Dr. Fred Luskin, director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects, explains how releasing resentment can transform both mind and body. Drawing on decades of research and work with people in war-torn regions around the world, Luskin explains why forgiveness is a powerful act of healing for the forgiver. He shares compelling stories and practical steps to help keep past hurts from stealing your peace today.

Plus, the Zulu concept of Ubuntu and how South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission used Ubuntu to help guide a nation's journey towards healing.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

Forgive & Flourish - The Healing Power of Letting Go

Dr. Fred Luskin, director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects, explains how releasing resentment can transform both mind and body. Drawing on decades of research and work with people in war-torn regions around the world, Luskin explains why forgiveness is a powerful act of healing for the forgiver.

 

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com  

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org 

 

What are your dreams really telling you? Renowned sleep researcher Dr. Robert Stickgold joins Dr. Stieg to unravel the mysteries of dreaming. From the bizarre to the brilliant, dreams are a window into how the brain processes memory, emotion, and problem-solving. Learn why your brain needs to dream, how dreams shape your waking life, and what science says about interpreting them. Whether you're a vivid dreamer or rarely remember a thing, this episode will change the way you think about what your brain is doing when you go to sleep at night.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

The Surprising Science Behind the Stories We Tell Ourselves at Night

What are your dreams really telling you?

Renowned sleep researcher Dr. Robert Stickgold joins Dr. Stieg to unravel the mysteries of dreaming. From the bizarre to the brilliant, dreams are a window into how the brain processes memory, emotion, and problem-solving. 

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com 

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org 

What happens when your hands refuse to listen to your brain? For Alexandra Lebenthal, essential tremor was more than a neurological disorder, it was a lifelong challenge that affected everything from drinking water in meetings to giving public speeches.

In this deeply personal episode, Alexandra shares her journey from a childhood marked by frustration and embarrassment to becoming one of the first patients in the U.S. to undergo focused ultrasound, a groundbreaking, non-invasive treatment that changed her life.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

Essential Tremor is the most common brain disease you've never heard of - affecting more than 10 million Americans.  

In this special episode, we her the story of Wall Street executive Alexandra Lebenthal, who suffered from Essential Tremor since child hood, and her decision to be one of the first patients in America to undergo a high-tech new, non-invasive treatment using focused ultrasound.

 

 

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit

https://thisisyourbrain.com 

 

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit

https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org 

Everyone loves a good story. And so do our brains. Whether its books, movies, fairy tales, or even office gossip, stories are much more than just entertainment. According to Dr. Fritz Breithaupt, narratives in our lives are way more powerful than we realize. We don't just enjoy stories, we actually need them. But why are they so important? Does the brain gain anything from a good plot on your favorite Netflix series, or the well-developed characters in an Oscar winning film?

There is actually something much more important in a good story, a reward for our brains that has actually been essential to human survival.

Plus, tales of Dungeons & Dragons as therapy!

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

Everyone loves a good story.  And so do our brains.  Whether its books, movies, fairy tales, or even office gossip, stories are much more than just entertainment.  According to Dr. Fritz Breithaupt, we don’t just enjoy stories, we actually need them.  

But why are they so important?  

We all do it - put things off, tell ourselves we'll start tomorrow, and somehow still miss the deadline. But chronic procrastination isn't just a bad habit; it's self-sabotaging behavior that can derail our goals, relationships, and even our health. Psychologist Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a leading expert on procrastination, breaks down the emotional roots of procrastination, debunks the myth that we "work best under pressure," and offers science-backed strategies for change. Plus - meet one of history's most legendary procrastinators: Leonardo da Vinci. Find out how his epic delays shaped the Mona Lisa, and why some believe he never truly finished it.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

We’ve got a fascinating season in store for you, with episodes exploring a wide range of brain related topics. 

We’ll kick off this week with a look at the psychology behind chronic procrastination – what causes it, how to remedy it, and how to tell if apart from common everyday avoidance.

If you’ve enjoyed our previous seasons, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts  - or wherever you get your podcasts. 

https://thisisyourbrain.com/