Super Brain

Psilocybin — the psychedelic compound in so-called “magic mushrooms” — has exploded into headlines and social media feeds. Some call it a miracle cure for depression, others dismiss it as hype. In this episode, I take a clear-eyed look at what the science really says.

I’ll start with Sarah’s story — a young scientist whose life was turned upside down by a cycling accident and who found hope again through a psilocybin clinical trial at Johns Hopkins. Her words: “This trial changed my life.”

From there, I explore:

• The history of psilocybin, from ancient rituals to 1960s psychiatry to today’s “psychedelic renaissance.”
• The online buzz, where psilocybin is hyped as everything from a creativity booster to a trauma cure.
• The scientific evidence, from small pilot trials to the largest modern RCTs.
• The neuroscience, showing how psilocybin may “reset” rigid brain networks, boost plasticity, and even dampen inflammation.
• The risks, including panic, paranoia, and psychosis in vulnerable people.

Finally, I’ll share my Tools in Three so you can separate the real promise from the hype.

Featured Research

• Carhart-Harris RL, et al. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30065-
• Carhart-Harris RL, et al. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032994
• Davis AK, et al. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.3285
• Goodwin GM, et al. S 10.1056/NEJMoa2206443
• Additional insights from Nature Medicine (Carhart-Harris, 2021) and New Scientist on brain plasticity and inflammation.

Each episode explores what’s really going on inside your brain when you do the things you do — from the everyday to the extraordinary — and gives you three tools for your Super Brain kit.

Sabina's books

The Neuroscience of Manifesting

Still Me

100 Days to a Younger

Brain Beating Brain Fog

Brain Gym in a Box

Follow Sabina Brennan on Instagram

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/superbrain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do we put off the very things that matter most? In this episode of Super Brain, I explore procrastination — the irrational gap between what we want to do and what we actually do. From ancient Greek philosophy to modern neuroscience, we’ll unpack why our brains resist long-term goals in favour of short-term mood fixes.

I’ll share two leading theories that explain procrastination, what’s happening in the brain when we delay, and why the closer the deadline, the more motivated we become.

And of course, my Three tools for your Super Brain kit will give you practical strategies to shrink tasks, hack your “future you”, and harness the magic of deadlines.

Procrastination is deeply human — but it doesn’t have to rule your life.

References:

📖 The Neuroscience of Manifesting (Dr Sabina Brennan) – on making your goals personal and vivid so they feel worth acting on today.

1. 📚 Research on procrastination from psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience.

Each episode explores what’s really going on inside your brain when you do the things you do — from the everyday to the extraordinary — and gives you three tools for your Super Brain kit.

Sabina's books

The Neuroscience of Manifesting

Still Me

100 Days to a Younger

Brain Beating Brain Fog

Brain Gym in a Box

Follow Sabina Brennan on Instagram

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/superbrain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve ever wondered why you do the things you do, you’re going to love Season Six of Super Brain. In each episode, psychologist and neuroscientist Dr Sabina Brennan takes you inside your brain to explore what’s really going on when you laugh, cry, procrastinate, or connect. You’ll discover how understanding your brain helps you understand yourself — and unlock your true potential.

This season, Sabina introduces a new format: each episode explores one fascinating aspect of human behaviour, and ends with Three Tools for Your Super Brain Kit — practical, science-based strategies to help you do it better, do it less, or not do it at all.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and have each new episode drop straight into your playlist.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/superbrain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Sabina Brennan has a fascinating conversation with Prof John Cryan stress neurobiologist and co-author of the Psychobiotic Revolution about the gut and the brain and how bacteria and the food we eat contribute to and are influenced by stress, anxiety, depression and more.

The Psychobiotic Revolution

You can follow Prof Cryan on Twitter @JFCryan

You can read more about his research and access his publications

https://www.ucc.ie/en/apc/people/johncryan/

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/superbrain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Sabina Brennan chats to journalist Marianne Power about the year she spent following the advice of one self-help book per month. -The book is like reading a Bridget Jones script only better, you'll laugh and cry and thanks to Marianne's no hold's barred honesty you will recognise yourself on every page. I loved chatting to Marianne and I know you will love listening to our chat.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/superbrain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Sabina Brennan chats to 20 year old Dr Mya-Rose Craig about her memoir Birdgirl. Already a woman if substance this young woman who has achieved so much in such a short period of time describes herself as a British-Bangladeshi birder, environmentalist, diversity activist, writer, speaker and broadcaster.

Mya-Rose's memoir Birdgirl is available in print, e-book and audiobook online and in stores. You can read about Mya-Rose's work and achievements on www.birdgirluk.com

You can follow her on instagram as @birdgirluk and on twitter as @birdgirluk

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/superbrain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Sabina Brennan takes a look into secret research.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/superbrain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Sabina Brennan explores the psychology and neuroscience of control, impulsivity, self-control, taking control and relinquishing control.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/superbrain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Sabina Brennan chats to NHS doctor, Sunday Times best-selling author and host of the The Doctor's Kitchen podcast about how he overcame a life-changing diagnosis and avoided heart surgery by adjusting his lifestyle and changing his diet. In this frank interview Rupi admits that it can be tough to maintain a healthy lifestyle in times of stress and shares the daily habits that help him to get back on track

The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast

Download the Doctors Kitchen App to get access to personalised recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/superbrain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Super Brain podcast returns with this audio documentary produced and presented by Super Brain host Dr Sabina Brennan

Dr Edward O'Sullivan, Director of the Migraine Clinic at Cork University Hospital takes us inside the migraine brain offering a medical and scientific perspective and Dr Sabina Brennan shares her own experience of living with chronic migraine.

Migraine is the 7th most debilitating condition in the world (WHO) affecting 10-12% of the population. Vox pops threaded through the doc illustrate the misconceptions and misappropriation of migraine.

This audio documentary aims to bust the myth that migraine is just a headache and get people to think twice about appropriating this neurological condition to describe a hangover or pull a sickie."

Producer/Presenter Sabina Brennan

Editor Emily Burke

Assistant Producer Angela Mezzetti

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/superbrain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.