The Brain Blown Podcast

Ever notice how easy it is to feel connected to someone if they're wearing your team's jersey or a t-shirt of your favorite band? You might think it's cause it's familiar or you found something in common, but in truth, it's another way we find belonging. In this mini-episode of Brain Blown, we explore how our brains create powerful connections beyond human relationships: Discov...

Your brain on social media: It's not just addictive, it's transformative. Here's why. In this episode of the Brain Blown Podcast, we're logging into the neuroscience of social media and belonging. We'll explore: Why that notification "ping" feels so irresistible How social media taps into our primal need for connection The surprising ways our brains react to likes, co...

Around the pandemic we saw an explosion of social media influencers - You know, those ads of random internet people (maybe you've seen before) casually chatting to you about a product or experience they had that you'll totally love. As it turns out, these so-called "peer" influencers may be changing our brains more than we realize. Enjoy this mini episode as not only a wrap-up to...

When you hear "Coca-Cola" what's the first thing that comes to mind? Is it their bright red logo? Their lively commercials that appeal to the senses? The taste of their soda? Coke is one of the leading brands that successfully uses Neuromarketing to influence their audience. And they're not alone. But for this mini episode, we'll focus on just 3: Coke, Apple and Disney-Pixar;...

Ever wonder how ads seem to know exactly what you want? Or wonder why you keep seeing the same ad over and over? Turns out, it's all in the game of influence. In this episode, we dive into the world of neuromarketing, exploring how media and ads constantly influence us and how our brains process these messages to shape our decisions. Tune in to learn more, and look out for a few more mini-epis...

Things start becoming addictive when we start chasing the want and not the like . Yes, you want something... but are you enjoying it for the sake of enjoyment... or are you numbing something you don't want to feel instead? Following our full episode, the Neuroscience of Pleasure, this mini episode shines a giant light on our nervous system and its key role in managing pleasure and avoiding add...

The balance of pleasure and pain is on an ever-swinging scale. (Cause they use the same receptors!) And encouraging others' pleasure enters us onto a whole new playing field. Following our full episode, the Neuroscience of Pleasure, this mini episode starts to steer us away from our own experiences of pleasure, and towards how our feelings (and actions) can affect others. _____________________...

If dopamine isn't pleasure (like we all think it is)... Then what is pleasure? Following our full episode, the Neuroscience of Pleasure, this mini episode dives more into dopamine's role while also highlighting a key neurotransmitter that doesn't get enough attention and might be the key to truly enjoying life's pleasures. Lastly, we look at some common pleasures - sex, food, etc....

Pleasure is what drives us to do anything and everything in life. So how does our brain decide what we enjoy? What does too much pleasure look like, and how can we make sure the pleasures we pursue in life are healthy? Tune in to learn more, and look out for a few more mini-episodes along this topic next month. ______________________________________________________ For more ways to get involved wi...

In January we learned about the Neuroscience of Decision Making, and in this episode, we're taking a closer look at long-term decisions. So... how's that New Year's resolution coming along? Is it feeling like a wishful dream these days? Or maybe you've fallen off the wagon so many times, it seems easier to quit than keep at it? Your brain likes to make sticking to long-term decisio...

From the everyday to the extraordinary, our decisions shape the course of our lives . So how exactly do the choices we make every day, and the people we come in contact with, change that course? And how can knowing more about our brains lead to better decisions -- ones that we can feel confident in and that match our strengths and values? Tune in as we uncover the secrets to better decision-making...

In light of our focus this season on mental health, we leave you with this tool to help ground your mind, activate your whole brain, and ease your body into a more relaxed state. Stay tuned for Season 3 of The Brain Blown Podcast coming in the new year! www.brainblownpodcast.com

Let's celebrate the holiday season with TWO EXTRA episodes to round out Season 2 of The Brain Blown Podcast! Following Part 1, this last shorter episode dives back into the neuroscience of trauma and specifically examines the body's role in storing trauma. Laine also highlights some brilliant takeaways we can all use to try and manage the stress in our lives and be prepared to take on ever...

Introducing our capstone episode of the season, and arguably one of the most important topics we've discussed to date. As it turns out, trauma is proven to play a much more direct role in our lives than we may have realized (as you'll hear around the 22-minute mark). In this episode, as Laine walks us through some of the science most noted from neuroscientist Bruce Perry, we discover just...

As humans, we prioritize sight more than all other senses. But how does it work? How does our brain take light (and the absence of it) and turn it into the most vivid, detailed, and extravagant images and experiences of life? No surprise -- there's a lot more to it, and Laine tells us all about it in our final mini episode of the season. Listen in for a preview of what next season's mini-e...

If you've never had, or never known someone with an eating disorder, you might not feel like this episode applies to you. We promise you, it does, it applies to all of us. Because when it comes to eating disorders, it just feels so simple. Why can't this person just start (or stop) eating? But what if we told you it has very little to do with eating, and everything to do with how the brain...

A little longer than usual, this mini-episode is a great follow-up to last month's topic on smell! (If you haven't given that one a listen, we recommend it but it's not required listening.) Prompted by a listener question: What's happening in our brains when we smell or taste, and what can we learn from it regarding losing those senses from COVID-19? Laine walks us through another...

It's easy to assume that the brain functions differently for someone with schizophrenia... but you'll never guess why... And in this month's episode, Laine reports it to us short and sweet. (If you want to learn more about the extent of the science on your own time, be sure to check out the reference list below for more details.) But in addition to our usual content rundown for season...

Covid-19 has had wild effects on our sense of smell and taste... and for some, it completely blocked those senses altogether. So... how do we smell? Or equally important, why do we smell? What's going on in the brain that allows us to turn molecules from the air into a recognizable scent, that can even trigger memories? Learn the answers (and more next month) on this month's mini-episode!...

Sometimes when we can't stop scrolling, we will joke that it's like we are addicted to our phones. Are we? Addiction is so prevalent both in numbers and in casual conversation, to the point where 'Wine Mom' and 'Beer Dad' are big box store t-shirts. But what is addiction? Is it a feeling that we crave, or is it more of an escape from something else? What keeps someone addic...

Endorphins -- a naturally-produced drug your body (and brain) can't get enough of. Legally Blonde fans know what we're talking about. ;) Enjoy this month's mini-episode where Laine continues to wow me with what our brains are capable of and how we can use its functions to better our lives. Our last two episodes in June were leading up to this, so if you haven't given those a listen...

Throughout history, sexuality has been important to the continuation of our species. During this month of pride, we explore when we've turned sexuality into a diagnosis and where expressions of sexuality can be harmful or feel shameful. Cultural influences such as Rihanna's song "S&M," TikTok's 'book-tok' community's love of books with dominant characters, and...

We all know how it feels to be in pain. But WHERE you experience it may surprise you! In the Neuroscience of Pain, we'll explore how our brains process pain signals, how that process varies with different types of pain, and what you can do with this new knowledge to prepare and work through pain in the future. As mentioned at the beginning of this episode, we've also started a Patreon! We...

Bipolar Disorder has been listed as one of the leading disorders of the Global Burden of Diseases... Yet the amount of research and funding put towards it is abysmal. Laine and I share that during our clinical education, we were taught almost nothing about the experience of mania, diagnosing, or treating the disorders like Bipolar. This episode share's what we know so far (from the MANY articl...

Fitting for this time of year, this mini-episode is all about the birds & the bees... kind of. In the Neuroscience of Orgasm, Laine walks us through the research of what's going on (or not) in our brains during that peak moment of pleasure. But don't worry, as we mention at the beginning -- we keep things science-forward and professional (as best we can). And because there's SO muc...