Episode 8: Mapping the Mind

The human mind is an incredible thing. It allows us to think, speak, perceive and imagine everything from the ordinary to the extraordinary. But what is the difference between the mind and the brain? And can we really train our minds to be better, healthier people?

Today on The Agenda Podcast with Stephen Cole we talk to Professor Steven Pinker, a Johnson Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, about what we understand so far about the human mind. 

Professor Pinker goes into detail about the difference between the mind and the brain and what that difference means for us in our everyday lives [01:30]. He also dispels the myth that we only use a small percentage of our brain, and tells why this myth persists despite the best efforts of brain scientists [04:12].

Professor Pinker explains the areas where there are differences in the mind between men and women [08.03]. Finally, Professor Pinker talks about his book Enlightenment Now and how the progress that we’ve made in society affects the way we think [10:48]. 

We also speak to Paul McKenna, Britain&aposs best-selling non-fiction author. Paul tells us how a run-in with a hypnotist started his journey into exploring and studying the mind [12:28]. He also explains he thinks we might have some innate psychic or intuitive protection mechanisms that prepare us for big world events [18.30].