A little change of plan this week on It's A Small World!

Mich has escaped on holiday, so we're postponing our Ancient Civilisations & Lost Knowledge episode until next week. But rather than leave you without a podcast, Tanya has some exciting news about what we're planning for January.

And this time, we want you to get involved!

Inspired by The Magic by Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, we're launching a month-long experiment exploring gratitude, positive thinking, manifestation and the law of attraction.

For 31 days, we're planning to release a short daily podcast, trying out exercises, sharing our experiences and investigating whether changing the way we think can genuinely change our lives.

But we're not simply accepting the claims at face value.

Is it the power of positive thinking? Psychology? Changes in our behaviour? Coincidence? Or could there really be something more to it?

We'll be exploring the science, questioning the theories and seeing whether anything actually changes.

And we'd love you to join us.

You don't need to believe in manifestation, be particularly spiritual or even own the book. Just bring an open mind, a little curiosity and a willingness to try something different.

Perhaps we'll discover something life-changing. Perhaps we'll simply develop a greater appreciation for the little things. Or perhaps we'll find that some of the claims don't stand up to scrutiny.

Whatever happens, we'll be sharing the journey.

Have you ever tried gratitude exercises or manifestation? Did they make a difference?

We'd love to hear your experiences before we begin.

And don't worry, history lovers! Mich will be back next week as we explore ancient civilisations, lost knowledge, Atlantis and some rather intriguing conspiracy theories.

It's A Small World! - exploring the curious, the unusual and everything in between.

Link to The Magic: https://link.amazon/B064JxUiy

Why do we spend so much of our lives avoiding danger, only to willingly pay good money to be absolutely terrified?

From horror films and haunted attractions to rollercoasters and ghost stories, there's something rather strange about our love of fear.

This week on It's A Small World!, Tanya and Mich explore the fascinating psychology behind why humans actually enjoy being scared.

Having just finished working at Fear Island, Tanya shares her experiences from the other side of the scares, watching people scream, laugh, freeze and occasionally lose all sense of dignity, despite having voluntarily paid for the privilege!

But what's really happening inside our brains and bodies when we're frightened?

We explore the fight-or-flight response, adrenaline, the science of recreational fear and why researchers believe there may be a sweet spot between being pleasantly terrified and genuinely overwhelmed.

We also discuss our fascination with horror films, why some people love a good jump scare while others can't bear them, and whether deliberately frightening ourselves could actually help us become better at handling fear.

And why is watching somebody else get scared sometimes even funnier than the scare itself?

Is it the adrenaline, the anticipation, the relief when it's over - or are some of us simply a little bit strange?

Expect fascinating psychology, personal experiences, plenty of laughs and a few questionable decisions.

Whether you're a horror fanatic or someone who watches scary films from behind a cushion, join Tanya and Mich for another curious conversation.

We'd love to know: what's the scariest thing you've ever done for fun?

It's A Small World! - exploring the curious, the unusual and everything in between.

We spend a lot of time asking whether ghosts exist. But perhaps there's a more important question we should be asking first.

What actually IS a ghost?

Is it the spirit of someone who's died? A memory trapped in a building? Some form of energy? Or could the explanation lie in the extraordinary workings of the human brain?

This week on It's A Small World!, Tanya and Mich explore the theories, science and strange questions surrounding one of humanity's oldest mysteries.

From intelligent hauntings and poltergeists to the Stone Tape theory, sleep paralysis and the psychology behind paranormal experiences, we're looking at what people might really be seeing, hearing and feeling.

And we're asking some rather awkward questions along the way.

We also discuss ghost-hunting evidence, unexplained experiences and the bigger question of whether proving ghosts exist would actually prove there's life after death.

Are ghosts evidence of something beyond this life, or simply proof that there's still so much we don't understand?

Expect curious questions, a little scepticism, plenty of humour and probably more questions than answers.

Whether you're a believer, a sceptic or somewhere in between, join Tanya and Mich for another fascinating conversation about the unexplained.

And tell us: what do YOU think a ghost is?