Enjoy this DND exercise led by Laine — let's play together!

Most of us stopped playing long before we realized it — and it turns out, that might be costing us more than we know. In this episode, we're diving into the neuroscience of play: what it actually is (hint: it's not about the activity), why it's as fundamental to our biology as sleep and food, and what happens to our brains — and our lives — when we don't get enough of it. From dopamine and neuroplasticity to why boredom might actually be good for your kids, we're making the case that play isn't just for children. It's one of the most powerful tools we have for resilience, joy, and mental wellness — at any age.

>> ⁠⁠⁠Support the Brain Blown on Patreon⁠⁠⁠

>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠info@brainblownpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠.

>> Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com⁠

Resources:

• The Importance of Pleasure in Play — Bruce Perry
• Selected Principles of Pankseppian Affective Neuroscience — Kenneth L. Davis & Christian Montag
• Yes, We Need a Neuroscience of Play — Phillip Stevens Jr.
• Neuroscience and the Magic of Play Therapy — Anne L. Stewart, Thomas A. Field & Lennis G. Echterling
• Neuroscience, Early Childhood Education and Play: We Are Doing It Right! — Stephen Rushton
• Neuroscience and Learning Through Play: A Review of the Evidence — Liu, Solis, Jensen, Hopkins, Neale, Zosh, Pasek & Whitebread
• Adult Play: A Neuroscientific and Psychoanalytic Perspective — Ellen Park Psy.D.
• In Search of the Neurobiological Substrates for Social Playfulness in Mammalian Brains — Stephen M. Siviy & Jaak Panksepp
• The Playful Mediator, Moderator, or Outcome? — Shen & Masek
• Risky Play in Children's Emotion Regulation, Social Functioning, and Physical Health — Sandseter, Kleppe & Kennair
• National Institute for Play — Dr. Stuart Brown

Most of us stopped playing long before we realized it — and it turns out, that might be costing us more than we know. In this episode, we're diving into the neuroscience of play: what it actually is (hint: it's not about the activity), why it's as fundamental to our biology as sleep and food, and what happens to our brains — and our lives — when we don't get enough of it. From dopamine and neuroplasticity to why boredom might actually be good for your kids, we're making the case that play isn't just for children. It's one of the most powerful tools we have for resilience, joy, and mental wellness — at any age.

>> ⁠⁠Support the Brain Blown on Patreon⁠⁠

>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠⁠info@brainblownpodcast.com⁠⁠.

>> Learn more at ⁠⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com

Resources:

• The Importance of Pleasure in Play — Bruce Perry
• Selected Principles of Pankseppian Affective Neuroscience — Kenneth L. Davis & Christian Montag
• Yes, We Need a Neuroscience of Play — Phillip Stevens Jr.
• Neuroscience and the Magic of Play Therapy — Anne L. Stewart, Thomas A. Field & Lennis G. Echterling
• Neuroscience, Early Childhood Education and Play: We Are Doing It Right! — Stephen Rushton
• Neuroscience and Learning Through Play: A Review of the Evidence — Liu, Solis, Jensen, Hopkins, Neale, Zosh, Pasek & Whitebread
• Adult Play: A Neuroscientific and Psychoanalytic Perspective — Ellen Park Psy.D.
• In Search of the Neurobiological Substrates for Social Playfulness in Mammalian Brains — Stephen M. Siviy & Jaak Panksepp
• The Playful Mediator, Moderator, or Outcome? — Shen & Masek
• Risky Play in Children's Emotion Regulation, Social Functioning, and Physical Health — Sandseter, Kleppe & Kennair
• National Institute for Play — Dr. Stuart Brown

We’ve engineered a life that minimizes effort. Food arrives. Work happens from chairs. Entertainment comes to us. But the brain didn’t evolve for efficiency — it evolved for interaction. This episode looks at the neuroscience behind movement and why it may be more foundational to how we think and feel than we realize.

Due to technical difficulties, this episode is audio-only. We hope to resume video next episode, but we’ll keep you posted.

>> ⁠Support the Brain Blown on Patreon⁠

>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at ⁠info@brainblownpodcast.com⁠.

>> Learn more at ⁠www.brainblownpodcast.com

Episodes Referenced:

Phantom Limbs (S2, Mini 1)

Motivation (Season 2, Mini 2)

Long-Term Decisions (Season 3, Mini 2)

REFERENCES:

• A New Dynamic Model of the Cortico-Basal Ganglia Loop — Atsushi Nambu
• A Computational Neuroanatomy for Motor Control — Reza Shadmehr & John W. Krakauer
• The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons — Sam Kean
• Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity: A Mechanistic Model and Prospects for Promoting Plasticity — El-Sayes, Harasym, Turco, Locke & Nelson
• Movement: How the Brain Communicates with the World — Andrew B. Schwartz
• Impact of Physical Activity and Exercise on the Epigenome in Skeletal Muscle and Effects on Systemic Metabolism — Julio Plaza-Díaz et al.
• Recent Advances in the Study of the Neurobiological Mechanisms Behind the Effects of Physical Activity on Mood, Resilience and Emotional Disorders — Chong Chen & Shin Nakagawa

A lot of us aren’t just tired—we’re worn down. In a world that keeps demanding more attention, more productivity, and more endurance, our nervous systems are struggling to keep up. This episode kicks off our season on wellness by starting at the most basic place recovery happens: sleep.

You can also watch the very first Brain Blown Podcast episode on video on our YouTube channel!

>> Support the Brain Blown on Patreon

>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

>> Learn more at www.brainblownpodcast.com

REFERENCES:

• Falup‑Pecurariu, C., Diaconu, Ș., Țînț, D., & Falup‑Pecurariu, O. — Neurobiology of Sleep (Review)

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

• Lee, A. E., Ancoli-Israel, S., Eyler, L. T., Tu, X. M., Palmer, B. W., Irwin, M. R., & Jeste, D. V. — Sleep Disturbances and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Schizophrenia: Focus on Sex Differences

• Pocivavsek, A., & Rowland, L. M. — Basic Neuroscience Illuminates Causal Relationship Between Sleep and Memory: Translating to Schizophrenia

• Peever, J., & Fuller, P. M. — Neuroscience: A Distributed Neural Network Controls REM Sleep

• Aulsebrook, A. E., Jones, T. M., Rattenborg, N. C., Roth II, T. C., & Lesku, J. A. — Sleep Ecophysiology: Integrating Neuroscience and Ecology

• Simon, K. C., Nadel, L., & Payne, J. D. — The Functions of Sleep: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective

• Urry, E., & Landolt, H.-P. — Adenosine, Caffeine, and Performance: From Cognitive Neuroscience of Sleep to Sleep Pharmacogenetics

• Kay, D. B., & Buysse, D. J. — Hyperarousal and Beyond: New Insights into the Pathophysiology of Insomnia Disorder through Functional Neuroimaging Studies

• Zielinski, M. R., McKenna, J. T., & McCarle, R. W. — Functions and Mechanisms of Sleep

• Marques, D. R., Gomes, A. A., Caetano, G., & Castelo-Branco, M. — Insomnia Disorder and Brain’s Default-Mode Network

Last episode, we dug into how people lose their sense of safety and control when something — or someone — hijacks it.
This week, we’re picking up the story from there: what it takes to rebuild.

What does it look like to find your footing after an experience that knocks you off course?
Why do some people regain a sense of agency faster than others?
And what does real resilience look like when you're living it, not just talking about it?

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES

• • Hunter, Gray & McEwen — The Neuroscience of Resilience

  • Elsevier B.V. — Neuroscience of Resilience for Mental Health

  • Baratta, Seligman & Maier — From Helplessness to Controllability: Toward a Neuroscience of Resilience

  • Ruth Feldman — What Is Resilience: An Affiliative Neuroscience Approach

  • Alex Iantaffi — https://www.alexiantaffi.com/

If you think you’d never be pulled into a cult, that belief itself is part of the danger. In this episode, we explore why the brain is far more influenceable—and more predictable—than most of us want to believe.

We take a closer look at what happens when belonging, something we’re biologically wired to seek, becomes a pathway into harm. Together, we examine how group dynamics, stress, and relationship patterns can quietly shift a person’s behavior and sense of self. Laine brings research and real-world examples that show just how thin the line can be between healthy connection and unhealthy devotion.

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES

• • Cults: A Natural Disaster—Looking at Cult Involvement Through a Trauma Lens
    Shelly Rosen

  • Pedagogical, Neuropsychological and Social Conditions of Shaping the Identity of Cult Group Followers
    Mariusz Gajew

What does neuroscience reveal about great leadership—and why does it matter now more than ever?

In this episode, we explore the brain science behind leadership: how it guides us in uncertainty, shapes culture, and unlocks human potential. From Microsoft’s near-collapse to its stunning revival under Satya Nadella, we’ll uncover what happens in the brain when leadership fails—and what changes when it succeeds. You’ll hear how trust, safety, and connection transform not just teams, but entire organizations, driving innovation and resilience.

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES

• David Rock & Jeffrey Schwartz — Neuroscience of Leadership

• Manu Melwin Joy — The Neuroscience of Leadership

• Kimberly Schaufenbuel — The Neuroscience of Leadership: Practical Applications

Humans are born dependent, slow, and vulnerable—but we’ve survived by working together. In this episode, we explore the neuroscience that makes teamwork possible, and why collaboration is more than a soft skill—it’s a biological necessity.
From mirror neurons and social cognition to trust, reward systems, and brain synchrony, we break down what’s really happening in your brain when you collaborate—and what it takes to build a team that actually works.

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES

• David A. Waldman, M.K. Ward, William J. Becker — Neuroscience in Organizational Behavior

• Stephanie Balters, Grace Hawthorne, Naam Mayseless — Of Team Cooperation Versus Team Collaboration

• Paul Zak — The Neuroscience of Trust

• M.K. Ward, Stefan Volk, William J. Becker — An Overview of Organizational Neuroscience

• Mohammed Algumaei, Imali T. Hettiarachchi, Mohamed Farghaly, Asim Bhatti — The Neuroscience of Team Dynamics: Exploring Neurophysiological Measures for Assessing Team Performance

• Diego A. Reinero, Suzanne Dikker, Jay J. Van Bavel — Inter-brain Synchrony in Teams Predicts Collective Performance

• Hua Xie, Iliana I. Karipidis, Amber Howell, Manish Saggar et al. — Finding the Neural Correlates of Collaboration Using a Three-person fMRI Hyperscanning Paradigm

• Xinmei Deng, Meng Yang, Xiaomin Chen, Yong Zhan — The Role of Mindfulness on Theta Inter-brain Synchrony During Cooperation Feedback Processing: An EEG-based Hyperscanning Study