November 15, 2023 • 39min
LIVE EVENT Q&A: Dr. Andrew Huberman at Meridian Hall in Toronto
Huberman Lab
Key Takeaways
- Accessing the unconscious mind through practices like mirror work and analyzing dreams can provide valuable insights for mental health and self-understanding
- Fostering inspiration involves collecting diverse experiences and giving yourself time for quiet reflection to allow new ideas to emerge
- Combating seasonal depression requires extending bright light exposure in the morning as days get shorter, which can be done with artificial light sources
- Neuroplasticity is triggered by neuromodulators like serotonin and dopamine, which can be activated through various means including focused practice, psychedelics (in clinical settings), and playing musical instruments
- For those working at a desk all day, doing "soleus pushups" (heel raises) can help improve glucose utilization and insulin levels
- A morning perceptual exercise of shifting between different time domains by changing visual focus can improve task switching ability
Introduction
This episode features Dr. Andrew Huberman answering audience questions from a live event in Toronto, Ontario. The questions cover a wide range of topics related to neuroscience, mental health, and practical strategies for improving wellbeing and cognitive function. Dr. Huberman provides in-depth scientific explanations while also offering actionable advice that listeners can apply in their daily lives.
Topics Discussed
Motivation for Guest Series with Dr. Paul Conti (2:41)
Dr. Huberman explains his motivation for doing a podcast series with psychiatrist Dr. Paul Conti:
- To share Dr. Conti's vast expertise beyond just trauma, which his book focuses on
- To explore Dr. Conti's insights into the unconscious mind, which Huberman sees as underappreciated
- To provide practical tools for accessing the unconscious that don't require formal therapy
- To create a series on "mental fitness" to complement previous series on physical fitness
Dr. Huberman highlights some key concepts from the series, including:
- Using "liminal states" between waking and sleep to access the unconscious
- Analyzing dreams and symbols as a window into the unconscious
- Simple practices like mirror work for self-reflection
- Understanding relationship dynamics through drives like aggression, pleasure, and generativity
He emphasizes that the goal was to provide zero-cost tools for enhancing mental health independent of income level or access to therapy.
Enhancing Emotional Resilience (8:07)
Dr. Huberman discusses strategies for developing emotional resilience and effective responses in triggering situations:
- Acknowledges the challenge of controlling reactions in the moment
- Emphasizes the importance of practices done outside of triggering situations
- Highlights the role of good self-care, including sleep, in building resilience
- Suggests physiological sigh breathing as a potential in-the-moment tool
He notes that ultimately, emotional resilience comes from consistent practices that prepare the nervous system to handle stress, rather than trying to control reactions in the moment.
Fostering Sudden Inspiration (12:46)
Dr. Huberman explains how to foster inspiration and describes the brain activity associated with it:
- Emphasizes the importance of diverse inputs and experiences (citing "Strummer's Law: No input, no output")
- Recommends regular periods of quiet reflection without external stimuli
- Describes inspiration as a "geysering up" of stored information from the unconscious
- Distinguishes between "awe" (purely witnessing something impressive) and "delight" (when something connects to our personal narrative)
He suggests practices like walking or hiking without earphones to allow for wordless states that can foster new connections and ideas.
Combating Seasonal Depression (16:36)
Dr. Huberman provides a detailed explanation of circannual rhythms and strategies for combating seasonal depression:
- Explains how melatonin duration signals time of year to the brain
- Describes seasonal depression as linked to lengthening melatonin signals
- Recommends extending bright light exposure in the morning as days get shorter
- Suggests using artificial light sources like 900 lux drawing tablets if natural sunlight is unavailable
He emphasizes gradually increasing light exposure to "trick" the melatonin system into thinking days are longer than they actually are.
Increasing Neuroplasticity (22:45)
Dr. Huberman discusses various ways to increase neuroplasticity:
- Explains the role of neuromodulators like serotonin, dopamine, and acetylcholine in facilitating plasticity
- Discusses psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA as potential tools for increasing plasticity in clinical settings
- Emphasizes the importance of skilled guidance when using psychedelics therapeutically
- Highlights how playing musical instruments as a child can produce similar brain connectivity changes to psychedelics in adults
He cautions against using pharmacological or psychedelic approaches as a primary entry point for increasing neuroplasticity, suggesting they should be considered only in certain circumstances.
Movement Protocol for Desk Workers (28:46)
Dr. Huberman offers advice for maintaining health while working long hours at a desk:
- Recommends 150-200 minutes of zone 2 cardio per week
- Suggests resistance training 3 days per week
- Discusses the "soleus pushup" (heel raise) as a way to improve glucose utilization and insulin levels while sitting
- Mentions using standing desks or fidget devices to increase movement throughout the day
He emphasizes that while these strategies can help, they are not replacements for regular exercise and movement throughout the day.
Morning Meditation Practice (33:02)
Dr. Huberman describes his morning "meditation" practice, which he calls a perceptual exercise:
- Explains how perception of time is linked to visual focus and stress levels
- Describes the practice of "space-time bridging" - shifting attention between different visual domains and time scales
- Outlines the steps: internal focus, near focus, far focus, global focus
- Suggests this practice can improve task-switching ability
He recommends the book "The Secret Pulse of Time" for those interested in learning more about time perception and its manipulation.
Conclusion
Dr. Huberman concludes by expressing gratitude to the audience for their interest in the podcast and in science. He acknowledges that while he is the voice of the podcast, it is truly about the listeners and their engagement with the material. He emphasizes that the podcast is a team effort and a labor of love, driven by the goal of sharing scientific knowledge and practical tools to improve people's lives.
