The Art Of Hacking Your Brain Without Smart Drugs: A Podcast With Immersive Journalist, Adventurer & Author Neil Strauss.

Oct 1, 2016

Journalist and author Neil Strauss joins the podcast to discuss underwater pool workouts, billion-dollar smoothies, virtual reality gaming, and his experiences in sex addiction therapy. They also explore the impacts of heartbreak on relationships, the use of oxytocin and Viagra for enhancing connectivity, the effects of coffee on stem cells, and the influence of upbringing on relationships and self-worth.

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Introduction

00:00 • 5min

The Power of Heartbreak and Dysfunction in Relationships

04:34 • 2min

Intense Pool Workout and Breath Holding

06:38 • 7min

Virtual Reality Gaming and the Potential Impacts on Children

14:07 • 15min

Enhancing Connectivity and Performance: Exploring the Use of Oxytocin and Viagra

28:46 • 2min

Effects of Coffee on Stem Cells

30:44 • 4min

The Influence of Upbringing on Relationships

34:44 • 13min

Self-Worth, Core Wounds, and Letting Go

48:03 • 7min

Childhood, Curse Words, and Flaws

55:20 • 12min

The Challenges of Finding Time to Read

01:07:01 • 15min

Neil Strauss is an American author, journalist and ghostwriter, perhaps best known for his controversial best-selling book The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, in which he describes his experiences in the seduction community in an effort to become a "pick-up artist." He is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and also writes regularly for The New York Times. But Neil's interests go far beyond "seduction". For example, in his book Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life, he spent three years surviving amongst survivalists, tax-dodgers, billionaire businessmen, and the government itself, and the book was hailed by Rolling Stone as an "escape plan" for the current world crisis. When I visited Neil's home in Malibu to record this interview, I found myself immersed with Neil in everything from advanced virtual reality game playing, crazy underwater pool workouts, surfing with internet celebrities and drinking "billion-dollar smoothies", all of which you'll hear about in this podcast recorded from Neil's kitchen.

During our discussion, which gets slightly explicit at times, you'll discover:

-Exactly how to do an underwater pool workout like Laird Hamilton...[7:25]

-The ingredients of the "billion dollar smoothie"...[12:50]

-Why Neil and I were surfing with internet celebrity Cameron Dallas prior to recording the episode...[16:20]

-Why Neil is so interested in advanced virtual reality gaming...[18:20]

-Why Neil checked himself into sex addiction therapy...[22:30]

-Neil's uncomfortable volley of questions to me in which I potentially throw my Mom and Dad "under the bus"...[36:40 & 55:00]

-Neil's three steps for "rewiring" your brain without the use of smart drugs or biohacks...[45:30 & 63:00]

-Why Neil paid to get thrown in the back of a trunk with his hands ziptied together...[77:30] -And much more!

Resources from this episode: -My podcast with Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece about underwater workouts -The book "Rules of the Game" -The book "The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships" -The book "The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists" -The book "Everyone Loves You When You're Dead: Journeys Into Fame and Madness" -The book "Radical Honesty" -The book "Superlife" -Intranasal oxytocin

Do you have questions, comments or feedback for Neil or me? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com and one of us will reply!

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