Mayim Bialik's Breakdown
Mayim Bialik
Consciousness. Spontaneous healing. UAPs. Near Death Experiences. Manifestation. Psychic phenomena. Angels. Nothing is off limits if it can be approached with curiosity and rigor.
MBB started as a conversation about mental health — and quickly became something much bigger. Because the deeper you go into what it means to be human, the faster you run into questions science hasn’t fully answered yet.
Hosted by neuroscientist and cultural icon Mayim Bialik and spiritual explorer Jonathan Cohen, MBB is a multi-award-winning podcast where science and spirituality meet. Together they break down the assumptions, the misperceptions, and the boundaries between disciplines — and every breakdown is a breakthrough. This is where the biggest questions get taken seriously — and where you realize you’ve never been alone in asking them.
Can the mind actually heal the body? Can quantum physics explain psychic phenomena? What do Near Death Experiences reveal about the nature of consciousness and the seat of the human soul? What if the only thing separating you from your own intuition - or even God - is the assumption that it’s out of reach? And if governments are publicly acknowledging the existence of UFOs, what does that mean for the future of humanity?
These are the questions Mayim Bialik's Breakdown asks every week.
Subscribe on Substack for ad-free episodes and bonus content, and check us out on YouTube (@MayimBialik) for video versions of our episodes!
MBB started as a conversation about mental health — and quickly became something much bigger. Because the deeper you go into what it means to be human, the faster you run into questions science hasn’t fully answered yet.
Hosted by neuroscientist and cultural icon Mayim Bialik and spiritual explorer Jonathan Cohen, MBB is a multi-award-winning podcast where science and spirituality meet. Together they break down the assumptions, the misperceptions, and the boundaries between disciplines — and every breakdown is a breakthrough. This is where the biggest questions get taken seriously — and where you realize you’ve never been alone in asking them.
Can the mind actually heal the body? Can quantum physics explain psychic phenomena? What do Near Death Experiences reveal about the nature of consciousness and the seat of the human soul? What if the only thing separating you from your own intuition - or even God - is the assumption that it’s out of reach? And if governments are publicly acknowledging the existence of UFOs, what does that mean for the future of humanity?
These are the questions Mayim Bialik's Breakdown asks every week.
Subscribe on Substack for ad-free episodes and bonus content, and check us out on YouTube (@MayimBialik) for video versions of our episodes!
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 18, 2021 • 1h 32min
Moshe Kasher: Nature vs. Nurture, Growing Up CODA & Rebuilding Trust
Moshe Kasher, stand-up comedian and author of Mayim’s favorite memoir ‘Kasher in the Rye,’ talks about his experience through childhood growing up with deaf parents and the mixed emotions of independence, embarrassment, and rage that came with it. Mayim and Moshe explore the idea of the chicken and the egg when it came to his therapy early in life; whether he was exposed to therapy because of exhibited behaviors or whether that exposure fed into those behaviors. We close the episode by coming full circle with a callback to Rick Doblin’s MAPS and the idea that the only way to truly heal from trauma is to go back through it.
BialikBreakdown.com
YouTube.com/mayimbialik
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May 11, 2021 • 1h 19min
Hayley Williams: Mind-Body Breakthroughs, Weird Weddings & Intensive Therapy
Hayley Williams, the Grammy Award winning singer and founder of Paramore, shares her personal experience of ‘getting out’ of a traumatic relationship and the mind-body connection she uncovered during the process. Mayim and Hayley connect over their shared choice of combat boots and disconnected enthusiasm in their previous weddings. Hayley opens up on her recent journey through intensive therapy and how an integrated health approach has positively impacted her life. The conversation turns esoteric and mystical near the end with a discussion of intergenerational trauma and family system.
BialikBreakdown.com
YouTube.com/mayimbialik
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May 6, 2021 • 30min
Bevisode with Mayim’s Mom! Millennials, Mindfulness, & Memories
Back again this week with what is quickly becoming a fan favorite, the Bevisode! In this third installment we go a little meta with Bev breaking down her own episode... breaking down other guests’ episodes. Bev goes on to share her admiration for us getting a ‘down to earth’ millennial like Sofia Franklyn on the show along with her lack of enthusiasm for the mindful, philosophical conversation we had with Sam Harris. Later Bev reflects on the sadness she felt during Jaleel White’s openness about the realities of being a child star and the similarities she saw in Mayim. And finally, we breakdown her thoughts on male nail polish in AJ McLean’s episode, plus the correlations around the idea of ‘chaos’ that she experienced in her life.
BialikBreakdown.com
YouTube.com/mayimbialik
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May 4, 2021 • 1h 11min
Hunter McGrady: Redefining Beauty, Mantras & Body Positivity
Hunter McGrady, the lovely and talented trailblazer for plus size modeling, shares the ups and downs of her career including her journey to be on the cover of Sport Illustrated’s Swim Suit issue in nothing but body paint! Mayim and Hunter discuss the anxiety and depression that both men and women face in response to unrealistic societal body standards. Hunter opens up a dialogue on the important role that therapy has played in helping her to learn self love and build her confidence! She even gives Mayim some mantras to work on.
BialikBreakdown.com
YouTube.com/mayimbialik
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Apr 29, 2021 • 41min
Bevisode with Mayim’s Mom! Mindfulness, Self Esteem & Psychedelic Experiences
Bev is back! This week we breakdown our recent episodes with Kunal Nayyar, Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein, Glennon Doyle, and Rick Doblin alongside Mayim’s mother Bev. After contemplating whether or not Kunal was deeply profound or just acting the part of ‘Buddha in Jeans,’ we tackle the idea of ageism in Bev’s critique on our first show addressing women’s health. We also discuss the idea of ‘self esteem’ in today’s age of empowerment and how our show on MDMA brought back some old experiences with Bev’s undulating Mescaline trips.
BialikBreakdown.com
YouTube.com/mayimbialik
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16 snips
Apr 27, 2021 • 1h 32min
Wil Wheaton: Trauma, Depression & Self-Discovery
Wil Wheaton is a well seasoned actor, recognized for his work on The Big Bang Theory, Stand By Me, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and countless other classics. He joins us this week to talk about his lifelong battle with depression and anxiety. Mayim dives into the neuroscience behind depression and explores the importance of social support. Wil shares about growing up in the industry, his tumultuous relationship with his parents, the unexpected way he met his wife Anne, and the breakdown that leads to him getting help.
BialikBreakdown.com
YouTube.com/mayimbialik
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Apr 22, 2021 • 1h 19min
Sal Khan: Emotional Stress, Standardized Tests, & A New Approach to Education
Salman “Sal” Khan, acclaimed educator and philanthropist describes his journey through the educational system and his plans to change it for the better. Originally an analyst at a hedge fund, Sal decided to leave his cushioned career in order to focus on his true passion, education. This is when https://www.khanacademy.org/ was born. Mayim and Sal discuss his vision of a world where everyone has the opportunity to receive individualized, compassionate education without the fear, stress, and anxiety of standardized tests and ranking systems. Mayim shares about her own experiences in the education system as a student and as a teacher to her children. Sal and Mayim discuss the “natural curiosity” of all human beings and comment on how the traditional education system has failed many students in many ways.
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Apr 20, 2021 • 1h 16min
Brian Posehn: Gentle Giants, Weed, and Dungeons & Dragons
Mayim and Brian discuss their life experiences and dissect Brian’s transformation from "nerd" to famous comedian and the impact of being a big man. Brian recounts his time working with Mayim on the Big Bang Theory and his excitement playing Dungeons and Dragons with Mayim and other members of the team! Mayim examines recent scientific research on the therapeutic potential of this socially engaging tabletop game! The conversation leads into a discussion of coping mechanisms and subsequent discussion of Brian’s use of marijuana. Both Brian and Mayim examine the risks and benefits of marijuana use.
BialikBreakdown.com
YouTube.com/mayimbialik
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Apr 13, 2021 • 1h 18min
Elizabeth Bachner: Alternative Medicine, Acupuncture & Adrenal Failure - Doulas Do it Right
Elizabeth Bachner, acclaimed midwife, acupuncturist and healer, explains how her life was seemingly perfect on paper but simply didn’t feel right. By unraveling this thread, she was guided on a path of personal and spiritual transformation that many will relate to. Elizabeth brings her extensive exploration of Easter healing and Mayim and Elizabeth delve into the neuropsychological underpinnings of naturalistic medicine. Elizabeth even leads us in group meditation (Prepare to smell some lemons)! The show examines the hardships of human experience, from cancer, birth, death, and much more.
BialikBreakdown.com
YouTube.com/mayimbialik
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Apr 8, 2021 • 47min
Bevisode with Mayim’s Mom! Anxiety, Sexuality & Mind-Body Connection
Oh boy, let’s see how this goes. Introducing the first of many to come, the Bevisode… where Mayim and her mother sit down to analyze previous episodes and how the topics within them relate to their shared and individual experience in life. This week Bev dissects a few core topics from some of our earliest releases. Namely, anxiety as it relates to Grace Helbig’s episode, honesty about depression shared by Leslie Jordan, the idea of holding and the mind body connection explored by Iliza Shlesinger, plus Bev's deep connection to the testimony shared by Cheyenne Jackson during his appearance.
BialikBreakdown.com
YouTube.com/mayimbialik
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