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!
Episodes
29 episodes
Psychiatrist Dr. Jud Brewer on longing in the brain & how to curb our cravings through mindfulness
Episode 28 Psychiatrist and mindfulness research leader Dr. Jud Brewer explains the neural mechanisms of longing (i.e. romantic obsession) and the differences between excitement (contraction) and joy (expansion). Brewer discusses how mind...
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Season 3
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Episode 28
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42:29
Feminist author Elissa Bassist on how warping our voices leads to physical pain & longing
Episode 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 do...
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Season 3
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Episode 27
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50:23
Swipe Fat podcast co-host Alex Stewart on how longing shapes dating experiences for plus size women
Episode 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 s...
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Season 3
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Episode 26
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58:03
Neuroscientist Tom Bellamy (aka Dr. L) explains the brain on limerence & strategies to stop it
Episode 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 lime...
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Season 3
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Episode 25
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1:16:46
Travel expert Pauline Frommer on life & love lessons at the intersection of travel & longing
Episode 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 th...
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Season 3
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Episode 24
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50:58
Harvard social psychologist Ellen Langer on the mindlessness of longing and regret & the power of mindfulness on our health
Episode 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, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 23
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1:01:51
Road safety advocate Eric Olson on learning to reframe the loss of his daughter
Episode 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 ...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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54:39
Psychologist Giulia Poerio on limerence and mind wandering
Episode 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 l...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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58:29
Professor and Author Lisa A. Phillips on the relationship between unrequited love and longing
Episode 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 w...
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Season 3
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Episode 20
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59:01
Psychologist & grief expert Mary-Frances O'Connor on how our brains learn from love and loss
Episode 19 Psychology professor and author Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor explains how our expectations encoded in the brain impact our grief when we lose someone we love (through death, divorce, or estrangement). She also illustrates why our brains...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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51:09
Psychologist Alexandra Solomon on how our current low accountability dating culture fosters a collective attachment disorder
Episode 18 Psychologist and author Dr. Alexandra Solomon explains how our current low accountability dating culture fosters a collective attachment disorder which individuals sometimes mistake as a personal disorder. She provides practical acti...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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40:00
Sociology professor Lisa Wade on the rules of hookup culture and how it stemmed from a stalled sexual revolution
Episode 17 Sociology professor Dr. Lisa Wade takes a deep dive into the history and results of hookup culture on American college campuses based on her research. She reveals the unspoken rules of hookup culture and how the stalled sexual revolu...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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45:22
Break Free Together founder Linda Kay Klein on the damage caused by purity culture and what recovery involves
Episode 16 Purity culture recovery coach Linda Kay Klein explains how difficult it is to shed the teachings of purity culture. Using her personal experience and those of the many women she interviewed for her book, Linda discusses how purity cu...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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50:11
My Father's List author Laura Carney on how completing her late father's bucket list set her free from longing to belong
Episode 15 Author Laura Carney reflects on how years of longing to belong restricted her, but learning to say, “yes,” to completing her late father’s bucket list, set her free from a false narrative. In this intimate interview, Carney discusses...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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1:44:47
"The Wedding Doctor," psychologist Jocelyn Charnas on how longing for the "perfect day" prevents focusing on the relationship
Episode 14: Known in New York City circles as "The Wedding Doctor," Dr. Jocelyn Charnas describes how she helps clients navigate wedding planning and maintain the focus on their relationship/marriage while wading through decision fatigue, feeli...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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45:47
Neuroscientist Zoe Donaldson on romantic pair bonds & what yearning looks like in the brain
Episode 13: Award-winning neuroscientist Zoe Donaldson explains her research on how romantic bonds in prairie voles are encoded in the brain. She specifically looks at what happens the moment a prairie vole decides to reunite with its partner o...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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59:46
Psychiatrist and prolonged grief expert Dr. Katherine Shear on how longing is the heart of grief
Episode 12: Center for Prolonged Grief founder, Dr. Katherine Shear untangles the differences between prolonged grief disorder and more typical integrated grief. She explains why longing is at the heart of grief and the importance in accepting ...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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51:09
Journalist Florence Williams on the science of heartbreak and healing nature of awe
Episode 11: Award-winning science journalist & author Florence Williams shares insights she learned during her journey through the heartbreak of her divorce and writing a memoir about it. She discusses the physical impacts heartbreak has on...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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37:32
Breast Cancer Survivor Cassie Fulmer Brown on longing, living, and loving
Episode 10: Cassie Fulmer Brown discusses longing in relationship to her five-year battle with breast cancer and why it’s important to “Go small and go now!”Five years ago, Cassie Fulmer Brown got her first mammogram at age 40 despite ha...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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52:01
Valentine Special: My husband Dave Butler on relationships, intimacy, and vulnerability
Episode 9: In this Valentine’s Day special, Dave speaks with Amanda about how their relationship developed from meeting to getting married, the pivotal moments during their 11-month-courtship, and the importance of seeing a couple’s therapist.<...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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57:47
Professional Ultra Runner Hillary Allen on finding value in yourself beyond performance
Episode 8: Hillary Allen explains how longing, through the lens of perfectionism, can positively fuel athletes or destroy them.Hillary Allen is a professional ultra trail runner for Brooks and a gravel cyclist for Scuderia Pinarello. Hi...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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41:23
Decision Scientist Nika Kabiri on how longing influences our decisions
Episode 7: Nika Kabiri speaks about the role longing plays in decision-making in both healthy and unhealthy ways, how to deal with anticipatory regret, and when to address inaction inertia. Nika Kabiri has spent over 20 years ...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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49:53
Veterinarian Bob Irmiger on deciding to euthanize a pet & how longing impacts this decision
Episode 6: Veterinarian Bob Irmiger talks about mourning a sick pet before they're even gone, the agonizing decision to euthanize a pet, the process of euthanasia, and how you know when it’s time to let go. Dr. Bob Irmiger int...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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56:06
Sober Sexpert Writer Tawny Lara on the benefits of booze-free sex & dating
Episode 5: Writer Tawny Lara speaks about her own sobriety journey, how she became known as the Sober Sexpert, and the benefits to booze-free sex, dating and relationships. With the help of yoga, meditation, therapy, and writi...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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41:01
Mt Everest Summiter & Executive Coach Vivian Rigney on Vulnerabilty, Authenticity, & Legacy
Episode 4: Executive Coach Vivian James Rigney speaks about the loneliness and negative inner dialogue he encountered during his two-month climb of Mount Everest and what it taught him about vulnerability, authenticity, and legacy....
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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54:39