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.
The Science of Gratitude & How to Build a Gratitude Practice | Episode 47
In this episode, I discuss the science of gratitude, which has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to have tremendous positive effects on mental and physical health. I explain, however, that most commonly used gratitude practices are ineffective (such as gratitude lists). The key elements of highly effective gratitude practices are described, including the essential need for story (narrative), receiving or perceiving gratitude rather than giving it, and the role that theory of mind plays in this context. I also discuss why we can't simply make up feelings of gratitude and how reluctance undermines the process. I also explain the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie the reductions in fear and increases in motivation and lowering of inflammatory chemicals that effective narrative-based gratitude can trigger. Throughout the episode, I use the science of gratitude to design a brief but highly effective protocol.
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Links:
- Neural Correlates of Gratitude (Damasio) - https://bit.ly/3oS8TNr
- Reducing Inflammatory Cytokines & Fear With Gratitude - https://bit.ly/3oPsSwv
Timestamps:
- 00:00:00 Introduction: Gratitude Science & Surprises
- 00:01:50 Controlling Heart Rate with Story
- 00:04:33 Sponsors: ROKA, InsideTracker, Magic Spoon
- 00:09:11 Major, Long-Lasting Benefits of Gratitude Practice
- 00:12:20 Prosocial vs. Defensive Thinking, Behaviors, & Neural Circuits
- 00:17:50 Why We All Need an Effective Gratitude Practice
- 00:21:22 Neurochemistry & Neural Circuits of Gratitude
- 00:25:10 Prefrontal Cortex Set Context
- 00:30:10 Ineffective Gratitude Practices; Autonomic Variables
- 00:34:55 Key Features of Effective Gratitude Practices: Receiving Thanks & Story
- 00:42:30 Theory of Mind Is Key
- 00:45:50 Building Effective Gratitude Practices: Adopting Narratives, Duration
- 00:52:28 Narratives That Shift Brain-Body Circuits
- 00:56:15 You Can’t Lie About Liking Something; Reluctance In Giving
- 00:59:55 How Gratitude Changes Your Brain: Reduces Anxiety, Increases Motivation
- 01:03:00 5 Minutes (Is More Than Enough), 3X Weekly, Timing Each Day
- 01:05:44 Empathy & Anterior Cingulate Cortex
- 01:07:35 Reducing Inflammation & Fear with Gratitude
- 01:10:56 Serotonin, Kanna/Zembrin
- 01:16:00 Neuroplasticity, Pharmacology, Brain Machine Interfaces
- 01:18:50 The Best Gratitude Practices: & How To, My Protocol
- 01:24:25 Subscribe & Feedback, Supporting Sponsors, Supplements (Thorne)