Dharmapunx NYC Wired for Worry: Why Our Brains Gravitate to Stress and What to Do About It
15 snips
Sep 22, 2025 Explore how our brains are wired to stress, predicting sensory inputs rather than simply reacting. Discover the evolutionary roots of worry and how social contagion can heighten our threat responses. Learn about the modern mismatch between real dangers and our stress reactions. Unfinished tasks and multitasking contribute significantly to cognitive overload. Get practical tools to manage stress, such as focusing on task completion and externalizing thoughts. Finally, engage in a guided meditation to cultivate a sense of safety.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Brain As A Prediction Machine
- The brain is a prediction machine that builds experience from hypotheses, not direct sensory mirroring.
- Incoming sensory data only updates those predictions when mismatches occur, saving metabolic energy.
Nail-Through-Shoe Pain Example
- A construction worker felt agonizing pain after a nail went through his shoe, but the nail had passed between toes.
- Josh uses this story to show the brain can predict pain even when no physical damage occurred.
Body States Drive Predictions
- Feelings and body states are the most influential predictions and they initiate thoughts and behaviors.
- Updating predictive models is metabolically costly and experienced as surprise, shock, or anxiety.
