The Monkey Mind Lab

If you decolonise the mind, what happens to the culture it carries? (ft. Dr Amit Prakash)

What does it mean to “decolonise” culture? Is it about removing statues, burning books and rewriting history, or something deeper - like changing how we think, speak, and see ourselves? Colonialism didn’t just shape borders, it shaped minds, identities, and entire cultures. But when we actively dismantle colonial frameworks from our thinking, what happens to the culture that was formed within them? Can we truly reclaim traditions, languages, and identities, or have they been permanently transformed? In the Season 1 finale, Dr Prakash brings listeners into the intellectual and emotional struggle to reclaim culture after empire, asking what’s possible, what’s performative, and what truly liberates.

Can the Arts Be a Form of Resistance? Spotlight on Latin-American Literature (ft. Gloria Estela González Zenteno)

Can storytelling, poetry, and performance challenge power and spark change? When words fail, can art speak louder? In this episode, award-winning author Gloria Estela González Zenteno explores how the arts, whether through storytelling, performance, or visual expression, can become a powerful voice against oppression. Focusing on Latin America’s rich tradition of creative activism, we discuss how artists use their craft not only to reflect reality but to challenge and transform it.

Is Oratory the Liberal Art that will save the Liberal Arts? (ft. Dana Yeaton)

In a time when the value of a liberal arts education is constantly questioned, could the ancient art of oratory be its saving grace? Playwright and educator Dana Yeaton joins us to explore how speaking—and listening—might just be the most essential skills for our modern moment. From the power and psychological impacts of presenting in front of an audience to the evolutionary need for stories, and practical applications of storytelling in modern education and societal contexts, we ask: what does it really mean to have a voice? Tune in to discover why mastering the art of speech might be more crucial now than ever before!

Can you swipe right on romance without buying into Capitalism? Is love real in the 21st century? (ft. Dr Laurie Essig)

Dating apps, wedding industries, and the ever-elusive “happily ever after”—has love become just another product we’re sold? In this episode of The Monkey Mind Lab, Dr Laurie Essig takes us on a sharp and thought-provoking journey through the economics of desire. From Tinder to tradition, we explore how capitalism has shaped our expectations of romance—and whether love can still be real in an age of algorithms and aspiration.

Can you fast for your husband's long life and still be a feminist? Women in Hinduism (ft. Dr Jennifer Ortegren)

Is being religious seen as unfeminist? Are Hindu rituals regressive, empowering or neither? What is the ethical value of stridharma in the modern world? Can tradition and feminism coexist? In this episode, Dr Jennifer Ortegren unpacks the complex roles women occupy in Hinduism—through rituals, scriptures, and lived experience. From Karva Chauth to questions of agency and devotion, this episode explores how gender, religion, and modernity intersect in surprising (and sometimes conflicting) ways.