The Curious Introvert
A weekly podcast covering societal taboos & cultural blind spots. Join host Meredith Hackwith Edwards as she deep dives with curiosity & nuance into philosophy, society & culture with expert guests.
Episodes frequently feature philosophers, researchers, historians & journalists.
Episodes
337 episodes
Ep. 336: Prescription NAPS??! Toddler Protocol for High Achievers
Can napping replace medication? How do you get your brain to slow down enough to take a nap? Dr. Hector Rodriguez is a psychiatrist, who views naps as medicine for your brain. He is the owner of the White Butterfly Clin...
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50:11
ANNOUNCEMENT! New name & logo
Meredith for Real: the curious introvert is now The Curious Introvert!When I started this show in 2019, there were a few other shows with the words curious & introvert in them, but fewer with the name Meredith. Now that t...
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1:47
Ep. 335: Anxiety: Where does it come from & what do we do with it?? [REMASTERED]
What’s the difference between social anxiety & social anxiety disorder? What should you do if you’re spiraling? Dr. Ali Mattu was so socially anxious as a child, that he had selective mutism. Since then, he’s become...
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Season 1
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Episode 335
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49:50
Ep. 334: Football: Are We Cheering for Brain Trauma?
Did the NFL cover up what they knew? Is football causing early dementia? Mark Fainaru-Wada is an award-winning investigative reporter & journalist with ESPN. He’s also the co- author of League of Denial, the book...
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Season 1
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Episode 334
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44:32
Ep. 333: Does Age = Pain? How to NOT Age Like Everyone Else!
Is it possible to age without aches & pains? Are some people just cursed with bad genes? Eileen Kopsaftis is a physical therapist with a Fellowship in Applied Functional Science & a nutrition educator diploma wi...
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Season 1
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Episode 333
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48:13
Ep. 332: The Cult Origins of Teen Rehab: How are these places still open??
How are these abusive teen rehab centers still open? Why are parents still sending their kids there? Can’t they be shut down? Maia Szalavitz is an award-winning author and journalist who covers addiction and neuroscience. Her...
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Season 1
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Episode 332
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55:56
Ep. 331: Disentangling Faith from Religious Trauma [REMASTERED]
What do you do if you have religious trauma, but don't want to abandon your faith?Catherine Quiring is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who specializes in helping ex-evangelicals overcome religious trauma. In this episode, s...
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36:38
Ep. 330: Is Your Happiness Being Politicized? [REMASTERED]
If you're not happy, it means something is wrong ... right? Dr. Loretta Breuning is a PhD researcher & author. Since becoming unconvinced by prevailing theories on human behavior, she has researched everything from ...
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Season 1
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Episode 330
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36:29
Ep. 329: Antique Vibrator Museum: Bees, Buffalos & Stigma [REMASTERED]
How old is the oldest vibrator? Does self-pleasure steal affection from your partner?Carol Queen has a Ph.D. in Sexology & a passion for pleasure. She is the curator of the Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum in San Francisco, CA...
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Season 1
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Episode 329
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31:46
Ep. 328: What If It’s Not in Your Head? Mold Illness & Medical Blind Spots
Dr. Neil Nathan is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Pain Management as well as a Founding Dip-low-mitt of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine & International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illnesses.He spe...
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Season 1
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Episode 328
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52:46
Ep. 327: He Ate His Own Foot!? Grief, Friendship & Foot Tacos [REMASTERED]
When the Redditor known as Incrediblyshinyshart lost part of his leg in a motorcycle accident & had to have it amputated, he made an unusual choice – to eat it. He shares his thoughts on mourning, cannibalism & why eating part of his ow...
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Season 1
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Episode 327
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15:51
Ep. 326: Retired at 29: Why & How? [REMASTERED]
Can you retire early from a normal income? How do you buy back your time?Lauren & Steven Keys of Trip of a Lifestyle share what inspired them to retire at age 29, how they did it on average incomes, why they don’t track th...
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Season 1
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Episode 326
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53:25
Ep. 325: Is Chaos Your Comfort Zone? Stress Addiction & How to Break the Cycle
Felipe Muñoz is the owner of Empathic Practice, a holistic stress management clinic. He combines his Masters in positive psychology, 20 years of marketing experience, & decade of business branding with hundreds of hours teaching meditation ...
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Season 1
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Episode 325
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1:02:37
Ep. 324: The Hoarder Within Us: The Psychology of Our Stuff [REMASTERED]
Dr. David Tolin is the Founder & Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living, the author of over 200 scientific journal articles & even received the Award for Lifetime Contribution to Psychology from the CT Psych...
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Season 1
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Episode 324
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33:29
Ep. 323: The Psychology of Arguing on the Internet: Can you ACTUALLY change someone’s mind?
JonRobert Tartaglione, PhD, studies & teaches influence. He is a psychologist, behavioral scientist & the founder & CEO of a consulting practice called influence 51. In this episode, we unpack persuasion, percepti...
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Season 1
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Episode 323
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1:09:16
Ep. 322: Early Sobriety: Can You Keep Your Friends? [REMASTERED]
How do you stay connected with friends when everything revolves around drinking?Casey McGuire Davidson was an ambitious corporate achiever who always had a full schedule & anxious energy. She felt wine was the glue holding her life t...
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Season 1
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Episode 322
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44:35
Ep. 321: Relationship Boundaries: NIGHTMARES, Ultimatums & Inner Demons
Are healthy boundaries lines in the sand? Going no contact? KC Davis is licensed professional counselor, host of the podcast Struggle Care & author of Who Deserves your love: how to create boundaries to start, str...
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Season 1
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Episode 321
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48:51
Ep. 320: AI = the END of thought freedom in America??!
How is AI influencing our decisions? Is opting IN to every AI offer causing us to opt OUT of our free will? Jake Ward is a former NBC News correspondent & is currently the founding editor & host of The Rip Current new...
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Season 1
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Episode 320
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1:09:13
Ep. 319: Micro-retirement: Cynicism, Burnout & Logistics
Is this the answer to burnout? How are mini-retirements even possible? Kira Schabram, PhD, is the Assistant Professor in management & organization at Pennsylvania State University & historian of work who has been stud...
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Season 1
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Episode 319
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43:17
Ep. 318: Dating in Midlife: Where have all the good men (& women) gone?
Why is dating so hard in midlife? Are we all sending mixed signals? Abe Morgentaler, MD & Marianne Brandon, PhD are the hosts of the Sex Doctors Podcast, where they deep dive into the science & psychology of sexual he...
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Season 1
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Episode 318
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1:07:10
Ep. 317: Life in the Vegas Tunnels: Clowns, Crickets & Crank [REMASTERED]
What’s it like living underground? How did he get out? Paul Vautrinot shares his story of living in the Las Vegas tunnels, or as he states it, beneath the neon. He shares what life in the Vegas underground city was like with ...
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Season 1
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Episode 317
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35:26
Ep. 316: Is Getting Alzheimer’s Inevitable?! Testing, Prevention & Treatment
Is it possible to maintain mental acuity well into your golden years? How do we assess ourselves (instead of waiting to see)? Dr. Dale Bredesen earned his M.D. from Duke University Medical Center & served as Chief Residen...
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Season 1
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Episode 316
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1:07:51
Ep. 315: Is Asexuality an Orientation or a Symptom?
What happens when attraction never shows up? Why does this label matter? Tony Bogaert, PhD, is the professor of health sciences at Brock University in Ontario, Canada where he has taught & conducted research for the last ...
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Season 1
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Episode 315
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44:33
Ep 314: Science & the Supernatural: Project Stargate, Experimental Metaphysics & Quantum Physics
What was it like to work on Project Stargate? Is Psi science being taken seriously? What if our mind is not our brain? Dean Radin, PhD, has been researching the paranormal for 45 years & currently serves as Chief Scientis...
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Season 1
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Episode 314
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56:59
Ep. 313: Is a 4 Day Work Week Coming? Thursday = the NEW Friday! [REMASTERED]
Why do most of us work Mon-Fri? What would happen if Thursday was the new Friday? Joe Sanok is a former psychologist & current author of Thursday is the New Friday. In this episode, he shares how the ...
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Season 1
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Episode 313
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49:55