Dr Aaron Kaplan

08/04/2026

Episode 95: The Mattering Mindset, with Matthew Emerzian

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I spoke with Matthew Emerzian, keynote speaker, author of Make It Matter, and CEO of the nonprofit Every Monday Matters. Matthew shares how a successful career in the music industry, working with some of the biggest names in entertainment, eventually gave way to panic, anxiety, and depression. That experience forced him to rethink what success meant and led him toward a life centered more on purpose, service, and connection.

We also talk about Matthew’s “mattering mindset”: I matter, you matter, and we matter. He explains how the choices we make, the attention we give others, and even small acts of kindness can shape how people see themselves and their place in the world. It is an honest and engaging conversation about moving beyond achievement, finding a stronger sense of purpose, and recognizing that the way we show up for others matters more than we often realize.

Podcast Episode · Mind Tricks Radio · August 4 · 1h

07/29/2026

How to Make a Difficult Decision When There Is No Clear Right Answer

Some decisions are hard because every available option involves a trade-off. You may be deciding whether to leave a secure but unfulfilling job, end a relationship that no longer feels right, move somewhere new, or pursue a medical treatment with both benefits and risks. In situations like these, people often become consumed with finding the “right” answer. They make lists, ask everyone they know for advice, and imagine every possible outcome....

Some decisions are hard because every available option involves a trade-off. You may be deciding whether to leave a secure but unfulfilling job, end a relationship that no longer feels right, move somewhere new, or pursue a medical treatment with both benefits and risks. In situations like these, pe...

07/28/2026

Episode 94: The Path of Least Regret, with Parul Somani

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I spoke with Parul Somani, author of The Path of Least Regret, about how to make difficult decisions when there is no perfect answer and no certainty about how things will turn out. Drawing on her experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 31, during the same week her second daughter was born, Parul explains how regret can become a useful guide rather than simply a burden from the past.

We talk about why high achievers often struggle with perfectionism, comparison, overthinking, and analysis paralysis, and how identifying a personal North Star can help people make choices that better reflect their values. Parul also explains why clarity matters more than certainty, and why the best solution may not be option A or option B, but an option C that has not yet been considered.

This was a thoughtful and practical conversation about uncertainty, resilience, hindsight bias, self-compassion, and the trade-offs that come with life’s hardest choices. Parul offers a grounded approach to making the best decision we can with the information available, then moving forward with greater peace of mind.

Podcast Episode · Mind Tricks Radio · July 28 · 52m

06/02/2026

The Apocalypse Is Older Than Zombies: Why End-of-the-World Stories Still Matter

Post-apocalyptic fiction can look, at first glance, like pure entertainment: zombies shambling through abandoned cities, asteroids hurtling toward Earth, viruses wiping out civilization, or survivors fighting over canned food in the ruins. But the genre has always been about more than spectacle. In a conversation I had with Dr. Kevin Pelletier, an English professor at the University of Richmond and author of…...

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06/02/2026

The Psychology of Feeling Young: Time, Age, and the Importance of Staying Engaged

Most of us carry around two ages. There is the official one, the number attached to our birthday, driver’s license, and increasingly rude medical forms. Then there is the age we actually feel. In a recent conversation I had with Dr. Art Markman, we explored this strange gap between chronological age and subjective age, and why so many adults look in the mirror and think, “Wait, when did that happen?” Feeling younger than we are is not necessarily denial....

Most of us carry around two ages. There is the official one, the number attached to our birthday, driver’s license, and increasingly rude medical forms. Then there is the age we actually feel. In a recent conversation I had with Dr. Art Markman, we explored this strange gap between chronological a...

05/26/2026

Episode 93: The Puritans, the Apocalypse, and Zombies: How American History Shaped Stories About the End of the World, with Dr. Kevin Pelletier

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I spoke with Dr. Kevin Pelletier, an associate professor of English at the University of Richmond, about apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic literature—where the tradition comes from, why it has endured for centuries, and why stories about the end of the world continue to speak so powerfully to the human imagination.

We talk about the deep roots of apocalyptic thinking in early American Puritan writing, its connection to religion, morality, abolitionism, and fear of divine judgment, and how those older traditions gradually evolved into modern stories about pandemics, nuclear war, zombies, climate catastrophe, and social collapse. Dr. Pelletier explains why apocalyptic fiction is rarely just about destruction. At its best, it uses catastrophe to reveal what matters most in ordinary life: love, fear, mortality, community, meaning, and the fragile structures that hold civilization together.

One of the things I especially enjoyed about this conversation is that Dr. Pelletier approaches these questions from the perspective of literature and intellectual history rather than psychology alone. I always find it stimulating to speak with people from different disciplines because there is often tremendous overlap in the ideas, but each field brings its own language, emphasis, and angle of vision. In this case, our conversation moved naturally between literature, religion, psychology, history, and existential meaning.

This was a wide-ranging and thoughtful conversation about Puritan sermons, Edgar Allan Poe, Station Eleven, The Walking Dead, World War Z, COVID-19, and the enduring question of why human beings are so drawn to imagining the end. Dr. Pelletier brings warmth, depth, and literary insight to a genre that is often mistaken for mere entertainment, but that may actually help us think more deeply about fear, survival, morality, and what makes life worth living.

Podcast Episode · Mind Tricks Radio · May 26 · 1h 3m

05/20/2026

I'm excited to announce that my *Goodreads giveaway* is now **LIVE** for my post-apocalyptic novel *When Earth Blinked*. I'll be giving away a few copies of my book through the giveaway.

It's free to enter. Just follow this link for details: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/440731-when-earth-blinked?ref=giv_enter_cta

Set in an overgrown, post-apocalyptic Hawai‘i, the story follows a neurodivergent mathematician searching for survival, meaning, and an elusive Mars colonization program.

Good luck!

05/17/2026

Episode 92: Is Age Just a Number? The Subjective Experience of Age and Time, with Dr. Art Markman

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I spoke with Dr. Art Markman about the subjectivity of age and time—why we often feel younger than the number on our birth certificate, why time seems to speed up as we get older, and what psychology can tell us about making life feel fuller, longer, and more meaningful.

We talk about the difference between chronological age and subjective age, the strange experience of looking in the mirror and seeing someone older than we feel inside, and how staying physically active, socially engaged, and open to new experiences can help people maintain a sense of vitality. Dr. Markman also explains why childhood and travel can feel so expansive, while routine-heavy adult years can seem to disappear in a blur.

This was a lively, thoughtful, and surprisingly practical conversation about aging, memory, novelty, regret, and the importance of saying yes to life. Dr. Markman brings warmth, humor, and deep cognitive science expertise to a topic that touches everyone: how we experience the passing of time, and how we might live in a way that makes that time feel richer.

Podcast Episode · Mind Tricks Radio · May 17 · 46m

05/17/2026

Why Are We So Drawn to the End of the World?

My recent conversation with Dr. Mathias Clasen on Mind Tricks Radio podcast got me thinking about one of the strangest pleasures in fiction: our fascination with the end of the world. I’ve been especially interested in this topic lately because of the publication of my own post-apocalyptic novel, When Earth Blinked, which is set in Hawaiʻi after a global catastrophe....

My recent conversation with Dr. Mathias Clasen on Mind Tricks Radio podcast got me thinking about one of the strangest pleasures in fiction: our fascination with the end of the world. I’ve been especially interested in this topic lately because of the publication of my own post-apocalyptic novel, ...