Malleable Minds - Byron Drage

Topics covered:

- Homeostasis and dopamine

- Pleasure/pain dichotomy 

- The value of identifying as a learner

- Unproductive coping mechanisms to unhelpful sources of dopamine

- Brain regions associated with subjective and objective pain 

Resources:

Huberman Lab podcast with Dr. Anna Lembke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3JLaF_4Tz8&t=2125s

Types of pain and the associated neurology

Garland, E. L. (2012). Pain processing in the human nervous system: a selective review of nociceptive and biobehavioral pathways. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 39(3), 561-571.

Topics covered:

- Levels of processing theory for memory

- The incentive-motivation system of addiction

- Exploring the incentive-motivation system through a; neuroanatomical/neurofunctional, psychological and phenomenological lens. 

- Misconceptions and corrections on the role of dopamine. 

- Impacts of vaping, cocaine, caffeine, amphetamines and pornography on neurons

References

John Vervake YouTube series Awakening from the meaning crisis

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ

John Vervake: How a lack of meaning is related to addictions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-c2E5FB5Z4

Levels of processing Memory theory - Craik and Lockhart:

Craik, F. I., & Lockhart, R. S. (1972). Levels of processing: A framework for memory research. Journal of verbal learning and verbal behavior, 11(6), 671-684.

A simple explanation for levels of processing theory:

https://www.simplypsychology.org/levelsofprocessing.html

For Dr. Gabor Maté's book (page numbers for each topic listed below)

Mate, D. G. (2018). In the realm of hungry ghosts. Vermilion. 

- 2 meanings of 'addiction' page 127.

- Names for four brain systems involved in addiction page 188.

- The incentive-motivation theory explored: Chapter 15 pages 158-164

Stats on declining religious affiliation in Australia:

https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/religious-affiliation-australia#:~:text=Religious%20affiliation%20in%202021,-In%202021%2C%20more&text=In%202021%2C%20the%20number%20of,No%20religion%20(38.9%25)

An interesting short read on some similarities between religion and sports:

https://doingsociology.org/2021/12/17/fervour-in-football-and-religion-some-discernible-similarities-aashirwad-chakravarty/

Pornography and sexual relationships:

Sommet, N., & Berent, J. (2022). Porn use and men's and women's sexual performance: evidence from a large longitudinal sample. Psychological Medicine, 1-10.

VTA stimulation - human experiment (pressed 1500 times)

Moan, C. E., & Heath, R. G. (1972). Septal stimulation for the initiation of heterosexual behavior in a homosexual male. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 3(1), 23-30.

Topics covered:

- Common misunderstandings about addiction: not categorical, not only for substances

- 4 characteristics of addiction

- Distinction between addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

- Exploration/challenge of addiction towards typically healthy behaviours (exercise)

References:

For categorical vs continuous/dimensional disorders:

Haslam N. Categorical Versus Dimensional Models of Mental Disorder: The Taxometric Evidence. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2003;37(6):696-704. doi:10.1080/j.1440-1614.2003.01258.x

For Dr. Gabor Maté's book (page numbers for addiction criteria/distinction against OCD listed below)

Mate, D. G. (2018). In the realm of hungry ghosts. Vermilion. pp 128-129

Today we explore the journey from:

- Cosmic creation of light as photons

- Basic eye anatomy

- Processing pathways of visual stimuli in the brain

Covered Concepts:

- Two broad elements of an attitude

- New Years resolutions

- Tricomponent (ABC) attitude model

- Leon Festinger and Cognitive Dissonance

- Definitions and differences between stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination

- Oxytocin and the trolley/train problem in philosophical utilitarianism - Robert Sapolsky

Covered concepts:

- The self-concept/self-schema

- Self-categorisation

- Self-esteem

- Self-motives

- Self-discrepancy theory (Edward Higgins, 1987)

- Self-complexity

Malleable Minds can make Valuable Strides!