Messy Minded Podcast

Messy Minded

Messy Minded is a podcast for curious people with slightly chaotic minds. Hosted by Jess — researcher, overthinker, and your cartoon-brained friend — each episode dives into a weird, true story that hijacked her attention for the week. From internet scams and historical fraudsters to Viking settlers, liars, secret societies, and secession attempts, Messy Minded blends real research with offbeat storytelling. To start, you’ll get episodes on: The Founders of Iceland Lying Internet Scams US Secessions Attempts Secret Societies and more recently: The Digital Afterlife Axolotl’s and UAP’s! Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Gaslit by Your Brain

    Cronin et al. (2014) – Visual ecology (UV vision in animals)What if you can’t fully trust your own brain? In this episode of Messy Minded, we explore how the brain builds reality through perception, memory, and emotion—and how that process can sometimes go wrong. From sensory perception and optical illusions to false memories, cognitive bias, and the neuroscience behind how we interpret the world, your mind is constantly filling in gaps with its best guess. We’ll look at how memory reconsolidation can change your past, why eyewitness testimony isn’t always reliable, and how psychological phenomena like the McGurk effect and Pareidolia reveal the limits of human perception. We’ll also dive into sensory deprivation, hallucinations, and moral psychology—exploring how even your emotions and sense of right and wrong can be influenced by physical sensations like disgust. Your brain is an incredible prediction machine… but it doesn’t show you reality—it constructs it. And sometimes? It gets it wrong. @MessyMindedPod Sources: Anil Seth – Being You: A New Science of Consciousness Cronin et al. (2014) – Visual ecology (UV vision in animals) Orfield Laboratories (Minneapolis) – Anechoic chamber research & demonstrations Eskine et al. (2013) – Ginger reducing disgust → more lenient judgments Many thanks for music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", “Quirky Sneaky”, “Quirky Sneaky Mystery”, “Quirky Sneaky Comedy” Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov, "spellcraft" by Geoff Harvey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min

  2. 9 APR

    Operation Paul Bunyan

    Jess takes us back to 1976, when a routine maintenance job inside the Korean Demilitarized Zone spiraled into one of the most bizarre and dangerous standoffs of the Cold War. What started with a tree blocking a line of sight quickly escalated into violence, a tense military confrontation, and one of the most heavily armed “landscaping” operations in history. In this Messy Morsel, we head into the Joint Security Area of the DMZ—where North and South Korean forces stood face-to-face, tensions ran high, and even the smallest actions could carry enormous consequences. Because in a place like that… nothing is ever just about a tree. @MessyMinded If you want to ready more on the topics - check these out: United Nations Command historical summaries on the Korean DMZ incidentU.S. Army Center of Military History – Operation Paul Bunyan overviewNews World Encyclopedia – Korean DMZ & Joint Security Area historyBlaxland, John. The Joint Security Area at Panmunjom (Australian National University)Oberdorfer, Don. The Two Koreas: A Contemporary HistoryVarious historical accounts and declassified Cold War materials on the 1976 Korean Axe Murder Incident  Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", "funny Comedy Kids", and The Mountain for "Quirky Sneaky Mystery", “Lucky go Lightly Quirky” by Geoff Harvey, and "Tension" by Alex Grohl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 min

  3. 26 MAR

    Cracking open Easter

    What do a resurrection story, a rabbit delivering eggs, and aggressively pastel candy have in common? Easter… apparently. In this Messy Morsel, Jess digs into the strange mix of traditions behind one of the most confusing holidays of the year—tracing its roots through ancient spring rituals, shifting beliefs, and a few ideas that somehow just stuck around. It’s a little history, a little myth, and a reminder that even the messiest traditions tend to circle back to something deeply human. Primary reference to Bede (De Temporum Ratione, 8th century) for “Eosturmonath” and Eostre; broader context from Ronald Hutton (The Stations of the Sun) on seasonal festivals and pre-Christian traditions; general scholarship on Germanic spring rituals and fertility symbolism; Eastern Orthodox traditions for red-dyed eggs and resurrection symbolism; German folklore (16th–17th century) for the “Osterhase” and early Easter hare traditions; development of modern Easter customs (chocolate eggs, candy, baskets) tied to 19th–20th century European and American confectionery industry and consumer culture. A big thank you for our music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", “Celtic Handmaiden” by Geoff Harvey, Easter Day Spring Music" by Andrii G, "Quirky Children Music" by , "Funny Comedy Kids" by Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 min

  4. 19 MAR

    Corpse on Trial

    In the year 897, one of the strangest events in medieval history unfolded in Rome.  A pope ordered the body of his predecessor to be dug up… and placed on trial.  The event became known as the Cadaver Synod, and it remains one of the most bizarre episodes in the long history of the Catholic Church.  In this Messy Morsel, Jess explores the strange political rivalry that led to this shocking spectacle, the surreal courtroom scene that followed, and the consequences that came when the people of Rome saw what their leaders had done.  Sometimes history is serious.  And sometimes…  it involves putting a corpse on trial.  @MessyMindedPod Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", “Bone Tower” by DSTechnician  For further reading try: Liutprand of Cremona.  Antapodosis (Retribution) – Book VI.  10th-century chronicle describing the Cadaver Synod and papal politics of the period.  Auxilius of Naples.  Libellus de Ordinationibus a Formoso Papa Factis.  Written during the controversy surrounding Formosus’s ordinations and the Cadaver Synod.  Moore, Michael Edward.  The Body of Pope Formosus.  Speculum 84, no. 2 (2009).  One of the most detailed modern academic analyses of the Cadaver Synod and its political context.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    14 min

  5. 5 MAR

    Do You Have ADHD?

    In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess walks through her full cognitive assessment — from interviews and computer tests to memory drills. Along the way she is joined by Sam and Scott and they explore how ADHD can present in adults and how highly structured systems can sometimes mask attention differences. Jess reflects on what the testing revealed, the coping structures she’s built over the years, and what it means to understand your brain a little better. @MessyMindedPod https://open.spotify.com/show/3htrTJx4ORepBRYxJ7ZGPv?si=0f78e1cd20114a98 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messy-minded-podcast/id1819603605 Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", catch 22music for "Yeah Baby Yeah", "funny COmedy Kids", and The Mountain for "Quirky Sneaky". Sound effects by Do what you want "Ritual" and Sdanezis "Moving transition SFX" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 4min

  6. 20 FEB

    The Alien Revelation

    In 2023, testimony about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) moved from internet forums to Congress — under oath, on the public record. In this episode of Messy Minded, we unpack what was actually said during the House Oversight hearing, including claims from former intelligence officer David Grusch about alleged crash-retrieval programs and “non-human biologics.” We also revisit the now-famous Navy encounters involving David Fravor and Ryan Graves, including the near-miss incidents, the Gimbal and GoFast videos, and what those recordings do — and do not — show. What was presented as firsthand evidence? What was secondhand testimony? What has been officially confirmed — and what remains unproven? Along the way, we look at why public reaction was surprisingly muted, how intelligence agencies perfected the art of “neither confirm nor deny,” and why both scientists and lawmakers are calling for better data sharing and oversight. Astronomer Professor Chris Impey joins in to help ground the conversation in astrophysics, probability, and the realities of interstellar travel. No tinfoil hats required — just curiosity, skepticism, and a willingness to sit in the uncomfortable middle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 1min

  7. 19 FEB ·  BONUS

    The Aliens Asked for One More Day

    Full UAP episode drops Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min

  8. 5 FEB

    Axolotl

    In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess explores the axolotl — the permanently aquatic salamander that refuses to grow up. Through biology, mythology, and modern science, we unpack how axolotls regrow limbs, spinal cords, and even parts of their brains, and why researchers studying regeneration and immune response are obsessed with them The episode weaves together Aztec mythology and the god Xolotl, neoteny, and the misunderstood “smile”. We also confront the collapse of wild axolotl populations in Lake Xochimilco, conservation efforts, and why one of the most studied animals on Earth is critically endangered in its natural habitat. Funny, dark, science-forward, and unexpectedly philosophical, this episode asks what it means to stay in a liminal state — and whether sometimes the smartest move isn’t to transform at all. @MessyMindedPod https://open.spotify.com/show/3htrTJx4ORepBRYxJ7ZGPv?si=0f78e1cd20114a98 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messy-minded-podcast/id1819603605 A foundational overview of axolotl regeneration can be found in “Regeneration in the Axolotl: A Model for Mammalian Wound Healing” published in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. Other sources for this episode were a 2018 paper “The Axolotl Genome and the Evolution of Key Tissue Formation Regulators” in Nature, work by James Godwin and colleagues, particularly “Macrophages Are Required for Adult Salamander Limb Regeneration” published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), The Journal of Experimental Biology and Integrative Zoology,and Biological Conservation. Myth largely from various internet searches and “Aztec Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of the Aztecs” by David Carrasco and “The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya” by Mary Miller and Karl Taube.  Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", "Quirky sneaky memes background music" by Mykola Odnoroh, "Bass Stories" by Unknown Artist, "Latin Mexican Latino Music" by HitsLab and Levgen Poltavsky, "On TipToe" by Geoff Harvey, and Music by IKOLIKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
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About

Messy Minded is a podcast for curious people with slightly chaotic minds. Hosted by Jess — researcher, overthinker, and your cartoon-brained friend — each episode dives into a weird, true story that hijacked her attention for the week. From internet scams and historical fraudsters to Viking settlers, liars, secret societies, and secession attempts, Messy Minded blends real research with offbeat storytelling. To start, you’ll get episodes on: The Founders of Iceland Lying Internet Scams US Secessions Attempts Secret Societies and more recently: The Digital Afterlife Axolotl’s and UAP’s! Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Messy Minded
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jess Lorentz
  • Show Website
    Messy Minded Podcast