A documentary about a group of artists who have schizophrenia working out of Cottage Studio, an art studio program for mental health consumers in Hamilton, ON. People discuss their past and present experiences with schizophrenia, and how creating art improves their lives.

Mixed with Sia’s “Breathe Me,” an eighth grader shares his story of bullying, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts, ending on a touching, hopeful note. Viral video.

Art video featuring performance poetry and imagery about modern living and madness. Winner of the 2011 reTHiNK Possible Worlds award, with the theme “We are all human beings navigating the maze of life.”

Iain McGilchrist: The Divided Brain

Psychiatrist McGilchist debunks myths of split brain functioning and explains how the left and right hemispheres of the brain always work together, yet still have different specializations. He posits that their strengths (and physical size) have evolved with the demands of modern life, and that although the left hemisphere may be useful for more concrete tasks, the right brain is equally valuable, ending with this quote from Albert Einstein: “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant but has forgotten the gift.” A cool illustrated RSA Animate video, created with an audio clip from a longer lecture on western civilization and the divided brain available here. Hat tip: an excellent blog post by Lapidarium notes.

Good animation, narration, and music in this short but comprehensive description of the brain’s default mode network.

How the mind turns language into meaning. The voice of linguist Steven Pinker in a wonderfully animated clip from a longer lecture.

Award-winning short film combining animated drawings by children with autism, with narration describing what it’s like to experience an autism spectrum disorder from the perspective of people who do.

A cute, short, comedy skit portraying a five year old psychotherapist in a session with her frustrated middle-aged client.

Beautifully eloquent a capella rap about how it really feels to be suicidal, with encouragement to go on. A vividly poetic and compelling performance, so good it’s gone viral.

Award-winning short film depicting love and neurotransmission as film noir romance.