The Longing Lab

Nov 27 2024 30 ep. 52 mins 2
The Longing Lab Podcast artwork

Do you ever find yourself so fixated on longing that you can’t enjoy the present? Longing for a lover, an exotic destination, a lost loved one, or a past time in your life? The Longing Lab takes a deeper look at the science of longing and the culture that drives us to long for what we don’t have. You can expect insightful conversations with individuals uniquely qualified to talk about longing. Host, Amanda McCracken, has written or spoken about her own addiction to longing in national publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, & the BBC. The goal of the Longing Lab is to inspire individuals to make positive changes in their lives. Look for her book, When Longing Becomes Your Lover (Hachette), in fall of 2025! 

  Society & Culture
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Mother of micropreemie discusses the longing in her 147 days in the NICU & explains the "Tell me what's good" strategy

Nov 27 2024 58 mins  
Send us a textEpisode 29 Steph Hauser shares the miraculous birth story of her son Zev, born at 23 weeks (halfway through Steph’s pregnancy) with a 1% survival rate, and the difficult choices they faced. She explains how her "Tell me what's good" strategy helped them find hope and the organizations they began to support NICU families.Steph Hauser is a writer, podcaster, ultrarunn

Psychiatrist Dr. Jud Brewer on longing in the brain & how to curb our cravings through mindfulness

Nov 06 2024 42 mins  
Send us a textEpisode 28 Psychiatrist and mindfulness research leader Dr. Jud Brewer explains the neural mechanisms of longing (i.e. romantic obsession) and the differences between excitement (contraction) and joy (expansion). Brewer discusses how mindfulness training reduces cravings and anxiety to help individuals manage their habits and emotions.Jud Brewer MD PhD is the Director

Feminist author Elissa Bassist on how warping our voices leads to physical pain & longing

Oct 11 2024 50 mins  
Send us a textEpisode 27 Feminist author Elissa Bassist discusses her experiences with longing while warping her voice in academia, relationships, and medical settings. She shares her two-year journey with physical pain misunderstood and dismissed by many doctors and how it highlights the internalized patriarchy that leads women to suppress their voices.Elissa Bassist is the editor

Swipe Fat podcast co-host Alex Stewart on how longing shapes dating experiences for plus size women

Aug 31 2024 58 mins  
Send us a textEpisode 26 Alex Stewart, the influencer behind the hit podcast Swipe Fat, discusses how body shaming shapes romantic longing, the polarizing use of words like “fat,” the impact of weight loss drugs on the body positivity movement, and why you should never wait til you're X size to do something.Alex Stewart is an influencer and the voice behind the Instagram and Ti

Neuroscientist Tom Bellamy (aka Dr. L) explains the brain on limerence & strategies to stop it

Jul 20 2024 76 mins  
Send us a textEpisode 25 Neuroscientist and owner of Livingwithlimerence.com Dr. Tom Bellamy explains what is happening in the brain when one experiences limerence, what makes it scientifically so difficult to disrupt, and strategies to practice to stop limerenceTom Bellamy is an academic neuroscientist and Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham in the UK. His research

Travel expert Pauline Frommer on life & love lessons at the intersection of travel & longing

Jun 30 2024 50 mins  
Send us a textEpisode 24 Travel expert and writer Pauline Frommer illustrates how travel experiences have made her a better seeker, the importance of appreciating the ephemeral moments in travel, why the holy grail of travel is finding one’s soulmate, and the future of the travel industry with AI. Pauline Frommer is Co-President of Frommer Media LLC with her father, travel legend

Harvard social psychologist Ellen Langer on the mindlessness of longing and regret & the power of mindfulness on our health

May 30 2024 61 mins  
Send us a textEpisode 23 Social psychologist Ellen Langer, AKA the "mother of mindfulness," explains why our perceived sense of control impacts our mental health, how longing and regret are mindless, why there are no good or bad decisions, and her new book, The Mindful body: Thinking our way to chronic health.Dr. Ellen Langer, AKA the “mother of mindfulness,” is a social psycho

Road safety advocate Eric Olson on learning to reframe the loss of his daughter

Apr 30 2024 54 mins  
Send us a textEpisode 22 On May 9, 2023, five-year-old Sidney Mae Olson was struck and killed by a truck in a cross walk. Her father, Eric Olson, discusses the longing that transpired following her death and what he’s learned about himself, his relationship with his daughter, and the interconnectedness of everything. Eric Olson is an advocate for vulnerable road users like his da

Psychologist Giulia Poerio on limerence and mind wandering

Mar 30 2024 58 mins  
Send us a textEpisode 21 Psychologist and mind-wandering researcher Dr. Giulia Poerio shares recent research describing characteristics of limerence, who might be predisposed to it, and potential techniques that help alleviate limerent thinking. Due to the lack of understanding of limerence in clinical communities, she describes how it is often misunderstood or misdiagnosed. Dr Giu

Professor and Author Lisa A. Phillips on the relationship between unrequited love and longing

Feb 28 2024 59 mins  
Send us a textEpisode 20 Professor and author Lisa Phillips discusses society's different expectations for genders in the pursuer/pursued template. In reflecting on her own story of unrequited love, she explains how she recognized what, not who, she really wanted. Phillips shares tips for satisfying the part of some of us that is always longing.Lisa Amy Phillips is the author of Un