How Dopamine Affects Learning and Motivation

In this episode, I discuss how we can use specific types of behavior to change our brain, both for sake of learning the movements themselves and for allowing us to learn non-movement-based information as well. I describe the key role that errors play in triggering our brains to change and how the vestibular (balance) system can activate and amplify neuroplasticity. As always, I cover science and science-based practical tools. Thank you in advance for your questions and for your interest in science!

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction  

00:00:29 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up  

00:06:20 Nerves and Muscles  

00:12:00 Exercise alone won’t change your brain  

00:12:58 Behavior will change your brain  

00:13:30 Remembering the wrong things  

00:15:00 Behavior as the gate to plasticity  

00:15:45 Types of Plasticity  

00:17:32 Errors Not Flow Trigger Plasticity  

00:21:30 Mechanisms of Plasticity  

00:22:30 What to learn when you are young  

00:23:50 Alignment of your brain maps: neuron sandwiches  

00:26:00 Wearing Prisms On Your Face  

00:29:10 The KEY Trigger Plasticity  

00:32:20 Frustration Is the Feeling to Follow (Further into Learning)  

00:33:10 Incremental Learning  

00:35:30 Huberman Free Throws  

00:38:50 Failure Specificity Triggers Specific Plastic Changes  

00:40:20 Triggering Rapid, Massive Plasticity Made Possible  

00:43:25 Addiction  

00:45:25 An Example of Ultradian-Incremental Learning  

00:49:42 Bad Events  

00:51:55 Surprise!  

00:52:00 Making Dopamine Work For You (Not The Other Way Around)  

00:53:20 HOW to release dopamine  

00:55:00 (Mental) Performance Enhancing Drugs  

00:56:00 Timing Your Learning  

00:57:36 (Chem)Trails of Neuroplasticity  

00:58:57 The Three Key Levers To Accelerate Plasticity  

00:59:15 Limbic Friction: Finding Clear, Calm and Focused  

01:04:25 The First Question To Ask Yourself Before Learning  

01:05:00 Balance  

01:07:45 Cerebellum  

01:10:00 Flow States Are Not The Path To Learning  

01:11:18 Novelty and Instability Are Key  

01:14:55 How to Arrive At Learning  

01:15:45 The Other Reason Kids Learn Faster Than Adults  

01:19:25 Learning French and Other Things Faster  

01:22:00 Yoga versus Science  

01:32:00 Closing Remarks  

Disclaimer & Disclosures