Episode
Erasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
2:13:10
Published: Mon Dec 06 2021
Description
In this episode, I discuss fear and trauma, including the neural circuits involved in the "threat reflex" and how specific experiences and memories come to activate that system. I also discuss how our body is involved in trauma and fear. First, I describe the logic of fear mechanisms and how "top-down" processing-- meaning connections from the parts of the brain that assign meaning to our feelings, are involved in fear and erasing fears and traumas. Then I discuss what successful fear and trauma treatment must include and consider various treatments for whether they meet that standard, such as EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Ketamine, other drug-assisted therapies, and more. I also review new data on how 5 minutes per day of deliberate, self-imposed stress can erase fear and depression. And I review the role that social connection plays in erasing or maintaining fears by activating specific molecular pathways in the brain and body. Finally, I review supplementation with over-the-counter compounds for their effects on anxiety and fear and when to take them, if at all. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introducing Fear, Trauma & Trauma (00:02:31) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Thesis, Momentous (00:06:49) What is Fear? (00:11:45) Autonomic Arousal: “Alertness” vs. “Calmness” (00:13:44) Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA axis) (00:17:36) “The Threat Reflex”: Neural Circuits for Fear (00:28:24) Controlling Fear: Top-Down Processing (00:32:27) Narratives: “Protective or Dangerous” (00:35:58) Attaching Fear to Events: Classical Conditioning & Memory (00:41:45) How Fear Learning Occurs: Long Term Potentiation, NMDA (00:46:10) Extinguishing (Reducing) Fears (00:50:25) Cognitive (Narrative) Therapies for Fear (00:57:56) Repetition of Narrative, Overwriting Bad Experiences with Good (01:05:28) EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (01:14:00) Social Connection & Isolation Are Chemically Powerful (01:18:23) Trans-Generational Trauma (01:25:00) PTSD Treatments: Ketamine, MDMA, oxytocin (01:39:25) How Do You Know If You Are Traumatized? (01:46:16) Deliberate Brief Stress Can Erase Fears & Trauma (01:49:50) Erasing Fears & Traumas In 5 Minutes Per Day (01:59:42) Nutrition, Sleep, & Other General Support Erasing Fear & Trauma (02:02:30) Supplements for Anxiety, Fear: Saffron, Inositol, Kava (02:10:00) Synthesis (02:11:46) Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram, Twitter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer
Chapters
This podcast explores the biological mechanisms behind fear and trauma, as well as practical tools to face them.
00:00 - 02:27 (02:27)
Summary
This podcast explores the biological mechanisms behind fear and trauma, as well as practical tools to face them. Neuroscience has helped to understand the neural circuits and the ways to extinguish fears, using behavioral and drug therapies and brain machine interfaces.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
The podcast discusses concrete mechanisms and practical tools that can be used to deal with fear when it is unwanted.
02:27 - 09:42 (07:14)
Summary
The podcast discusses concrete mechanisms and practical tools that can be used to deal with fear when it is unwanted. Another topic discussed is InsideTracker which provides recommendations to bring numbers into the ranges that are best for immediate and long-term health.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
The parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is involved in the calming nervous system and can be leveraged to extinguish the fear response and replace it with non-fearful associations, making it possible to undo the fear response.
09:42 - 19:58 (10:15)
Summary
The parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is involved in the calming nervous system and can be leveraged to extinguish the fear response and replace it with non-fearful associations, making it possible to undo the fear response. Autonomic nervous system controls things like digestion, urination, sexual behavior, stress, and sleep.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
The threat reflex is how specific events get attached to our reflex sending a whole set of other functions into action like freezing, activation of the adrenals, activation of locus coeruleus, anti-pain system in the PAG, etc., leading to either fight or flight response depending upon how one wants to combat things that they feel threatened by.
19:58 - 26:33 (06:34)
Summary
The threat reflex is how specific events get attached to our reflex sending a whole set of other functions into action like freezing, activation of the adrenals, activation of locus coeruleus, anti-pain system in the PAG, etc., leading to either fight or flight response depending upon how one wants to combat things that they feel threatened by.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
This episode discusses the threat reflex and how it involves the release of adrenaline in the body.
26:33 - 32:26 (05:53)
Summary
This episode discusses the threat reflex and how it involves the release of adrenaline in the body. It also touches on the concept of adrenaline junkies and top-down processing in the brain.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
The fear response can be learned in association with specific events and can quickly batch many events in time in order to create one specific fear or a large general sense of fear, due to fear being an important aspect of the memory system.
32:26 - 42:55 (10:29)
Summary
The fear response can be learned in association with specific events and can quickly batch many events in time in order to create one specific fear or a large general sense of fear, due to fear being an important aspect of the memory system.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
Despite the anxiety response that can occur when individuals recount their traumatic experiences, a detailed recounting is essential for positive effects of therapy.
42:55 - 55:57 (13:02)
Summary
Despite the anxiety response that can occur when individuals recount their traumatic experiences, a detailed recounting is essential for positive effects of therapy. Mechanistic understanding of the fear circuits can provide treatments that can alleviate anxiety and pain relief.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
This podcast episode discusses how to rewire the brain to overcome fear and trauma by forming new positive associations to replace negative ones through repetition and recognition of the traumatic event.
55:57 - 1:02:55 (06:57)
Summary
This podcast episode discusses how to rewire the brain to overcome fear and trauma by forming new positive associations to replace negative ones through repetition and recognition of the traumatic event.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
Eye movements that are done while walking can help reduce amygdala activation, anxiety, threat reflex, and sympathetic autonomic arousal when resolving trauma or fear.
1:02:55 - 1:15:16 (12:20)
Summary
Eye movements that are done while walking can help reduce amygdala activation, anxiety, threat reflex, and sympathetic autonomic arousal when resolving trauma or fear. EMDR can be beneficial for single-event traumas or fearful experiences, not for more extensive traumas like a bad marriage or an entire childhood.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
The study suggests that ketamine and MDMA can provide trauma relief by allowing patients to recount their traumatic experiences while feeling a different set of emotional experiences than they experienced during the event.
1:15:16 - 1:32:07 (16:50)
Summary
The study suggests that ketamine and MDMA can provide trauma relief by allowing patients to recount their traumatic experiences while feeling a different set of emotional experiences than they experienced during the event. Additionally, research shows that severe or moderate abuse faced by the father can cause changes in genetics that can lead to lower thresholds for trauma in offspring.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
In this podcast, the host explores MDMA-assisted therapy with clinical psychologist, Dr. Ben Sessa, discussing how MDMA affects the chemical balance of the brain and how its use in psychotherapy can enhance recovery from trauma and fear.
1:32:07 - 1:40:33 (08:26)
Summary
In this podcast, the host explores MDMA-assisted therapy with clinical psychologist, Dr. Ben Sessa, discussing how MDMA affects the chemical balance of the brain and how its use in psychotherapy can enhance recovery from trauma and fear.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
A new study on mice shows that repeated exposure to short-term behavioral stress can significantly reduce preexisting depression-like symptoms induced by chronic stress.
1:40:33 - 1:51:45 (11:11)
Summary
A new study on mice shows that repeated exposure to short-term behavioral stress can significantly reduce preexisting depression-like symptoms induced by chronic stress.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
Researchers are exploring brief interventions that deliberately induce stress for therapeutic reasons, and which involves hyperventilating for five minutes a day, two weeks at a time, with the support of a clinician.
1:51:45 - 2:01:13 (09:28)
Summary
Researchers are exploring brief interventions that deliberately induce stress for therapeutic reasons, and which involves hyperventilating for five minutes a day, two weeks at a time, with the support of a clinician.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
Studies have shown that orally-ingested saffron at 30 milligrams is effective in reducing anxiety, while kava has shown positive effects related to anxiety, stress, PTSD, and fear in human studies.
2:01:13 - 2:10:38 (09:24)
Summary
Studies have shown that orally-ingested saffron at 30 milligrams is effective in reducing anxiety, while kava has shown positive effects related to anxiety, stress, PTSD, and fear in human studies.
EpisodeErasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
PodcastHuberman Lab
This podcast covers strategies for reducing fear and trauma, including deliberately inducing stress through respiration in order to boost the speed and effectiveness of treatments.
2:10:38 - 2:13:39 (03:01)
Summary
This podcast covers strategies for reducing fear and trauma, including deliberately inducing stress through respiration in order to boost the speed and effectiveness of treatments. The speaker also mentions re-exposure to a traumatic event as a potential means of reducing fear.