music by: Sosin Mykola "Halloween Spooky Eerie Music" and SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don’t miss Part 2, dropping October 23rd, with even more terrifying tales, legendary hexes, and famous spooky cursed objects.

🎃 And on October 30th, tune in for our special Halloween episode packed with creepy stories to make your skin crawl.

https://shows.acast.com/messy-minded-podcast

Sources include:

Oxford Dictionary of Superstitions – Opie & Tatem

Cursed Objects – J.W. Ocker (for haunted items and cultural fear of curses)

The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland – Steve Roud

Folklore and the Supernatural – Jacqueline Simpson

History.com – “The Kennedy Curse”

Road & Track – “The Story Behind James Dean’s Cursed Car”

The Burning of Bridget Cleary – Angela Bourke

Irish Folklore Commission Archives

The Evil Eye: The Classic Account of an Ancient Superstition – Frederick Thomas Elworthy

The Mexican American Folk Healing Tradition – Robert T. Trotter II

Magical Household – Scott Cunningham & David Harrington

Folklife Today – Salt in Superstition

Yurei: The Japanese Ghost – Zack Davisson

Signs, Cures, and Witchery: German Appalachian Folklore – Gerald Milnes

The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries – W.Y. Evans-Wentz

Music by SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Geoff Harvey "Spellcraft", ProgressiveTape "Gaslight Waltz", Jerome Chauvel "Middle Eastern Desert", Nick Panek "Energetic Rockabilly Instrumental", Denis Pavlov Music "Magical Ritual Shaman Amazonian Indians", Geoff Harvey "The Secret Room"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Messy Minded, I look into the dark, secretive world of witness protection — from its mob-infested origins in the 1970s to modern-day name changes, fake IDs, and lives rebuilt from scratch. But long before WITSEC existed, people were already faking their deaths, hopping trains, and vanishing into the void. So what makes the government version different — and is it actually safe?

We'll explore:

The history of the U.S. Witness Security Program (WITSEC)

Famous cases like Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, the hitman who became a star witness

How identities are changed, families relocated, and what it really costs to disappear

How other countries do (or don’t do) witness protection

The myth vs. reality of witness protection in pop culture

A few truly wild stories from people who vanished before the system even existed

Music by: SoundPlusUA Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezsalov for "Spark Groove", "Funny and Weird", Geoff Harvey "Mafioso"

Sources & References:

• U.S. Marshals Service: WITSEC Factsheet
• Gerald Shur & Pete Earley, WITSEC: Inside the Federal Witness Protection Program
• NPR: Witness Protection Program: How It Works
• History.com: The Witness Protection Program's Secret History
• New York Times archive: “Gravano’s Testimony and the Fall of the Mob”
• The Atlantic: Disappearing Act – What It’s Like to Be in Witness Protection
• Vice: Inside Witness Protection

Don't forget to rate, subscribe, and maybe leave a five-star review if you’re not currently in hiding!

https://shows.acast.com/messy-minded-podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ll step into the shoes of a caregiver, unpack the neuroscience behind delusional misidentification, and talk about what (if anything) can be done when reality fractures. Along the way, we explore how this condition intersects with rare mental illness, face recognition disorder, and other psychological disorders that challenge our most basic sense of connection.

Sources:

• Capgras Syndrome: A Review of the Literature
• Joseph M. Silva et al., 1990, Psychiatric Services
• https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/ps.41.4.434
• Three Laws of Qualia
• V.S. Ramachandran & William Hirstein, 1997
• https://www.imprint.co.uk/pdf/Ramachandran.pdf
• Disconnection Syndromes and Delusional Misidentification
• Ellis, H. D., & Young, A. W., 1990, Cognitive Neuropsychiatry
• (Key theory on fusiform-amygdala disconnect in Capgras)

Music by: SoundPlusUA and Mr. Lex Olesii Bezalov for Spark Groove " Electro Swing", NikitaKondrahev "Cosy Quirky Comedy", Geoff Harvey "The Secret Room"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’ll hear about:

• Nikola Tesla’s Wardenclyffe Tower, a dream of free global electricity that fizzled before its time.
• William Hung, the everyday guy who turned an off-key “She Bangs” audition into unexpected fame.
• Ella Fitzgerald, who risked humiliation in a talent show and instead scatted her way into history.
• Vera Wang, who pivoted careers at 40 and reinvented bridal fashion.
• Curtis Jenkins, a Dallas school bus driver whose small acts of kindness transformed lives.
• Hedy Lamarr, the Hollywood starlet whose “frequency hopping” invention became the backbone of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• John Krasinski, who almost gave up on acting until The Office found him at the last moment.
• Plus quirky side-quests like the Italian roots of the word fiasco and a failed synthetic rubber experiment.

Jess also shares her own story of how this podcast began as just one of many curiosities. Ten episodes later, Messy Minded is still standing (and still messy af). Guest appearances by Curtis Jenkins, and Jess's friend and wine guru, Jen.

This episode is about trying — whether it’s a failed invention, a career pivot, a quiet act of kindness, or a messy experiment that actually sticks. Not every attempt changes the world, but every attempt shapes a life.

Music by PaoloArgento, Sigma Music Art, Geoff Harvey, Open-Music-for-videos, BackgroundMusicForVideo, Cyberwave-Orchestra, NikitaKondrashev

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://extension.umn.edu/master-gardener/become-master-gardener

Music by Geoff Harvey, Open-Music-for-videos, BackgroundMusicForVideo, Cyberwave-Orchestra, NikitaKondrashev

Sound effects by: Messy Minded, Biting, "Crunchy, B.wav by InspectorJ -- https://freesound.org/s/332407/ -- License: Attribution 4.0", AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

References & Further Reading:

• Gagliano, M., et al. (2014). Experience teaches plants to learn faster and forget slower in environments where it matters. Oecologia.
• Simard, S.W. (1997). Net transfer of carbon between tree species with shared mycorrhizal fungi. Nature.
• Wohlleben, P. (2016). The Hidden Life of Trees. Greystone Books.
• Sheldrake, M. (2020). Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. Random House.
• Money, N.P. (2011). The Triumph of the Fungi: A Rotten History. Oxford University Press.
• National Geographic (2019). Zombie fungi mind-control ants — and could help humans too.
• Science.org (2018). Plants can learn without brains.
• Stamets, P. (2005). Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. Ten Speed Press.
• University of Minnesota Extension. Master Gardener Program.

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Join Jess and special guest Kate as they explore the bizarre side of medicine — including a shocking look at the Relax-A-Cizor, a guessing game of “Cure or Crap,” and the deeply tragic story of Rosemary Kennedy’s lobotomy. We’ll cover historical quackery, outdated medical beliefs, and the surprising overlap between science and pseudoscience.

Whether you’re curious about old medical devices, strange cures, or just want to hear about the time people were prescribed goat testicles, this episode has something for every history nerd, true crime of medicine fan, or podcast junkie with a love for the absurd.

Caution: may cause side effects such as laughter, cringing, side-eye, and a deep mistrust of Victorian physicians.

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, The Science Museum of Minnesota, NPR, Mental Floss, History.com, The Atlantic, BBC, Radiolab, ScienceDirect, The Kennedy Family Archives, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, FDA.gov, and various academic papers and archived medical texts via JSTOR and PubMed. Special thanks to reddit user "WalkThat", and, of course, thank you to my  wittily winsome sister Kate — your wit, heart, and hilarious reactions made this episode so much better.

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We’ll explore the violent fates and mysterious rituals behind these Iron Age icons: from the towering Old Croghan Man to Clonycavan Man (who was basically the original influencer), the solemn Yde Girl, and the unsettlingly serene Tollund Man. Plus: butter barrels, blindfolds, and a surprise red carpet hair moment.

The delightful Lolo — suggested the topic and sticks around to rate Iron Age survival scenarios on a scale of 1 to 5 bog bodies. It’s equal parts macabre and fabulous.

If you’ve ever wanted forensic science, folklore, and fashion in one podcast? This is the episode.

Glob, P.V. (1969). The Bog People: Iron Age Man Preserved. Faber & Faber.

(Classic foundational text on bog bodies and ritual sacrifice theory.)

Aldhouse-Green, Miranda. (2015). Bog Bodies Uncovered: Solving Europe's Ancient Mystery. Thames & Hudson.

(Modern archaeological interpretations and forensic analysis.)

Ross, Anne & Robins, Don. (1989). The Life and Death of a Druid Prince. Simon & Schuster.

(Focused on Lindow Man and the theory of ritual triple death.)

Nielsen, N.H., Lynnerup, N. et al. “The scientific study of bog bodies in the 21st century.” Antiquity, 2020.

van der Sanden, W.A.B. (1996). Through Nature to Eternity: The Bog People of Northwest Europe. Drents Museum.

National Geographic:

“Europe’s Mysterious Bog Bodies”

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/bog-bodies

Smithsonian Magazine:

“Bog Bodies Hold Secrets of the Past”

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/bog-bodies-hold-secrets-of-past-180958104

The Guardian:

“Secrets of the Bog Bodies”

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/aug/01/artsfeatures2

Music by Ashot Danielyan

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This week on Messy Minded, we explore the strange evolution of the Olympics — from sacred rituals and priestesses to flaming pigeons and suspicious judging. You’ll hear about divine nudity, rigged events, Olympic ghosts, and a marathon so disastrous it involved poison and a guy in a car. Plus: honorable mentions like Abebe Bikila (barefoot legend), Eric "The Eel" Moussambani, and the one guy who literally disappeared mid-race.

International Olympic Committee – https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/ancient-olympic-games

Kyle, Donald G. Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World, Wiley-Blackwell, 2014

Golden, Mark. Sport in the Ancient World from A to Z, Routledge, 2004

NPR – “That Time the Olympic Marathon Was a Total Disaster” – https://www.npr.org/2016/08/12/489810136/that-time-the-olympic-marathon-was-a-total-disaster

Gynn, Roger. The Olympic Marathon, Human Kinetics, 1996

Smithsonian Magazine – “The Undefeated Life of Jim Thorpe” – https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-jim-thorpes-greatest-battle-was-not-on-the-field-180979000/

National Museum of the American Indian – https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/jim-thorpe

The New York Times – “South Koreans Tell World, ‘We Have Arrived’” – https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/18/sports/the-seoul-olympics-opening-ceremony-south-koreans-tell-world-we-have-arrived.html

USA Today – “The Olympic doves that died for our sins” – https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/08/doves-olympic-ceremony-1988-seoul-fire-torch

Olympic Channel – “When Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic cauldron” – https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/atlanta-1996/highlights/muhammad-ali

Biography.com – Muhammad Ali profile – https://www.biography.com/athletes/muhammad-ali

Olympics.com – “Abebe Bikila: Barefoot to victory” – https://olympics.com/en/athletes/abebe-bikila

Team USA – “John Shuster Leads U.S. to Curling Gold” – https://www.teamusa.org/News/2018/February/24/John-Shuster-Leads-US-To-Historic-Olympic-Curling-Goldhttps://www.npr.org/sections/thetorch/2018/02/24/588637936/team-usa-wins-its-first-ever-olympic-gold-in-mens-curling

Japan Times – “The Japanese marathon runner who went missing — for 54 years” – https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2021/07/23/olympics/summer-olympics/olympic-history/shizo-kanakuri-olympics-marathon/

BBC – “Shizo Kanakuri: The man who took 54 years to finish a marathon” – https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/57914191

Also thank you to Dax Shepard and Monica Padman of Armchair Expert, not only for inspiring my new odd interest, but also for years of great podcasting!

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/, The Battle Between Scorpio And Orion.wav by LilMati -- https://freesound.org/s/507307/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

NikitaKondrashev, Open-Music-for-Videos for "Spark Groove", geoffharvey for "Busy Bees", "Endevour", and "Empire of War", Coma-Meda for "Catch It"

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Not every secret society is harmless — and one is downright terrifying. But between the robes, rituals, and wildly conflicting origin stories, this episode asks: What makes a secret society thrive and endure?

With historical facts, bad Latin, and questionable handshakes — this is one initiation you won’t regret.

List of sources:

Janet Oppenheim, The Other World: Spiritualism and Psychical Research in England, 1850–1914

David V. Barrett, Secret Societies: From the Illuminati to the Freemasons

Smithsonian Magazine – “What Are Secret Societies, Really?”

BBC – “A brief history of secret societies”

History.com articles on Freemasons, Skull and Bones, and the Knights Templar

Helen Nicholson, The Knights Templar: A New History

Dan Jones, The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God’s Holy Warriors

National Geographic – Who Were the Templars?

History Extra – “Why did the Templars fall?”

Christopher Hodapp, Freemasons For Dummies

PBS – Secrets of the Freemasons documentary

The Grand Lodge of England’s official site

Atlas Obscura – “Inside the Grand Lodge of Masons”

Evelyn Lord, The Hell-Fire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies

British Heritage – “The Infamous Hellfire Club of England”

Alexandra Robbins, Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power

Yale Alumni Magazine archives

NPR – “Skull and Bones: A Secret Society That’s Not So Secret”

Carlo Ginzburg, The Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the 16th and 17th Centuries

JSTOR articles on dream cults and early modern witch trials

Mythology.net – “The Benandanti: Good Witches of the Night”

David Yallop, In God's Name: An Investigation Into the Murder of Pope John Paul I

BBC News – “Italy’s shadow government”

Financial Times retrospective on Italian political scandals

Talbot Mundy, The Nine Unknown

Ancient Origins – “The Nine Unknown: India's Most Powerful Secret Society”

Alex Shoumatoff, Inside Bohemian Grove, Vanity Fair

BBC – “What really happens at Bohemian Grove”

Wikileaks – Bohemian Grove 2008 guest list

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In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess explores the wild, weird world of online scams: how they work, why they work, and the real people behind the cons. We’ll cover the classics — phishing emails, romance frauds, lottery hoaxes — and dig into how these schemes have evolved over time, from laughably bad grammar to highly organized global operations.

Plus, I’ll share my own experiences with scams.

It’s a crash course in digital deception — with just enough paranoia to make you double-check that next email.

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In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess explores why we lie, how we lie, and what all this deception says about being human. From white lies to whoppers, from gaslighting to government spin, lying turns out to be less about evil and more about survival, social finesse, and the occasional panic response at a dinner party.

We’ll break down the psychology behind lying liars, the different “colors” of lies (yes, that’s a thing), and real stories of people who took dishonesty way too far. Welcome special guest, William! No lie — it’s a good one.

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In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess digs into the strange, winding story of how Iceland was discovered and settled. We’ll meet Norse explorers like Ingólfur Arnarson, the man credited with founding Reykjavík, and Flóki Vilgerðarson, who brought ravens to help him navigate and then got so mad at the snow he named the entire country “Iceland.”

I also talk about the Irish monks who may have gotten there first, and how land, honor, and a lot of luck shaped the island’s early history.

This is a story of exile, survival, and mythology, with just a sprinkling of my own adventure stories there.

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Each episode, I deep dive into whatever has hijacked my brain that week — scams, liars, secret societies, Icelandic settlers, bog people, folklore, fake identities... it’s educational chaos with just enough research to make you sound clever at parties.

Think of me as your cartoon-brained friend who does the research so you don’t have to.

So if you like learning random stuff with minimal effort — and maybe laughing a little along the way — hit play on Messy Minded.

Let’s get weird.

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