Our brain pathways are designed to get us through life’s traumas, as painful and debilitating as they are. Neurologist Lisa Shulman, MD, joins us this week to talk about how to make sense of grief, how trauma interrupts the connection between the cognitive and emotional parts of the brain, and how the brain learns to consolidate traumatic experiences and allow us to move forward.

Plus… humans are not the only creatures to feel grief – hear how other animals experience loss.

Women obviously go through many changes to their bodies and their minds when they become mothers. But what about fathers? Although moms have been studied extensively, few people have paid any attention to what happens to men when they become dads. Do they go through any physical changes at all? Do they also experience hormone surges and shrinking brains like women do (yes mom and dads, your brains got smaller). Do they also suffer from depression and anxiety?

Dr. Darby Saxbe has dedicated her career to studying fathers, and in her new book, Dad Brain, the New Science of Fatherhood, she reveals things about fathers that are as surprising as they are dramatic, discoveries which could have enormous impact on how society views dear old dads, and their role in raising children.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

Dr. Fred Luskin, director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects, explains how releasing resentment can transform both mind and body. Drawing on decades of research and work with people in war-torn regions around the world, Luskin explains why forgiveness is a powerful act of healing for the forgiver. He shares compelling stories and practical steps to help keep past hurts from stealing your peace today.

Plus, the Zulu concept of Ubuntu and how South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission used Ubuntu to help guide a nation’s journey towards healing.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

What are your dreams really telling you? Renowned sleep researcher Dr. Robert Stickgold joins Dr. Stieg to unravel the mysteries of dreaming. From the bizarre to the brilliant, dreams are a window into how the brain processes memory, emotion, and problem-solving. Learn why your brain needs to dream, how dreams shape your waking life, and what science says about interpreting them. Whether you're a vivid dreamer or rarely remember a thing, this episode will change the way you think about what your brain is doing when you go to sleep at night.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

What happens when your hands refuse to listen to your brain? For Alexandra Lebenthal, essential tremor was more than a neurological disorder, it was a lifelong challenge that affected everything from drinking water in meetings to giving public speeches.

In this deeply personal episode, Alexandra shares her journey from a childhood marked by frustration and embarrassment to becoming one of the first patients in the U.S. to undergo focused ultrasound, a groundbreaking, non-invasive treatment that changed her life.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

Everyone loves a good story. And so do our brains. Whether its books, movies, fairy tales, or even office gossip, stories are much more than just entertainment. According to Dr. Fritz Breithaupt, narratives in our lives are way more powerful than we realize. We don’t just enjoy stories, we actually need them. But why are they so important? Does the brain gain anything from a good plot on your favorite Netflix series, or the well-developed characters in an Oscar winning film?

There is actually something much more important in a good story, a reward for our brains that has actually been essential to human survival.

Plus, tales of Dungeons & Dragons as therapy!

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

We all do it - put things off, tell ourselves we'll start tomorrow, and somehow still miss the deadline. But chronic procrastination isn’t just a bad habit; it’s self-sabotaging behavior that can derail our goals, relationships, and even our health.

Psychologist Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a leading expert on procrastination, breaks down the emotional roots of procrastination, debunks the myth that we “work best under pressure,” and offers science-backed strategies for change.

Plus - meet one of history’s most legendary procrastinators: Leonardo da Vinci. Find out how his epic delays shaped the Mona Lisa, and why some believe he never truly finished it.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

For five seasons now, I've been delighted to explore the wonders of the brain with my guests as well as with you, my listeners. Podcasting is fun and enlightening, and I've heard from many of you that it's been helpful as well as informative. It's also time-consuming, especially given my busy practice and my administrative duties as department chair. That's why the podcast is going on hiatus before Season 6 begins to let me attend to some of my other work for a while.

I hope you take this opportunity to catch up on episodes you may have missed over the past five seasons. There are more than 100 fascinating guests and topics to explore at your leisure. From anger to dance moves to stem cells, these episodes cover a fascinating range of topics, all centered on our most intricate and complicated organ, the brain.

See you in season 6!

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For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org