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. Jun 18

    The Holdouts: Last of Their Kind | Isolated Human Tribes

    In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess explores the fascinating, tragic, and sometimes hopeful stories of isolated peoples and first contacts. We travel from the remote forests of North Sentinel Island to the Siberian wilderness of the Lykov family, follow the final years of Ishi—the last known member of California's Yahi people—and examine the heartbreaking life of Ota Benga, a Congolese man displayed at the Bronx Zoo in 1906. Along the way we explore uncontacted tribes, Indigenous cultures, survival, colonialism, first contact, scientific racism, cultural loss, disease, and the question of whether modern civilization always improves the lives of the people it reaches. Featured stories include: • The Sentinelese of North Sentinel Island • The Man of the Hole (Tanaru Indigenous Territory, Brazil) • Ishi and the Yahi people of California • The Lykov family and Agafia Lykova • Ota Benga and the Bronx Zoo controversy • The Panará people of the Brazilian Amazon • Indigenous rights and land restoration • First contact disasters and survival stories • Uncontacted tribes and isolated peoples around the world This episode discusses colonial violence, racism, genocide, suicide, disease outbreaks, cultural destruction, and the long-term effects of forced contact. Major sources include: Lost in the Taiga by Vasily Peskov, Ishi in Two Worlds by Theodora Kroeber, Spectacle by Pamela Newkirk, and King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild, along with research from Survival International, Smithsonian Magazine, Instituto Socioambiental, historical newspaper archives, and anthropological publications. Messy Minded is a podcast for curious weirdos who love history, anthropology, strange true stories, forgotten people, and the messy parts of being human. Music by SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove, “Quirky Sneaky Mystery”, “Quirky Sneaky Comedy” Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov, “Quirky Sneaky Comedy” by the mountain - Dmitrii Kolesnikov , "British Historical Drama" by Roman Dudchyk, “Old Tolcharo” by ArizonaGuide, “Kids Music” “Soft Music” by HitsLab and Levgen Poltavskyi. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 5m
  2. Year One Recap

    Jun 4

    Year One Recap

    One year ago, Messy Minded began with a simple question: "How do podcasts go from a microphone to a stranger's ear?" That question led to Vikings, scammers, bog bodies, Olympians, secret societies, cursed objects, talking plants, questionable medical devices, alien discussions, and more side quests than any reasonable person should have followed. In this special one-year anniversary episode, Jess looks back at the first 32 episodes of Messy Minded, sharing favorite moments, memorable stories, and a few reminders of just how much both the podcast and its host have changed along the way. Whether you've been here since Episode One or you're discovering the show for the first time, this episode is a time capsule of curiosity, chaos, and questionable life choices. Thank you for listening, sharing, reviewing, commenting, and encouraging this little podcast over the past year. Thank you to our guests: Sam, Scott, Kate, Steph, Lolo, Will, Jenn, Rita, Ela Darling, Curtis Jenkins, and Professor Chris Impey. Here's to the first year of Messy Minded. Topics featured include: • Iceland and Viking exploration • Internet scams and deception • American secession movements • Secret societies • Olympic history and scandals • Bog bodies • Questionable medicine • Plant communication • Witness protection • Curses and folklore • Superstitions • The limbic system • ADHD • Digital afterlife and griefbots • Aliens and UAP discussions • Language, idioms, and much more Welcome to Messy Minded—a podcast for curious weirdos. Music credits: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", “Quirky Sneaky Comedy” Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov , catch 22music for "Yeah Baby Yeah", The Mountain for "Quirky Sneaky", Alex Grohl for "Tension", Comedy, Quirky, Sneaky music by Starostin, Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", and “Celtic Handmaiden” by Geoff Harvey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 36m

  3. May 21

    Spilling the Beans on Idioms

    Why do we say someone “barked up the wrong tree”? What does “beyond the pale” actually mean? Why were medieval people throwing armored gloves at each other? And why does the English language sound like it was assembled during a fever dream involving geese, shellfish, buckets, bullets, and bacon? In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess dives into the strange, funny, surprisingly dark origins of common English idioms — from battlefield surgery and public punishments to Shakespeare, medieval marketplaces, and chaotic goose behavior. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min

  4. May 7

    The Invisible Rules of Talking

    Why does kindness sound rude, politeness sounds fake, and nobody agrees on what “normal conversation” is? In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess dives into the strange hidden architecture of human conversation — the invisible rules we absorb from our families, cultures, regions, and relationships without ever realizing it. Why does one person hear care while another hears criticism? Why do some people think interruptions mean enthusiasm while others hear disrespect? Why do Midwesterners say “we should get dinner sometime” without actually meaning… dinner sometime? Drawing from the work of linguist Deborah Tannen, anthropology, childhood socialization research, and a few conversational disasters of her own, Jess explores Greek leftovers, emotional support potholes, accidental interrogations, and relationship misunderstandings. Because most arguments aren’t really about the words being said. They’re about the invisible meanings underneath them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min

  5. Apr 23

    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

  6. Apr 9

    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

  7. Mar 26

    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

  8. Mar 19

    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
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

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
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jess Lorentz
  • Show Website
    Messy Minded Podcast