The Longing Lab

Amanda McCracken
  • 5.0 (23)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
The Longing Lab

Do you ever find yourself so fixated on longing that you can’t enjoy the present? Longing for a lover, an exotic destination, a lost loved one, or a past time in your life? The Longing Lab takes a deeper look at the science of longing and the culture that drives us to long for what we don’t have. You can expect insightful conversations with individuals uniquely qualified to talk about longing. Host, Amanda McCracken, has written or spoken about her own addiction to longing in national publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, & the BBC. The goal of the Longing Lab is to inspire individuals to make positive changes in their lives. Look for her book, When Longing Becomes Your Lover (Hachette), in fall of 2025! 

  1. Feminist author Elissa Bassist on how warping our voices leads to physical pain & longing

    OCT 11

    Feminist author Elissa Bassist on how warping our voices leads to physical pain & longing

    Send us a textEpisode 27 Feminist author Elissa Bassist discusses her experiences with longing while warping her voice in academia, relationships, and medical settings. She shares her two-year journey with physical pain misunderstood and dismissed by many doctors and how it highlights the internalized patriarchy that leads women to suppress their voices.Elissa Bassist is the editor of the “Funny Women” column on The Rumpus and author of Hysterical, a semifinalist for The Thurber Prize for Ame...

    50 min
  2. Swipe Fat podcast co-host Alex Stewart on how longing shapes dating experiences for plus size women

    AUG 31

    Swipe Fat podcast co-host Alex Stewart on how longing shapes dating experiences for plus size women

    Send us a textEpisode 26 Alex Stewart, the influencer behind the hit podcast Swipe Fat, discusses how body shaming shapes romantic longing, the polarizing use of words like “fat,” the impact of weight loss drugs on the body positivity movement, and why you should never wait til you're X size to do something.Alex Stewart is an influencer and the voice behind the Instagram and TikTok account, Sassy Confetti. She is a proud Chicagoan who tries to inspire her audience to get out there and try new...

    58 min
  3. Neuroscientist Tom Bellamy (aka Dr. L) explains the brain on limerence & strategies to stop it

    JUL 20

    Neuroscientist Tom Bellamy (aka Dr. L) explains the brain on limerence & strategies to stop it

    Send us a textEpisode 25 Neuroscientist and owner of Livingwithlimerence.com Dr. Tom Bellamy explains what is happening in the brain when one experiences limerence, what makes it scientifically so difficult to disrupt, and strategies to practice to stop limerenceTom Bellamy is an academic neuroscientist and Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham in the UK. His research involves studying the fundamental mechanisms of the brain (the nuts and bolts of synaptic signaling), but he als...

    1h 17m
  4. Travel expert Pauline Frommer on life & love lessons at the intersection of travel & longing

    JUL 1

    Travel expert Pauline Frommer on life & love lessons at the intersection of travel & longing

    Send us a textEpisode 24 Travel expert and writer Pauline Frommer illustrates how travel experiences have made her a better seeker, the importance of appreciating the ephemeral moments in travel, why the holy grail of travel is finding one’s soulmate, and the future of the travel industry with AI. Pauline Frommer is Co-President of Frommer Media LLC with her father, travel legend Arthur Frommer. They publish the Frommer’s guidebooks, now in their 65th year, with over 75 million books sol...

    51 min
  5. Harvard social psychologist Ellen Langer on the mindlessness of longing and regret & the power of mindfulness on our health

    MAY 30

    Harvard social psychologist Ellen Langer on the mindlessness of longing and regret & the power of mindfulness on our health

    Send us a textEpisode 23 Social psychologist Ellen Langer, AKA the "mother of mindfulness," explains why our perceived sense of control impacts our mental health, how longing and regret are mindless, why there are no good or bad decisions, and her new book, The Mindful body: Thinking our way to chronic health.Dr. Ellen Langer, AKA the “mother of mindfulness,” is a social psychologist and the first female professor to gain tenure in the Psychology Department at Harvard University. She is the a...

    1h 2m
  6. Road safety advocate Eric Olson on learning to reframe the loss of his daughter

    MAY 1

    Road safety advocate Eric Olson on learning to reframe the loss of his daughter

    Send us a textEpisode 22 On May 9, 2023, five-year-old Sidney Mae Olson was struck and killed by a truck in a cross walk. Her father, Eric Olson, discusses the longing that transpired following her death and what he’s learned about himself, his relationship with his daughter, and the interconnectedness of everything. Eric Olson is an advocate for vulnerable road users like his daughter. Eric is President of the Sidney Mae Olson Rainbow Fund, which he co-founded with his wife Mary Beth El...

    55 min
  7. Psychologist Giulia Poerio on limerence and mind wandering

    MAR 30

    Psychologist Giulia Poerio on limerence and mind wandering

    Send us a textEpisode 21 Psychologist and mind-wandering researcher Dr. Giulia Poerio shares recent research describing characteristics of limerence, who might be predisposed to it, and potential techniques that help alleviate limerent thinking. Due to the lack of understanding of limerence in clinical communities, she describes how it is often misunderstood or misdiagnosed. Dr Giulia Poerio is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Sussex in the UK. She has broad research interes...

    58 min
  8. Professor and Author Lisa A. Phillips on the relationship between unrequited love and longing

    FEB 28

    Professor and Author Lisa A. Phillips on the relationship between unrequited love and longing

    Send us a textEpisode 20 Professor and author Lisa Phillips discusses society's different expectations for genders in the pursuer/pursued template. In reflecting on her own story of unrequited love, she explains how she recognized what, not who, she really wanted. Phillips shares tips for satisfying the part of some of us that is always longing.Lisa Amy Phillips is the author of Unrequited: The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Romantic Obsession. She’s written about relationships and mental health f...

    59 min
See All (28)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Do you ever find yourself so fixated on longing that you can’t enjoy the present? Longing for a lover, an exotic destination, a lost loved one, or a past time in your life? The Longing Lab takes a deeper look at the science of longing and the culture that drives us to long for what we don’t have. You can expect insightful conversations with individuals uniquely qualified to talk about longing. Host, Amanda McCracken, has written or spoken about her own addiction to longing in national publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, & the BBC. The goal of the Longing Lab is to inspire individuals to make positive changes in their lives. Look for her book, When Longing Becomes Your Lover (Hachette), in fall of 2025! 

Information

  • Creator
    Amanda McCracken
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 The Longing Lab
  • Show Website
    The Longing Lab

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