All In The Mind

The idea of technologies that could help us read the minds of others just by scanning their brains is both exciting and unnerving—and it’s imminent.

Imagine if it were possible to read people’s thoughts by detecting their brain activity with a brain decoder. We hear from the researchers who can already tell something about what you’re watching or listening to.

Traditional Aboriginal Australian songlines hold the key to a powerful memory technique used by indigenous people around the world.

The latest research shows that hearing voices is not just experienced by people with schizophrenia and psychosis. We follow up on last week’s ‘inner voices’ programme by exploring what hallucinations can tell us about mental illness.

We all hear voices. For some people the inner conversation brings reason, memory, self-encouragement or rebuke. For others, the voices seem to come from outside—and they might be friendly or deeply malicious. This week All in the Mind explores the workings of our inner voices and how they link to our development and creativity.

Sometimes people with autism develop mental illness too, which can cause misunderstanding and misdiagnosis. Hear one woman's story as she shares her insights to empower others.

Michelle Wyatt’s father sat devotedly by his wife’s side in the dementia ward every day from eight o’clock in the morning until eight o’clock at night. It was an intense and poignant journey through Alzheimer’s disease for the whole family—but along the way they used their wicked sense of humour to get them through.

It’s estimated that nine percent of the Australian population has an eating disorder. Many of these people are also anxious and depressed. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness but little is known about the cause—so treatment is challenging.

It's unsettling to leave the house and think—did I turn the stove off, or leave the door unlocked? Now recent research shows that family can play a critical role in treatment and recovery.

When a child's mental wellbeing is disturbed by stress or trauma it can have life long effects. How infant mental health is nurtured and what can put it at risk.