The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. His laboratory studies neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance. For more than 20 years, Dr. Huberman has consistently published original research findings and review articles in top-level peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Cell, Neuron, and Current Biology. He is a regular member of several National Institutes of Health review panels and a Fellow of the McKnight Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Huberman regularly consults for technology development companies, professional athletic organizations, and various units of U.S. and Canadian Special Operations.
How Placebo Effects Work to Change Our Biology & Psychology
In this episode, I discuss placebo and belief and mindset effects — all of which exert a powerful and real influence on our biology and psychology. I discuss how your beliefs and expectation that a certain outcome will occur after taking a substance (or any intervention cause genuine changes in brain and bodily function. I discuss how placebos can change neurotransmitter and hormone release, pain levels, whether the stress response is beneficial or detrimental and more. I also explain how placebo effects can work with traditional drug or behavioral treatments to help improve health outcomes and why some people are more susceptible to placebo effects. By the end of the episode, listeners will understand the placebo effect, how it works, and how beliefs and mindsets can be leveraged toward mental health, physical health, and performance goals.
For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
(00:00:00) Placebo Effects
(00:02:40) Sponsors: Eight Sleep, AeroPress & Levels
(00:07:24) Placebo, Nocebo vs. Belief Effect, Prefrontal Cortex
(00:14:03) Dopamine, Placebo & Parkinson’s Disease; Placebo Controls
(00:21:36) Hormone Release & Placebo Effect, Paired Associations
(00:28:52) Conditioning Effect & Insulin; Pavlovian Response
(00:32:50) Sponsor: AG1
(00:34:17) Context & Expectations; Placebo Effect & Brain
(00:40:51) Cancer, Mind-Body Practices; Placebo Effects & Limits
(00:44:54) Asthma, Specificity & Placebo Effects
(00:48:01) Sponsor: InsideTracker
(00:49:03) Nicotine & Dose-Dependent Placebo Effects
(00:55:31) Placebo Effects vs. Belief Effects, Food & Mindset
(01:01:02) Exercise & Belief Effects
(01:04:08) Placebo Effect, Brain & Stress Response
(01:11:18) Individual Variation, Genetics & Placebo Effect
(01:16:11) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Sponsors, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter