The Brain Blown Podcast

You know when you did something that you regretted or knew was wrong, and you start wondering why the heck you did it?

Why you snapped at someone you love. Why you keep making the same choice even when you know better. Why a comment from a stranger rolled right off you, but the same comment from your friend took you out for the rest of the day.

You probably came up with an explanation pretty fast. Our brains are good at that – handing you a reason, a story, an explanation, almost instantly. It felt true, like truly understanding yourself.

But… was it right?

For thousands of years, we’ve been told the path to wellness and peace is to “know thyself.” Look inward, reflect, journal it out. And many of us have tried.

But almost nobody stops to ask the question underneath all of it: is the story your brain hands you the whole truth of who you are… or just the loudest one?

>> ⁠⁠⁠Support the Brain Blown on ⁠Patreon⁠

⁠⁠⁠>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠.

>> Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com⁠⁠

RESOURCES

• The Meaning of Introspection: Introspection, Scientific Psychology and Neuroscience — H.G. Callaway
• On Looking Inward: Revisiting the Role of Introspection in Neuroscientific and Psychiatric Research — Johan A. den Boer, A.A.T. Simone Reinders, and Gerrit Glas
• The Neuroscience Behind Creative Journaling — Maria Fabiani
• The Brain Mechanisms of Conscious Access and Introspection — Stanislas Dehaene
• Neurophenomenology – The Case of Studying Self
• Boundaries With Meditators — Aviva Berkovich-Ohana, Yair Dor-Ziderman, Fynn-Mathis Trautwein, Yoav Schweitzer, Ohad Nave, Stephen Fulder, and Yochai Ataria
• Mindful Well-being: A Review on the Effects of Journaling and Meditation — Natalie Khoury and Melissa Armenta
• What Introspection Has to Offer, and Where Its Limits Lie — Victor A. F. Lamme
• Emotion Introspection and Regulation in Depression — Uwe Herwig, Sarah Opialla, Katja Cattapan, Thomas C. Wetter, Lutz Jäncke, and Annette B. Brühl
• A Defense of Introspection from Within — Michel Bitbol and Claire Petitmengin
• The Cognitive Neuroscience of Self-Awareness: Current Framework, Clinical Implications, and Future Research Directions — Daniel C. Mograbi, Simon Hall, Beatriz Arantes, and Jonathan Huntley
• Brain Networks, Neurotransmitters and Psychedelics: Towards a Neurochemistry of Self-Awareness — Daniel C. Mograbi, Rafael Rodrigues, Bheatrix Bienemann, and Jonathan Huntley
• Thinking About Thinking: A Coordinate-Based Meta-Analysis of Neuroimaging Studies of Metacognitive Judgements — Anthony G. Vaccaro and Stephen M. Fleming
• The Brain in (Willed) Action: A Meta-Analytical Comparison of Imaging Studies on Motor Intentionality and Sense of Agency — Seghezzi, Zirone, Paulesu, and Zapparoli
• The Insular Cortex: An Interface Between Sensation, Emotion and Cognition — Zhang, Deng, and Xiao
• Understanding Emotions: Origins and Roles of the Amygdala — Goran Šimić, Mladenka Tkalčić, Vana Vukić, Damir Mulc, Ena Španić, Marina Šagud, Francisco Olucha-Bordonau, Vuksic, and Hof
• Neural Correlates of Autobiographical Memory Retrieval: An SDM Neuroimaging Meta-Analysis — Susie Shepardson, Kristina Dahlgren, and Stephan Hamann

Following the full episode, the Neuroscience of Curiosity.

>> ⁠⁠⁠Support the Brain Blown on ⁠Patreon⁠

⁠⁠⁠>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠.

>> Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com⁠⁠

RESOURCES

• Systems Neuroscience of Curiosity — Roberto Lopez Cervera, Maya Zhe Wang & Benjamin Y. Hayden
• On Curiosity: A Fundamental Aspect of Personality, a Practice of Network Growth — Perry Zurn & Danielle S. Basset
• Interest Development and Its Relation to Curiosity: Needed Neuroscientific Research — Suzanne E. Hidi & K. Ann Renninger
• Exploring Curiosity in Neuroscience: A Contextual Analysis of Key Studies from 2020 to 2024 — Dragoș Grigorescu
• A Shared Novelty-Seeking Basis for Creativity and Curiosity — Tal Ivancovsky, Shira Barorc & Moshe Bara
• Curiosity as the Impulse to Know: Common Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms Underlying Curiosity and Impulsivity — Caroline B. Marvin, Ellen Tedeschi & Daphna Shohamy
• The Psychology and Neuroscience of Curiosity — Celeste Kidd & Benjamin Y. Hayden
• Curiosity-Driven Exploration: Foundations in Neuroscience and Computational Modeling — Alireza Modirshanechi, Kacper Kondrakiewicz, Wulfram Gerstner & Sebastian Haesler
• Curiosity in Childhood and Adolescence — What Can We Learn from the Brain — Matthias J. Gruber & Yana Fandakova

Curiosity might be one of the most powerful things a healthy brain can do — and yet most of us were quietly taught to stop doing it.

In this episode, we're exploring the neuroscience of curiosity: why it's one of the newest and most openly uncertain frontiers in brain research, what happens in your reward, memory, and executive control systems when you follow a thread of wonder, and why your brain's own motivational kill switch may depend on it more than we ever realized. We're also looking at what our school systems, our workplaces, and our culture have done to curiosity along the way — and what it might mean that we're only just beginning to understand how much we need it.

>> ⁠⁠⁠Support the Brain Blown on Patreon

⁠⁠⁠>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠.

>> Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com⁠

RESOURCES

• Systems Neuroscience of Curiosity — Roberto Lopez Cervera, Maya Zhe Wang & Benjamin Y. Hayden
• On Curiosity: A Fundamental Aspect of Personality, a Practice of Network Growth — Perry Zurn & Danielle S. Basset
• Interest Development and Its Relation to Curiosity: Needed Neuroscientific Research — Suzanne E. Hidi & K. Ann Renninger
• Exploring Curiosity in Neuroscience: A Contextual Analysis of Key Studies from 2020 to 2024 — Dragoș Grigorescu
• A Shared Novelty-Seeking Basis for Creativity and Curiosity — Tal Ivancovsky, Shira Barorc & Moshe Bara
• Curiosity as the Impulse to Know: Common Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms Underlying Curiosity and Impulsivity — Caroline B. Marvin, Ellen Tedeschi & Daphna Shohamy
• The Psychology and Neuroscience of Curiosity — Celeste Kidd & Benjamin Y. Hayden
• Curiosity-Driven Exploration: Foundations in Neuroscience and Computational Modeling — Alireza Modirshanechi, Kacper Kondrakiewicz, Wulfram Gerstner & Sebastian Haesler
• Curiosity in Childhood and Adolescence — What Can We Learn from the Brain — Matthias J. Gruber & Yana Fandakova

Shoutout to @ollieschminkey for the inspiration for this month's wellness activity. Find Ollie on most social media platforms for more Writing Prompt Wednesday ideas. Enjoy!

We've spent our whole lives being told that a wandering mind is a problem... but what if it's actually one of the most powerful things your brain can do?

In this episode, we're diving into the neuroscience of creativity: what it actually is, why your best ideas almost never happen when you're trying hardest to force them, and what occurs in your brain during a genuine creative breakthrough. From the default mode network and alpha waves to dopamine, divergent thinking, and why the "right brain" myth has been officially debunked — we're making the case that creativity isn't a gift reserved for artists and inventors. It's something your brain is designed to produce, and something we may have been accidentally shutting down all along.>> ⁠⁠⁠Support the Brain Blown on Patreon⁠⁠⁠>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠.>> Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com⁠

RESOURCES

• What Happens in a Creative Brain? — AJ Keller, CEO at Neurosity
• Defining Creativity: Beyond the Cliché — Science News Today
• The Neuroscience of Creativity — Andreas Fink & Mathias Benedek
• Toward a Neurocognitive Framework of Creative Cognition: The Role of Memory, Attention, and Cognitive Control — Mathias Benedek & Andreas Fink
• The Link Between Creativity, Cognition and Creative Drives and Underlying Neural Mechanisms — Khalil, Goode & Karim
• Creativity and the Brain: An Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue on the Neuroscience of Creativity — Saggar, Volle, Uddin, Chrysikou & Green
• Network Neuroscience of Creative Cognition: Mapping Cognitive Mechanisms and Individual Differences in the Creative Brain — Beaty, Seli & Schacter
• Neural, Genetic, and Cognitive Signatures of Creativity — Liu, Zhuang, Zeitlen, Chen, Wang, Feng, Beaty & Qiu

We've spent our whole lives being told that a wandering mind is a problem... but what if it's actually one of the most powerful things your brain can do?

In this episode, we're diving into the neuroscience of creativity: what it actually is, why your best ideas almost never happen when you're trying hardest to force them, and what occurs in your brain during a genuine creative breakthrough. From the default mode network and alpha waves to dopamine, divergent thinking, and why the "right brain" myth has been officially debunked — we're making the case that creativity isn't a gift reserved for artists and inventors. It's something your brain is designed to produce, and something we may have been accidentally shutting down all along.>> ⁠⁠⁠Support the Brain Blown on Patreon⁠⁠⁠>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠.>> Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com⁠

RESOURCES

• What Happens in a Creative Brain? — AJ Keller, CEO at Neurosity
• Defining Creativity: Beyond the Cliché — Science News Today
• The Neuroscience of Creativity — Andreas Fink & Mathias Benedek
• Toward a Neurocognitive Framework of Creative Cognition: The Role of Memory, Attention, and Cognitive Control — Mathias Benedek & Andreas Fink
• The Link Between Creativity, Cognition and Creative Drives and Underlying Neural Mechanisms — Khalil, Goode & Karim
• Creativity and the Brain: An Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue on the Neuroscience of Creativity — Saggar, Volle, Uddin, Chrysikou & Green
• Network Neuroscience of Creative Cognition: Mapping Cognitive Mechanisms and Individual Differences in the Creative Brain — Beaty, Seli & Schacter
• Neural, Genetic, and Cognitive Signatures of Creativity — Liu, Zhuang, Zeitlen, Chen, Wang, Feng, Beaty & Qiu

Enjoy this DND exercise led by Laine — let's play together!

Most of us stopped playing long before we realized it — and it turns out, that might be costing us more than we know. In this episode, we're diving into the neuroscience of play: what it actually is (hint: it's not about the activity), why it's as fundamental to our biology as sleep and food, and what happens to our brains — and our lives — when we don't get enough of it. From dopamine and neuroplasticity to why boredom might actually be good for your kids, we're making the case that play isn't just for children. It's one of the most powerful tools we have for resilience, joy, and mental wellness — at any age.

>> ⁠⁠⁠Support the Brain Blown on Patreon⁠⁠⁠

>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠.

>> Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com⁠

Resources:

• The Importance of Pleasure in Play — Bruce Perry
• Selected Principles of Pankseppian Affective Neuroscience — Kenneth L. Davis & Christian Montag
• Yes, We Need a Neuroscience of Play — Phillip Stevens Jr.
• Neuroscience and the Magic of Play Therapy — Anne L. Stewart, Thomas A. Field & Lennis G. Echterling
• Neuroscience, Early Childhood Education and Play: We Are Doing It Right! — Stephen Rushton
• Neuroscience and Learning Through Play: A Review of the Evidence — Liu, Solis, Jensen, Hopkins, Neale, Zosh, Pasek & Whitebread
• Adult Play: A Neuroscientific and Psychoanalytic Perspective — Ellen Park Psy.D.
• In Search of the Neurobiological Substrates for Social Playfulness in Mammalian Brains — Stephen M. Siviy & Jaak Panksepp
• The Playful Mediator, Moderator, or Outcome? — Shen & Masek
• Risky Play in Children's Emotion Regulation, Social Functioning, and Physical Health — Sandseter, Kleppe & Kennair
• National Institute for Play — Dr. Stuart Brown

Most of us stopped playing long before we realized it — and it turns out, that might be costing us more than we know. In this episode, we're diving into the neuroscience of play: what it actually is (hint: it's not about the activity), why it's as fundamental to our biology as sleep and food, and what happens to our brains — and our lives — when we don't get enough of it. From dopamine and neuroplasticity to why boredom might actually be good for your kids, we're making the case that play isn't just for children. It's one of the most powerful tools we have for resilience, joy, and mental wellness — at any age.

>> ⁠⁠Support the Brain Blown on Patreon⁠⁠

>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠.

>> Learn more at ⁠⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com

Resources:

• The Importance of Pleasure in Play — Bruce Perry
• Selected Principles of Pankseppian Affective Neuroscience — Kenneth L. Davis & Christian Montag
• Yes, We Need a Neuroscience of Play — Phillip Stevens Jr.
• Neuroscience and the Magic of Play Therapy — Anne L. Stewart, Thomas A. Field & Lennis G. Echterling
• Neuroscience, Early Childhood Education and Play: We Are Doing It Right! — Stephen Rushton
• Neuroscience and Learning Through Play: A Review of the Evidence — Liu, Solis, Jensen, Hopkins, Neale, Zosh, Pasek & Whitebread
• Adult Play: A Neuroscientific and Psychoanalytic Perspective — Ellen Park Psy.D.
• In Search of the Neurobiological Substrates for Social Playfulness in Mammalian Brains — Stephen M. Siviy & Jaak Panksepp
• The Playful Mediator, Moderator, or Outcome? — Shen & Masek
• Risky Play in Children's Emotion Regulation, Social Functioning, and Physical Health — Sandseter, Kleppe & Kennair
• National Institute for Play — Dr. Stuart Brown

We’ve engineered a life that minimizes effort. Food arrives. Work happens from chairs. Entertainment comes to us. But the brain didn’t evolve for efficiency — it evolved for interaction. This episode looks at the neuroscience behind movement and why it may be more foundational to how we think and feel than we realize.

Due to technical difficulties, this episode is audio-only. We hope to resume video next episode, but we’ll keep you posted.

>> ⁠Support the Brain Blown on Patreon⁠

>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠.

>> Learn more at ⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com

Episodes Referenced:

Phantom Limbs (S2, Mini 1)

Motivation (Season 2, Mini 2)

Long-Term Decisions (Season 3, Mini 2)

REFERENCES:

• A New Dynamic Model of the Cortico-Basal Ganglia Loop — Atsushi Nambu
• A Computational Neuroanatomy for Motor Control — Reza Shadmehr & John W. Krakauer
• The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons — Sam Kean
• Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity: A Mechanistic Model and Prospects for Promoting Plasticity — El-Sayes, Harasym, Turco, Locke & Nelson
• Movement: How the Brain Communicates with the World — Andrew B. Schwartz
• Impact of Physical Activity and Exercise on the Epigenome in Skeletal Muscle and Effects on Systemic Metabolism — Julio Plaza-Díaz et al.
• Recent Advances in the Study of the Neurobiological Mechanisms Behind the Effects of Physical Activity on Mood, Resilience and Emotional Disorders — Chong Chen & Shin Nakagawa

A lot of us aren’t just tired—we’re worn down. In a world that keeps demanding more attention, more productivity, and more endurance, our nervous systems are struggling to keep up. This episode kicks off our season on wellness by starting at the most basic place recovery happens: sleep.

You can also watch the very first Brain Blown Podcast episode on video on our YouTube channel!

>> Support the Brain Blown on Patreon

>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at [email protected].

>> Learn more at www.brainblownpodcast.com

REFERENCES:

• Falup‑Pecurariu, C., Diaconu, Ș., Țînț, D., & Falup‑Pecurariu, O. — Neurobiology of Sleep (Review)

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

• Lee, A. E., Ancoli-Israel, S., Eyler, L. T., Tu, X. M., Palmer, B. W., Irwin, M. R., & Jeste, D. V. — Sleep Disturbances and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Schizophrenia: Focus on Sex Differences

• Pocivavsek, A., & Rowland, L. M. — Basic Neuroscience Illuminates Causal Relationship Between Sleep and Memory: Translating to Schizophrenia

• Peever, J., & Fuller, P. M. — Neuroscience: A Distributed Neural Network Controls REM Sleep

• Aulsebrook, A. E., Jones, T. M., Rattenborg, N. C., Roth II, T. C., & Lesku, J. A. — Sleep Ecophysiology: Integrating Neuroscience and Ecology

• Simon, K. C., Nadel, L., & Payne, J. D. — The Functions of Sleep: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective

• Urry, E., & Landolt, H.-P. — Adenosine, Caffeine, and Performance: From Cognitive Neuroscience of Sleep to Sleep Pharmacogenetics

• Kay, D. B., & Buysse, D. J. — Hyperarousal and Beyond: New Insights into the Pathophysiology of Insomnia Disorder through Functional Neuroimaging Studies

• Zielinski, M. R., McKenna, J. T., & McCarle, R. W. — Functions and Mechanisms of Sleep

• Marques, D. R., Gomes, A. A., Caetano, G., & Castelo-Branco, M. — Insomnia Disorder and Brain’s Default-Mode Network

Last episode, we dug into how people lose their sense of safety and control when something — or someone — hijacks it.
This week, we’re picking up the story from there: what it takes to rebuild.

What does it look like to find your footing after an experience that knocks you off course?
Why do some people regain a sense of agency faster than others?
And what does real resilience look like when you're living it, not just talking about it?

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at [email protected].

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES

• Hunter, Gray & McEwen — The Neuroscience of Resilience

• Elsevier B.V. — Neuroscience of Resilience for Mental Health

• Baratta, Seligman & Maier — From Helplessness to Controllability: Toward a Neuroscience of Resilience

• Ruth Feldman — What Is Resilience: An Affiliative Neuroscience Approach

• Alex Iantaffi — https://www.alexiantaffi.com/