Essentials: Using Hypnosis to Enhance Mental & Physical Health & Performance | Dr. David Spiegel
Andrew Huberman interviews Dr. David Spiegel about hypnosis as a state of highly focused attention that can enhance control over mind and body rather than diminish it. They discuss the underlying brain networks involved in hypnosis, including changes in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula, and posterior cingulate cortex, and how these changes support dissociation, cognitive flexibility, and altered bodily control. The conversation covers clinical applications such as stress reduction, sleep, pain management, phobias, trauma and PTSD treatment, hypnotizability assessment, the eye‑roll test, the role of breathing, and how hypnotic-like states show up in performance, children, and group settings.
Essentials: Breathing for Mental & Physical Health & Performance | Dr. Jack Feldman
Andrew Huberman and respiratory neuroscientist Dr. Jack Feldman discuss how breathing is generated and controlled by the brain, with emphasis on the pre-Bötzinger complex, the diaphragm, and the evolution of mammalian respiration. They explore physiological sighs, how breathing patterns influence emotional and cognitive states, rodent studies of slow breathing and fear, and potential mechanisms involving the vagus nerve, olfaction, and carbon dioxide regulation. In the latter part, they discuss magnesium threonate's effects on synaptic plasticity and cognitive aging, including animal and human data on learning, memory, and mild cognitive decline.
Essentials: Erasing Fears & Traumas Using Modern Neuroscience
Andrew Huberman explains the neuroscience of fear, trauma, and post-traumatic stress, detailing the brain and body circuits that generate and maintain these states. He describes how the autonomic nervous system, HPA axis, and amygdala-based threat circuitry interact with memory and prefrontal narrative systems to create adaptive and maladaptive fear responses. The episode reviews behavioral therapies, drug-assisted psychotherapies, physiological breathing protocols, lifestyle factors, and certain supplements that can help extinguish and replace fearful and traumatic memories.
Neil deGrasse Tyson: The Brutal Truth About Astrology! Our Breath Contains Molecules Jesus Inhaled!
Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses mortality, meaning, and the "cosmic perspective," arguing that humans are literally made of stardust and fundamentally connected to the universe and each other. He explores religion and spirituality, the evolution of belief, simulation theory, artificial intelligence, space travel and why Mars colonies are unlikely soon, as well as black holes, alien life, UFO claims, and why astrology and other untested beliefs can be dangerous when they replace objective truth. Throughout, he emphasizes scientific literacy, humility about what we know, and the importance of creating, rather than searching for, meaning in life.
#829: James Nestor - Breathing Protocols to Reboot Your Health, Fix Your Sleep, and Boost Performance
Tim Ferriss interviews science journalist James Nestor about how everyday breathing habits profoundly affect health, sleep, mental performance, and athletic capacity. They discuss historical and modern breathwork practices, the dangers of mouth breathing and sleep-disordered breathing (especially in kids), and simple, low-cost ways to improve nasal breathing, sleep quality, and CO2 tolerance. Nestor also explores indoor CO2 levels and cognition, the emerging field of bioelectric medicine, breathing for athletes, and how he approached structuring and writing his bestselling book "Breath."
Essentials: Using Your Nervous System to Enhance Your Immune System
Andrew Huberman explains how the immune system works, outlining the three main defense layers: physical barriers like skin and mucus, the innate immune response, and the adaptive immune system that generates antibodies. He describes how sickness behavior arises via neural and blood-borne signals, then details specific nervous-system-based tools-sleep posture, a cyclic hyperventilation breathing protocol, mindset effects on dopamine, fascia-targeted electroacupuncture, and spirulina-that can reduce inflammation, support immune function, and potentially shorten illness duration.