This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg
Episodes
The Brink of Death
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Near-death experiences may seem like the stuff of supermarket tabloids, but there are real patterns to what people report after coming close to depart...
Whispers & Tingles
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
ASMR, or the autonomous sensory meridian response, is a state of deep calm accompanied by a sense of "brain tingles." Not everyone experiences it, but...
Searching for the "God Spot"
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're a believer or not, God is taking up space in your head — the prefrontal cortex, to be exact. Jordan Grafman, PhD, of Northwestern Uni...
Exploring The Magic Mushroom
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's effective against depression, can help you stop smoking, even ease end-of-life distress. It's non-addictive, naturally occurring, and has been us...
Why Your Brain Hates Exercise
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all know exercising is good for us – it reduces anxiety and inflammation, boosts the immune system, and may even ward off dementia, all while it ...
The Science of Storytelling
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Brain science is everywhere, even in the stories we tell. Hear from neuroscientists and storytelling experts Paula Croxson and Uri Hasson about how th...
Transcendental Meditation
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Tony Nader, an academic, author, and the leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement, knows how you can find inner peace. TM is like a deep d...
Cultivating Confidence
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Where in the brain is that little something that makes top performers feel so confident in their ability? Can that confidence be developed in someone ...
Our Emotional Memory
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Where were you on 9/11, and why do you remember it so clearly? Dr. Elizabeth Phelps, a Harvard neuroscience professor who studies the effect of trauma...
The 9 Triggers of Rage
01 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The human brain is designed to "snap" under threat, but 100,000 years of evolution did not prepare us for the world we live in today. R. Douglas Fiel...
Awestruck! (Part 2)
24 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The human brain resists uncertainty — whether it's an approaching tiger or a global pandemic, we've evolved to move from fear and chaos to order an...
Awestruck ! (Part 1)
17 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is awe? It's not wonder, or surprise, or pleasure — it's a state of mind that Dr. Beau Lotto calls "finding the impossible in the common." Dr. ...
The Biology of Eating Disorders
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After witnessing a childhood friend suffer from a severe eating disorder, Lauren Breithaupt dedicated her career to exploring the causes of anorexia, ...
A Jolt of Happiness
19 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible to relieve depression or PTSD using electricity? Kelly Bijanki, PhD, runs a lab at Baylor College of Medicine, where her team is using ...
Things Don't Have To Fall Apart
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel Levitin says we can all age successfully if we take our choices more seriously now. The neuroscientist and author reveals the keys to reaching ...
Do You Hear What I See?
22 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Synesthesia is the mysterious mingling of the senses that creates the experience of "seeing" sounds or "hearing" colors. Neurologist Richard E. Cytowi...
Your Brain On Trial
08 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Would a better understanding of the brain lead to better outcomes in court? Professor Francis X. Shen, neuroscientist and lawyer, has devoted his care...
Making Sense of Music
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sound may be the least understood of the five senses, with music the most mysterious of all. Neuroscientist Nina Kraus of Northwestern University take...
Do-It-Yourself Neuroscience
10 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Worried about dementia, depression, or the zombie apocalypse? Greg Gage, PhD, has a solution for all of these – teach more kids about neuroscience, ...
In Search of Creativity
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
True creative genius may well be the last frontier in human evolution - the only trait that can't be replaced with technology. Dr. Robert Bilder, who ...
Menopause: The Change Is Gonna Come
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Menopause can wreak havoc on mood and body temperature as it signals the end of fertility, but some of the biggest changes it causes are in the brain....
Who Do You Trust?
30 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a "trust spot" in the brain? How do we balance the human desire to trust against the fear of betrayal? Dr. Frank Krueger, a psychologist, phy...
How Gabby Giffords Found Her Voice
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After the shocking 2011 shooting that sent a would-be assassin's bullet through her brain, former U.S. Rep. Giffords had to re-learn how to breathe, w...
Brain Games
02 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Does "brain training" work? Dr. Susanne Jaeggi and Dr. Aaron Seitz are experts who are developing and studying brain apps in a nationwide study of the...
Your Brain Is Not for Thinking
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...and 7 other lessons about the command center that runs all our body's systems. Lisa Feldman Barret, professor of psychology at Northeastern Univers...
Into the Woods... to Heal
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The gentle sounds of the surf, or sweet birdsong in the trees, are more than just refreshing -- they have actual, proven power to heal the brain. Dr. ...
Getting Into the Flow
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can you train your brain to perform better, feel happier, focus more? Stephen Kotler says you can. The bestselling author of The Art of the Impossibl...
Talking With Dolphins
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dolphins have large, complex brains that are a lot like the human model -- what if we could get inside their heads and communicate with them? Meet cog...
Covid on the Brain
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's causing the "Covid fog" and "long-haul Covid" that have been all over the news lately? Neuropsychologist Heidi Bender, PhD, and infectious dise...
Calm Yourself
09 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pain and fear are inevitable, especially these days, but we can retrain our brains to reduce suffering. Dr. Sara Lazar, Assistant Professor in Psychol...
The Paradox of Dreams
26 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
More than an evolutionary waste of energy, dreams are one of the last mysteries of human cognition. Dr. Raphael Vallat, a neuroscientist and sleep res...
The 'Art' of Making Decisions
12 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A brain experiment on abstract vs representational art reveals the secrets of how we make decisions, and how we impulsive humans may finally learn to ...
What's So Funny?
26 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Delve into a comedian's brain to discover what makes people laugh -- and when the comic is also a neuroscientist, it's no joke! Dr. Ori Amir st...
Are You Smarter Than a Teenage Neuroscientist?
12 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the International Brain Bee, where the innovators of tomorrow — most of them still too young to drive — are spending their days memoriz...
The Change Is Gonna Come: Menopause and the Brain
29 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Menopause can wreak havoc on mood and body temperature as it signals the end of fertility, but some of the biggest changes it causes are in the brain....
How Gabby Giffords Found Her Voice
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After the shocking 2011 shooting that sent a would-be assassin's bullet through her brain, former U.S. Rep. Giffords had to re-learn how to breathe, w...
Genetics, Metabolism, and Alzheimer's Disease
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One in three cases of Alzheimer's disease may be preventable, but some cases are quite predictable. Dr. Richard Isaacson, Director of the Alzheimer's ...
When Children Have Seizures
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What happens in a child's brain to cause seizures, and why have children with epilepsy been so stigmatized? In this encore presentation, Dr. Stieg tal...
Are We Wired for Anxiety?
27 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes, Dr. Stieg talks to psychiatrist Richard Friedman about the neuroscience of fear: How ...
The Gut-Brain Conversation
13 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Microbes in your intestine are talking to cells in your brain all the time – and what they say can affect everything from inflammatory diseases to p...
Focus on ADHD
30 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Diagnosing and treating attention deficit disorder can be tricky – not every hyperactive kid has ADHD, and some very calm children are extremely ina...
Conscious and Trapped Inside
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From drug cocktails to deep brain stimulation, there is new hope for brain-injured patients with "locked-in syndrome" in minimally conscious states...
Dread Making Decisions?
02 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What happens in our brains when we're confronted with decisions? And why do some people dread making decisions more than others? Dr. Gregory Berns, ...
Do Our Dogs Really Love Us?
18 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dogs and the humans who cherish them have a unique bond unlike any other. We wonder all too often, do our dogs love us as much as we love them? Wha...
Consciousness and Mental Time Travel
04 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our thoughts about the future are directly influenced by past memories and our deepest emotions. Dr. Joseph LeDoux, Professor of Neural Science at NY...
Hope for the Lonely
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic has produced a dramatic new wave of loneliness for those coping with loss, grief, and social isolation. Although the feeling of lon...
How Noise Affects Our Brains
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Blaring music, incessant traffic, those early-morning lawn mowers — you know they're bad for your sanity, but for your brain? Dr. Mathias Basner, an...
Dealing With Loss
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented loss — of loved ones, of social interaction, and of our entire way of life. Dr. Richard Friedman, Pro...
Suffering From Headaches?
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID crisis is causing many more people to call their doctors with headache complaints. When is it time to stop self diagnosing your headache and...
How Elite Athletes Handle Pressure
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do elite athletes, some barely out of their teens, manage life in a fishbowl? Dr. Lani Lawrence, sports psychologist for the New York Giants, expl...
Fighting Parkinson's with DBS
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Parkinson's Disease patient Elizabeth Larsen gives a deeply honest view of her Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery to control her tremors. We le...
Facing Parkinson's Disease
22 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From mild resting tremors to freezing, stiffness, and loss of motor control, the symptoms of Parkinson's disease progress relentlessly over time. Dr. ...
Love in Captivity
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID-19 quarantine has changed everything about love and sex. Biological anthropologist Helen Fisher reveals how socially distant dating can n...
COVID's Invisible Bullet
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the war on COVID-19, doctors face an enemy like no other - mysterious, invisible, and medically confounding. Dr. Laura Kolbe, co-founder of the COV...
Information Overload
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Human brains are not wired for the staggering amount and variety of daily information coming our way. Dr. Marvin Chun, Professor of Psychology and Neu...
Understanding and Destigmatizing Epilepsy
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
People with epilepsy have been stigmatized since the time of Hippocrates. Two epilepsy specialists, Dr. Caitlin Hoffman, a Weill Cornell Medicine pedi...
Music's Powerful Impact on the Brain
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
World-renowned soprano Renée Fleming is also a leading advocate for research and public education on the therapeutic power of music to heal the mind....
The Risks of Long-Term Space Travel
21 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A three-year mission to Mars will have profound effects on bodies—and brains. The recent NASA study of twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly provides...
Brain-Healthy Eating
07 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Today Show" nutritionist Joy Bauer has easy, affordable, and delicious tips for making brain-healthy food choices. Boost your memory, strengthen your...
Teen Brains at Risk
24 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Frances Jensen, Chair of the Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and author of "The Teenage Brain," ...
Hope for Depression's Toughest Cases
10 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Anti-depressants don't work for everyone. Psychiatrist Conor Liston, MD, PhD, describes four effective treatments that restore the brain's lost connec...
Scientific Advances in Mind Reading
27 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence is ushering in a new era of mind reading, with advanced brain scans revealing much of what we're thinking about. Dr. Marvin Ch...
Why the Burnout Epidemic?
13 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Frayed social bonds, toxic and demanding work environments, and even helicopter parenting are all contributing to an American epidemic of burnout. Dr....
Living with Glioblastoma
15 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
New York Times journalist Rod Nordland is confronting his glioblastoma diagnosis with positivity, not despair. In this inspiring episode, he speaks wi...
What You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's
01 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Richard Isaacson, Director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine, shares the just-published results of his groundbreaking...
Violence and the Brain
18 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mass shootings, bullying and retaliation, and other acts of violence -- why did the human brain evolve to be so aggressive? Dr. Heather Berlin, assist...
Slow Love
04 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How have sexual behaviors changed in our Millennial, #MeToo era? Biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, PhD, explains the nuances of being just frien...
Is It Normal Aging or Alzheimer's?
27 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Some 46 million Americans already have the early brain changes that are the harbingers of a dementia that won't reveal itself for decades. Dr. Richard...
Pain and the Science of Suffering
20 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Chronic pain is a national epidemic. Journalist Melanie Thernstrom, author of The Pain Chronicles, explains the difference between chronic and acute p...
Trial and Error in Treating Depression
13 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
From Abraham Lincoln's untreatable melancholy to the serendipitous discovery of SSRIs, we have come a long way in understanding depression. Psychiatri...
The Promise of Stem Cell Therapy
06 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Stem cells hold the potential to change the landscape of medicine and bring patient care and well-being into a new era. Neurosurgeon Robert Hariri, MD...
The Music-Brain Connection
23 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"Neuro-pianist" and conductor Eitan Globerson explains the intricate connections between a musician's instrument, hands, and brain and how the power o...
Coma and Hidden Consciousness
16 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Coma and vegetative states are confounding for loved ones of brain-injured patients. Dr. Joseph Fins, Chief of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medicin...
The Quest to Conquer Pain
09 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout history, humans have experienced pain as punishment from the gods, a metaphysical struggle, or a simple biological process. Journalist Mela...
Awake During Brain Surgery
02 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Talking with your neurosurgeons during brain surgery may seem terrifying or like science fiction. But actually, as two patients share, it was a necess...
How Lust Built Our Brains
26 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The drive to reproduce – to move our DNA into tomorrow – may be behind our ability to do math, make music, and even play sports. Evolutionary anth...
Why Can't We Resist Temptation?
19 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A faulty risk/reward area of your brain can get you into trouble, but it can also free you to think outside the box. Cognitive neuroscientist Heather ...
Life and Death Decisions
12 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ethics and emotions often clash at the bedside of terminally ill patients—especially those with brain injuries. Dr. Joseph Fins, Chief of Medical Et...
Close Call with a Brain Bleed
05 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A runner's life-threatening brain bleed is repaired just in time thanks to a new minimally invasive procedure. Patient Mikal Scott talks about his ala...
What's Threatening Your Sleep?
28 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Cell phones, stress, and a hyper-scheduled life all put your sleep cycle in danger. Sleep disruption is bad for brain health, wreaks havoc on mood, an...
When Snoring Is Dangerous for Your Brain
21 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sleep disruptions have unexpected and serious impacts on the health of your brain. Dr. Ana Krieger, Chief of Sleep Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine...
Food Is Medicine
14 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The best prescription for reducing inflammation, cholesterol, and weight is right on your plate. Cardiologist Hooman Yaghoobzadeh, MD, explains the sc...
Eating Smart for Brain and Heart
07 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The science behind the benefits of a plant-based fiber diet will motivate many of us to make important lifestyle changes. Cardiologist Hooman Yaghoobz...
Sex and Scent: What Your Nose Knows
31 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sexual attraction starts with a whiff of signals that gets your motor running. Your nose -- and brain – are behind your gender, sexual orientation, ...
No More Shaking Hands!
24 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A tremor had plagued Alexandra Lebenthal since childhood. Today her hand is steady and she can finally hold a glass with ease, thanks to Dr. Michael K...
"Bobble Heads" and Concussions
17 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Barry Kosofsky explains why children – especially girls – are at greater risk for concussion, and why kids under 14 should never play tackle f...
Rebirth After a Brain Tumor
10 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Memories return – along with a surge of confusing emotions – after Demetri's surgery to remove a craniopharyngioma. Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield joins h...
A Life Unravels
03 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Demetri Kofinas was diagnosed with a benign pituitary tumor, he faced bizarre symptoms and difficult choices. With the help of his father and Dr....
Climbing Out of Depression
26 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Stieg talks to psychiatrist Richard Friedman, MD, about depression and PTSD: How they are different from sadness, how the brain actually changes ...
Are We Wired for Anxiety?
19 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Stieg talks to psychiatrist Dr. Richard Friedman about the neuroscience of fear: How parents can transmit anxiety to their kids, how some babies ...
Your Brain in Love
12 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Stieg talks to biological anthropologist Helen Fisher about the four hormonal systems that drive our relationship styles, and how they can predict...
Madly in Love
05 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Helen Fisher, one of the world's foremost authorities on love, explains what happens in the brain when we experience romantic or sexual attraction...
"An Eraser in My Brain" (2)
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
New York Times journalist Alissa Rubin talks with Dr. Stieg about the cognitive and emotional effects of her injuries, and the treatments that help...
"An Eraser in My Brain" (1)
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Pulitzer prize-winning New York Times journalist Alissa Rubin talks with Dr. Stieg about the helicopter crash that seriously injured her, and the long...
This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Phil Stieg, Neurosurgeon-in-Chief of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and founder and Chairman of the Weill Cornell Medicine Brai...