See him? (©Stapleton Collection/Corbis)

In anticipation of Saint Patrick’s Day, our minds inevitably turn the little people of Irish folklore.

But as Julie and I discuss in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, diminutive magical fairy folk pop up in folk traditions around the world – as do the Lilliputian hallucinations that produce such fantastic visions.

So listen in and I’ll help you bone up on Irish myth and then we’ll introduce you to the science behind those paranormal leprechaun encounters.

Blind men will see again.

Gaunt beings will gather around death beds.

Little people will frolic in the woods.

I especially enjoyed getting to chat about Fomhóire chief Balar of the evil eye and King Nuada of the silver, flesh-covered and possibly cybernetic arm. Plus I’ve always loved the genocidal wars of the Tuatha De Danann and the twisted  Fir Bholgs.

Irish myth is so rich, especially when you get past the Frosted Lucky Charms and football mascots.

Oh yeah, and the neuroscience is nothing short of mind blowing.

STREAM THE EPISODE HERE:

So there you have it! Grab the podcast on iTunes, Zune, RSS feed and the HowStuffWorks App!

Skull still intact? Follow Stuff to Blow Your Mind on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.