Music fascinates us because it doesn't work in our brains as we expect it to.

It can trigger emotions, activate memories sometimes thought as long forgotten, change our experience of something, and help us heal.

And just like so much of this first season, Music allows us to connect with one another in ways that words often can't.

It's why during the pandemic we took to playing instruments on balconies and duetted sea shanties on TikTok.

Music brings people together.

In our second-to-last episode of the season, both Laine and I (Cherys) dive into the almost unforetold answer of "What really is Music?" We look at how music is a genuinely whole-brain experience for both the maker and the enjoyer. References mostly cover findings from Neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin and writer Robert Jourdain, whose books you'll see referenced below.

Check out our website at www.brainblownpodcast.com for more info!

0:55 - Announcement

REFERENCES

This Is Your Brain On Music by Daniel J. Levitin

Music, The Brain, and Ecstacy by Robert Jourdain

Papatzikis, "Mitigating the Impact of the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic on Neuroscience and Music Research Protocols in Clinical Populations"

Trimble and Hesdorffer, "Music and The Brain: The Neuroscience of Music and Musical Appreciation"

Wang and Agius, "The Neuroscience of Music; A Review and Summary"

Siegel writes, "We have the possibility of creating a world of compassion and well-being and we have the capacity for mindless violence and destruction." 

By practicing mindfulness and strengthening our brain's connections through neural integration, we can gain more control over the impact our thoughts have on ourselves and others. We can become more attuned to one another, empathize quicker, create acceptance, and connect with more than just ourselves.

In the second half of this episode, we welcome our first guest, Emily, to participate in some mindfulness strategies that we hope will give you insight into how mindfulness works, but also recognize that it isn't always easy... and that's okay.

Most findings in this episode come from Dan Siegel’s The Mindful Brain, as he’s spent decades studying this topic and founded the Mindfulness Awareness Research Center at UCLA. Additional resources can be found below.

Resources:

Dan Siegel, The Mindful Brain

Yi-Yuan Tang, The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation

P. Zelazo, K. Lyons - “The Potential Benefits of Mindfulness Training in Early Childhood: A Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective“

Mindfulness–is just an overused buzzword, or could it be the key to mastering our brains and living a more connected and fulfilling life?

As told by Dan Siegel, “Mindfulness in its most general sense is about waking up from a life on automatic and being sensitive to the novelty in our everyday experiences.”

On a neuroscience level, mindfulness is so much more.

In fact, Laine and I were so in awe of how intentional thoughts can not only strengthen our brains but also encourage empathy and connection with others, we couldn’t help but make this a two-part episode.

Most findings in this episode come from Dan Siegel’s The Mindful Brain, as he’s spent decades studying this topic and founded the Mindfulness Awareness Research Center at UCLA. Additional resources can be found below.

Knowing how practical this topic is as well, be sure to stay tuned for Part 2 next month where we’ll walk you (and a special guest) through some mindfulness practices that you can incorporate into your daily life!

Resources:

Dan Siegel, The Mindful Brain

Yi-Yuan Tang, The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation

P. Zelazo, K. Lyons - “The Potential Benefits of Mindfulness Training in Early Childhood: A Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective“

Nature versus Nurture… which one has a bigger impact on your brain?

In past episodes, we’ve talked a lot about the nature of our brains and how they respond similarly throughout evolution to ensure our survival.

Our brain used to warn us when a sabertooth tiger might be nearby. In today’s world, we still get those same warnings from things like paying our taxes, preparing for a big exam or presentation, or when someone unfamiliar follows behind you in a parking garage.

But when exactly does nurture come into play? And how do the relationships we form early on in life influence the type of person we become and the relationships we choose later on?

In episode 6, Laine walks us through not only the neuroscience, but also the psychological findings that scientists like Bowlby, Siegel, and Levine have discovered about how nature and nurture change our brain function, our body's natural responses, and ultimately the person we become.

Books:

The Developing Mind by Daniel Siegel

Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel SF Heller

Resources:

A.Shore – Attachment and the regulation of the right brain*

P.Molenberghs – The Neuroscience of In-Group Bias

Buchheim, George, Gundel, Viviani – Editorial: Neuroscience of Human Attachment

J.Coan – Toward a Neuroscience of Attachment

V.Green – Emotional Development in Psychoanalysis, Attachment Theory, and Neuroscience

In our fifth episode of the Brain Blown Podcast, we introduce you to our most requested topic of the season: the neuroscience of racism.

From the kitchen table to the senate floor, racism is being talked about constantly. So where does racism come from? And why do these racist acts of violence happen - and continue to happen - so frequently?

In this episode we'll review questions like:

Laine shares the facts from scientists like Robert Sapolsky, Bruce Perry, Manie Bosman, JT Kobuta, Elizabeth Phelps, and Andreas Ollson from NYU who've done extensive research, as well as findings from implicit bias tests and futsal form recognition tests. (See our resource list below for direct links.)

**At the end of the episode, we've added a special interview with friend Kiara Lewis who discusses more from the book My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem.

Time Stamps:

Resources

Books:

My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem 

Behave by Robert Sapolsky

What Happened To You by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey

Articles: 

Have you ever been driving in a car and suddenly heard sirens coming up behind you? Did you notice how quickly your sense of safety changed at that moment, from feeling relaxed to completely on edge and aware of everything all in a single moment?

If you haven't listened to last months' Part 1 we highly suggest you do that first.

In Part 2, Laine dives deeper into how empathy and stress go hand in hand, why we should care about empathy at all, and what we can do to better ourselves and the world by being more kind to others. The way empathy is connected to so many areas of our lives like language, epigenetics, drugs & alcohol use, or even political leanings is almost shocking, we couldn't dare cut this episode short. 

In an unexpected but well-deserved two-part series, Laine introduces us to the first deep-dive discussion topic of the season: empathy. Humans today are born with empathetic tendencies, but just like any other trait, it had to start somewhere. While empathy may only seem like a caveat to "being kind," this trait just might be the key to our survival.

Stay tuned for Part 2, launching March 2022.