Category: The Mind & Neuroscience

↕

Your Nervous System and How You Communicate August 2, 2007

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Communication & Conflict, The Mind & Neuroscience

What derails an otherwise simple conversation? Armand DiMele argues the culprit is usually physiology, not psychology. Drawing on the autonomic nervous system, he traces how sympathetic overload turns minor irritations into blowups, and teaches listeners to self-monitor their nervous state before engaging the people they love.

The Psychology of Sarcasm July 10, 2007

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Sarcasm is a disguised form of anger and insecurity, but it also signals real intelligence. Armand DiMele draws on neuroscience research from the University of Haifa to show how the brain processes sarcasm, then takes calls from listeners navigating sarcastic children, teachers, and loved ones.

Smiling Your Way to Calm July 3, 2007

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Anxiety & Fear, The Mind & Neuroscience

The vagus nerve, not exercise or meditation, may be the most direct route to calming stress. Armand DiMele draws on neuroscientist Stephen Porges’s polyvagal theory to argue that a genuine smile, social engagement, and facial muscle activation can switch the brain from threat mode to rest faster than a workout.

Psychiatric Medication with Dr. Alan Lanz June 27, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Alan Lanz, Kent Robertshaw
Category: Depression & Mood, The Mind & Neuroscience

Drug company payments to psychiatrists are surging, and Armand DiMele connects that corruption to broader questions about antidepressants, teen prescription drug abuse, and suicidal ideation. The day after a live debate with Dr. Kent Robertshaw, MD and Dr. Alan Lanz, Psychiatrist, a New York Times report lands confirming Armand’s concerns almost word for word.

Overmedication and the Doctor Patient Relationship with Dr. Alan Lanz June 26, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Alan Lanz, Kent Robertshaw
Category: Society, Culture & Current Events, The Mind & Neuroscience

Too many patients leave the doctor’s office with a prescription they don’t need. Armand DiMele and two psychiatrists, Dr. Kent Robertshaw, MD and Dr. Alan Lanz, MD, argue that managed care, pharmaceutical incentives, and patients’ own reluctance to do the hard work of self-examination have combined to produce a culture of quick fixes over genuine healing.

Treating Depression Without Medication June 13, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atin
Category: Depression & Mood, The Mind & Neuroscience

Can depression be treated without drugs? Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti work through the neuroscience of depression, explaining why natural supplements like 5-HTP, SAMe, and St. John’s Wort fall short for severe cases, and make a pragmatic case for short-term medication combined with a knowledgeable therapist.

Rampage Killings and the Adolescent Male Mind April 25, 2007

Category: Society, Culture & Current Events, The Mind & Neuroscience

The Virginia Tech massacre prompts Armand DiMele and co-host Dr. Kent Robert Shaw to ask why rampage killers are almost exclusively male. They trace the pattern through testosterone surges, schizoid and paranoid personality profiles, failures of the mental health system, and a culture that worships superstars while ignoring the quietly invisible.

Pi Day and the Mind of Einstein March 14, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atti
Category: Meaning, Spirituality & Philosophy, The Mind & Neuroscience

What does a mathematical constant have to do with the nature of reality? On Pi Day, Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti celebrate Einstein’s birthday by tracing how E=mc² cracked open the mechanistic worldview and planted the idea that matter, energy, and all living things are ultimately one.

Serotonin and the Danger of Too Much with Kent Robichaud February 27, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Kent Robichaud, Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Depression & Mood, The Mind & Neuroscience

Too little serotonin causes depression and PMS symptoms, but too much can kill you. Armand and Dr. Kent Robichaud, joined by Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW, trace serotonin’s role in mood, the menstrual cycle, and the deadly drug combinations, including SSRIs, triptans, Demerol, and ecstasy, that can trigger serotonin syndrome.

Separation and the Chemistry of Love February 14, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atin
Category: Love & Romantic Relationships, The Mind & Neuroscience

Why do couples lose their spark, and can separation actually rekindle it? Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti trace the rise and fall of phenylethylamine in romantic love, argue that emotional distance restores chemistry, and connect childhood neurological gaps to adult attraction patterns and the need for containment.