The Dr CK Bray Show

Forty percent of published studies on the brain deal with brain plasticity. There is a reason for that; researchers want to understand how the brain learns, changes, and influences the person you are now and the individual that you can become. The brain is continuously changing, many, many times, every day. The brain changes throughout your life, and it changes itself as a function of use. It is continuously revising and remodeling itself throughout your whole life. This informs our endowed human capacity to change and our human potential for lifelong personal growth.

Today Dr. Bray starts a series on brain plasticity, learning, and change. Everyone wants to change something about themselves, and the foundation of this change is brain plasticity. Learn what is new and upcoming in this fascinating field. Thanks to Dr. Michael Merzenich and his incredible brain for the research, words, and insight for this podcast. Dr. Bray heard Dr. Merzenich speak at Harvard and knew they would become friends.

We all have secrets. To be exact, according to research you have about twelve secrets. There are things that we don’t tell each other; even those we love and are close to. The secrets can range from addiction to financial woes, to a petty crime such as when stole a pen from the office. Some secrets can be harmful to keep that evoke shame and other negative emotions. Other secrets can be empowering. In today’s episode, Dr. Bray shares research from Michael Slepian and Alex Koch from an article in Psychology Today written by David Ludden PH.D. Learn how to delineate which secrets you should keep and which ones need to be shared. You will also learn about the three dimensions that describe the majority of secrets that individuals keep. You don’t want to miss this episode on how secrets influence your life.

QUOTES BY DR. BRAY “Sometimes I wish people would keep more secrets than they do!” “Secrets can hold you back and affect your current environment.”

Dr. Bray takes a time-out this week to share some of his favorite summer reads with you. The first category he discusses books you can read in a day that will change your life. Short, quick reads that will have you thinking differently within a day. (For my audiobook friends, you will get just as much out of listening to these books as reading them, so add them to your playlist.) The second list is behavioral psychology books, so if you want to geek out and read up on some human behavior, here are the books Dr. Bray recommends.

Enjoy your summer and be sure and read or listen to at least one book a month. Your brain loves it!

Books You Can Read In A Day

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
As A Man Thinketh by James Allen
A Better Way to Live by Og Mandino
Ikigai by Francesc MIralles
Game People Play by Eric Berne
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
The Defining Decade: Why 20’s Matter by Meg Jay
Any book by Seth Godin.

Behavioral Psychology Books

From Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks
Get It Done by Ayelet Fishbach
The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O’Connor
The Power of Regret by Daniel Pink
Ritual by Dimitris Xygaalatas
The Voltage Effect by John A. List

*You can find more books to read on Loganrane.medium.com

QUOTES BY DR. BRAY
“Reading is delicious candy for your brain!” “Go read a book!”

Dr. Bray continues his look into the neurotransmitters you hear about on a daily basis. Today, Dr. Bray discusses Dopamine and the role that dopamine plays in your life. It is so much more than just the “Pleasure, Motivation, and Reward” Neurotransmitter. Dopamine not only affects you mentally but also influences the physical actions that you take. Dr. Bray also looks into the symptoms of low dopamine levels and some of the ways you can boost your dopamine both pharmacologically and also naturally. You don’t want to miss this episode.

*Better Living Through Neurochemistry by James Lee.

QUOTES BY DR. BRAY

“Dopamine loves novelty!”

“In general, Serotonin is a more contented, relaxed kind of mood; Dopamine is a more excited, motivated kind of positive mood.”

“Increasing dopamine via pharmacological drugs is fraught with addiction risks and tolerant problems.”

“Setting and achieving goals is one of the most powerful ways to boost dopamine that we know of … using your hands gives you an even larger dopamine boost!”

Neuromodulators, or Neurotransmitters as they are better known, play a significant role in our daily lives. Understanding serotonin and dopamine go far beyond the quick blurbs of “serotonin is the feel-good hormone” or “dopamine is the chemical of pleasure.” Neurotransmitters are responsible for a wide range of effects throughout your brain and your body. In this deep dive into serotonin, Dr. Bray discusses how different serotonin levels affect your body and brain. The impact and influence of serotonin on stress, anxiety, and depression and what supplements and medications do to help regulate serotonin levels. Dr. Bray also discusses the SSRIs and the benefits and side effects of this medication.

*Better Living Through Neurochemistry by James Lee *Huberman Lab Podcast

QUOTES BY DR. BRAY

“Low serotonin levels may not just be the chemical levels of the brain, there are different cognitive and behavioral processes can drive it lower.”

“Over time negative thinking and behavior will drive down your serotonin levels.”

“Is this thinking serving the kind of person I want to be?”

Fear and courage are often misunderstood. How do we overcome fear and is it possible? How do we develop courage? Dr. Bray takes a deep dive into courage and fear and how to decrease your fear while developing your courage. He discusses three steps to increase your courage and the brain circuits that play a role in this development. Dr. Bray also discusses parenting and courage and the absolute need you have to take on challenges and obstacles in your daily personal and professional life. This episode is meant to open up your perceptions of the type of life you are choosing to live.

*Dr. Jordan Peterson, Podcast episode 8 “12 Rules for Life Lecture – Courage”

QUOTES BY DR. BRAY

“Increase your courage by not avoiding fear.”

“You develop confidence and competence when you have courage.”

“No matter how much you hide, the thing you fear will find you.”

“You need to choose. You can always take action and switch things around.”

One of the top questions Dr. Bray receives is “How to overcome fear.” In this episode of The Dr. CK Bray Show, he discusses what fear is, how to overcome fear and the ways in which fear influences our daily lives. Dr. Bray shares the latest science and research on fear and courage and how to utilize both of those emotions to improve your life and work.

*Dr. Jordan Peterson, Podcast episode 8 “12 Rules for Life Lecture – Courage”

QUOTES BY DR. BRAY

“The fear circuit is not bad, it is the circuit that stops us from being damaged.”

“You have to master your past, get some help to resolve it, it’s clouding how you view the world today.”

“We often cause fear ourselves by the choices we make.”

“When you aim, move & do, things begin to change!”

It is time for the latest and greatest neuroscience in the news where Dr. Bray shares recent research in interesting areas that affect us. Today Dr. Bray shares an update on psychedelics and depression; what the research is telling us and where the research is going. Dr. Bray also discusses new research on the “longevity diet,” a diet that helps you live longer. Lastly, Dr. Bray shares tips from the experts on how to talk about school shootings and tragedies with your children, information we could all use right now. To close out the podcast. Dr. Bray shares some advice that he wished he would have known in his twenties! Enjoy!~ QUOTES BY DR. BRAY “Negative talk is like having a brain full of sharp knives!” “Be aware! Be aware of your surroundings.” “Mental health is the key and foundation of these issues.”

It is Memorial Day weekend in the United States and Dr. Bray shares the history, traditions, and meaning behind this special holiday where we celebrate those who gave their lives fighting for the United States. Remember to have a moment of silence at 3:00 pm local time to remember these special men and women.

QUOTES BY DR. BRAY

“They made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could continue to have freedom.”

Dr. Bray recently read a blog post by Brett and Kate McKay of the “Art of Manliness Website” that made him stop and think for a few days. When it comes to the biggest problems in modern Western society, things like obesity, anxiety, and depression, rank at the top of the list.

Every year, the United States spends $200 billion on mental health services, another $200 billion on conditions related to obesity, and has thus far spent trillions on the pandemic.

Beyond the staggering economic cost, these issues have added an untold amount of suffering to individual lives, diminishing their quality and shortening their length.

While these maladies are different — some biological and some environmental; some mental and some physical — they could all be prevented, managed, and/or treated with the very same thing: physical activity. In this episode, Dr. Bray expands on why you need to get moving, even if you move tortoise style.

QUOTES BY DR. BRAY

“You can’t just take a pill.”

“We need to start moving!”

“Exercise has been shown to regulate appetite.”

“Get comfortable with uncomfortable feelings.”