Hidden Brain

12/19/2025

“To expect ourselves to be able to change without changing our environment in a dopamine-overloaded world is just expecting us to not be human.”

Last week we talked about how an endless pursuit of pleasure ultimately leads to pain. This week, how to reset our relationship to pain and pleasure in a way that produces enduring satisfaction.

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 12/15/2025 · 1h 32m

12/18/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: A Christmas Eve drive in a new town left Mary Klein lost and alone — until a couple pulled over to help. What they did next turned her loneliest holiday into a lifelong memory.

A Christmas Eve drive in a new town left Mary lost and alone — until a couple pulled over to help. What they did next turned her loneliest holiday into a lifelong memory.

12/17/2025

In our modern world, we are surrounded with endless opportunities for pleasure. We can puff, sip, and swipe almost anytime we like.

This week, we continue our series on how too much pleasure can lead to pain — and the crucial role of community in helping us reset our brains. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sw9BAn0xqD9BeetJCU1ea?si=koYf4HeqRPe_5c_KZF7SpQ

Hidden Brain · Episode

12/16/2025

"We’ve reached some kind of tipping point in terms of abundance, where what started out as a good thing…is actually contributing now to our suffering."

This week, we continue our two-part conversation with psychiatrist Anna Lembke on the downsides of overabundance, along with techniques for resetting your brain.

This week, we bring you the second part of our conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience behind compulsive consumption, and how it alters our brains. She also shares techniques she’s learned from her patients to overcome the lure of addicti...

12/12/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: On her first Christmas rush shift, teenage Stephanie Cole froze at the register — until a customer helped her breathe again. The woman’s insistence that she “take your time” has stayed with her for decades.

On her first Christmas rush shift, teenage Stephanie froze at the register — until a customer helped her breathe again. The woman’s insistence that she “take your time” has stayed with her for decades.

12/10/2025

Everywhere we look, the modern world offers opportunities to give ourselves little jolts of pleasure. But these moments of delight come at a cost. This week, we revisit a conversation with Anna Lembke about the profound story of addiction in all our lives. https://open.spotify.com/episode/21D59wYq4N2KkvJ2htLMiF?si=6eb7fad93b5048e5

Hidden Brain · Episode

12/10/2025

Looking for a holiday gift for a Hidden Brain fan? How about tickets to one of our live shows? Join Shankar for one of the 2026 stops on Hidden Brain’s live tour – more info and tickets at

Are there parts of our minds that are hidden from us? This question launched the Hidden Brain podcast ten years ago. Since then, the program has helped millions of listeners accomplish their goals, improve their relationships, and develop a deeper understanding of their emotions. Now, host and creat...

12/09/2025

“It's not that dopamine is good or bad, it's that dopamine is essential for survival. And it keeps us moving and always looking for the next thing."

Anna Lembke studies the science of addiction. She says our understanding of what it means to be addicted is far too narrow. This week, we revisit a two-part episode on modern addiction and the mechanisms that keep us in a state of constantly seeking pleasure.

All of us think we know what addiction look like. It’s the compulsive consumption of drugs, alcohol, or ni****ne. But psychiatrist Anna Lembke argues that our conception of addiction is far too narrow — and that a broader understanding of addiction might help us to understand why so many people ...

12/05/2025

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a movie that had been released years earlier became a surprise hit. It was a film ... about a global pandemic. In this week’s episode, why we’re drawn to dark and scary stories.

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 12/01/2025 · 52m

12/04/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Gillian Kline realized she has one day left to choose a new health insurance plan. Her HR representative helped her navigate the decision — and modeled extraordinary kindness.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Gillian realized she has one day left to choose a new health insurance plan. Her HR representative helped her navigate the decision — and modeled extraordinary kindness.

12/03/2025

"This was dubbed the 'snuggle theory of horror,' and this early idea was [that] the reason people enjoyed horror movies was because they could kind of live out these cultural expectations of how they were supposed to react."

Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime, despite saying we want more uplifting shows and movies? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity is an evolved tool — it lets us learn about danger, regulate fear, and feel a sense of mastery in a safe setting. We'll examine how frightening stories provide low-risk rehearsals for real-world uncertainty.

Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime? Why do we crane our necks to see the scene of a crash on the highway? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity serves a purpose. We talk with Coltan about our fascination with tales of murder and mayhem, and wh...

12/03/2025

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