A Slight Change of Plans

World-renowned musician Min Kym shares her transformative story after her beloved violin was stolen, discussing her deep connection to music and finding solace in Bach's music. The podcast also touches on topics like HIV stigma and introduces the McCartney podcast.

Dacher Keltner, a psychologist, shares the science behind the emotion of awe in everyday life. he discusses surprising sources of awe and its impact on well-being. The podcast explores the transformative power of awe, from challenging beliefs to dissolving the self. It also covers the effects of awe on generosity, creativity, and political polarization. Various pathways to cultivate awe are discussed, including meditation, gratitude exercises, service work, and psychedelics.

Explore the emotion of awe and its powerful effects, hear stories of navigating uncertainty, and learn from interviews with a psychologist, a world-class violinist, and an individual facing a deadly genetic mutation.

Rock climber Tommy Caldwell discusses his near-death experience and how it changed his mindset, leading him to become one of the greatest climbers. The hosts share their experiences escaping captivity and making life-threatening decisions. The podcast also covers vaccine challenges, Smallpox eradication, employee benefits, and skincare. The chapter explores overcoming challenges and finding flow in climbing.

Renowned chef Christina Ha, legally blind by age 24, shares her inspiring story of overcoming blindness and becoming a world-renowned chef. She discusses her experience as a visually impaired contestant on MasterChef and emphasizes the importance of focusing on her own strengths. The episode also touches on grief, social isolation, and reflections on identity.

Maya shares three pieces of wisdom in her commencement address at Juilliard School. Topics include imaginative courage, pursuing passion, loss of identity and finding purpose, power of emotional connection and awe, and seeking awe and concert tour advertisement.

The story of John Elder Robison is one of Maya’s favorite episodes and it’s also a top choice in our listener favorites series. John is a gifted sound engineer whose rare ability to understand machines propelled him to work with the likes of Kiss and Diana Ross. But the one thing he always felt was lacking was his ability to understand people emotionally. In an effort to see if he could change that, he volunteered to participate in an experimental brain study.  If you enjoyed this episode, Maya suggests you check out this one next: “Life After Escaping Captivity” We’ll be back with new episodes in the fall. In the meantime, you can connect with Maya on instagram @DrMayaShanker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our listener favorites series, many of you mentioned Amanda Knox’s story. She was just 20 years old when she was found guilty of a crime she did not commit — the murder of her roommate. Amanda spent four years in an Italian prison before she was finally exonerated and allowed to return to her life back home in the U.S. But she soon discovered that that life didn’t exist anymore. If you enjoyed this episode, Maya suggests you check out this one next: “The Woman Who Changed Warlord Joseph Kony’s Mind”  We’ll be back with new episodes in the fall. In the meantime, you can connect with Maya on instagram @DrMayaShanker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next in our listeners’ favorite series: Author Daniel Pink teaches us how to transform our relationship with regret so that we can live happier, more fulfilling lives. If you enjoyed this episode, Maya suggests you check out this one next: “Grieving the Man I Thought My Husband Was”  We’ll be back with new episodes in the fall. In the meantime, you can connect with Maya on instagram @DrMayaShanker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re revisiting some of our listeners’ favorite episodes this summer. We kick off the series with our first ever episode: A conversation with the Black jazz musician Daryl Davis. During a performance, a member of the KKK approached him at a bar and his life took an unexpected turn. He ended up inspiring hundreds of people to leave white supremacist groups. If you enjoyed this episode, Maya suggests you check out this one next: “Leaving a Religious Cult”  We’ll be back with new episodes in the fall. In the meantime, you can connect with Maya on instagram @DrMayaShanker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.