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Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed El' Deity Princey.
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed El' Deity Princey.
What if the same brain states people spend years chasing through psychedelics could be accessed through meditation alone, and in as little as seven days? In this fascinating solo episode, Darin Olien explores groundbreaking new research from University of California San Diego, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and University of Montreal suggesting that meditation may produce brain patterns remarkably similar to those observed during psychedelic experiences. From the suppression of the default mode network and increases in neural complexity to neuroplasticity, endogenous opioids, and measurable biological changes in the bloodstream, Darin unpacks the science behind one of the most powerful, and completely free tools available to human beings. He also walks listeners through a practical seven-day protocol combining focused-attention meditation, Vipassana, breathwork, walking meditation, and loving-kindness practices designed to help cultivate greater awareness, emotional resilience, cognitive flexibility, and inner peace. What You'll Learn The groundbreaking UC San Diego meditation study and its surprising findings Why meditation may create brain states similar to psilocybin What the default mode network is and how it shapes everyday thinking How meditation may reduce rumination, anxiety, and self-referential thought The concept of brain criticality and cognitive flexibility Why post-meditation blood samples stimulated neuronal growth How meditation influences neuroplasticity and whole-body biology The differences between Samatha and Vipassana meditation What advanced monks are teaching scientists about consciousness The limitations and caveats of current meditation research A practical seven-day meditation protocol anyone can begin Why meditation may be one of the most powerful health interventions available today Chapters 00:00:03 – Welcome to SuperLife 00:00:33 – Sponsor: Alkemis and the hidden toxicity of indoor air 00:00:57 – Conventional paints, petrochemicals, and endocrine disruptors 00:01:24 – Why VOCs and PFAS may be affecting your home environment 00:01:55 – Fire-resistant mineral paints and healthier living spaces 00:02:27 – Cradle to Cradle certification and sustainable design 00:03:23 – The meditation study Darin can't stop thinking about 00:03:33 – Scanning the brains and blood of meditators 00:03:44 – Brain activity resembling psilocybin experiences 00:04:09 – The promise of a seven-day meditation protocol 00:04:22 – Psychedelics, consciousness, and dissolving the sense of self 00:04:47 – Ancient practices and modern scientific validation 00:05:23 – Why meditation research is entering a renaissance 00:05:41 – Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, and advanced consciousness mapping 00:06:00 – University of Montreal's study of monks with 15,000+ hours of practice 00:06:16 – Why psychedelics and meditation are converging scientifically 00:06:37 – What listeners will learn in today's episode 00:06:54 – Breaking down the UC San Diego retreat study 00:07:18 – Thirty-three hours of meditation, breathwork, and group practice 00:07:42 – EEG scans, blood draws, and laboratory neuron testing 00:08:05 – Reduced activity in the default mode network 00:08:24 – The science of mental chatter and rumination 00:08:50 – Blood plasma stimulating new neuronal growth 00:09:02 – Neuroplasticity and new neural connections 00:09:29 – Increased cellular metabolism and endogenous opioids 00:10:13 – Samatha vs Vipassana meditation explained 00:10:42 – How different meditation styles reshape the brain 00:10:50 – Harvard's advanced meditation consciousness studies 00:11:18 – Mapping concentration states and consciousness cessation 00:11:46 – Ancient contemplative traditions meeting modern neuroscience 00:11:50 – Important limitations of the research 00:12:05 – Why advanced monks aren't average practitioners 00:12:20 – Correlation versus causation in psychedelic comparisons 00:12:48 – What may actually be happening inside the brain 00:13:03 – Understanding the default mode network 00:13:26 – Anxiety, depression, addiction, and overactive self-talk 00:13:53 – Why meditation and psilocybin share common neurological effects 00:14:10 – Beginner studies showing measurable brain changes 00:14:28 – Brain criticality and cognitive adaptability 00:14:48 – The most surprising finding: meditation changes the blood 00:15:05 – Meditation as a whole-body signaling event 00:15:18 – Better sleep, digestion, hormone balance, and recovery 00:15:39 – Neuroplasticity, immune function, metabolism, and pain regulation 00:15:56 – Why meditation may be the ultimate free medicine 00:16:10 – Introducing the seven-day meditation protocol 00:16:34 – Sponsor break: Alkemis Paint 00:19:02 – Building a research-backed at-home meditation practice 00:19:24 – Why consistency matters more than total hours 00:19:41 – Combining focused attention and open monitoring 00:19:53 – Days 1–3: Stabilizing attention 00:20:02 – Morning focused-attention meditation instructions 00:20:34 – Evening body scan practice 00:21:04 – Preparing the brain for deeper awareness 00:21:08 – Days 4–5: Opening awareness through Vipassana 00:21:31 – Letting thoughts, sensations, and sounds pass freely 00:21:39 – Evening box breathing for nervous system regulation 00:22:01 – Why days four and five often feel more challenging 00:22:11 – Days 6–7: Deepening and integrating the practice 00:22:27 – Walking meditation and embodied awareness 00:22:52 – Loving-kindness meditation and compassion training 00:23:02 – Vagal tone, heart rate regulation, and inflammation reduction 00:23:18 – Three rules that determine success 00:23:26 – Eliminating distractions and protecting attention 00:23:36 – Why you should never judge your meditation sessions 00:24:00 – Extending the practice beyond seven days 00:24:19 – Psychedelics, meditation, and the search for transformation 00:24:51 – What the medicine always teaches: sit with yourself 00:25:03 – The wellness industry's tendency to monetize stillness 00:25:20 – Why you don't need expensive tools to transform 00:25:36 – Meditation as radical self-reclamation 00:26:02 – Meeting yourself without distraction 00:26:17 – Final reflections and closing thoughts 00:26:29 – Outro and farewell Thank You to Our Sponsors Alkemis: Go to https://alkemispaint.com/ and use code DARIN10 for 10% off your order. Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order. Join the SuperLife Patreon: This is where Darin now shares the deeper work: - weekly voice notes - ingredient trackers - wellness challenges - extended conversations - community accountability - sovereignty practices Join now for only $7.49/month at https://patreon.com/darinolien Find More from Darin Olien: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences Platform & Products: superlife.com New Show: Roadmap to Happiness Key Takeaway "Perhaps one of the most profound discoveries emerging from modern neuroscience is that many of the states of awareness humans have sought through substances, rituals, and external interventions may already be available within us. Meditation is not simply a relaxation practice—it appears to be a biological, neurological, and consciousness-altering intervention capable of reshaping the brain, changing the body, and transforming how we experience reality. The question is not whether the door exists. The question is whether we are willing to sit still long enough to walk through it." Bibliography/Sources: Here is the fully formatted bibliography for the "Seven Days to a New Brain" episode. It is organized by category, formatted in strict APA Style (7th Edition), and includes a direct link for every single source : Primary Studies Brewer, J. A., Worhunsky, P. D., Gray, J. R., Tang, Y. Y., Weber, J., & Kober, H. (2011). Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(50), 20254–20259 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1112029108 Lieberman, J. M., Rahrig, H., Britton, W. B., et al. (2025). Toward a neuroscience of consciousness using advanced meditation. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/Lieberman_25_NeuroscienceAndBiobehavioralReviews.pdf Pascarella, A., Jerbi, K., et al. (2026). Meditation induces shifts in neural oscillations, brain complexity, and critical dynamics: Novel insights from MEG. Neuroscience of Consciousness . https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41287816/ Patel, H., et al. (2025). Intensive meditation retreat induces rapid changes in brain activity, blood-based biomarkers, and neurotrophic signaling. Communications Biology . https://today.ucsd.edu/story/meditation-retreat-rapidly-reprograms-body-and-mind Shinozuka, K., et al. (2025). Neuroelectrophysiological correlates of extended cessation of consciousness in advanced meditation [Preprint]. bioRxiv . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/Shinozuka_25_bioRxiv.pdf Van Lutterveld, R., et al. (2025). An intensively sampled electroencephalography case study of advanced concentration absorption meditation (jhana) [Preprint]. SSRN . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/VanLutterveld_25_SSRN.pdf Supporting Press Coverage & Explainers Harvard Gazette. (2026, January). Your brain on advanced meditation . https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/01/your-brain-on-advanced-meditation/ Medical Xpress. (2026, February). Study of 12 monks finds meditation heightens brain activity, reshaping neural dynamics . https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-monks-meditation-heightens-brain-reshaping.html PsyPost. (2026). Brain scans of Buddhist monks reveal how different meditation styles alter consciousness . https://www.psypost.org/brain-scans-of-buddhist-monks-reveal-how-different-meditation-styles-alter-consciousness/ ScienceDaily. (2026, April 6). Scientists say 7 days of meditation can rewire your brain . https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192913.htm UC San Diego Today. (2026). Meditation retreat rapidly reprograms body and mind. UC San Diego News Center . https://today.ucsd.edu/story/meditation-retreat-rapidly-reprograms-body-and-mind Université de Montréal. (2026, January 5). Meditation doesn't rest the brain, it reshapes it. UdeMNouvelles . https://nouvelles.umontreal.ca/en/article/2026/01/05/meditation-doesn-t-rest-the-brain-it-reshapes-it
Welcome back to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. In today's episode, Tom Bilyeu dives deep into one of the most provocative questions facing science and philosophy: Do we really have free will, or are we all just highly sophisticated NPCs—non-player characters—running a program inside a vast, resource-efficient simulation? Drawing on groundbreaking neuroscience experiments, the story of Phineas Gage, quantum mechanics, and the work of leading thinkers like Robert Sapolsky, Tom Bilyeu challenges everything we think we know about choice, consciousness, and the true nature of reality.But this isn't an episode about nihilism. Instead, Tom Bilyeu reveals why embracing the truth of a stochastically deterministic universe can actually make life feel more meaningful, freeing us from the weight of the past and inspiring us to make the most of every moment—programmed or not. Get ready to question your assumptions and see the world from a whole new perspective.Truemed: Check your eligibility and start saving at https://truemed.com/impactIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impactPique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodPlaud: Get 10% off with code TOM10 at https://plaud.ai/tomWhatnot: AT&T Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactWhat's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here:If you want my help...STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20showSCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/callGet my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.:https://tombilyeu.com/**********************************************************************If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you.**********************************************************************FOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Another special episode of Lizness School for Satellite Sisters listeners. Two of our side questers on this episode are longtime Satellite Sisters - both stand-up comic Mary Warwick and educator Tara James. You may know them both from the Satellite Sisters Facebook group!Side Quests are a key pillar of Lizness School. Today on Season 2 Episode 20, 3 listeners share their side quest stories with us. Thank you to Corey DuBrowa, Mary Warwick and Tara James.More on Corey's music writing:Corey's current book “An Ideal For Living” https://hozacrecords.com/product/aifl/Fast Company, Corey in “day gig” mode: https://www.fastcompany.com/user/coreydubrowaRolling Stone, the most clicked-upon thing he's written in the music world:https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/live-report-north-by-northwest-110891/ Corey's new book coming out Spring 2026 is "Twelve Tunes From Urban Bohemia: Portland's Musical History in Song"For more on Mary's stand-up comedy, go here: https://www.marywarwickcomedy.com/More on Mary Warwick at Erma Bombeck's Writer's WorkshopIf you want to connect with Tara James about her vision to provide free college counseling to high school students who need it, email us at liznessschool@gmail.com and we will forward.We are still interested in YOUR side quests, so email us with the deets! Voice memos are welcome, too. liznessschool@gmail.comIf you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.To listen to Liz +. Leah's recap of Lizness School Season 1, go to our FINALE here.For more on Liz Dolan, go to LinkedInFor more on Liz's work in podcasting, go to Satellite SistersFollow Lizness School on all podcasting platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.On Instagram, follow the show at https://www.instagram.com/liznessschool/ and follow Liz at https://www.instagram.com/satellitesisterliz/.Follow Producer and Millennial Mentor Leah Sutherland @leahhsutherlandd on Instagram and Leah Sutherland on LinkedIn. To email Lizness School with your own voice memos/questions/thoughts/suggestions for Liz or Leah, use liznessschool@gmail.comThe Distinguished Careers Institute is a unique program for late career people. Fellows are graduate students at Stanford University, able to take classes in any area. Complete information here.Email the podcast at liznessschool@gmail.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On this week's Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Dr. Cory Nicholas, Co-Founder and CEO of Neurona Therapeutics, about a breakthrough in neuroscience that leads to a new therapy showing lasting success in epilepsy. There's potential for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, PTSD, and more.
Your brain is making choices for you before you even realize it. Neuroscientist Emily McDonald, known as M on the Brain, studies how your identity, nervous system, and subconscious programming quietly run the show. Most people think they're choosing. Research shows the neural pattern of a decision lights up in a brain scan before you're consciously aware you've made it. That's the gap Emily spent years learning to close. She grew up with clinical depression, ADHD, anxiety, and a victim mindset baked in by illness and circumstance. She wasn't looking for a life philosophy. She switched her major to neuroscience because it sounded cool and got a 100 on her first exam. What she found changed everything. The science she uncovered is this: your brain holds a model of who you are in the default mode network. It uses that model to predict your thoughts, behaviors, and choices on autopilot. If the model says you're someone who struggles with money, or fails at relationships, or can't focus, your nervous system quietly steers you toward confirming that story. The identity is the destiny. Shifting it means more than positive thinking. It means identity anchors, environment, the people around you, the habits encoded in your body. Emily calls it identity shifting, and she coaches people through it by asking a deceptively simple question: do you have a to-do list or a to-be list? Most people have never sat down to ask who they're becoming, only what they're accomplishing. This conversation will rewire the way you think about why you keep falling back into old patterns, how affirmations can actually work against you, and what neuroscience actually says about the law of attraction. Emily's Website Emily's Instagram Mindcraft Coaching Program In this episode you will: Understand how the default mode network stores your identity and drives your choices below conscious awareness Learn the identity shifting process Emily uses with coaching clients to break subconscious patterns holding them back Discover why affirmations backfire and how to use forward motion and dopamine to make them actually work Explore the neuroscience behind the law of attraction and why you attract what your nervous system is wired for, not what you want Understand how ADHD medication, dopamine dependency, and addiction cycles form in the brain and what it takes to rewire them For more information go to https://lewishowes.com/1935 For more Greatness text PODCAST to +1 (614) 350-3960 Follow The Daily Motivation for essential highlights from The School of Greatness More SOG episodes we think you'll love: Dr Joe Dispenza Dr. K Dr. Sue Morter TOPICS Emily McDonald, neuroscience, identity shifting, default mode network, neuroplasticity, law of attraction, subconscious reprogramming, ADHD, dopamine, limiting beliefs, nervous system alignment, victim mindset Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dr. Rachel Zoffness is a pain psychologist, neuroscientist, and author of Tell Me Where It Hurts -- and she's here to dismantle the biggest lie medicine has sold us: that pain is a purely biomedical problem requiring a purely biomedical solution. Dr. Rachel unpacks how trauma turns the nervous system into a pain megaphone, why the brain literally gets better at producing pain the longer it practices it, and why loneliness is as dangerous to your physical health as poor sleep or a bad diet. This one is for every woman who did the surgery, took the pills, and still woke up hurting. The roadmap exists. You just haven't been given it yet. Episode Overview: (0:00) Intro/Teaser (4:55) Why "Psychosomatic" Is a Dirty Word That Needs Retiring (8:48) The Big Fat Lie: Pain Is Not Just Biology (10:46) Biopsychosocial 101: The Three Ingredients of Every Pain Recipe (13:48) Big Pharma, Back Surgery, and the $54 Billion Reckoning (28:12) How Trauma Turns Your Brain Into a Pain Megaphone (30:44) Central Sensitization: Why Your Brain Keeps Practicing Pain (36:57) The Pain Recipe: How to Map Your Triggers and Take Back Control (45:58) Loneliness Is a Pain Amplifier (Here's the Neuroscience) (54:16) The Healing Science of Touch (57:33) Emotions Need to Move: Swearing, Rage Rooms, and Trauma That Gets Stuck (1:04:26) After Party: What Landed and Why I'm Getting Her Back Resources mentioned in this episode: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep471 We couldn't do it without our sponsors: PIQUE - Designed to deeply hydrate, enhance skin elasticity & firmness and support sustained energy—exactly what we need during this stage of life. Start your daily ritual today and elevate your routine. Head to https://piquelife.com/drestima. TROSCRIPTIONS - There's a completely new way to optimize your health. Give it a try at https://troscriptions.com/BETTER or enter BETTER at checkout for a discount off your first order. OXFORD HEALTHSPAN - A whole-food spermidine supplement that supports cell renewal and healthy aging. Save at https://OxfordHealthspan.com/DrStephanie with code DrStephanie. INCREDIWEAR - Whether you're an athlete, dealing with chronic joint pain, or just someone who wants to feel better in your body, head to https://drstephanieestima.com/incrediwear and use code DRSTEPH20 for 20% off your order. ****************************P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dr. Nan Wise is the author of Why Good Sex Matters: Understanding the Neuroscience of Pleasure for a Smarter, Happier, and More Purpose-Filled Life.Why does pleasure matter so much for mental health, relationships, and even longevity? On this episode of the goodsugar Podcast, Ralph Sutton and Marcus Antebi sit down with psychotherapist, certified sex therapist, and neuroscience researcher Dr. Nan Wise to unpack the science behind sex, dopamine, anxiety, trauma, addiction, and emotional connection.Dr. Nan explains why “sex addiction” is not an official diagnosis, how compulsive behaviors develop, and why pleasure is essential for a healthy brain and nervous system. The conversation dives deep into dopamine, social media addiction, trauma responses, emotional regulation, intimacy, parenting, anxiety, relationships, and the neuroscience of human behavior.
In this episode, Sathiya sits down with renowned neurosurgeon, author, and speaker Dr. Lee Warren to explore the intersection of neuroscience, faith, trauma, and transformation. Drawing from his experiences as a combat neurosurgeon during the Iraq War, surviving PTSD, and grieving the loss of his 19-year-old son, Mitch, Dr. Warren shares how those painful seasons led him to discover the powerful connection between intentional thinking, faith, and neuroplasticity. The conversation explores the difference between the mind and the brain, how thoughts shape the body and behavior, and why modern neuroscience increasingly supports biblical principles about renewing the mind. Sathiya and Dr. Warren also discuss addiction recovery, habit formation, resilience through suffering, the importance of community and brotherhood, and Dr. Warren's concept of “self-brain surgery” — the process of intentionally rewiring the brain through thought patterns, faith, and action. Throughout the episode, they reflect on scriptures including Romans 12, Philippians 4, Romans 5, and Psalm 103, ultimately encouraging listeners to embrace hope, pursue healing, and recognize their God-given capacity for growth and transformation through adversity. SATHIYA'S RESOURCES: Free Recovery Book (The Last Relapse) Join the brotherhood (DeepClean Inner Circle) Live Training To Quit Porn For Good LEE WARREN'S RESOURCES: Lee's book: The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery Lee's website: https://wleewarrenmd.com/ Timestamps: 01:18 – Dr. Lee Warren shares his background as a combat neurosurgeon 02:09 – Serving in Iraq, PTSD, divorce, surviving war trauma, and loss of his son 04:11 – Wrestling with grief, faith, and questions about God 05:48 – The realities of performing brain surgery during war 07:57 – Feeling disconnected despite understanding the brain scientifically 08:59 – The humility required to confront personal struggles and trauma 11:42 – The MRI experiment that changed Dr. Warren's understanding of the mind and brain 14:57 – Discovering “self-brain surgery” and the power of intentional thinking 17:49 – Neuroplasticity and how thoughts physically reshape the brain 20:14 – Why transformation creates genuine hope 21:37 – The origins of “self-brain surgery” 22:38 – Science and faith: conflict or connection? 25:46 – Gratitude, anxiety, and what neuroscience reveals about Philippians 4 29:39 – How suffering produces endurance, character, and hope 32:52 – Dr. Warren's grandson overcoming dyslexia and building resilience 36:39 – Why suffering can become a pathway to growth 37:48 – Parenting, risk, and helping children build resilience 39:50 – Freedom from pornography and living with integrity 41:07 – What to do when you feel completely stuck 42:55 – The reticular activating system and how your brain filters reality 46:59 – Rewriting your internal story to create change 49:02 – Why seeking outside help is wisdom, not weakness 56:44 – Why suffering is the biggest challenge to faith for many people 57:58 – Circumstances versus emotional resilience 59:39 – Psalm 103 and God's promises in suffering 01:00:49 – Healing, dis-ease, and renewing the mind 01:02:15 – Finding hope and resilience through God's design 01:06:11 – How past suffering can prepare us for future challenges 01:07:26 – Community, brotherhood, and the neurological power of connection 01:10:22 – Quantum entanglement, relationships, and emotional influence 01:15:42 – Romans 8 and the importance of setting the mind on life and peace
Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Substackhttps://substack.com/@theoccultrejects?r=7auau0&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pageCash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsPart 1: The Road of RhythmPart 1 focuses on the drum as an ancient technology of altered consciousness. The argument is not that every beat causes trance, or that neuroscience has proven spirits. The stronger argument is that rhythm enters the human organism through hearing, motor prediction, breath, movement, attention, emotion, expectation, culture, and social synchrony. The drum becomes powerful when sound, body, group, ritual frame, and meaning converge. These sources support the archaeology, neuroscience, EEG research, shamanic studies, possession studies, Indigenous and culturally specific drum traditions, ritual theory, placebo and meaning-response research, ceremonial magic, and modern witchcraft material used in the episode.Core Academic and Scientific SourcesHuels, Emma R., Hyoungkyu Kim, UnCheol Lee, Tirsa Bel-Bahar, Ana V. Colmenero, Alexandra Nelson, Stefanie Blain-Moraes, George A. Mashour, and Richard E. Harris. “Neural Correlates of the Shamanic State of Consciousness.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 15 (2021): 610466. Use for the strongest modern EEG anchor. This study used high-density EEG with shamanic practitioners and controls during rest, shamanic drumming, and classical music listening. It assessed altered-state reports alongside brain measures such as power, connectivity, signal diversity, and criticality. Use carefully: the study does not prove spirits or show that drumming mechanically causes trance in everyone. It supports the more careful claim that trained practitioners entering shamanic states with drumming show measurable brain-state differences.Gordon, Yoel, Golan Karvat, Noa Dagan, and Ayelet N. Landau. “Neural Tracking at Theta Predicts Drumming-Induced Altered States of Consciousness.” Scientific Reports 16, no. 1 (2026): Article 10204. Use for the strongest updated drumming/theta/neural-tracking source. This study tested drumming at theta, delta, and alpha-rate rhythms while recording EEG, and found that stronger rhythmic neural tracking at theta was linked to stronger altered-experience reports. Use carefully: this does not mean theta equals the spirit world or that one frequency opens a portal. The serious point is that altered experience may depend partly on how strongly the nervous system tracks rhythmic stimulation.Aparicio-Terrés, R., et al. “The Neurobiology of Altered States of Consciousness Induced by Drumming and Other Rhythmic Sound Patterns.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2025. Use for the newer review literature showing that rhythmic sound is now a serious altered-consciousness research topic. This supports the opening claim that modern academia is examining drumming, rhythmic sound, absorption, relaxation, cognition, and neural activity without reducing the subject to one simple “trance frequency.” The review is especially useful for framing the field as promising but still complex.Neher, Andrew. “Auditory Driving Observed with Scalp Electrodes in Normal Subjects.” Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology 13 (1961): 449–451. Use for the historical bridge between repetitive sound, EEG, auditory driving, and early scientific interest in rhythmic stimulation.Neher, Andrew. “A Physiological Explanation of Unusual Behavior in Ceremonies Involving Drums.” Human Biology 34, no. 2 (1962): 151–160. Use carefully. This is useful as an early attempt to connect ceremonial drumming and physiology, but it should be balanced with Rouget because the “drum simply causes trance” argument is too mechanical.Maurer, R., V. K. Kumar, L. Woodside, and R. J. Pekala. “Phenomenological Experience in Response to Monotonous Drumming and Hypnotizability.” American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 40, no. 2 (1997): 130–145. Use for monotonous drumming, subjective altered experience, imagery, absorption, and hypnotizability.Maxfield, Melinda C. “Effects of Rhythmic Drumming on EEG and Subjective Experience.” PhD diss., Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, 1990. Use as older supporting context on drumming, EEG, imagery, body-image changes, and subjective altered experience. Do not make this the main scientific proof; use it as background.Nozaradan, Sylvie, Isabelle Peretz, and André Mouraux. “Tagging the Neuronal Entrainment to Beat and Meter.” The Journal of Neuroscience 31, no. 28 (2011): 10234–10240. Use for EEG evidence that the brain can track beat and meter. This supports the claim that the brain does not merely hear rhythm as background sound; it can represent rhythmic structure in measurable ways.Nozaradan, Sylvie. “Exploring How Musical Rhythm Entrains Brain Activity with Electroencephalogram Frequency-Tagging.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 369, no. 1658 (2014). Use as broader rhythm/EEG entrainment support. This helps explain frequency-tagging, beat tracking, meter, neural entrainment, and the measurable relationship between rhythmic structure and brain activity.Thaut, Michael H., Gerald C. McIntosh, and Volker Hoemberg. “Neurobiological Foundations of Neurologic Music Therapy: Rhythmic Entrainment and the Motor System.” Frontiers in Psychology 5 (2015). Use for rhythm as motor-system timing information. This supports the claim that a beat can become bodily instruction, not just sound for the ear. Especially useful when discussing rhythmic auditory stimulation, motor planning, gait, entrainment, and the auditory-motor bridge.Ross, Jessica M., John R. Iversen, and Ramesh Balasubramaniam. “Time Perception for Musical Rhythms: Sensorimotor Perspectives on Entrainment, Simulation, and Prediction.” 2022. Use for rhythm, timing, prediction, sensorimotor entrainment, and the way musical rhythm interacts with time perception.Hove, Michael J., and Jane L. Risen. “It's All in the Timing: Interpersonal Synchrony Increases Affiliation.” Social Cognition 27, no. 6 (2009): 949–960. Use for synchrony and social bonding. This helps support the group-body argument: moving or acting in time with others can increase affiliation.Wiltermuth, Scott S., and Chip Heath. “Synchrony and Cooperation.” Psychological Science 20, no. 1 (2009): 1–5. Use for the claim that synchronized movement can increase cooperation and attachment among participants.Tarr, Bronwyn, Jacques Launay, and Robin I. M. Dunbar. “Music and Social Bonding: ‘Self-Other' Merging and Neurohormonal Mechanisms.” Frontiers in Psychology 5 (2014): 1096. Use for music, synchrony, bonding, endorphin/social mechanisms, and why group rhythm can feel like more than private listening.Fancourt, Daisy, Rosie Perkins, Sara Ascenso, Louise Atkins, Fatima Kilfeather, and Aaron Williamon. “Effects of Group Drumming Interventions on Anxiety, Depression, Social Resilience and Inflammatory Immune Response among Mental Health Service Users.” PLOS ONE 11, no. 3 (2016): e0151136. Use for modern group-drumming research showing psychological and physiological effects, including anxiety, depression, social resilience, wellbeing, and inflammatory immune response. Use carefully: this does not make group drumming a cure-all. It supports the more grounded claim that embodied rhythm and group participation can affect mood, social connection, and body chemistry.Bittman, Barry B., et al. “Composite Effects of Group Drumming Music Therapy on Modulation of Neuroendocrine-Immune Parameters in Normal Subjects.” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 7, no. 1 (2001): 38–47. Use as older supporting material on group drumming and neuroendocrine-immune measures. Keep secondary. Fancourt is cleaner for the main script body.Archaeology and Deep History of DrumsLawergren, Bo. “Neolithic Drums in China.” In Music Archaeology in China. 2006. Use for clay drums in Neolithic China and the deep-history claim that drums are not just poetic symbols of antiquity. They appear in the archaeological record as instruments tied to early sound-making, ceremony, and social order.Both, Arnd Adje. “Music Archaeology: Some Methodological and Theoretical Considerations.” Use as general support for why ancient instruments should be treated as ritual and social evidence, not merely decorative objects.Anthropology, Ethnomusicology, Ritual, and TranceRouget, Gilbert. Music and Trance: A Theory of the Relations Between Music and Possession. Translated by Brunhilde Biebuyck. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985. Essential source. Use for the caution that music does not mechanically or universally cause trance. Rouget helps keep the argument academically serious by emphasizing culture, ritual frame, meaning, and expectation.Becker, Judith. Deep Listeners: MAlso want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. A
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Jeff Jonas, M.D., CEO of Tortugas Neuroscience, talks about the company's April 2026 launch and how in-licensed development assets were chosen. Jeff explains his strategy of chasing fast proof of safety and efficacy in humans, not animals, and talks about what product differentiation looks like in brain disorders, from adjusting indication targets to conducting head-to-head trials. He also reflects on the opportunity with psychedelics, RFK Jr.'s quest to curb SSRI prescriptions, the payer landscape in CNS disorders, and more. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/
Want to know what the top earners in pharmaceutical sales actually take home? The numbers you see on job boards dramatically undercount the truth because they leave out quarterly bonuses, RSUs, car allowances, and life-changing equity buyout premiums. Every Monday night, we coach you live to land the job. In this episode of Medical Sales U, Dave Sterrett breaks down the Top 7 Highest-Paying Pharmaceutical Sales Jobs in the country right now. From the incredible work-life balance of dermatology biologics to the multi-millionaire equity upside of oncology biotech startups, we are counting down the real numbers and giving you the honest truth about what it takes to clear the bar and land these elite specialty roles.TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro: What Job Boards Get Wrong About Pharma Compensation02:15 - The Total Compensation Formula (Base + Bonuses + RSUs)04:30 - #7: Dermatology Biologics Sales Specialist ($140K - $230K)07:10 - #6: Cardiology & GLP-1 Metabolic Sales Specialist ($155K - $250K)10:05 - #5: Neuroscience & CNS Sales Specialist ($175K - $250K)13:20 - #4: Rare Disease Key Account Specialist ($180K - $300K)16:45 - #3: Biotech Specialty Sales (Gene & Cell Therapy) ($200K - $320K)19:30 - #2: Oncology Sales Specialist - Large Pharma ($200K - $315K)22:15 - #1: Oncology Biotech Startup Sales Specialist ($240K - $350K+ No Ceiling!)24:40 - How to Build Your Record & Earn Clinical CredibilityIf you found this breakdown valuable, please SUBSCRIBE, drop a comment saying “Break in”, and share this with someone mapping out their trajectory in the medical sales industry!Ready to break into medical sales and secure your first $95k+ base offer?Join Medical Sales U: medicalsalesu.com/#MedicalSales #PharmaSales #PharmaceuticalSales #MedicalSalesU #OncologySales #BiotechJobs #HighPayingCareers #SalesCompensation
Ageing mind and impact of social media on the brain up for debate at Robert Boyle Summer School June 4 to 7 What effect does social media have on the mind? What changes take place in the ageing mind and what goes on in the minds of serial killers? All will be revealed as avid conversationalists and the culturally curious gather for four days of intriguing discussion and debate. 'Mind and Matter' is the theme for this year's Robert Boyle Summer School, a not-to-be-missed gathering from June 4 to 7 that promises thought-provoking talks, discussions and entertainment in Waterford city and Lismore. This year begins with a special opening evening with SETU forensic psychologists Dr Lorraine Bowman Grieve and Dr Jennifer O'Mahoney as they explore our fascination with true crime and serial killers, followed by a weekend full of engaging conversation and social events. The Summer School is a weekend event for adults interested in exploring the role of science in our culture, organiser, Eoin Gill said. It's an annual pilgrimage to the south east for many from across Ireland. "The annual Robert Boyle Summer School is in the tradition if Irish cultural summer schools -very much a Festival for adults, not a school; focusing on Science, but not for Scientists," Eoin Gill said. "We explore where ideas come from and how they impact and affect how we see the world today. The annual Robert Boyle Summer School brings together speakers across various fields on a particular theme relevant to society. This year's Mind and Matter theme will resonate with our audience and we look forward to really good, mind-opening conversation and debate. "We're honoured that this year, we will be joined by excellent speakers and experts in their field, among these Prof. William Eaton head of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Georgia Southern University; Dr Emma Farrell from the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University, and Regius Professor Rose Anne Kenny from the Trinity College who leads the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and is author of the best-selling Age Proof : The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life "We're privileged to also have Prof. Mark Cunningham from Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience with us for the 2026 Festival, along with Prof. Luke Gibbons from Maynooth University. In addition to the talks and discussions, the weekend features an array of entertainment, social gatherings and the iconic Garden Party in the stunning surrounds of Lismore Castle Gardens," he explained. The Robert Boyle Summer School is organised by CALMAST, South East Technological University's STEM Engagement Centre in partnership with Lismore Heritage Centre, with support from Waterford City and County Council, Lismore Castle Estates, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), local industry West, Waters, Sanofi, Haleon and Bausch and Lomb. Book a session, a day or the whole Summer School on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/robert-boyle-summer-school-2026-tickets-1981338115640?aff=website See more breaking stories here. Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
Hello everyone! I first need to apologize for the late upload, I had absolutely terrible audio issues and I seriously need a new microphone. I appreciate the patience, truly. But anywho! This week we're discussing chronic pain, chronic pain resources, books I'm reading, theories I'm brewing - we're leaving no stone unturned and no tram unridden. Please also feel free to peruse the Cheesecake-Factory-like list of resources below, there's almost too many options, but let the record show that I have never claimed to be brief. Download Hily Dating App from the App Store or Google Play, or visit https://hily.go.link/jRMKW New Research: Brain Region Discovered for Abstract Thought https://neurosciencenews.com/ventral-premotor-cortex-abstract-thinking-30753/ Scientists identify brain circuit that helps us ‘change gears' https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-scientists-brain-circuit-gears.html Yawning: unsuspected avenue for a better understanding of arousal and interoception https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987706000600 Association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bruxism: A systematic review protocol https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12425290/ Scientists discover that dopamine receptors act as traffic signals to guide migrating brain cells https://www.psypost.org/how-brain-cells-use-dopamine-to-guide-migrating-neurons-during-fetal-development/ Using Physics Equations to Map Memory Distortions https://neurosciencenews.com/quantum-emotions-physics-memory-30741/ Accommodation Resources: Job Accommodation Network https://askjan.org/index.cfm Downloaded their JAN Workplace Accommodation Toolkit Extensive accommodations lists and information https://askjan.org/info-by-role.cfm#for-individuals Patient Advocate Foundation https://www.patientadvocate.org/ They have services, programs like: Case management assistance, case management programs, a national financial resource directory, an education resource library, etc. Dysautonomia Support Network https://www.dysautonomiasupport.org/ Treatment and Lifestyle Management Resources Various support options: US Regional Support Global Communities Special Interest Communities Lifestyle Clubs Dysautonomia Information Network https://www.dinet.org/ An entire feed dedicated to news and information Support Fibro https://supportfibromyalgia.org/patient-services/ They have a whole bunch of patient services! Chronic Pain and Complementary Health Approaches https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chronic-pain-and-complementary-health-approaches-usefulness-and-safety Additional Resources: Sapphic Pride LA https://sapphicla.com/ Sapphic events and resource page The Brain Science of Elusive ‘Aha! Moments' https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-elusive-brain-science-of-aha-moments/ Youcubed - Stanford Graduate School of Education https://www.youcubed.org/ Website for math help and finger discrimination and perception If you're looking for the book I was reading from, please check out ‘Movement Matters' below. Chronic Pain & Disability Advocacy Books: Tell Me Where It Hurts: The New Science of Pain and How to Heal - Rachel Zoffness, PhD Visit her website to find more information and resources All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness: A Guide to Navigating Multiple Conditions - Charli Clement Living Well With Orthostatic Intolerance: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment - Peter C. Rowe, MD Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century - Edited by Alice Wong Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care General Books: Thinking in Systems: A Primer - Donella H. Meadows ADHD Body and Mind: A Compassionate Guide to Rewilding Your Nervous System with Neuroscience, Nutrition, and Gut-Brain Health - Dr. Miguel Toribio-Mateas How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence - Michael Pollan An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System - Matt Richtel What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing From Complex Trauma - Stephanie Foo The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes - Kevin J. Tracey, MD Movement Matters: How Embodied Cognition Informs Teaching and Learning - Edited by Sheila L. Macrine and Jennifer M. B. Fugate The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity - Jerry B. Brown, PhD and Julie M. Brown, M.A. Rational Rhetoric: The Role of Science in Popular Discourse - David J. Tietge Books I'm Ordering for Pride Month: A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States: From Margins to Mainstream - Edited by Carolyn Wolf-Gould, Dallas Denny, Jamison Green, and Kyan Lynch Making the Rounds: Defying Norms in Love and Medicine - Patricia Grayhall Transforming Rights: How Law Shapes Transgender Lives, Identity and Community in India - Edited by Jayne Kothari Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
There's a version of you who used to love something just for the sake of loving it.Not because it was healthy. Not because it was on the list. Just because it made you feel like yourself. She's still in there. And this episode is the fastest way back to her.This week's Hi-Cap Move uses the neuroscience of neural reactivation to rebuild joy capacity through something your nervous system already knows how to feel -- not a new habit, not a better routine, just the thing you used to love before life got this full.If you've been carrying that quiet sense that you used to be more alive, more yourself, more fun -- this ten minutes is for you.-->>> Register for The Capacity Audit free live workshop June 3rd
Marine biologist Wallace Nichols coined the terms Blue Mind and Blue Spaces—but what does the ocean have to do with your brain? More than you might think. From oceans and lakes to rivers and even fountains, water has a powerful effect on how we think, feel, and function. This isn't magic—it's neuroscience.Join Brain Lady Julie to dive into Aqua Vitae—the Water of Life—and discover why water does far more than just keep you hydrated.For more information on the studies mentioned in today's show…Conservation Law Foundation StudyJournal of Environmental Psychology ArticleConnect with Brain Lady JulieDo you have a great question or topic you'd like Brain Lady Julie to cover? Think you'd be a great guest? Message our producer Kelli@BrainLadySpeaker.com and let us know.PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this podcast is not at any time and for any reason meant to replace the guidance and/or treatment of any health professional. Whether it be a medical doctor, psychologist, psychotherapist, or anyone in the medical field. If you are under the care of such a health professional, remember this is an “added value” and not designed to replace any care you are currently under.
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Steven Weiniger, posture expert, author, speaker, and creator of the StrongPosture® framework, to explore the deeper science behind posture, movement, and human performance. Together, we challenge the traditional view that posture is simply about spinal alignment and instead examine how the brain, nervous system, and sensory awareness shape the way we move and function. We dive into the relationship between structure and function, the impact of technology and modern lifestyle on movement patterns, and why posture is constantly adapting based on what we repeatedly do every day. Dr. Weiniger also breaks down the concept of interoception, the body's internal awareness system, and explains how it influences posture, balance, breathing, and even longevity. From chiropractic and movement to nervous system retraining and brain-body awareness, this conversation reframes posture as far more than a cosmetic issue. It's a reflection of how the body and brain communicate. If you want to better understand movement, performance, and the future of posture health, this episode will completely change the way you think about the human body. Key takeaways: Posture is a dynamic reflection of how the brain senses and controls the body, influenced by external and internal cues. Enhancing posture awareness and integrating strong postural movements can significantly impact longevity, resilience, and brain health. Interoception, the awareness of internal body signals, plays a crucial role in how posture is sensed and corrected. Effective posture training encompasses balance, alignment, and motion, encouraging an interconnected approach rather than isolated exercises. A simple longetivity test: Stand tall, lift one leg, and remain balanced for five slow breaths, combining breath awareness with core engagement. More About Dr. Steven Weiniger: Dr. Steven Weiniger is an internationally recognized posture expert, chiropractor, author, and researcher whose work bridges neuroscience, movement, posture, and healthy aging. He is the creator of the StrongPosture® framework, which explores the connection between posture, interoception, and the brain's predictive processing systems. His research has been published in journals including Frontiers in Neuroscience, and he has presented at the Annual Symposium for Active Inference. Dr. Weiniger is also the author of Stand Taller Live Longer, a practical guide focused on posture, movement, and longevity. Through his StrongPosture® program, he has trained thousands of clinicians worldwide as Certified Posture Exercise Professionals. He also serves on faculty at the University of Western States and teaches at institutions including Northwestern Health Sciences University and the University of Bridgeport. Dr. Weiniger's work has been featured on FOX, CBS, and NBC, helping bring the conversation around posture and brain-body health into the mainstream. 7 Steps to StrongPosture® Self-Help Program Online Continuing Education for Professionals Tools for Professionals CPEP® Certification Instagram Connect with me! Website Instagram Facebook YouTube
Most triathlon training focuses on physiology and skills. Dr. David Spindler argues that the brain is the missing piece, and that you can (and should) train your brain to better process pressure, adapt under stress, and execute under fatigue. This episode will teach you how to do this. Dr. David Spindler is a neuroscientist and cognitive performance specialists who has worked with athletes at the very highest level (including with Sir Mark Cavendish, Sam Laidlow, Chelsea Sodaro, Katie Courtney, and Tom Evans) and across sports from cycling, triathlon and trail running through soccer and Formula 1. HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: The brain's central role in athletic performance: coordination, decision-making, focus, emotional regulation, fatigue perception, and recovery. Allostatic load: why amateur triathletes carry far more cognitive stress than professionals, and how to account for it in training. How the brain controls pacing, and why perceived effort rises and the efficiency of firing muscles drops when the brain decides an effort isn't sustainable. Self-efficacy vs. confidence: why they are different, and how to address a lack of self-efficacy as a triathlete. Self-regulation: why understanding how your brain and body behave under stress matters, and how poor self-regulation undermines both triathlon training and the athlete-coach relationship. Joy and happiness as recovery tools: why they are the most effective mediators of cortisol, and how to find joy and happiness in training and life (it's not the same as dopamine hits) DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts699/ LINKS AND RESOURCES: Psychobiology of fatigue during endurance exercise - book chapter containing much of the seminal work of Prof. Samuele Marcora. For more related research and science, see Prof. Marcora's ResearchGate page here, and listen to my podcast interview with him here. Mark Cavendish: Never Enough - Netflix documentary in which Dr Spindler makes an appearance Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance - book by Alex Hutchinson How Bad Do You Want It?: Mastering the Psychology of Mind over Muscle - book by Matt Fitzgerald Relentless: Secrets of the Sporting Elite - book by Alistair Brownlee WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT? If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following episodes, related to the brain, psychology and mental skills aspects of triathlon and endurance performance. Brain training and psychobiology of endurance performance with professor Samuele Marcora | EP#17 Mind, body, and the curiously elastic limits of human performance with Alex Hutchinson | EP#101 Mindfulness, Mental Fatigue, and Brain Endurance Training with Walter Staiano, PhD | EP#207 Psychology and triathlon performance with Stuart Holliday | EP#364 Josephine Perry, PhD | EP#415 You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Triathlon Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc. You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do Contact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs) Subscribe to our Newsletter Follow us on Instagram Learn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released. Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones). Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. SPONSORS: Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout. Rouvy is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial. Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this extraordinary episode Reagan talks with Ryan Skoog who is an author and the founder and president of VENTURE, a nonprofit that works in the toughest places of the world, serving war refugees, trafficked people, oppressed children, and the unreached. Ryan shares personal stories about encountering benevolent angels, the demonic, miracles of God and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ that has transformed his life to reach the darkest places of the world. Ryan co-authored the book, "Lead with Prayer" which has moved many around the world to use their faith in Christ to pray without ceasing for God's Kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven. Ryan explains how the global church is exploding around the world even through persecution and intense evil and through the power of prayer people are encountering the love of Jesus as they get set free from the demonic chains of the enemy! This conversation will inspire you to see prayer not as an afterthought, but as the central strategy of the Christian life. Resources: More from the Revelations Podcast hosted by Reagan Kramer: Website | Instagram | Apple Podcast | Youtube Guest: Ryan Skoog, Co-Founder & President of Venture.org, Author of Lead with Prayer Ryan Skoog: https://www.leadwithprayer.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/ryanskoog/ This Episode is brought to you by Advanced Medicine Alternatives Get back to the active life you love through natural & regenerative musculoskeletal healing: https://www.georgekramermd.com/ Episode Highlights (02:00) – Childhood Fear & Angel Encounter Ryan recalls growing up with intense anxiety until a supernatural angelic visitation changed his life: “I heard a voice say, I'm guarding your house. You don't have to be afraid.” That encounter set him on a path of boldness—leading him into war zones, Bible smuggling, and fearless ministry. (04:30) – The Global Church Is Exploding Ryan explains how the church is growing faster today than at any point in history, especially in places considered unsafe, unreached, and under-resourced. (10:30) – Learning from the Global Church Ryan challenges Western believers to sit at the feet of persecuted Christians: (12:30) – The Power of Prayer in Leadership Ryan shares research revealing that many Western leaders pray less as they gain experience—contrary to Jesus' example of withdrawing more often to be with the Father. The book Lead with Prayer was born out of hundreds of interviews with global leaders whose prayer lives looked remarkably similar. (15:00) – Mama Rose's Story One of the most moving testimonies: a woman whose home was bombed seven times, who stared down a cobra while bombs fell, and who now cares for thousands of orphans. Her prayer habit? “I tithe my time—two and a half hours with Jesus every day.” (17:30) – Prayer as Friendship with Jesus From war zones to Wall Street, Ryan highlights how true prayer is rooted in relationship: (19:16) – Walking with God Daily Reagan reflects on her own prayer walks and how they mirror the global church's simple yet profound practice of abiding in Christ. 20:59Walking with God: A Return to Eden Ryan reflects on Genesis and Acts 3, describing how sin interrupted our walk with God—and how Christ restores it. “Repent and believe… so the cool of the day may return.” 23:14Crisis & Nightmares: The Catalyst for Change During COVID, Ryan's business collapsed—and his daughter was tormented by terrifying nightmares connected to their ministry. 24:08“You've Never Cried Alone” Ryan recounts an emotional encounter with Jesus. He sees Christ weeping with him—a moment that reveals the deep empathy of God. 28:25Jesus Weeps With Us The host reflects on a past ministry experience where someone saw Jesus weeping with a rape survivor—prompting a powerful conversation on the mystery of suffering and Christ's compassion. “Jesus is weeping with you. He continually intercedes for us.” 30:28Adoption, War, and Jesus' Presence Ryan shares the harrowing story of adopting a girl whose father was tortured in Myanmar. After surviving unimaginable trauma, she experienced a healing vision of Jesus telling her: “You're safe now.” 31:55From Night Terrors to Peace Since that moment with Jesus, she has not had a single night terror. Though still healing, the transformation began in one moment of divine presence. 32:18God's Special Grace for the Vulnerable Ryan and the host reflect on how children—especially those with special needs or trauma—often experience heaven in unique, personal ways. “Why would we think otherwise? Our God is so good.” 33:22Karma vs. the Gospel: Identity and Worth in Nepal Ryan explains how Hindu and Buddhist worldviews contribute to generational oppression and trafficking—especially among the Badi people in Nepal, known nationally as “the trafficked caste.” “Until the gospel comes in and transforms their identity… they believe they deserve to be abused.” 34:48The Gospel is Exploding Despite deep-rooted oppression, the gospel is transforming hearts around the world. One academic missions expert summed it up: “Jesus is crushing it.” 36:47When Prayer Doesn't Make Sense (But You Obey Anyway) Even when the Spirit's answer seems illogical, obedience is the path of wisdom and safety. 38:13When Partners Are Imprisoned or Martyred Heart-wrenching updates from global partners, some of whom are jailed or martyred for sharing the gospel. “We created a separate fund for the widows of martyred and imprisoned partners.” 38:46Their Prayer: Let the Gospel Go Fast Despite persecution, these leaders pray not for safety but for speed—that the good news would spread rapidly. 40:02Stop Selling, Start Loving The global church models evangelism not as performance or pressure, but as presence, prayer, and love. “In America, we don't pray as much and feel like we need to be salesmen.” 40:36 — Neuroscience and Prayer Habits Research shows: 20 minutes of prayer a day for 8 weeks can literally rewire your brain—reducing fear, anxiety, and increasing joy and openness. “Our bodies are wired to fight prayer. We have to train them.” 41:49 — Free Prayer Tools Ryan mentions free downloadable prayer habit cards at LeadWithPrayer.com, designed to help individuals, families, and ministries build consistent, life-giving prayer rhythms. 43:06 — Fighting for His Daughter in Prayer Ryan shares a personal, vulnerable story of laying face-down outside his daughter's room for months, praying for breakthrough. “I don't know why it took so long—but there is a war.” 43:45 — Spiritual Battles Are Real A chilling moment of spiritual connection: a man in South East Asia has identical nightmares to Ryan's daughter—confirming they were fighting the same battle from across the world. “We were fighting together.” 46:22 — With Him, Either Way Whether through cancer, trauma, or unanswered prayer, being with Jesus is always the goal. The joy of the global church often comes from this eternal mindset. “If the goal of life is to be like Jesus, then cancer was finishing school.” 47:57 — Your Kids Aren't Your Own Surrendering your children to God's leadership is painful—but essential. Whether it's through a miracle or a challenge, they are gifts to steward. “The gifts are both miracles and challenges.” 52:04 — Intimacy Through Surrender The most profound joy comes not from ease, but from intimacy with God in suffering. Every story in Lead With Prayer ends the same way: it was worth it, because He was there. “Desire His presence… even when you don't know what's next.”
Send us Fan MailWhat if everything you've been told about change, motivation, and stress is missing the most important piece — your brain?This week I'm joined by Lisa Riegel, educator by training, strategist by practice, and someone who has dedicated her career to translating brain science into language and tools that actually help people feel more self-aware, regulated, and in control. Lisa is the creator of the NeuroWell Framework and the Aspirations to Operations Commitment Framework, and whether she's working with Fortune 500 leaders, school systems, or individuals navigating their own lives, her message is the same: real change starts in the brain.In this conversation we cover so much ground, and I think you're going to find it as accessible and practical as I did. We talk about:Why 80% of the thinking happening in your brain right now is unconscious — and what that means for your behavior, your reactions, and your relationshipsMeet Bob and Harold — Lisa's brilliant, accessible way of explaining how your amygdala and thalamus work together to filter reality and trigger your stress responseThe four states of wakefulness (calm, alert, alarm, fear) and exactly what happens neurologically when you burn outWhy change is so hard — and why most change initiatives, in organizations and in our personal lives, fail before they even beginThe difference between outcome goals and action goals, and why that distinction is everythingWhy we don't know what our body feels like when we're happy — and a simple morning practice to start changing thatThe power of identifying not just what stresses you out, but why — and how uncovering the underlying fear gives you genuine self-controlWhy celebration is the most underused and misunderstood tool in leadership, parenting, and self-developmentHow to create your own resilient inner bubble in a world that feels increasingly out of controlLisa brings so much warmth and wisdom to this conversation, and her ability to take complex brain science and make it feel immediately usable is truly a gift. This one is for the leaders, the parents, the burnout survivors, and anyone who has ever wondered why they keep reacting in ways they don't intend to.Resources:Free Masterclass: The Alchemy of the Perimenopause PortalAyurvedic Dosha Quick Reference GuideAbhyanga Self Massage GuideWeekend Nervous System ResetNourished For Resilience Workbook Find me at www.nourishednervoussystem.comand @nourishednervoussytem on Instagram
Most diets fail because they never address what the food was doing for you emotionally. In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy explains the stress-craving loop behind emotional eating, why ultra-processed foods feel impossible to resist, and how shame actually reinforces the cycle. You'll learn: • Why cravings feel automatic • How stress drives food urges • The “cue → urge → reward” loop • A simple 9-minute method to interrupt cravings This isn't about perfection or willpower. It's about understanding the pattern so you can finally begin to change it. Citations: Boswell, Rebecca G., and Hedy Kober. “Food Cue Reactivity and Craving Predict Eating and Weight Gain: A Meta-Analytic Review.” Obesity Reviews, vol. 17, no. 2, 2016, pp. 159–177. doi:10.1111/obr.12354. Use for: Food cues can trigger craving and eating even without true hunger. Berridge, Kent C., and Terry E. Robinson. “Liking, Wanting, and the Incentive-Sensitization Theory of Addiction.” American Psychologist, vol. 71, no. 8, 2016, pp. 670–679. doi:10.1037/amp0000059. Use for: “Wanting” food is not the same as true pleasure. Schultz, Wolfram, Peter Dayan, and P. Read Montague. “A Neural Substrate of Prediction and Reward.” Science, vol. 275, no. 5306, 1997, pp. 1593–1599. doi:10.1126/science.275.5306.1593. Use for: Dopamine helps encode reward prediction and learning. Wood, Wendy, and Dennis Rünger. “Psychology of Habit.” Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 67, 2016, pp. 289–314. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033417. Use for: Habits form through repeated cue-context loops. Laborde, Sylvain, et al. “Effects of Voluntary Slow Breathing on Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 138, 2022, article 104711. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711. Use for: Slow breathing supports parasympathetic regulation and stress reduction. Lieberman, Matthew D., et al. “Putting Feelings into Words: Affect Labeling Disrupts Amygdala Activity in Response to Affective Stimuli.” Psychological Science, vol. 18, no. 5, 2007, pp. 421–428. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x. Use for: Naming emotions can reduce emotional reactivity. Gollwitzer, Peter M. “Implementation Intentions: Strong Effects of Simple Plans.” American Psychologist, vol. 54, no. 7, 1999, pp. 493–503. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493. Use for: “If-then” plans improve behavior change under stress. Forman, Evan M., et al. “A Comparison of Acceptance- and Control-Based Strategies for Coping with Food Cravings: An Analog Study.” Behaviour Research and Therapy, vol. 45, no. 10, 2007, pp. 2372–2386. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2007.04.004. Use for: Acceptance and urge-surfing strategies help cravings pass without acting on them. Hall, Kevin D., et al. “Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake.” Cell Metabolism, vol. 30, no. 1, 2019, pp. 67–77.e3. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008. Use for: Ultra-processed foods increase intake and reinforce overeating patterns. Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he's helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He's also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you're ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.
On this episode of Inside Startup Investing, Chris Lustrino speaks with Dr. Michael Wyand, CEO of Oxeia Biopharma, a clinical-stage biotech company developing a potential breakthrough treatment for concussions and persistent concussion symptoms. Oxeia is leveraging ghrelin, a naturally occurring hormone involved in brain energy regulation and neural repair, to help heal the inflammation and cellular damage caused by traumatic brain injuries. With promising Phase 2a data showing an 85% responder rate among treated patients, the company is pursuing what could become the first FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatment specifically targeting concussion recovery. Chris and Michael discuss the science behind concussions, how brain damage occurs after impact, why “just rest” has remained the standard of care for decades, and how Oxeia's therapy could fundamentally change the treatment landscape for athletes, veterans, and millions of patients suffering from lingering neurological symptoms. They also dive into the company's clinical pathway, the business opportunity behind concussion therapeutics, the role of neurogenesis in recovery, and the broader future potential for treating conditions like CTE, Parkinson's disease, and ALS. If you want to understand the future of concussion recovery, brain health innovation, and biotech investing, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
In today's episode of That Neuroscience Guy, we discuss the neuroscience behind how your brain processes regret.
How often do we call ourselves lazy… when really, our brain is just trying to protect us?In this episode of Success Genius, we dive deep into the neuroscience behind procrastination and why avoiding hard tasks isn't a discipline problem — it's your amygdala responding to uncertainty. From creative work to difficult conversations, our nervous system naturally resists things that feel unpredictable or emotionally risky.We'll explore how pre-action resistance works, why your brain craves certainty, and how simple shifts like naming the resistance, regulating your nervous system, and committing to just two minutes can completely change the way you approach hard things.Because maybe procrastination isn't proof that you're incapable.Maybe it's just biology — and something you can learn to work with.This episode is your reminder that growth doesn't come from waiting until things feel easy. It comes from learning how to move forward even when resistance shows up.Topics covered in this episode include:Why procrastination is not a discipline problem — it's your brain's threat responseHow the amygdala affects avoidance, resistance, and high-stakes workThe neuroscience behind follow-through and building mental resilienceA simple 2–5 minute method to overcome procrastination and take actionHow regulating your nervous system can make hard things feel easier over timeReady to stop fighting yourself and start understanding how your brain actually works? Tune in and learn how to move through resistance, build follow-through, and work with your nervous system instead of against it.Resources Mentioned:Get The Book: https://book.neillwilliams.com/bookLearn More About TEAM90: https://neillwilliams.com/team90Book A Team Turnaround Call: https://neillwilliams.com/team-turnaround-callContact Us: support@neillwilliams.com
Spoiler: you were never meant to do this alone. In the final episode of Joy Lab's Resilience series, Dr. Aimee Prasek and Dr. Henry Emmons explore the most powerful — and most underrated — ingredient in lasting resilience: deep, meaningful connection. They unpack the neuroscience of belonging, the illusion of separation that quietly wrecks our wellbeing, and two surprisingly accessible practices: shared-joy and moral elevation. These practices can open us to greater connection right now, no personality overhaul required. The takeaway from this episode is that deep connection isn't a bonus feature of a resilient life. It's the foundation. And the good news? You're already wired for it. Try It Free
Ryan and Mike take on four of the loudest myths in Facebook ADHD parenting groups: pharmacogenetic ("cheek swab") testing for medication selection, the idea that every ADHD child needs one-to-one talk therapy, the "everything is sensory" framing, and rejection sensitive dysphoria as a discrete diagnosis. For each one, they walk through what the actual research and clinical practice guidelines support — and what they don't.Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com & on IGFind Ryan @ www.adhddude.com & on Youtube{{chapters}}[00:00:00] Start[00:02:13] Myth 1: Genetic Panel Testing for ADHD Meds[00:04:25] Myth 2: Every ADHD Kid Needs Therapy[00:10:36] Myth 3: Everything Is Sensory[00:13:00] Myth 4: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria[00:16:25] Closing: Research Over PopularityCITATIONS:American Academy of Pediatrics. (2019). Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 144(4), e20192528.Antshel, K. M., & Barkley, R. A. (2020). Psychosocial interventions in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 29(3), 499–519.Barkley, R. A. (2013). Distinguishing sluggish cognitive tempo from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122(4), 978–990.Barkley, R. A. (2015). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment (4th ed.). Guilford Press.Barkley, R. A. (2020). Taking charge of ADHD (4th ed.). Guilford Press.Doffer, M., et al. (2023). Behavioral parent training for children with ADHD: Long-term outcomes and effectiveness. Journal of Attention Disorders, 27(5), 1–14. (Note: verify exact pages for final)Evans, S. W., Owens, J. S., & Bunford, N. (2014). Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with ADHD. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 43(4), 527–551.Luman, M., Tripp, G., & Scheres, A. (2010). Identifying the neurobiology of altered reinforcement sensitivity in ADHD. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 34(5), 744–754.Pinquart, M. (2017). Associations of parenting dimensions and styles with externalizing problems of children and adolescents: An updated meta-analysis. Developmental Psychology, 53(5), 873–932.Sibley, M. H. (2021). Annual research review: Defining and treating ADHD in adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(6), 706–724.Tripp, G., & Wickens, J. R. (2020). Neurobiology of ADHD. Neuropharmacology, 173, 108–127.
If you've ever felt yourself shrinking before hitting record, freezing before going live, or losing your voice in the moments that matter most, this interview with Kimberly LaForte is for you.She's a voice guide, visibility coach, motivational speaker, and founder of Vocal Honey — a methodology and movement for unmuted leadership. Kimberly blends over 20 years of psychology, neuroscience, Eastern philosophy, somatics, and vocal energetics to help women speakers, coaches, and entrepreneurs step into unshakable presence and sacred self-expression.In this conversation, Kimberly opens up about how a nine-year misaligned marriage left her voice smaller and smaller… until she was taking beta blockers just to go to dinner with friends. Her journey from medicated and silenced to founding the Vocal Honey movement to empower women to take the stage to build impactful careers, is a masterclass in reclaiming your power from the inside out.In this episode we cover:Why you lose your voice in private long before you lose it on stageThe difference between being ready and being resolved (and why only one of them matters)How messy action and mental rehearsal wire your nervous system for visibilityThe real fears behind showing up on camera — judgment, criticism, and proving your worthWhy tension is your nervous system's greatest teacherKimberly's signature somatic practice you can do backstage, before going live, or before a hard conversationHow to build visibility reps on the "everyday stage" of daily lifeWhy the silence between visibility moments is where your real growth happensWhether you're a coach, speaker, entrepreneur, or creative woman ready to stop people-pleasing with your voice and start leading with it… this episode will shift how you think about showing up, speaking out, and being seen.
Depression, panic attacks, PTSD, insomnia, and trauma are deeply embedded within us, so they can need more than one method to properly address them. Holistic mentor and success habit coach Edit B. Kiss guides people from misery to peace by masterfully combining ancient practices and modern neuroscience. She joins Irene Weinberg to talk about how she uses her professional training as a Reiki Master, Sekhem Healer, Karma Yogi practitioner, and neuro-linguistic programming practitioner to help clients deal with their inner burdens and experience a renewed sense of self – sometimes in just under 30 days.IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:How Edit courageously stepped into her true calling after a 15-year career in petroleum engineering to guide people from deep emotional suffering to inner peaceHow Edit lost 40 pounds at age 42How Edit helps people to heal from depression, panic attacks, PTSD, and insomnia in 30 days.Edit's five-step holistic transformation method blends emotional healing, mindset work, and practical action.Why healing does not have to take a lifetime.WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/AwYbNHwvI78?list=PL7judgDzhkAWmfyB5r5WgFD6ahombBvoh
Send us Fan MailWe hear a lot about the “loneliness epidemic,” but what if the real problem isn't that we feel lonelier? What if it's that we're spending more and more of our lives alone… and slowly forgetting how to connect in the first place?This conversation with political theorist and writer Sarah Stein Lubrano absolutely blew my mind. We got into the neuroscience of what happens when we spend too much time isolated, including how our brains literally start pruning away the social skills we're not using. Which honestly explains why texting someone back can suddenly feel like preparing for battle.Sarah shares why social interaction is a little bit like exercise. Most of us don't feel like doing it beforehand, but we almost always feel better afterward. We talk about the surprising research on talking to strangers, why introverts probably still need more connection than they think, and how our increasingly individualistic lives might be affecting everything from happiness to democracy itself.We also got into the hidden risk that keeps people isolated. It's not laziness. It's fear. Fear of awkwardness, rejection, inconvenience, vulnerability, or just feeling weird for knocking on someone's door. The less we practice connection, the riskier connection starts to feel.And honestly, this episode changed me a little. Since recording it, I joined a French conversation group, a women's finance group, and started going to karaoke at the Legion here on Salt Spring. And guess what? Every single time I leave my cozy little house and force myself into the world, something good happens.Turns out humans might actually need other humans after all.What's Inside:Why we're spending more time alone without necessarily feeling lonelierHow social isolation changes the brain and weakens social skills over timeThe surprising science behind talking to strangers and why it boosts happinessWhy rebuilding community matters for our health, relationships, and even democracyThis episode made me realize that connection isn't something that magically happens. It's something we practice, maintain, and sometimes awkwardly fight for. DM me on Instagram and tell me: what's one small social risk you want to start taking again? Mentioned in This Episode:Sarah Stein LubranoSarah Stein Lubrano on InstagramOonagh Duncan on InstagramFit Feels GoodLeave me a voice note on Speak Pipe!
Show notes: (0:00) Intro (1:01) Dr. Tommy Wood's background in neuroscience and performance (3:00) Brain injury, concussions, and dementia risk (4:36) Why many dementia cases may be preventable (8:49) Hearing loss, vision loss, and brain stimulation (10:33) Air pollution, air filters, and B vitamins (14:29) Blood pressure, stress, and dementia prevention (20:58) Homocysteine, B vitamins, and omega-3s (26:22) Fish oil, omega-3 index, and supplement quality (33:55) Learning skills, sports, video games, and brain training (41:44) Sleep, recovery, alcohol, and long-term brain health (47:58) Where to find Dr. Tommy (49:02) Outro Who is Dr. Tommy Wood? Dr. Tommy Wood is a neuroscientist, researcher, and athletic performance consultant focused on brain health, human performance, and long-term cognitive function. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Washington, where his lab studies brain health across the lifespan, including newborn brain injury, adult brain trauma, concussions, and dementia risk. Dr. Wood earned his biochemistry degree from the University of Cambridge, his medical degree from the University of Oxford, and his PhD in Physiology and Neuroscience from the University of Oslo. He has published many scientific papers, lectured around the world, and worked with professional athletes, Olympians, world champions, and Formula 1 drivers. He is also the author of The Stimulated Mind and co-host of the Better Brain Fitness podcast. Connect with Dr. Tommy: Website: https://www.drtommywood.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-wood-35b685a8/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/drtommywood/ Grab a copy: https://www.drtommywood.com/stimulated-mind Tune in: https://www.drtommywood.com/podcast Links and Resources: Peak Performance Life Peak Performance on Facebook Peak Performance on Instagram
What if the timing of your "ask" is costing your nonprofit thousands? Matt Roben — the Kilted Auctioneer, former circus performer, and police officer turned fundraising auctioneer, joins Trevor to break down the neuroscience behind why people give, and why most galas are leaving money on the table by asking too late in the night.Chapters:00:00 Intro00:59 Introing Matt Roben02:38 Understanding the Auctioneer's Role04:15 The Neuroscience of Giving08:40 Data-Driven Fundraising Insights12:34 Engaging Donors in Real-Time17:20 Post-Event Gratitude Strategies20:16 Building Genuine Connections with Donors21:51 Utilizing Matching Gifts Effectively26:40 Rapid-Fire Fundraising TipsHave a question or topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know https://hgafundraising.com/ask-your-questions/
In this episode of Together 4 Good, Pastor Nate talks with Julie Hutchinson about resilience, neuroscience, faith, and what it means to lead from the heart instead of reacting from stress. Julie shares how her own experience with burnout, anxiety, and surrender led her into work that helps leaders, executives, and organizations reconnect their minds, bodies, and spiritual lives.Together, they explore how scripture and science can speak to each other, why stress affects the way we show up in the world, and how practices of faith can help us become more grounded, compassionate, and whole.What You'll Learn:How stress shows up in the body and shapes our reactionsWhy “leading from the heart” is more than a nice ideaHow scripture connects with neuroscience and resilienceWhat Sabbath can mean in the middle of everyday stressWhy vulnerability, faith, and love matter in leadershipChapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Julie's background in resilience and neuroscience training 02:45 What happens in the body during stress 04:15 Sabbath, stress, and self-regulation 06:30 Julie's faith story and Christian connection 08:15 Scripture, science, and guarding the heart 10:30 Aligning the head and the heart 14:00 Reading scripture with the whole self 16:30 Heart mapping, mind mapping, and leadership 18:30 Showing up as the person God created you to be 21:30 Worship, spiritual practice, and everyday life 23:30 AI, authenticity, and what makes us human 27:30 Vulnerability, suffering, and connection 29:30 Leading from love in real life 31:30 Closing reflectionsIf this conversation helps you think differently about stress, leadership, faith, or what it means to show up with more love, like, subscribe, and share it with someone who may need it.Connect with Bethany:
Why is pediatric brain cancer research so underfunded, and what does it actually take to build breakthroughs for children fighting cancer?In this episode of Game Over: c*ncer, Val Solomon and Dana Nichols sit down with Dr. John Prensner, pediatric neuro-oncologist, researcher, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School. As the recipient of the 2025 Young Investigator Grant from Cannonball Kids' cancer Foundation, Dr. Prensner is leading groundbreaking research focused on relapsed medulloblastoma, DIPG, ATRT, and the molecular drivers behind pediatric brain tumors.Dr. Prensner shares the deeply personal story that inspired him to pursue pediatric cancer research after encountering a young mother dying of brain cancer during his early hospital experiences. The conversation explores the emotional realities of pediatric oncology, the importance of mentorship in science, and how collaboration between labs, institutions, and researchers across the world is accelerating innovation for children with cancer.This episode also dives into the growing concerns surrounding pediatric cancer funding, NIH research grants, instability in federal funding, and the long-term effects these challenges have on the future pipeline of childhood cancer researchers and scientific breakthroughs.If you care about advancing pediatric cancer research, supporting innovative treatments, and learning how researchers are working to change outcomes for children battling cancer, this episode is for you.----------------------------------Connect with Dana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaknichols/Connect with Val: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-solomon/Upcoming Ckc Events: https://cannonballkidscancer.org/category/make-an-impact/events/----------------------------------Podcast Produced by Hi Hello Labs: Website: https://www.hihellolabs.com/
Every image you emotionally connect to sends signals through your brain and body.The dream trip. The healthy version of you. The relationship. The future life you desire. Your brain doesn't just “see” it. It begins rehearsing it.Neuroscience calls it neuroplasticity: “What fires together, wires together.”When thought + emotion + imagination combine, new neural pathways begin to form.Your focus literally reshapes your brain.Vision Boards matter because repeated focus changes your identity, your energy, your decisions, and ultimately… your reality.Your mind is always creating something. THE QUESTION IS:ARE YOU CREATING BY DESIGN OR BY DEFAULT?✨ YOUR FUTURE STARTS WITH THE IMAGES YOU EMOTIONALLY REHEARSE TODAY.YOUR IMAGINATION IS NOT FANTASY. IT'S NEUROLOGICAL REHEARSAL FOR THE LIFE YOU'RE BECOMING.
A lot of people treat melatonin like a harmless sleeping pill. But that's not really what it is. Researchers are increasingly concerned that melatonin is misunderstood, overused, and often taken in ways that may not help sleep much at all. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9892750/ Humans have always relied on rituals to mark important moments in life—weddings, funerals, graduations, religious ceremonies, even small personal traditions. Rituals help create meaning, connection, and a sense of belonging. Yet many traditional rituals are fading as fewer people marry, attend religious services, or follow long-standing customs. At the same time, entirely new rituals are emerging all over the world to fill that void. Bruce Feiler joins me to explain why rituals matter so deeply to humans, why we continue creating them even when old traditions disappear, and how rituals may be more important to our emotional wellbeing than most people realize. Bruce is author of A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World—and How It Can Save Us (https://amzn.to/4nrtvtP) Have you ever heard a song that instantly transported you somewhere else? Suddenly you're reliving a memory, imagining a scene, or feeling emotions that seem almost cinematic. Those experiences are called musical daydreams—and they happen far more often than most people realize. What's fascinating is that people from completely different backgrounds often report remarkably similar experiences when listening to the same music. Elizabeth Margulis, professor of music at Princeton University and director of the Music Cognition Lab, explains why music has this unusual power over the mind, how musical daydreams work, and what they reveal about the way humans experience emotion and imagination. She is author of Transported: The Everyday Magic of Musical Daydreams (https://amzn.to/4tDmqrL). Closing your eyes while kissing feels natural and romantic. But why does it actually feel strange to keep your eyes open during a passionate kiss? Neuroscience suggests there may be a very specific reason your brain prefers eyes you NOT watch what you are doing. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/why-we-kiss-with-eyes-closed-psychologists-research-a6943731.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS POCKET HOSE: For a limited time, when you purchase a new Pocket Hose Ballistic, you'll get a FREE 360 degree rotating pocket pivot and a FREE thumb drive nozzle! Just text SYSK to 64000 AQUA TRU: Take the guesswork out of pure, great-tasting water. Head to https://AquaTru.com now and get 20% off your purifier using promo code SYSK. AquaTru even comes with a 30-day best-tasting water guarantee or your money back. RULA: This Mental Health Awareness Month, don't just think about your mental health - actually take the step to take care of it. Visit https://Rula.com/sysk to get started. QUINCE: Refresh your everyday with luxury you will actual use! Go to https://Quince.com/sysk for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! DELL: With the Dell Pro laptop powered by Intel Core Ultra with vPro, no matter how many interruptions you have, your laptop won't be one of them. With battery that's optimized for the way you work, and built-in intelligence that quiets distractions the moment you're trying to focus, your tech won't slow you down. Find out more at https://Dell.com/Dell-Pro SHOPIFY: It's time to turn those "what ifs" into CHA CHING with Shopify Today! Sign up for your $1 per month trail and start selling today at https://Shopify.com/sysk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Most of us don't think about brain health until something goes wrong. We think it's normal to experience brain fog or we just accept cognitive decline is inevitable as we age. Science shows you can physically change your brain at any age. You can grow new neurons, build stronger connections, and even shrink your risk of Alzheimer's — and it doesn't require anything mysterious or extreme. My guest is Dr. Majid Fotuhi, a renowned neurologist and one of the world's leading experts in brain health. He received his MD from Harvard Medical School and his PhD in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he now serves as an adjunct professor at the Mind/Brain Institute. He's also the author of the new book The Invincible Brain. Some of the things we discuss are: Why your brain is an organ you can care for like your teeth or your heart — not a mysterious black box you're stuck with The 12-week brain fitness study that showed older adults physically grew their brains by 1–3%, making them up to three years younger on an MRI Why genetics play a surprisingly small role in late-life Alzheimer's — and how exercise can cancel out the effects of the highest-risk gene The exact amount of exercise that strengthens your brain (and why doing more than this won't help) Why sleep is an active brain-cleaning process — and what 20+ years of insomnia does to the memory center of your brain The one rule about food Dr. Fotuhi cares about more than keto vs. Mediterranean vs. vegetarian How chronic stress physically shrinks your brain, plus the perspective shift his daughter learned that keeps her calm under pressure Simple daily ways to challenge your brain — from memorizing names to license plates in traffic The Therapist's Take: My top three strategies for building a physically stronger, younger brain starting today Related Episodes 91 — The Biggest Threats to Your Brain Health and the Lifestyle Changes You Should Make Today to Stay Sharp with Dr. Austin Perlmutter 212 — What Are You Feeding Your Brain? Here's What You Need to Know About Your Mental Diet Links & Resources The Invincible Brain Connect with the Show Buy a copy of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do Connect with Amy on Instagram — @AmyMorinAuthor Visit my website — AmyMorinLCSW.com Sponsors MUDWTR — Get up to 43% off your entire order, plus free shipping and a free rechargeable frother when you use code STRONGER at Mudwtr.com. AirDoctor — Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code STRONGER to get UP TO $300 off today! One Skin — Go to oneskin.co/STRONGER and use code stronger to get up to 30% off your first 3 subscription orders First Day — Get up to 57% off and a free gift with code stronger at FirstDay.com Quince — Go to Quince.com/stronger for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! Flamingo — Get a $7 starter set at ShopFlamingo.com/STRONGER Cozy Earth — Head to cozyearth.com and use code STRONGER20 to get 20% off your order. Subscribe to Mentally Stronger Premium for exclusive content like weekly bonus episodes, mental strength challenges, and office hours with me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There are more possible chess moves than atoms in the universe, and chess champion Jennifer Shahade tells us how we can borrow from the best chess players' decision-tree approach to avoid considering every possible option and instead "think sideways" to consider the best choices on the board. Previous Episodes How Minds Change Jennifer Shahade's Website Thinking Sideways Does chess need intelligence? David McRaney's Twitter David McRaney's BlueSky YANSS Twitter YANSS Facebook Newsletter Patreon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode, host Duane Osterlind sits down with Dr. Muhamad Aly Rifai, a dual-trained internist, psychiatrist, and addiction medicine specialist with over 25 years of clinical experience. Together, they dive deep into a rising public health concern—Kratom and 7-OH products—and unpack the complex neuroscience of how substance abuse alters brain architecture.Dr. Rifai shares insights from his book, Hijacked Mind: How Addiction Rewires the Soul, exploring the reality of permanent brain changes, the sliver of hope offered by neuroplasticity, and how a holistic Biopsychosocial model can help individuals rebuild their lives.About the GuestMuhamad Aly Rifai, MD, is an internist, psychiatrist, and addiction specialist. He serves as the medical director of an addiction treatment center and has spent the last two decades treating individuals facing co-occurring psychiatric disorders and chemical dependencies. He is also known online as "The Virtual Psychiatrist."Key Takeaways & Discussion Points1. The Kratom Crisis: Natural Leaf vs. 7-OHKratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. While traditionally used as a tea for pain relief, a massive commercial market has emerged around it in the United States, creating two distinct camps:The Natural Leaf Camp: Powdered or dried leaves primary containing mitragynine. Many users report it offers relief from chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and fatigue when used responsibly.The 7-OH Camp: Highly potent, biochemically isolated 7-hydroxymitragynine sold in gas stations and smoke shops as pills, extracts, and drinks.The Clinical Reality: Because these products are completely unregulated by the FDA, consumers often don't know what they are ingesting. Dr. Rifai notes a dramatic rise in patients requiring medical detoxification from 7-OH products, experiencing severe withdrawal syndromes comparable to high-dose opioid or fentanyl withdrawal.2. The Neuroscience of a "Hijacked Mind"For years, addiction wasn't fully understood as an architectural shift in the brain. Dr. Rifai explains the sobering realities of what happens when a substance takes over:Down-Regulation: Severe drug use causes a decrease in the number and sensitivity of opioid receptors.Apoptosis: Substances like fentanyl trigger programmed cell death in areas governing executive function, emotional regulation, and perception.Permanent vs. Adaptable Changes: While some cellular damage is irreversible, neuroplasticity allows the brain to build new neural pathways around damaged areas through targeted treatment.3. The Biopsychosocial Model for RecoveryOvercoming severe addiction requires a 360-degree approach. Dr. Rifai breaks down the essential framework for a successful recovery program:Dimension Core Interventions & Strategies Biological Complete abstinence, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) like buprenorphine or methadone, treating underlying psychiatric comorbidities (depression, anxiety), and neurostimulation (like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / TMS).Psychological Addressing cognitive distortions "on steroids," processing trauma (which is present in 60% to 70% of addiction cases), and utilizing evidence-based therapies like CBT and DBT .Social Building a supportive network through family involvement, peer support counselors, prescription digital therapeutics (specialized apps), and 24/7 accessible support groups like AA/NA via Zoom.Words of Hope"Help is out there. Even if you're hopeless and see no way out, help is available. There is a way out and there is somebody out there to help. So reach out."Resources & Links MentionedDr. Rifai's Website: alirifai.comDr. Rifai's YouTube Channel: The Virtual PsychiatristDr. Rifai's Book: Hijacked Mind: How Addiction Rewires the Soul (Available on Amazon)Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (Available 24/7, free, and confidential)Follow and Review: We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery CenterNovusMindfulLife.comWe want to hear from you. Leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmindDisclaimerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode, Daniel Yates presented his research on the neuroscience of reptiles. Daniel shared his PowerPoint presentation titled "Learning Science and How to Deal with People for My Reptiles," focusing on the brain anatomy of reptiles and how it compares to human brain structure. He explained key concepts, including the three "humps" of the reptile brain (forebrain, mid brain, and cerebellum), the optic tectum's role in processing visual information, and how different reptile species have adapted their brain structures based on their environments and behaviors. Daniel discussed various studies, including a 40-species analysis and shared his hypothesis about how reptiles perceive and interact with their environments. The conversation also touched on his personal background in science and his approach to studying reptile neuroscience, emphasizing the need for more research in this area.SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/252-daniel-yates/SPONSORS: Visit The BioDude: https://www.thebiodude.com/ Visit Zoo Med Labs here: https://zoomed.com/JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/animalsathomeLINKS FROM THE EPISODE:https://www.youtube.com/@UCETeOch6OVLTC9GQPR3_QhQ PDF DOWNLOAD: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Neuroscience-of-Reptiles.pdf
Shine with Frannie Show |Christian health |Christian fitness|Christian wellness| Christian coaching
Last year a shopping trip to a home decor store changed my life--and led me to change the way I was thinking and living for good! Shortly after that shopping trip, I implemented ✨ The Rule of Three More ✨--it's super simple and so impactful so I want to share it with you today--it has literally changed my life:Whenever a problem arises, you immediately complete the statement:
Have you ever felt like you're a fraud, despite all evidence to the contrary? That's the insidious power of shame. This week on In Sanity, we go beyond the surface to reveal the neuroscience of shame. Drawing on Curt Thompson's book(s), insights from Heller & Niederwieser, and cutting-edge research, we explain how shame isn't just an emotion, but a neurobiological trap. Learn how it impacts your brain, why it makes connection so hard, and what the science says about finding freedom from its grip.The Neuroscience of ShameThe Harming Power of ShameThe Biology of Shame: How Trauma Shapes Neurochemistry and Healing PathwaysThe Soul of ShameHealing Shame and Guilt
Show Notes: Peter Schmidt talks about his senior year during the Iraq War, and how the news on the problem of jobless recovery led him to consider graduate school. The Journey from Student to Dean Peter studied biomechanics at Cornell, focusing on the mathematics of biological systems and modeling clinical trials in orthopedics. He was admitted into a fellowship program in New York at an orthopedic hospital where he worked on total joint replacement. His career path led him to neuroscience, where he led clinical research and worked for a nonprofit before becoming the vice dean of a medical school. He then moved on to running clinical trials and drug development. A Focus on Parkinson's Disease Pete shares his interest in Parkinson's disease and explains that Parkinson's affects a tractable part of the brain, the basal ganglia, which is easier to model mathematically. He enjoys thinking about neuronal signaling and the microstructure of the brain, which helps in understanding the macro structure. Pete's PhD work involved modeling bone at the cellular level, and he applies similar thinking to the basal ganglia in Parkinson's disease. Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases Pete discusses the challenges in determining whether a question in neurodegenerative diseases is a question of science or engineering. He explains the historical focus on stem cells and extracellular proteins as solutions for diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Pete emphasizes the need to understand the role of extracellular proteins and the importance of scientific inquiry. He mentions the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of prion diseases and the subsequent focus on characteristic proteins in neurodegenerative diseases, which led to initiatives focused on proteins. The Brain's Micro and Macro Structures Pete discusses the current focus on extracellular proteins and the challenges in proving their role in diseases like Parkinson's. He mentions the drug Lecanemab for Alzheimer's, which slows the disease but does not reverse it. Pete predicts that future research will focus on intracellular proteins and the need to restore lost cells in the brain. He highlights the importance of understanding the microstructure to inform the macro structure of the brain. The Logistics of Running Clinical Trials Pete explains that success in clinical trials is more about logistics than science, with 90-95% of the work being logistical. He discusses the challenges of recruiting subjects and the importance of working with academic medical centers that have a high volume of patients. Pete emphasizes the need for fast-moving ethics boards and efficient contracting to ensure the success of clinical trials. Incentives for Physicians When asked about the incentives for physicians to participate in clinical trials, Pete explains that most physicians are driven by scientific interest rather than financial incentives. He mentions the importance of academic leaders who can influence the participation of residents and fellows in trials. Pete highlights the passion of physicians in diseases like Huntington's and cystic fibrosis, which drives their engagement in research. The Role of Pharma Companies in Clinical Trials Pete talks about his role at East Carolina University where he oversaw clinical care and research at the medical school. He discusses the changing role of pharma companies in running clinical trials. He explains that many drugs are now discovered in labs, leading to a shift in the need for pharma companies to own their data. Pete mentions the issue of trial fraud, where fake patients are used to inflate data, and the importance of tighter control over trial data. He shares his experience of rescuing a trial from fraudulent data and the challenges of identifying such issues. Life on the Family Farm The conversation turns to Pete's family life, and Pete shares that his youngest child recently went to college, and he inherited a family farm that has been in his wife's family for 200 years. He enjoys working with his hands, doing woodworking, and using a skid steer for various tasks on the farm. Pete describes his role as the farm handyman, fixing things and maintaining the farm equipment. Harvard Reflections Pete mentions taking a quantum mechanics course and a material science class with X-ray interferometry. He highlights the impact of a physics class on fits and tolerances, which taught him about the importance of clearance and interference fits. Pete also shares his experience taking a folklore course with his roommate, which was his only pass/fail course at Harvard. Pete explains the concept of fits and tolerances in engineering. He discusses the importance of understanding whether a fit needs to be tight or loose and planning accordingly. Pete uses examples from finance to illustrate the principle of having a cushion in budgeting. He emphasizes the need to know the target fit (tight or loose) to optimize engineering and design solutions. This episode on The 92 Report:https://92report.com/podcast/168-peter-schmidt-from-math-to-neuroscience/ Timestamps: 02:40: A focus on Parkinson's Disease 05:10: Challenges in Neurodegenerative Disease Research 09:50: The Role of Extracellular Proteins and Future Directions 17:34: Running Clinical Trials and Logistics 27:58: Incentives for Physicians to Participate in Clinical Trials 32:16: Pharma Companies and Clinical Trial Data 38:53: Personal Life and Farming 42:30: Reflections on Harvard Courses 46:23: Fits and Tolerances in Engineering Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pnschmidt https://www.instagram.com/pnschmidt
Are you holding your spouse to a standard you refuse to meet yourself? It's the fastest way to destroy trust, and it's likely happening in your marriage right now.In this episode, we aren't talking about "fixing" your partner—we're talking about the hypocrisy that keeps you stuck in a cycle of blame, resentment, and emotional distance. If you demand grace for your mistakes but hold a magnifying glass to your spouse's flaws, you are surrendering your power to your ego.Certified Marriage Coach, Kameran Thompson Alareqi, breaks down the neuroscience behind why your brain protects your ego with blame, and why you're actually looking for connection in all the wrong ways. If you are ready to stop being the "judge" and start being the "teammate," this episode gives you the audit tools and the exact scripts to dismantle your hypocrisy and take radical accountability.In This Episode, You Will Learn:The Hypocrisy Trap: Why the gap between what you demand and what you deliver is dismantling your connection.The "Defensive" vs. "Explaining" Mistake: Why you judge your partner's actions but demand they judge your intentions.The Forgiveness Double Standard: Why you feel entitled to immediate grace while your partner is expected to earn their way back into your good graces.The Neuroscience of Ego: How your amygdala "hijacks" your brain and shuts off the empathy you need to be a healthy spouse.Radical Accountability: The "My Part" challenge that forces you to clean up your side of the street, regardless of what your partner is doing.Key Highlights & Timestamps**** Identifying the discrepancy: Why you are holding your partner to standards you don't meet.**** Why "I only yelled because you pushed my buttons" is a toxic lie.**** The Forgiveness Double Standard: Why your apologies are "Sorry" but your partner's need to be five-step plans.**** Cognitive Dissonance: How your brain justifies your bad behavior to keep you feeling like the "good" spouse.**** The Audit Exercise: A step-by-step method to compare your complaints against your own behaviors.**** The exact script for admitting hypocrisy to your spouse without triggering a new fight.Stop Struggling and Start ThrivingMarriage doesn't change because you want it to; it changes because you practice new strategies. Don't wait until the 11th hour to get the help that could save your relationship.Are you ready to stop the hypocrisy and learn how to actually regulate your own nervous system?Kameran has open coaching positions for those who are ready to do the real, hard work of relational mastery.
Host Andrea Samadi welcomes Dr. Anna Lembke to explain how pleasure and pain share the same neural circuitry and how dopamine governs motivation. The episode explores why overconsumption of easy rewards dulls motivation, creates withdrawal-like deficits, and shifts the brain toward pain. Through clear takeaways—delay borrowed rewards, try temporary abstinence, create friction for temptations, and practice purposeful effort—the episode shows how recalibrating the brain's reward system restores enjoyment in ordinary activities and builds sustainable motivation. Welcome back to Season 15 of the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast. I'm Andrea Samadi, and on this podcast, we bridge the science behind social and emotional learning, emotional intelligence, and practical neuroscience so we can create measurable improvements in well-being, achievement, productivity, and results. Season 15 Orientation This season, we're exploring what I call: The Brain's Operating System for Human Performance. Instead of looking at neuroscience, health, learning, motivation, and emotional intelligence as separate topics, (like we did for the past 14 seasons) we're exploring how these systems come online in sequence. Each phase builds on the one before it: ✔ Phase 1 — Regulation & Safety Is the nervous system safe enough to learn? ✔ Phase 2 — Neurochemistry & Motivation What drives behavior, focus, and sustained effort? ✔ Phase 3 — Movement, Learning & Cognition ✔ Phase 4 — Perception, Emotion & Social Intelligence ✔ Phase 5 — Integration, Insight & Meaning By the end of this year my hope is that we can step back and ask: Where am I out of alignment? Is it regulation? Is it my thinking? Is it my focus? Or Belief? Is it how I'm learning or connecting with others? Or do I need some work with integration, insight and meaning? Because once we can see our gap… We can begin to close it. “The goal is not more effort—it's better alignment.” “And when these systems are aligned… Effort feels easier Learning becomes faster And results become more consistent Because peak performance is not about doing more. It's about aligning the systems that drive our results. Recap Where We've Been In EP 392[i], we introduced the Motivation Loop and explored how the brain decides what is worth doing. In EP 393[ii], we looked at how our beliefs trigger neurochemistry that drives action, feedback, and repetition. In EP 394[iii] we looked at how our thought patterns impact our neurochemistry and results with Dr. Caroline Leaf. Then in EP 395[iv], reviewing Dr. John Medina's work on Theory of Mind, we explored something equally important: The brain pays attention to what it believes matters. Dr. Medina showed us that attention and reward are deeply connected. When the brain predicts something will be valuable, relevant, or meaningful, attention increases. And when attention and reward align: ✔ Learning improves ✔ Memory strengthens ✔ Motivation increases ✔ Behaviors become repeatable But that leaves us with an important question: What creates that sense of reward in the first place? What makes the brain continue pursuing something? What makes us stay motivated and what makes us lose interest? And why can effort sometimes feel rewarding—and other times feel exhausting? Today's Episode To answer those questions, we're turning to Dr. Anna Lembke, author of the book: Dopamine Nation who we first met September 2021 on EP 162.[v] Her work helps to explain the neurochemical engine underneath the Motivation Loop that we've been covering. While John Medina helped us understand how attention and reward influence learning, Dr. Lembke helps us understand: ✔ Why the brain seeks reward ✔ How dopamine drives motivation ✔ Why pleasure and pain operate on the same neural system ✔ And what happens when the balance gets disrupted Because the real goal isn't simply just feeling good. The goal is understanding how the brain learns to associate effort with reward. And when that happens, something powerful occurs: Effort itself becomes rewarding. That's where sustainable motivation begins. EP 393 — Motivation Loop ↓ EP 394 — Belief triggers neurochemistry ↓ EP 395 — Theory of Mind: Attention + Reward determine what matters ↓ EP 396 — Dopamine Nation: Why the brain seeks reward and how effort becomes rewarding It keeps the loop intact and shows listeners that Medina answered "What gets our attention?" while Lembke answers "Why does the brain keep pursuing it?". CLIP 1: The Neuroscience of Pleasure and Pain Based on Dr. Anna Lembke's Dopamine Nation CLIP SUMMARY Let's see what Dr. Anna Lembke has to say about the neuroscience of pleasure and pain. In this clip, Dr. Lembke explains one of the most important concepts in modern neuroscience: Pleasure and pain are processed in the same brain system and work like opposite sides of a balance. Whenever we experience something pleasurable—whether it's social media, sugar, shopping, gaming, alcohol, or even achievement—the brain's balance tips toward pleasure. But the brain is always seeking equilibrium. To restore balance, it responds by tipping the scale in the opposite direction, creating a corresponding feeling of discomfort, craving, dissatisfaction, or pain. The more often we seek quick pleasure, the harder the brain works to compensate. Over time, this can leave us in what Lembke calls a "dopamine deficit state" where we need more stimulation just to feel normal. The surprising solution? Activities that require effort and involve manageable discomfort—exercise, cold exposure, fasting, learning difficult skills, and meaningful human connection—can help restore balance and rebuild motivation. KEY TAKEAWAYS & HOW TO PUT THEM INTO ACTION 1. The Brain Is Always Seeking Balance IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Anna Lembke Dopamine Nation. Dr. Lembke explains that pleasure and pain are not separate systems. They operate like opposite sides of a seesaw. When we repeatedly tip the brain toward pleasure, (you can see an image in the show notes with some examples like with eating chocolate, shopping or using social media) the brain compensates by tipping toward pain to restore balance. Brain Rule: Every pleasure has a neurobiological cost. Put This Into Action Ask yourself: Where am I getting large rewards with very little effort? Examples might include: ✔ Social media ✔ Sugar ✔ Constant news consumption ✔ Streaming ✔ Or Online shopping The goal isn't to eliminate pleasure. The goal is just with our awareness. Because what we measure, we can begin to manage. 2. Overconsumption Changes the Brain What feels exciting today becomes normal tomorrow. The brain adapts to repeated dopamine spikes through a process called neuroadaptation. Over time: ✔ Rewards feel weaker ✔ Cravings increase ✔ Motivation decreases ✔ More stimulation is needed to create the same feeling Put This Into Action Choose one highly stimulating habit and observe it for a week. Notice: ✔ How often you engage in it ✔ What triggers it ✔ How you feel afterward Simply collecting data can reveal patterns you didn't realize existed. 3. Not All Dopamine Is Created Equal: Borrowed vs. Earned Dopamine (we have covered this topic previously). Dr. Lembke's pleasure-pain balance helps explain an important distinction: Borrowed Dopamine Borrowed dopamine comes before effort. Examples include: ✔ Scrolling social media ✔ Energy drinks before a workout ✔ Sugar when stressed ✔ Online shopping ✔ Gaming ✔ Endless entertainment These rewards feel good immediately. But because they require little effort, they often weaken motivation over time. The brain begins expecting reward before work. Earned Dopamine Earned dopamine comes after effort. Examples include: ✔ Finishing a difficult workout ✔ Completing a challenging project ✔ Climbing to the summit of a hike ✔ Finishing a podcast episode (for me) ✔ Learning a new skill ✔ Solving a difficult problem These rewards feel different. The brain learns: Effort leads to reward. And over time: Effort itself becomes rewarding. This strengthens the Motivation Loop. Put This Into Action Ask yourself: Where am I borrowing dopamine? And where am I earning it? For the next week, look for opportunities to delay rewards until after effort. Examples: Instead of: Reward → Effort Try: Effort → Reward Instead of checking your phone before starting work... Complete one task first. Instead of rewarding yourself before your workout... Reward yourself after the workout. Instead of seeking immediate comfort... Lean into a small challenge. Each time you do this, you're teaching your brain: "Reward follows effort." And that's how motivation becomes sustainable. 4. Temporary Abstinence Reveals the Truth One of Dr. Lembke's most powerful strategies is taking a break from a highly rewarding behavior. When we step away from constant stimulation, the brain's reward system has an opportunity to recalibrate. Only then can we see whether a behavior is serving us—or controlling us. Put This Into Action Consider a short experiment. Choose one behavior that may be overstimulating your reward system and reduce or eliminate it temporarily. Notice: ✔ Energy ✔ Focus ✔ Motivation ✔ Mood ✔ Cravings The goal isn't punishment. The goal is information. 5. Lasting Change Requires Systems, Not Willpower Many people believe success comes from discipline alone. Dr. Lembke argues that creating the right environment is often more powerful. Instead of relying on willpower every day, create barriers that make unwanted behaviors harder to access. Put This Into Action Ask yourself: How can I create more friction between myself and temptation? Examples include: ✔ Turning off notifications ✔ Keeping unhealthy foods out of sight ✔ Scheduling device-free time Small environmental changes often produce large behavioral results. CLIP 2 How Chronic Overstimulation Creates a Dopamine Deficit State When The Motivation Loops Breaks In this clip, Dr. Anna Lembke explains why many people struggling with depression, anxiety, insomnia, low motivation, or emotional distress may actually be experiencing the consequences of chronic overstimulation. Her first recommendation is often surprisingly simple: Remove the "drug of choice" for a period of time. The "drug" isn't necessarily alcohol or drugs. It can be social media, gaming, shopping, sugar, constant entertainment, or any behavior that repeatedly floods the brain's reward pathways. Lembke explains that people often feel worse before they feel better because the brain has adapted to high levels of dopamine stimulation. When the stimulation is removed, the brain temporarily experiences withdrawal-like symptoms as it works to restore balance. Over time, however, the brain's pleasure-pain system recalibrates, allowing people to experience pleasure from ordinary, everyday rewards again. Her larger message is: We live in a society with unprecedented access to pleasure, and many of us have unintentionally shifted our pleasure-pain balance toward pain. The solution is not necessarily more pleasure. The solution is restoring balance. How Chronic Overstimulation Creates a Dopamine Deficit State KEY TAKEAWAYS & HOW TO PUT THEM INTO ACTION 1. Feeling Worse Can Be a Sign of Healing One of the biggest misconceptions about behavior change is that improvement should feel good immediately. The brain doesn't work that way. When a highly stimulating behavior is removed: ✔ Cravings increase ✔ Discomfort rises ✔ Mood may temporarily decline This is often the brain recalibrating rather than failing. Put This Into Action When reducing an overstimulating habit, don't judge success by how you feel in the first few days. Instead ask: "Could this discomfort be evidence that my brain is adjusting?" Sometimes the discomfort isn't a sign you're moving backward. It's a sign you're recovering. 2. The Brain Adapts to Excess Dopamine The brain is remarkably efficient. When exposed to constant stimulation, it reduces its sensitivity to reward. What once felt exciting becomes normal. What once felt normal may eventually feel boring. This is why people often need more stimulation to achieve the same feeling. Put This Into Action Identify your "drug of choice." Ask yourself: What do I consistently turn to when I'm stressed, bored, anxious, or uncomfortable? Examples: ✔ Social media ✔ Sugar ✔ Streaming ✔ Shopping ✔ Gaming ✔ Constant notifications Awareness creates choice. 3. Modern Life Makes Overstimulation Easy This is one of the central themes of Dopamine Nation. For most of human history, pleasure was scarce. Today: ✔ Entertainment is unlimited ✔ Food is always available ✔ Social media never stops ✔ Information is endless The challenge is no longer finding pleasure. The challenge is regulating access to it. Put This Into Action Look for places where you can create friction between yourself and temptation. Examples: ✔ Turn off notifications ✔ Keep unhealthy foods out of sight ✔ Schedule screen-free time ✔ Create boundaries around technology use Small barriers often create significant behavioral change. 4. Sustainable Motivation Lives Near Baseline The goal isn't to feel intensely excited all the time. The goal is to restore the ability to enjoy ordinary rewards. IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Anna Lembke Dopamine Nation Put This Into Action Reconnect with activities that once felt naturally rewarding. Ask yourself: What activities did I enjoy before constant digital stimulation? Examples: ✔ Reading ✔ Walking ✔ Meaningful conversation ✔ Learning something new ✔ Creative work As the reward system recalibrates, many people discover these activities become enjoyable again (if the pleasure for them had disappeared). 5. Doing Hard Things Strengthens the Brain One of the most exciting findings in neuroscience involves the Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex (AMCC), sometimes called the "Do Hard Things" circuit. This region appears to strengthen when we voluntarily engage in difficult activities. Examples: ✔ Exercise ✔ Learning challenging skills ✔ Delayed gratification ✔ Difficult conversations ✔ Endurance challenges The brain learns: "I can handle discomfort." Put This Into Action Ask yourself each morning: What's one hard thing I can do today on purpose? Because we've learned that doing hard things is valuable. Every time you choose effort over comfort, you're strengthening the circuits that support resilience, persistence, and long-term motivation. REVIEW & CONCLUSION To review and conclude this week's EP 396, Clip 1 taught us that pleasure and pain share the same neural circuitry. Clip 2 teaches us what happens when that balance is disrupted. The lesson isn't that pleasure is bad. The lesson is that when pleasure becomes too easy and too abundant, the brain stops valuing effort. But when we reduce overstimulation, embrace manageable discomfort, and begin earning our dopamine instead of borrowing it, something remarkable happens: Motivation returns. Effort feels worthwhile. And the Motivation Loop begins working the way it was designed to work. As we close today's episode, let's return to our Phase 2 roadmap. If you're looking at this graphic, you'll notice that Dr. Anna Lembke sits right in the center. And that's intentional. Because everything we've covered so far in Phase 2 flows through this central motivation system. We began with Bob Proctor and the power of belief. Belief creates expectation. Expectation shapes what we think is possible. Then Dr. Caroline Leaf showed us how our thoughts influence our neurochemistry. The thoughts we repeatedly think shape the chemical signals that influence our behavior and performance. Last week, Dr. John Medina helped us understand attention and reward. The brain pays attention to what it believes matters. And what gets rewarded gets repeated. Today, Dr. Anna Lembke helped us understand the missing piece. She showed us that dopamine is not simply about pleasure. It's about motivation. It's about anticipation. It's about pursuit. And ultimately, it's about what the brain decides is worth the effort. When dopamine becomes disconnected from effort through constant stimulation and easy rewards, the Motivation Loop begins to break. But when reward becomes connected to effort, challenge, growth, and progress, the loop strengthens. And that's where sustainable motivation begins. THE "DO HARD THINGS" CONNECTION One final insight from today's episode. Dr. Lembke's work helps explain why doing hard things matters so much. Every time we choose effort over immediate gratification... Every time we choose growth over comfort... Every time we voluntarily do something difficult... We strengthen the brain circuits that support persistence, resilience, and long-term motivation. The brain begins learning: Effort is worth it. And eventually: Effort becomes rewarding. That's when motivation becomes self-sustaining. Not because the work gets easier. But because the brain learns that the effort itself has value. Dr. Anna Lembke isn't just another stop in the loop—she's the core motivation system that sits in the center of everything. But there's 2 more pieces still to cover in the Motivation Loop we haven't explored yet. We've learned that belief shapes expectation. Thoughts shape neurochemistry. Attention and reward determine what matters. And dopamine helps the brain decide what is worth pursuing. But once we're motivated... How do we turn that motivation into action? That's where we'll turn next. Next Week: Dr. Chuck Hillman Movement, Motivation, and Brain Activation We'll explore: ✔ How exercise activates the brain ✔ Why movement improves attention and learning ✔ The connection between physical activity and motivation ✔ How movement strengthens cognitive performance ✔ Why action often comes before motivation ✔ And how movement helps keep the Motivation Loop moving forward Because in Phase 2, we're not just asking: What makes effort feel worth it? We're also asking: What helps us take action once motivation is present? And Dr. Chuck Hillman's research shows that movement may be one of the most powerful ways to activate the brain for learning, performance, and sustained effort. Until next time, I'm Andrea Samadi, reminding you that when we understand how the brain works, we can align our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and actions to create measurable improvements in well-being, achievement, productivity, and results. Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next week. RESOURCES: Full Interview with Dr. Lembke from Sept 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pu82wZRZwo CLIP 1: The Neuroscience of Pleasure and Pain CLIP 2 How Chronic Overstimulation Creates a Dopamine Deficit State REFERENCES: [i] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE 392 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/belief-first-the-neuroscience-of-motivation/ [ii]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE 393 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/belief-first-the-neuroscience-of-motivation/ [iii]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE 394 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/thoughts-as-biology-how-your-mind-shapes-neurochemistry/ [iv] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE 395 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/theory-of-mind-the-missing-link-between-attention-reward-and-motivation/ [v]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE 162 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/medical-director-of-addictive-medicine-at-stanford-university-dr-anna-lembke-on-dopamine-nation-finding-balance-in-the-age-of-indulgence/
Leave an Amazon Rating or Review for my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Check out the full episode: https://greatness.lnk.to/1815DM Your child's brain is already losing connections. Not because something's wrong. Because of pruning. The brain cuts whatever isn't being used. Dr. Baland Jalal says the window is real, and what you do in it matters. Affection first. Hugging and physical touch trigger oxytocin and neuropeptides that directly support neuroplasticity. It's not soft parenting. It's brain science. Then real stimulation. Not screens. Screens wire dopamine addiction loops. The stimulation that builds the brain is social. Learning to read faces, pick up on emotional cues, engage with other humans. Dr. Jalal admits COVID isolation left him socially handicapped. His mirror neurons went quiet. And finally: let them run. Cardiovascular exercise produces BDNF, what he calls "fertilizer for the brain," which grows new synapses. The last one is easy to miss: convey passion. Kids catch it from the adults around them. Sign up for the Greatness newsletter: http://www.greatness.com/newsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What do you conjure up when you think of music? Perhaps you imagine a singer-songwriter telling her story. On the other hand, you might imagine a parade with a marching band, an orchestra playing an outdoor concert or a mother singing her baby to sleep with a lullaby. Regardless of the format, music acts on […]
The idea of food and wine pairing is elusive at best. If you gave five Sommeliers the same dish and a host of wines to pair with the dish, you could very easily get five different suggestions. I know for me, when I pair wine and food, my first ideas usually don't work. Enter Dr. Peter Klosse and his research. If you've ever stared at a wine list or picked up a tasting note and thought, "There's got to be a better way to make sense of all this," then this episode of Wine Talks is for you. Paul K sits down with Peter Klosse, the Dutch chef and flavor scientist who's shaking the very foundation of how we talk about taste. What unfolds is an insightful, casual, and story-rich conversation that bridges the wide and sometimes intimidating gap between what we like to eat and drink—and why we like it in the first place. Peter, who founded the Academy of Gastronomy and has worked with everyone from Michelin-star restaurants to academic researchers, brings forward the argument that taste doesn't have to be mysterious or completely subjective. He outlines how measurable factors—molecules, acidity, and something he elegantly calls "mouthfeel"—can, and should, inform how we approach both food and wine. Gone are the days of rigid regional traditions and cryptic sommelier speak. Instead, Peter's methods empower anyone, from the everyday wine lover to the master chef, to connect with wine and food on a deeper level. The episode is peppered with from-the-trenches anecdotes: Paul recounts customer calls from Europe, diners who try to recapture that perfect vacation meal at home, and the generational tug-of-war over wine language. Peter's responses never fail to surprise, elegantly reframing frustration into scientific curiosity and actionable tools. He's not out to replace the magic of a great meal—just to help everyone understand and repeat it, whether it's in a three-star restaurant or at your own dinner table. What's especially exciting is how Peter breaks down the concept of "liking" into something actionable. He describes how chefs and hosts can tailor dishes to individual preferences using the simple, science-based tools his research has uncovered. By the time the show wraps, you'll have a new lens for your next glass of wine, and a deeper appreciation for the art-meets-science at the center of every great meal. What you'll learn in this episode:
Manage anxiety, rewire your inner critic, and never worry alone. Emma Seppälä, PhD is a psychologist and research scientist from Yale, and the author of two books, The Happiness Track and Sovereign. Ethan Kross, PhD is a professor at the University of Michigan, where he leads the Institute for Mental Fitness. He is the author of two books, Chatter and Shift. In this episode we talk about: What emotions actually are, and why even anxiety and anger serve a purpose Why self-criticism backfires, and what the research shows about self-compassion instead How chronic suppression makes your emotions stronger, not weaker Regulation tools you can use in the moment to shift emotional states Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Additional Resources: Support Christina Feldman's Healing Journey Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here! To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris This episode is sponsored by: BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier ButcherBox — Premium, responsibly sourced meat delivered to your door. New listeners get free sirloin tips, ground beef, or chicken wings in every box for life, plus $20 off at https://www.butcherbox.com/happier Spark — Clean energy and focus with zero sugar. Get 30% off and free shipping with code HAPPIER at https://www.drinkspark.com