This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg

You know what you have to do to tighten your abs (whether or not you actually do it), but do you know how to awaken your brain?  Lisa Miller, professor of psychology at Columbia University, explains how we humans are hard-wired for spirituality, but we've lost the connection. Faith-based traditions once connected most of us to something larger than ourselves, and without that we've entered a self-centered age of widespread depression, addiction, and suicide. Dr. Miller has insight into how to awaken our brains and reconnect to the deeper force in life, even if you don't believe in a god. For episode transcripts and more information: www.thisisyourbrain.com  Dr. Miller's book "The Awakened Brain": https://www.randomhousebooks.com/books/608347/ 

Have you ever felt a "presence" - someone next to you, even speaking to you, when no one is there? Dr. Ben Alderson-Day, a psychologist at Durham University in the UK, studies the phenomena of felt presences, or what he calls "the unseen other." These experiences are not always symptoms of mental illness - these are universally reported and not always distressing. Learn what's happening in the brain during these hallucinations - or should we call them visitations? Plus... how the Internet brings together groups of people who can conjure up invisible friends, seemingly on command. Full transcripts and additional resources available at: www.thisisyourbrain.com  For more about Dr. Alderson-Day's book, "Presence; The Strange Science and True Stories of the Unseen Other" https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250278265/presence 

Some 6 million Americans suffer from active PTSD at any given moment, and nearly half of us will be exposed to major trauma at some point in our lives. Dr. Shaili Jain, a Stanford University psychiatrist and PTSD specialist, explains why silence plays such a large role in the aftermath of trauma, why some people recover quickly and others don't, and why men experience more trauma but women are more likely to develop PTSD.  Plus... mitigating trauma with the help of “man’s best friend.” www.shailijainmd.com  

Dive into the fascinating interplay between superstition and the unconscious mind, especially in sports. Discover how fairy tales and rituals enhance our understanding and management of conscious thoughts. Learn about the balance between rational and mystical knowledge for greater fulfillment. Explore how natural environments can unlock deeper insights and creativity. Uncover the complex nature of the unconscious and its profound influence on emotions and desires, inviting a richer perspective on life.

With the left hemisphere of her brain ravaged by a hemorrhage, neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor made a surprising discovery. The brain bleed had not only deprived her of language, it had also wiped away memory of past trauma. What Dr. Taylor learned about brain cells after a stroke has implications for identity, spirituality, and insight.  Find out why you’re a better lie detector without your left hemisphere, and why shouting at a stroke survivor is not the best strategy.   Plus - the "Singing Brain Banker". https://www.drjilltaylor.com/  

We all work on important tasks while we sleep – consolidating memories, building immunity, and managing weight, just for starters – but some of us do a whole lot more. From walking and talking to driving and committing crimes, sleep disorders can be disruptive, dangerous, and downright deadly. British neurologist and sleep expert Guy Leschziner explains how different parts of the brain can be in different stages of sleep at the same time, how the most common sleep disorder is actually several different problems, and why poor sleep may cause hallucinations and out-of-body experiences. Plus - how some animals can sleep with one eye open! https://www.guyleschziner.com/

Where in the brain is that little something that makes top performers feel so confident in their ability? Can that confidence be developed in someone who is naturally more timid? Dr. Nate Zinsser, director of West Point’s Performance Psychology Program and author of The Confident Mind, explains how a sense of mastery develops, and why butterflies in your stomach are a signal from the brain when you're about to do something great. Plus... why Ted Lasso wants us all to be a little more like goldfish.

Did you ever notice when you see a close up of Julia Roberts smiling on the big screen, you have an urge to smile back?  That’s an effect of your brain’s “Mirror Rule” according to Dr. Jeff Zacks of Washington University.  Watching movies in a theater stimulates the signals in our brains more than almost any other activity.  Dr. Zacks investigates the various ways your brain is being manipulated while you are watching movies – including how propaganda movies embed into your memory more powerfully than books or any other medium.  Plus – how “the talkies” changed us!

Placental stem cells have the potential to stop cancer and autoimmune disorders in their tracks, slow or even halt the aging process, and perhaps even tackle the next pandemic. Dr. Robert Hariri, a surgeon and stem cell entrepreneur, explains how a temporary product of pregnancy, often discarded as waste, is actually an example of evolution at its best, a veritable "nature's supermarket" for cells with amazing regenerative properties. Plus - learn how some cells are more "potent" than others.