Incredible Mind

Michelle Cross Smith
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Self-Improvement

How do you tap into your unique intelligence? On Incredible Mind, host Michelle Cross Smith interviews neuroscientists, psychologists, doctors, artists, and others, getting insight into the workings of the brain and simple ways to engage your natural brilliance. 

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 4: You Need to Act, Now

    From improv classes and stage acting to cosplay conventions, renaissance fairs, and sharing skits on social media, many of us love to act. In Episode 4 of Incredible Mind, Thalia Goldstein shares fascinating and widely applicable insights from her work on the 8 Acting Habits of Mind. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in psychology and its application in the real world.  To check out Thalia’s book and get a printable copy of her Acting Habits of Mind, visit https://www.thaliagoldstein.com/why-theatre-ed-matters  Episode Guide 0:00  Intro1:48 Thalia’s Journey 4:17  Defining Habits of Mind8:02  Acting Habits of Mind Origins12:17  Body Awareness and Control (interoception, emotion)13:38  Release Inhibitions and be playful (creativity, divergent thinking)15:28  Commit to Choices17:05  Reflect and Think Metacognitively (providing feedback)22:32  Consider Others (empathy, theory of mind, default social network)26:37  Collaborate, the 21st century skill29:07  Collaboration in the digital space31:57  Emotion contagion and embodies awareness33:37  Imagine and Envision36:32  Bringing Acting Habits of Mind into our lives39:51  Releasing our inhibitions to play as adults43:57  Conclusion

  2. Jul 30

    Episode 3: Neuroaesthetics

    What is neuroaesthetics? Is it simply the study of aesthetic beauty, or can neuroaesthetics help shape a more positive experience of the world around us? This special episode takes place at the Neuroaesthetics Lab at the University of Pennsylvania, where researchers Soma Chaudhuri and Vasiliki Meletaki share their knowledge and work on this intriguing topic. Due to some technical issues, the audio quality on this episode is lower than usual. For closed captioning to support your listening, you can find this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/94TqfUKc4F4?si=3Sbcps7LdupOn1Xf Episode Guide: 0:00 Intro1:32 Defining Neuroaesthetics5:18 How the brain processes aesthetics12:22 How expertise impacts aesthetic experiences15:00 Vasiliki’s journey to neuroaesthetics16:23 Impact of the immediate environment on our well-being20:34 Soma’s journey to neuroaesthetics22:31 Impressions, beauty and facial anomalies24:57 Social categorization and the possibility of change28:03 Human definitions of beauty29:13 Study on art therapy projects32:03 A word of caution on “neuro” marketing and bold research headlines35:24 Conclusion

  3. Jul 23

    Episode 2: Experiencing Art

    Art is a widely accessible mood-booster, if we take the time to really look and reflect on an artist’s work. In this episode of Incredible Mind, Katherine Cotter, Associate Director of Research at the Humanities and Human Flourishing Project at U Penn’s Positive Psychology Center, explains what happens in our brains when we look at art, what is meant by everyday creativity, and how experiencing art contributes to our sense of well being. Episode Guide: 0:00 Intro1:22  Defining Positive Psychology3:03 Katherine’s Journey to Research4:14 Democratization of creativity6:45  Art and the Brain9:24 The ways people experience art today11:19  Making a case for museums15:39 What is flourishing?18:03 Public Art and well-being22:55 Social prescriptions for art (loneliness, dementia and more)26:34-29:11 Everyday Creativity and aesthetics29:12 Creativity is for everyone30:24 Getting kids to enjoy museums31:55 Conclusion

  4. Jul 13

    Episode 1: Your Brain on Music

    What's happening in your brain when you listen to music? How about when you play music? Can music heal? In this inaugural episode of Incredible Mind, host Michelle Cross Smith gets you answers from Anna Palumbo, Research Manager at NYU's Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy. Episode Guide 0:00 Podcast Intro and Episode Intro1:38 Anna introduces Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy 3:54 Playing and experiencing music during music therapy6:05 Motivation for work and how Anna got into music therapy9:33  Power of music + what happens in our brains when we listen to music12:33 What's happening cognitively when we play music14:24 About strokes and how music helps the brain heal20:29 What's so special about improv?25:06 Intrinsic Motivation26:18 Tips for improv anxiety29:41 Music, dancing and Groove31:40 Advice from Anna34:40 Conclusion and credits

  • 4 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

How do you tap into your unique intelligence? On Incredible Mind, host Michelle Cross Smith interviews neuroscientists, psychologists, doctors, artists, and others, getting insight into the workings of the brain and simple ways to engage your natural brilliance. 

Information

  • Creator
    Michelle Cross Smith
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Michelle Cross Smith
  • Show Website
    Incredible Mind