Sense of Mind

Andrew Cooper-Sansone

I’m Andrew Cooper-Sansone and you are listening to the Sense of Mind Podcast! Welcome to Sense of Mind, where you’ll learn neuroscience in an easy and digestible way. We know that understanding the human brain is the key to happiness and peace of mind. What you get: 🧠 Neuroscience explainer videos + interviews with neuroscientists 🧠 Sent straight to your inbox. Join this new and easy way to learn about your brain. Follow, Share and Subscribe to the YouTube Channel and Connect on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/senseofmind

  1. Jul 18

    Bounce Back from Disappointment | Neuroscience of Emotion Regulation

    Learn how to regulate your emotions by understanding how your brain creates them in the first place. In this episode, I explore the neuroscience of emotion regulation, including the insular cortex, amygdala, default mode network, and prefrontal cortex, and examine how emotions emerge from a continuous loop between the brain and the body. You’ll learn a practical, evidence-informed three-step framework for interrupting negative emotional cycles: Change your physiologyReframe your interpretation through cognitive reappraisalTake meaningful actionWe also discuss interoception, exercise, breathing, sleep, motivation, learned helplessness, dopamine, and why even small actions can help restore a sense of agency. If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety, disappointment, stress, rumination, or overwhelming negative emotions, this episode will help you understand what is happening inside your brain—and what you can do about it. Support Sense of Mind Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/senseofmindFree Newsletter: https://senseofmindshow.com/email-newsletter/Chapters00:00 How to Exit a Negative Emotion00:39 How the Brain Creates Emotion02:50 Step 1: Change Your Physiology05:49 Step 2: Change Your Interpretation08:23 Support Sense of Mind08:52 Step 3: Take Action10:16 Why This Strategy Works for Your Brain11:02 From Neutral to Motivated Sources Zhang, J. X., Bo, K., Wager, T. D., & Gross, J. J. (2025). The brain bases of emotion generation and emotion regulation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences.Scherer, K. R., & Moors, A. (2019). The emotion process: Event appraisal and component differentiation. Annual Review of Psychology, 70(1), 719–745.Greenwood, B. M., & Garfinkel, S. N. (2025). Interoceptive mechanisms and emotional processing. Annual Review of Psychology, 76(1), 59–86.Feldman, M. J., Bliss-Moreau, E., & Lindquist, K. A. (2024). The neurobiology of interoception and affect. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 28(7), 643–661.

    Bounce Back from Disappointment | Neuroscience of Emotion Regulation

  2. Jul 3

    Here's Why Your Brain Won't Stop Overthinking

    Overthinking can feel productive. But in most cases, it traps us in repetitive loops that make us feel more anxious, uncertain, and mentally exhausted. In this video, we'll explore why the brain gets stuck in these patterns, what neuroscience and psychology have discovered about repetitive negative thinking, and what we can do to break free. Support future videos:Patreon If you enjoyed this video, consider subscribing, leaving a comment, and sharing it with someone who might find it helpful. Sign up for Sense of Mind's email newsletter:https://senseofmindshow.com/email-newsletter/ 00:00 Why Your Brain Gets Stuck in an Overthinking Loop 00:35 Why Rumination Becomes a Habit 01:36 The HEXAGON Model of Rumination Explained 02:37 How Goal Discrepancy Fuels Overthinking 03:44 Why Abstract Thinking Triggers Rumination 04:12 The Negativity Bias Behind Overthinking 04:53 Executive Function and Breaking the Rumination Cycle 05:25 Why Overthinking Feels Productive 06:50 Step 1: Set More Workable Goals 08:21 Step 2: Train Your Awareness 09:40 Step 3: Practice a Different Response 11:33 Bonus: The Inner Voice That Helped Me Stop Overthinking Support Sense of Mind and get exclusive content:http://www.Patreon.com/SenseOfMind Patrons receive: Exclusive videosWritten versions of new videos and essaysSubscribe to the channel:Youtube.com/@senseofmindshow?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to the Sense of Mind Podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRvHblyAlyjcrzeNPWKJJ Follow Sense of Mind on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sense.ofmind/ Image, graphic, and scientific figure credits: Scientific figures and images obtained from academic publications are credited in the video and/or references and are used in accordance with their respective licenses, including CC BY 3.0 and CC BY 4.0 where applicable. Wikipedia images are credited in the video and used in accordance with their respective Creative Commons licenses. B-roll footage is licensed through Storyblocks and/or sourced from Pexels. Unless otherwise noted, all original graphics, images, and content are the property of Andrew Cooper-Sansone and Sense of Mind.

    Here's Why Your Brain Won't Stop Overthinking

  3. Jun 26

    Why Motivation Disappears | The Answer from Neuroscience

    You know what you want, but somehow, you still can’t make yourself begin. Why does motivation disappear even when the goal still matters? In this video, we explore the neuroscience and psychology of motivation: how the brain weighs effort against reward, dopamine’s role in motivated behavior, how chronic stress can produce learned helplessness, and why exhaustion may signal a genuine need for recovery. Join the Sense of Mind newsletter:https://senseofmindshow.com/email-newsletter/Support Sense of Mind on Patreon:https://Patreon.com/senseofmindSubscribe to the channel:Youtube.com/@senseofmindshow?sub_confirmation=1Follow Sense of Mind on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sense.ofmind/ Chapters: 00:00 Why You Can’t Find Motivation 01:00 What Is Motivation? 01:51 How the Brain Calculates Effort and Reward 02:53 Why Starting Feels Harder Than It Is 03:30 Dopamine and Motivated Behavior 05:29 Chronic Stress and Learned Helplessness 08:55 Exhaustion, Burnout, and the Need for Rest 10:56 How to Rebuild Motivation

    Why Motivation Disappears | The Answer from Neuroscience

  4. Jun 19

    The Story Your Brain Tells About You May Not Be True

    Who are you? Most of us carry around a story about who we are: What we're capable of, what we deserve, and where our limits lie. But what if that story isn't entirely true? In this video, we explore the brain's Default Mode Network (DMN) and its role in shaping our sense of self, identity, and inner narrative. If the story your brain tells about you is flawed, you may be far more capable of growth and change than you realize. Sign up for Sense of Mind's email newsletter: https://senseofmindshow.com/email-newsletter/ Support Sense of Mind and get exclusive content: https://www.Patreon.com/SenseOfMind --- Sources for this video include: Menon, V. (2023). Twenty years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis. Neuron, 111 (16), 2469–2487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.003 Hardy, B. (2021). The Gap and the Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success. Hay House. Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60 (5), 410–421. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410 --- Chapters: 00:00 Why self-narratives define your life 00:15 Mapping the narrator: The DMN and the constructed self 01:50 Leveraging history: Rewriting memory through the PCC 04:18 Beyond the tribe: Values and social cognition in the mPFC 06:02 Internal dialogue: The angular gyrus and your inner critic 08:29 Rational resilience: Growth without the trap of toxic positivity 11:01 Conclusion: The fluid architecture of the brain 11:58 A final word of gratitude for your support

    The Story Your Brain Tells About You May Not Be True

  5. Jun 16

    Do We Really Have Free Will? (And Does It Even Matter?)

    Free will is one of the most important topics we can discuss. If every thought, decision, and action is ultimately the product of biology and physics, then are we really making choices? Or are we simply witnessing events unfold inside our own minds? Is free will important for human flourishing, motivation, and resilience? In this livestream, we'll explore the neuroscience and philosophy of free will, including the arguments of Benjamin Libet, Robert Sapolsky, Sam Harris, Kevin Mitchell, and others. Topics include: • What I mean by "free will" • Whether consciousness actually influences behavior • The famous Libet experiments • Sam Harris' argument that free will is an illusion • Robert Sapolsky's case against agency • Why belief in control affects motivation and wellbeing • Learned helplessness, resilience, and human flourishing • Whether free will is necessary for resilience and personal growth My goal is not to convince you of a particular conclusion, but to think carefully about one of the deepest questions in science and philosophy. -- Please support this channel by signing up for Sense of Mind's Patreon and get bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/senseofmind -- Don't forget to subscribe to this channel: @senseofmindshow And check out the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sense-of-mind/id1603691298 Follow Sense of Mind on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sense.ofmind/

    Do We Really Have Free Will? (And Does It Even Matter?)

  6. Jun 5

    Why Does Your Mind Feel So Fragmented?

    Distraction isn’t just bad for productivity. It also degrades our happiness, attention, mental health, and the ability to engage deeply with life. In this video, we’ll look at what psychology and neuroscience suggest about social media, short-form video, dopamine, flow states, and why sustained attention may be essential to the good life. This is not an anti-technology video. It’s about agency: how to reclaim your attention in a world designed to capture it. Thank you for being here. After a year and a half away from YouTube, I’m glad to be back. -- Chapters: 00:00 A scattered mind is the enemy of happiness 01:23 Flow states and deep focus 02:21 How attention works in the brain 02:52 Why we’re more distracted than ever 04:40 The strange lesson from bacteria 06:56 How we trained our brains to crave distraction 10:27 How to reclaim your attention 12:21 Why deep engagement feels better 14:23 Where have I been? My journey back to YouTube Don't forget to subscribe to this channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC610T-s8gpOVDtAVXTZ35FQ--References:Nguyen, L., Walters, J., Paul, S., Monreal Ijurco, S., Rainey, G. E., Parekh, N., ... & Darrah, M. (2025). Feeds, feelings, and focus: A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the cognitive and mental health correlates of short-form video use. Psychological Bulletin, 151(9), 1125.Walla, P., & Zheng, Y. (2024). Intense short-video-based social media use reduces the P300 event-related potential component in a visual oddball experiment: A sign for reduced attention. Life, 14(3), 290.--Please support this channel by signing up for Sense of Mind's Patreon and get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/senseofmind --Follow Sense of Mind on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sense.ofmind/

    Why Does Your Mind Feel So Fragmented?

  7. 11/02/2024

    Stop Getting Distracted! The Neuroscience of Attention

    When you lose focus, you lose the ability to achieve your goals. And, unfortunately, we live in a world of endless distractions. Yet, by understanding the neuroscience of attention, you can train your brain to focus on what matters. -- Please support this channel by signing up for Sense of Mind's Patreon and get bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/senseofmind You'll get: - Exclusive videos only for Patrons - Written (blog post) versions of all new videos, including this one! -- Chapters: 00:00 Distraction Stops You From Achieving Your Goals 00:13 The Neuroscience of Attention 05:24 4 Steps to Improve Your Focus 10:53 Flow, Focus, and Happiness 12:06 The Biggest Distraction and How to Beat It -- 📖 Get 20% off your annual Shortform subscription by using this link: https://www.shortform.com/senseofmind -- Sources: Fiebelkorn, I. C., & Kastner, S. (2020). Functional specialization in the attention network. Annual review of psychology, 71(1), 221-249. Bailey, C. (2018). Hyperfocus: How to be more productive in a world of distraction. Random House Canada. Huang, H., Li, R., & Zhang, J. (2023). A review of visual sustained attention: neural mechanisms and computational models. PeerJ, 11, e15351. Tang, Y. Y., Tang, R., Posner, M. I., & Gross, J. J. (2022). Effortless training of attention and self-control: mechanisms and applications. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 26(7), 567-577. Kok, A. (2022). Cognitive control, motivation and fatigue: A cognitive neuroscience perspective. Brain and Cognition, 160, 105880. -- Don't forget to subscribe to this channel: @senseofmindshow And check out the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sense-of-mind/id1603691298 Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/senseofmind Follow Sense of Mind on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sense.ofmind/ -- All graphics and images obtained from scientific articles have been credited in the video and/or in the above list of references. All are licensed under either CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US) or CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en_US) Wikipedia images: All wikipedia images have been credited in the video and all are licensed under either CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US) or CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en_US) All B-roll comes from either https://www.storyblocks.com/ (using the appropriate purchased license) or from https://www.pexels.com/

  8. 09/07/2024

    The Neuroscience of Emotions: How to Control Feelings

    You are a living organism. That’s obvious, but this simple fact helps explain one of the most profoundly important aspects of your life: your emotions. In fact, it teaches you how to control your emotions. -- Please support this channel by signing up for Sense of Mind's Patreon and get bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/senseofmind You'll get: - Exclusive videos only for Patrons - Access to exclusive monthly livestreams - Written (blog post) versions of all new videos, including this one! -- Chapters: 00:00 Why does biology matter for emotion regulation? 00:45 Homeostasis and Homeostatic Emotions 03:04 Interoception: Conduit Between Brain and Body 07:05 Feelings, Emotions, and Thoughts Defined 09:58 Why you feel emotions in your body 14:00 The Joy of Learning 15:28 Why emotions are sometimes unhelpful 16:00 The 2 Fundamental Emotion Regulation Strategies 16:17 3 Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies (thought-based) 18:10 3 Feelings-Based Emotion Regulation Strategies 20:39 The Key: Know Thyself-- Sources: - Schiller, D., Alessandra, N. C., Alia-Klein, N., Becker, S., Cromwell, H. C., Dolcos, F., ... & Soreq, H. (2024). The human affectome. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 158, 105450. - Kobylińska, D., & Kusev, P. (2019). Flexible emotion regulation: How situational demands and individual differences influence the effectiveness of regulatory strategies. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 72. - Feldman, M. J., Bliss-Moreau, E., & Lindquist, K. A. (2024). The neurobiology of interoception and affect. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. - Craig, Arthur Dewitt. "Interoception and emotion: a neuroanatomical perspective." Handbook of emotions 4th ed. (2016). - Barrett, L. F. (2017). The theory of constructed emotion: an active inference account of interoception and categorization. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 12(1), 1-23. - Davis, K. L., & Montag, C. (2019). Selected principles of Pankseppian affective neuroscience. Frontiers in neuroscience, 12, 1025. -- Don't forget to subscribe to this channel: @senseofmindshow And check out the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sense-of-mind/id1603691298 Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/senseofmind Follow Sense of Mind on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sense.ofmind/ -- All graphics and images obtained from scientific articles have been credited in the video and/or in the above list of references. All are licensed under either CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US) or CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en_US) Wikipedia images: All wikipedia images have been credited in the video and all are licensed under either CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US) or CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en_US) All B-roll comes from either https://www.storyblocks.com/ (using the appropriate purchased license) or from https://www.pexels.com/ All other images are property of Andrew Cooper-Sansone

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4.6
out of 5
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About

I’m Andrew Cooper-Sansone and you are listening to the Sense of Mind Podcast! Welcome to Sense of Mind, where you’ll learn neuroscience in an easy and digestible way. We know that understanding the human brain is the key to happiness and peace of mind. What you get: 🧠 Neuroscience explainer videos + interviews with neuroscientists 🧠 Sent straight to your inbox. Join this new and easy way to learn about your brain. Follow, Share and Subscribe to the YouTube Channel and Connect on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/senseofmind

Information

  • Creator
    Andrew Cooper-Sansone
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Andrew Cooper-Sansone
  • Show Website
    Sense of Mind

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