Vaibhav Diwadkar: The Limits and Powers of the Human Brain | Episode 119

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Vaibhav Diwadkar, professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Wayne State University School of Medicine. We discuss the powers and limits of the human brain, the tentative yet evolving role of neuroscience, and the science of thermoregulation in both animals and humans.

Our conversation explores the concept of hormesis-enhanced interoceptive refocusing—how combining stressors like cold exposure and breathwork with parasympathetic practices such as meditation or introspection can influence brain function, mood, and perception.

We also discuss mental health disorders, drugs, pharmaceuticals, animal research, technology, exercise, the abundance of information and food, and the dynamic relationship between the mind, body, and environment. 

Connect and Learn More

Professor Profile: psychiatry.med.wayne.edu/profile/ax3112

LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/vaibhav-diwadkar-7ba3107 

RESOURCES

PAPERS

• “Brain over body”–A study on the willful regulation of autonomic function during cold exposure , NeuroImage (March 2018)
• Human regulatory systems in the age of abundance: A predictive processing perspective, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (February 2025)
• The impact of a focused behavioral intervention on brain cannabinoid signaling and interoceptive function: Implications for mood and anxiety, Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative (January 2024)

PEOPLE

• Andrew Huberman
• Emerson Pugh
• Franz Gall
• Martin Heidegger 
• Otto Musik
• Wim Hof