Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson
The Science of "Self" with Dr. Jud Brewer
14 Mar 2022
One of the underlying threads that runs through many of our conversations on Being Well is our relationship with our “self”. On this episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk with neuroscientist, mindfulness researcher, and bestselling author Dr. Jud Brewer about where we can find the “self” in the brain, and the benefits of relaxing our attachment to it. About our Guest: Dr. Jud Brewer is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and associate professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences at the School of Public Health and Psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Brown University. He is the executive medical director of behavioral health at Sharecare, and a research affiliate at MIT. His bestselling books include Unwinding Anxiety and The Craving Mind. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 1:45: What is a “self”? 5:10: Distinguishing consciousness, person, and self 7:25: Can there be a unified sense of self in an everchanging psychological process? 11:50: Selfing and what triggers a sense of “me” 15:20: Evolutionary speculations about the origins of selfing 18:50: Predictive processing and personal associations 21:55: How Jud responds to selfing 28:10: The unicorn metaphor of self and relief in sensory experience 36:45: The experience of addiction and anxiety 40:50: Somatic markers and distinguishing healthy vs. unhealthy desires 41:40: Letting go vs. straining to create a self 45:40: Underlying neurological components of the self 56:30: The fluidity of awareness without self 58:30: When and how does the default mode network become functional? 1:03:00: Neuro-psychedelic research and unlearning 1:07:15: Having a self vs. taking ourselves personally 1:11:00: Recap Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Have a question for us? Email: [email protected] to submit questions or potential topics you'd like us to explore in future episodes. Sponsors: Visit athleticgreens.com/BEINGWELL to take ownership over your health, and pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance! Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription. Discover your full genetic potential by uploading your existing DNA test results at genomelink.io. No trial period, no credit card, and no hidden fees! Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other recent transcribed episodes
Transcribed and ready to explore now
3ª PARTE | 17 DIC 2025 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE
01 Jan 1970
El Partidazo de COPE
Buchladen: Tipps für Weihnachten
20 Dec 2025
eat.READ.sleep. Bücher für dich
BOJ alza 25pb decennale sopra 2%, Oracle vola con accordo Tik Tok, 90 mld eurobond per Ucraina | Morning Finance
19 Dec 2025
Black Box - La scatola nera della finanza
365. The BEST advice for managing ADHD in your 20s ft. Chris Wang
19 Dec 2025
The Psychology of your 20s
LVST 19 de diciembre de 2025
19 Dec 2025
La Venganza Será Terrible (oficial)
Cuando la Ciencia Ficción Explicó el Mundo que Hoy Vivimos
19 Dec 2025
El Podcast de Marc Vidal