Hidden Brain Hidden Brain

Across every domain of our lives, our minds have a tendency to get accustomed to things. In fact, the brain seems evolutionarily designed to focus on the new and unexpected, on novel threats and opportunities. In our daily lives, this means we take wonderful things for granted. We cease to appreciate amazing people, or the good fortune of being healthy. This week, neuroscientist Tali Sharot explains why we get used to things — and how to see with fresh eyes.

We all experience cravings. But some cravings become compulsions, leading us to feel powerless over our own wants and needs. In this follow-up episode with Judson Brewer, we answer your questions about how to navigate cravings of all kinds.

If you missed our initial conversation on cravings, be sure to give it a listen! You can find it here: https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-curious-science-of-cravings/

Some think of religious faith as just that: a leap of faith. But psychologists are increasingly filling in the gaps in our understanding of how beliefs shape — and are shaped by — the human mind. This week, psychologist Ara Norenzayan explores features in the brain that are tied to our capacity for faith. And he shows how all of us, both religious and non-religious people, can use this knowledge to find more meaning in our lives.

Have you ever had an unexplainable feeling of emptiness? Life seems perfect - and yet - something is missing. This week, sociologist Corey Keyes helps us understand where feelings of emptiness come from, how to navigate them and why they're more common than we might assume.

Thinking is a human superpower. On a daily basis, thinking and planning and effort bring us innumerable benefits. But like all aspects of human behavior, you can sometimes get too much of a good thing. This week, we talk with philosopher Ted Slingerland about techniques to prevent overthinking, and how we can cultivate the under-appreciated skill of letting go.

When you're cultivating a garden, how much do you direct what happens in the garden — and how much do you just let the garden be? In part two of our conversation with philosopher Ted Slingerland, we talk about the balance between preparation and spontaneity, and explore a thorny question: Is it possible to achieve effortlessness by simply being effortless? Or, paradoxically, is it only possible to get to that state through a lot of effort?

If you haven't yet heard the first part of our conversation with Ted Slingerland, we recommend you start there. It's the episode in this podcast feed called "Why Trying Too Hard Can Backfire On You." Thanks for listening!