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Magical Overthinkers

Magical Overthinkers

By: Amanda Montell & Studio71
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About this listen

 Are you an overthinker? Prone to thought spirals? Do you wonder why, despite living in the "Information Age," life only seems to be making less sense? From extreme celebrity worshippers to people with master’s degrees basing their real-life choices on Mercury’s whereabouts, there seems to be a lot of delulu out there these days. More than ever, in fact. Enter: This relatable, thought-provoking podcast for curious overthinkers. Every other week, tune in as host Amanda Montell, author of the New York Times bestselling book The Age of Magical Overthinking and host of the Sounds Like A Cult podcast, interviews a brilliant expert guest about a buzzy, confounding, anxiety-provoking topic. Think: narcissism, nostalgia, polyamory, social media comparison, "millennial cringe." Complete with heart-on-their-sleeve personal stories, thought-provoking conversations, and actionable takeaways for how chronically online listeners can get out of their own heads, this podcast is here to make some sense of the senseless. To help quiet the cacophony in our brains for a while. Or even hear a melody in it. For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20PolicyAmanda Montell & Studio71 Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Overthinking About Indecision

    Overthinking About Indecision
    Aug 6 2025
    Should I move or stay where I am? Take the job or turn it down? Text back or disappear into the ocean? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Vicki Tan (@vickiheart), a digital product designer and author, to gently spiral about indecision: why it’s so hard to choose, what’s actually hiding underneath all that back-and-forth, and how much of it is really fear dressed up as logic.Together, they unpack the mental clutter, perfectionism, and quiet grief that decision making so often stirs up, and ask what it would feel like to choose without trying to be perfect. A spiral into possibility, analysis paralysis, and the sacred mess of not knowing what comes next.Further Reading: Ask This Book A Question by Vicki Tan - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Head to https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Overthinking About Parasocial Relationships

    Overthinking About Parasocial Relationships
    Jul 23 2025
    In the digital age, the people we feel closest to sometimes don’t even know we exist. This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Jessica Zier and Lizzie Li, PhD students at Northwestern University who study parasocial relationships, to spiral about the emotional life of one-sided intimacy. Together, they explore how digital closeness blurs the line between connection and projection, and why it makes perfect sense that we feel so seen by people who’ve never met us. A soft spiral into loneliness, identity, and the very human instinct to reach for connection, even through a screen. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/Magical to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Amanda and the Nonstop Narrator

    Amanda and the Nonstop Narrator
    Jul 16 2025
    The case of Amanda, a writer whose internal monologue won't stop narrating her life, instead of just letting her live it. Listen to Proxy with Yowei Shaw Follow Yowei on Instagram @yoweishaw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    56 mins
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