The FitMind Podcast: Mental Fitness, Neuroscience & Psychology

Mark Divine is an ex-Navy SEAL Commander, serial entrepreneur, and NY Times bestselling author.

Mark, a self-described "warrior monk," is a master of human performance, both mental and physical. As you'll hear he started out on Wall Street before getting into martial arts, entering the SEALs (where he was the Honor Man of his class), and starting multiple million-dollar businesses, including SEALFIT.

Topics in this episode include Zen, Navy SEAL training, mental toughness, and his unique model of training that combines principles from martial arts, yoga and CrossFit.

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Dr. Harriet De Wit is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago with a PhD in Experimental Psychology. She has been researching psychoactive drugs for over 40 years.

Dr. De Wit takes a cautious, scientific approach to these potent compounds. She's excited about their transformative power, but not caught up in the hype.

Topics in this episode include MDMA and LSD research, microdosing, potential pitfalls, and the future of psychedelics.

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Website: www.fitmind.com

Dr. Steven Hayes is one of the most cited psychologists in the world. He was listed by the Institute for Scientific Information as the 30th "highest impact" psychologist worldwide and is the author of 46 books and nearly 650 scientific articles. His career has focused on an analysis of the nature of human language, cognition, and the application of this for the understanding and alleviation of human suffering.

He's also the developer of Relational Frame Theory, an account of human higher cognition, and has guided its extension to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a popular evidence-based form of psychotherapy that uses mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based methods.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of psychological flexibility, why mental suffering is optional, how our minds have created a virtual reality, theory of mind, psychedelics, lucid dreaming, utopias, and of course his famous form of psychotherapy, ACT.

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Website: www.fitmind.com

Gretchen Rubin is the New York Times bestselling author of several books about happiness, habit and human nature.

Her books, including The Four Tendencies, Better Than Before, Happier at Home, and The Happiness Project, have sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. Gretchen also has a popular blog and podcast, called Happier.

Previously, she received a law degree from Yale and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Topics in this episode include happiness engineering, how to make and break habits, why habits are highly personal and Gretchen's four tendencies framework, willpower, and the effects of clutter on the mind.

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Website: www.fitmind.com

Dr. Jay Sanguinetti is a scientist and technologist trained in philosophy, neuroscience, and cognitive psychology.

Jay's SEMA Lab is researching ways of using noninvasive brain stimulation to enhance cognitive function and wellbeing. For example, he's working with one of the world's best-known meditation masters, Shinzen Young, to create a neuromodulation device for augmenting mindfulness meditation practice.

Topics in this episode include how noninvasive brain stimulation works, neural changes associated with mindfulness, and a rare disorder that led to some fascinating scientific breakthroughs.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind

Website: www.fitmind.com

Dr. Daniel P. Brown is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School and Senior Meditation Master in Indo-Tibetan Bon & Buddhism, having been given secret practices directly from the Dalai Lama and teaching for nearly 50 years. The Tibetans have in fact asked him to translate several sacred texts on meditation.

Dr. Brown is also a world-renowned forensic law & western psychology expert, a peak performance coach to CEOs, a hypnotherapist of 40 years, and the author of at least 15 books on meditation and psychology, including Pointing Out the Great Way.

Topics in this episode include the neurocircuitry of performance excellence and flow states, Tibetan maps to awakening, the first brain scans on people with this level of attainment, training a mind devoid of all negative mental states, true "Inner Fire" or Tummo breathing practice, supernatural abilities of the mind, and common mistakes that westerners are making in their meditation practices.

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Dr. Andrew Hill is a neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and biohacker. He's the Founder of Peak Brain Institute, a brain fitness center, and Lead Neuroscientist at TruBrain, a nootropics company.

Dr. Hill holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from UCLA and is best known for his mission to bring the brain-hacking technology of neurofeedback into mainstream practice.

His community-oriented company Peak Brain Institute teaches brain-training from a fitness perspective and uses EEG neurofeedback and QEEG brain mapping designed to help people enhance cognitive performance.

Topics in this episode include neurofeedback, a NASA study on cat brains, how brainwaves work, debunking the stoned ape hypothesis, the "god spot" in the brain, aging well, altered states of consciousness, brain gyms, the future of neuroscience technology, and why Elon musk may be wasting his time trying to get to Mars.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind

Website: www.fitmind.com

Dr. Erik Won is a Harvard-trained doctor and the President of Wave Neuroscience, a biotechnology company developing innovative solutions for mental disorders like PTSD.

Dr. Won served as a U.S. Navy Flight Surgeon for Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 and became CTO of medical at Boeing before joining Wave Neuro. He also has an MBA and has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.

In this episode, we talk about the tragedy that led to Dr. Won's interest in treating PTSD, unpack a promising technology called magnetic e-resonance therapy (MeRT), and discuss the future technology in this field.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind Website: www.fitmind.com

Dr. Tucker Peck is a meditation teacher, clinical psychologist, and founder of Drugfreesleep.com.

He holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a focus on the scientific study of meditation's effects on the mind, brain, and body.

Tucker began training in meditation in 2005 and has studied with Sharon Salzberg of the Insight Meditation Society and Dr. John Yates of Dharma Treasure, a previous guest on The FitMind Podcast.

Tucker was awarded a research grant from the Mind and Life Institute, which he has used to study the effects of meditation on the sleeping brain.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind Website: www.fitmind.com

Donald Hilton, MD is a neurosurgeon and internationally recognized expert on the neuroscience of pornography.

Dr. Hilton is currently listed in Best Doctors of America and serves as a clinical associate professor in the Department of Neurology at UT Medical School. He graduated summa cum laude with a degree in biology from Lamar University and cum laude with a medical degree from UT.

In this episode, we discuss the magnitude of the porn problem, the neuroscience of porn addiction, and potential solutions to the issue on both personal and society-wide levels.

Explicit Content Warning: Includes detailed descriptions of pornographic acts.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind Website: www.fitmind.com