In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explore the neuroscience of fear and trauma and how to effectively process and eliminate traumatic responses.
I explain why successful fear treatment requires both extinction of the old fearful response and replacement with a new positive association—not just cognitive reframing. I also explain how the threat reflex activates specific circuits connecting the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and dopamine systems, and why detailed recounting of traumatic events progressively reduces their physiological impact. Finally, I review evidence-based approaches, including prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, discuss how five minutes per day of deliberate stress through cyclic hyperventilation can rewire fear responses, explain the critical role of social connection in activating neural pathways that reduce trauma, and share supplementation options for managing anxiety.
Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
(0:00) Introducing Fear & Trauma
(0:17) What is Fear?
(1:03) Autonomic Arousal: "Alertness" vs. "Calmness"
(2:05) Fear vs. Stress & Anxiety
(9:20) "The Threat Reflex": Neural Circuits for Fear
(20:50) Cognitive (Narrative) Therapies for Fear
(26:35) PTSD Treatments: Ketamine, MDMA, Oxytocin
(33:11) Deliberate Brief Stress Can Erase Fears & Trauma
(35:51) Nutrition, Sleep, & Other General Support Erasing Fear & Trauma
(38:18) Recap
Disclaimer & Disclosures
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