Collective Insights

Daniel Schmachtenberger, founding member of The Consilience Project and Director of R&D at Neurohacker Collective, is here with us today to shed light on the need for collective intelligence with which to navigate towards beneficial outcomes.We discuss:The most important problems in the world today,How technology and social media are undermining sense-making,Why we need to reinvent democracy, andHow to maintain existential hope in an environment of crisis. If we're serious both as individuals and as humanity about improving the world, it's vital that we intersect around the reality of our situation and the radical solutions needed to create meaningful change. This is Daniel’s take on the situation.Episode transcript: https://neurohacker.com/why-collective-intelligence-is-vital-to-navigate-existential-risk-today

Dr. Mark Tager and Dr. Molly Maloof are both members of the Medical Advisory Board at Neurohacker Collective and are here with us today to jam out on a whole systems approach to skin health. This is not your typical skincare podcast. We move right past the fluff and hone in on a science-backed approach to beautiful skin. Have you ever wondered how insulin resistance impacts skin health? We answer that. What about fatty acids, carotenoids, and ceramides - where do they fit into beautiful skin? We share the latest science surrounding that topic too. Here are few more subjects we spotlight during the discussion:How mitochondrial dysfunction impacts skin healthHow to eat for great skinCollagen for your skin: healthy or hype?How ceramides combat ‘leaky skin”Cutting edge cosmeceuticals for skin healthChances are that healthy skin that feels good and looks radiant is on your health optimization radar. But to achieve those results you must start from the inside out. Tune in to learn exactly how to do that. Episode transcript: https://neurohacker.com/beautiful-skin-from-the-inside-out-a-whole-systems-approach-to-skin-care

This episode is one that’s close to our heart. A small group from the Neurohacker team recently went to Rythmia, a beautiful medically-licensed plant medicine center in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Our goal was to better understand and experience for ourselves how fusing ancient wisdom and modern techniques, with a focus on shamanic plant medicine, can help us heal and live a life led by love to better show up in the world.While at Rythmia, we interviewed Dr. Jeff McNairy, Chief Medical Officer at Rythmia. He shared with us an in depth view of the science associated with healing through plant medicine. We also discussed:The history and origin of the ancient shamanic plant medicineThe neurochemical effects of plant medicine compoundsExactly what to expect during a shamanic plant medicine ceremonyWho shouldn’t use plant medicineAnd much, much more. We’re excited to share this very special interview with you. Join us by listening in now. Full episode transcript: https://neurohacker.com/the-science-to-support-healing-trauma-with-sacred-plant-medicine

Rich Diviney, joins Jamie Wheal for a discussion surrounding the value and development of attributes. For those of you who loved Jamie’s Stealing Fire, Rich Davis (a nom de guerre for Diviney) was the opening story in that book. Their friendship and passion for peak performance, flow states, and optimal psychology runs deep fosters an educational and moving discussion.Rich Diviney is a former Navy SEAL Commander who served in 13 overseas deployments. Throughout his career, Rich was intimately involved in the specialized SEAL selection process, whittling down hundreds of extraordinary candidates to a handful of the most elite performers. Oddly, which candidates washed out and which succeeded was often wildly unpredictable. Some had the right skills and still failed. At first glance others were more easily dismissible but would prove to be top performers. Rich discerned that beneath obvious skills were hidden drivers of performance, surprising core attributes that determine how resilient we are. And he’s here today to share that knowledge with us.

Dave Asprey, "Father of Biohacking" and founder of Bulletproof and New York Times bestselling author is here today to give us the low-down on how fasting changes the brain and body. There’s a lot of energy and exciting research in the fasting/longevity space, but what about the brain? How do the metabolic, cellular, and circadian mechanisms associated with fasting have direct and indirect influences on the brain, improving cognitive functioning? You’re in luck health optimizers, we discuss all of that and more, including:The how, what, when, and why of intermittent fastingHow the food industry has altered natural eating behaviorsThe belief systems associated with fastingHow intermittent fasting extends healthspan through circadian autophagyThe scientific link between body temperature, fasting and longevityForget everything you think you know about the ancient practice of fasting and let Dave take you on a journey through cutting-edge science to examine how to upgrade your fasting game beyond calorie restriction.Episode transcript: https://neurohacker.com/scientifically-proven-ways-fasting-benefits-the-body-and-brain-an-interview-with-dave-asprey

We live in a time of unprecedented access to high reward, high-dopamine stimuli and it’s taking a toll on our minds and bodies. Today, Dr. Anna Lembke, Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine and author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence is here to help us maintain a healthy sense of pleasure seeking in life.This episode has something for everyone: an overview of dopamine, an explanation of the pleasure pain-balance, an exploration of the impact of culture and social institutions on human behavior, and hormetic activities that naturally boost dopamine levels.We discuss:How dopamine is involved in the pleasure-pain balanceThe role that serotonin plays in homeostasisWhy a world if indulgence has led to dopamine deficitsHow flow states and human connections stimulate dopamine productionEvaluating the risk-reward of psychedelics and dopamine mechanismsLeveraging hormetic activities to boost dopamine levelsSettle in, and get ready to learn how to maintain balanced dopamine levels in a world of pleasure. Episode transcript: https://neurohacker.com/how-to-maintain-balanced-dopamine-levels-in-a-world-of-pleasure

Our mental strength and emotional resilience play intrinsic roles in how we show up in the world. Mental fortitude helps us be fully immersed in life, fully aware, and fully alive. But how do we build an unbeatable mind? How can we retrain negative biases so that in life, when the metaphorical game is on the line, we can recognize that every negative – pressure, challenges, critiques – are all opportunities for growth?Enter Mark Divine, expert in human performance as it is displayed in mental toughness, leadership and physical readiness. Today Mark joins us to discuss:The role that stillness, time spent in nature, and awe play in building mental toughnessHow to properly meditate and embrace sacred silenceWhy we need dedicated training in order to break negative brain patternsThree preparatory practices to train and focus the mindHow to tune our bodies vibrationally to qualities that are experienced emotionally, cognitively, and spirituallyIf you want to develop or strengthen your mental fortitude, this episode is for you. Listen in now.Full episode transcript is available here: https://neurohacker.com/combining-neuroscience-and-mindfulness-to-build-greater-mental-toughness-an-interview-with-mark-divine

We're in a race between consciousness and catastrophe. Today, Dr. Roger Walsh, one of the world's leading experts on the mind, joins us to discuss how integral psychology, altered states, and spiritual practices can help us meet our current global crises while building a “bunker of light” for future generations. We discuss: Somatic, emotional, mental and spiritual intelligenceHow spiritual practices help us maintain radical hopeThe four enemies of knowledgeThree constructive actions to respond skillfully to stressListen in as we deep dive into the nature of wisdom, human behavior, and spiritual practices to help us transcend to a higher-consciousness civilization.Full episode transcript: https://neurohacker.com/how-integral-psychology-helps-us-meet-the-global-meta-crisis-an-interview-with-roger-walsh-m-d-ph-d-dhl

When you open your eyes, do you see the world as it really is? Do you see reality? It’s an age-old question that some of the greatest minds to have walked the earth have grappled with.Today, neuroscientist and world renowned expert in perception, Dr. Beau Lotto, reveals the science behind the ways our brain plays tricks on us while also presenting a revolutionary approach to applying these insights about perception to every aspect of our lives. We discuss:Are we seeing the world as it really is?How our assumptions control our perceptions and what we can do to break free from assumptions that don't serve us.Why our not seeing reality is essential in our ability to adapt and grow in uncertainty.Ways to reshape our perception with perception itself.Beau’s goal for you? That you’ll walk away knowing less than you did entering into the conversation since nothing interesting begins with knowing. Listen in now. Episode transcript: https://neurohacker.com/the-neuroscience-of-perception-an-interview-with-beau-lotto-ph-d

Andrew Cohen, international spiritual teacher and founder of Evolutionary Enlightenment, a community which became a proper cult, joins us today to discuss the death and rebirth of his community and self. We discuss:The awakening of the guru principleCore techniques of ecstasy and shared states of consciousnessAndrew’s regrets and how his downfall led him back to teach from a place of humilityWe held nothing back in this interview. This is Andrew’s side of the story.Full episode transcript: https://neurohacker.com/from-spiritual-guru-to-the-death-of-a-cult-andrew-cohen-s-untold-story