This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg

Whether it's our shopping habits, Google searches, or Facebook friends, we are all aware that our personal information is being collected and often sold online.  But what about our thoughts, what's going on in our minds?     With all the advances in consumer Neurotechnology and AI, stealing data from our brains is no longer science fiction and at least for now, it can collected and used without ou...

Why do you exercise?  It might be to lose weight, maintain or improve your health, reduce stress, or perhaps a combination of all of these.  But what is actually motivating you is simpler than that.  As Dr. Gary Wenk reveals in his book "Your Brian on Exercise",  you exercise because your brain needs you to move, and it will do everything it can to motivate you to do it. He provides fascinating in...

Until the death of actor Matthew Perry many people had never even heard of Ketamine.   As a recreational drug, known as "Special K", it can be extremely addictive and dangerous.  But, when used under supervision, this powerful drug can help people with depression and various other mental health issues. Dr. John Krystal,  a leading expert on the neurobiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders,...

At age 70, after a long career as a neurosurgeon and best-selling author, the tables were turned on Dr. Henry Marsh. Diagnosed with cancer, and facing his own mortality, Marsh offers a humble and honest look at what it was like when a prominent doctor becomes a patient; just as scared and dependent as anyone of us would be dealing with a terrible diagnosis, with regrets, fears, and feelings of hel...

Have you ever felt the type of grief where it seemed like you would never recover, like your heart was actually broken? Whether it's a member of your family, a friend or a beloved pet, all of us will experience the loss of a loved one, and the deep and difficult emotions that follow.    One of the reasons grief can be so difficult is actually more about our brains than our hearts.  Dr. Mary-France...

When was the last time you actually took time to play, to   simply have fun?    For most adults, the answer is usually not often enough. The benefits of play for adults, like children, has been shown to have many benefits to both physical and mental health. In fact, it can play a vital role in whether someone is happy or depressed, fulfilled or empty.   In this podcast we will hear from a Play Exp...

Women obviously go through many changes to their bodies and their minds when they become mothers.  But what about fathers?  Although moms have been studied extensively, few people have paid any attention to what happens to men when they become dads.   Do they go through any physical changes at all?  Do they also experience hormone surges and shrinking brains like women do (yes mom and dads, your b...

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 t...

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...

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 firs...

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...

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 "wo...

Humans are born with billions of neurons that need connecting – and how those synapses develop helps determine how our brains will work. There is ample evidence that a loving, nurturing environment in infancy and early childhood provides the most fertile ground for brain development. Isabelle Hau, executive director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, explains why a well-loved baby or child...

It's no surprise that feeling lonely is associated with depression, but did you know that loneliness may also lead to chronic inflammation, changes in the brain, and even premature death? Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology at Brigham Young University and an expert on the physiological effects of social connections, explains how our current crisis of loneliness is as much a public h...

Pain and fear are inevitable, especially these days, but we can retrain our brains to reduce suffering. Dr. Sara Lazar, Assistant Professor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School, reveals how just eight weeks of mindful meditation can visibly change parts of the brain to be less reactive to pain. Plus... how meditation apps put the power of mindfulness right in your hand. For more information, tr...

Humans are so powerfully wired for survival that it can be hard to understand suicide - especially in adolescents. What happens in the brain that can override such a profound instinct for self-preservation? Dr. Sakina Rizvi, a researcher and psychotherapist in Toronto, Canada specializing in suicide prevention, reveals the social, biological, and psychological facets of suicidal ideation. Hear how...

The past 30 years have produced an epidemic of obesity -- mostly because evolution did not prepare us for so many calories and so little physical activity. Dr. Louis Aronne, a leading authority on obesity, explains how a period of caloric excess can damage the neural connections that manage your metabolism, throwing  your weight regulation out of whack. More importantly, he talks about the new dru...

What makes us happy? The warm feelings of closeness that we have with family and friends are rooted in the neurochemical oxytocin – the love hormone, if you will. Oxytocin facilitates social engagement, encourages bonding, and just makes us feel happier. My guest today, neuroscientist Paul Zak, has done decades of research into the role of oxytocin and discovered that this feel-good chemical motiv...

Daniel Levitin says we can all age successfully if we take our choices more seriously now. The neuroscientist and author reveals the keys to reaching our senior years in the best possible shape, explains what happens to dopamine levels when we stop trying new things, and tells us the three things older adults are better at than younger ones. Plus... what primatologist Jane Goodall told him about t...

We are the only species that creates and experiences art – not just visual art but music, poetry, dance, theater, and even architecture. The impact that art has on us cannot be overstated, as it affects cognition, mental health, and physical wellbeing. My guests today are Susan Magsamen of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Ivy Ross, vice president...

Dr. Tony Nader, an academic, author, and the leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement, knows how you can find inner peace. TM is like a deep dive to the stillness at the bottom of the ocean, leaving the turbulent waves far above. Learn how the body and mind are inextricably bound, and how meditation can improve mental and physical health. Plus… what the Beatles taught us about meditation....

Why are some people capable of creating music, art, books, or new technologies, seemingly out of thin air? Where do imagination and creativity live in the brain - and how can we tap them? Neuroscientist and author Anna Abraham reveals the three elements of creativity and explores the myths surrounding it, from its links to mental illness to the effects of psychiatric drugs on it. The good news? Cr...

Dolphins have large, complex brains that are a lot like the human model -- what if we could get inside their heads and communicate with them? Meet cognitive psychologist and marine mammal scientist Diana Reiss, PhD, who has been doing just that. Turns out our underwater friends have a lot going on in their brains, if only we could learn to decode it. Plus... Hear from one of the musician/scientist...

Candace Pert discovered the opioid receptor, created a drug to stop AIDS in the brain, and identified stress as a cause of disease. She also inadvertently unleashed the overdose epidemic, got herself kicked out of the NIH, and was denied credit for much of her work. Pert was a trailblazing yet mercurial neuroscientist, a woman who made her male boss famous but has been largely forgotten herself. S...

ASMR, or the autonomous sensory meridian response, is a state of deep calm accompanied by a sense of "brain tingles." Not everyone experiences it, but if you do, you know what triggers it: a whisper or other soft sounds, a gentle touch or movement, even watching a Bob Ross video. Physiologist Craig Richard explains the science behind ASMR, and why in some people induces a deeply relaxing response...