Hypnosis, Brain Hacking, & Mental Mastery - Dr David Spiegel - #985

Modern Wisdom

08/25/25

•

93m

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Dr. David Spiegel is a psychiatrist, Stanford professor, and leading authority on hypnosis and stress-related health.

What exactly is hypnosis? Most of us picture it as a magician’s trick, when someone dangles a watch, your eyes get heavy, and suddenly you’re suggestible. But that barely scratches the surface. The real question is, what’s the true purpose of hypnosis? And what if we aren’t just hypnotized during those sessions, but in some sense all the time, walking through life under subtle trances we don’t even notice?

Expect to learn what Dr. Speigel thinks most people misunderstand about what hypnosis is or how it works, what’s actually happening in the brain when we enter a hypnotic state, if anyone can be hypnotized or is there a specific “profile” of someone more likely to respond, the neurobiological difference between someone pretending to be hypnotized vs. someone actually in a trance state, how effective hypnosis is for improving sleep, the role hypnosis could play in reducing our reliance on pharmaceuticals, and much more...

Timestamps:

(0:00) The Biggest Misunderstandings About Hypnosis

(6:00) Why Can We Be Hypnotised?

(22:44) What is Hypnosis?

(25:24) Why are Some People Hypnotisable and Others Not?

(34:04) Predicting Hypnotisability Through Genes

(38:54) Can You Train Hypnotisability?

(41:28) Is In-Person Hypnosis More Effective?

(54:21) Training Your Brain to Tolerate Pain

(01:04:51) How to Use Self-Hypnosis to Maximum Effect

(01:07:08) What Areas Could Hypnosis Be Combined With?

(01:11:57) The Positive Effects of Breath Work

(01:15:15) David’s Stand Out Hypnosis Cases

(01:24:31) Overcoming Resistance with Hypnosis

(01:30:29) Why Has Hypnosis Been Sidelined in Modern Medicine?

(01:32:42) Find Out More About David

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Episodes You Might Enjoy:

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Previous Episode

Why We’re Drawn to Death, Crime, & Danger - Coltan Scrivner - #984

August 23, 2025

•

66m

Coltan Scrivner is a behavioral scientist, an expert on morbid curiosity in horror and true‐crime media, and an author.

Why are humans so curious about death? From car accidents to scary stories, roller coasters, and horror movies, some people are fascinated while others are repulsed. What draws us toward the very things we should naturally want to avoid?

Expect to learn why humans are drawn to dark or morbid content and the evolutionary logic behind watching something that disturbs us, why there is a gender gap of who is more interested in morbid curiosity, why some people find serial killers fascinating while others are repulsed, the biggest differences between terror and horror & the connection between disgust and fascination, what horror can teach us about emotional self-regulation, and much more...

Timestamps:

(0:00) Why are We Drawn to Dark Content?

(7:20) The 4 Domains of Morbid Curiosity

(15:25) Morbid Curiosity in Evolution

(22:51) Individual Difference in Morbid Curiosity

(34:05) What is So Attractive About Serial Killers?

(37:46) Why are Certain Groups Attracted to Certain Types of Morbid Content?

(47:17) The Perfect Ingredients for a Horror Movie

(57:14) Why is There Increasing Desensitisation to Morbid Content?

(01:02:59) Find Out More About Colton

Sponsors:

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Extra Stuff:

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Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get In Touch:

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Next Episode

How Love Dies: The Psychology of Cheating & Attraction - Esther Perel - #986

August 28, 2025

•

84m

Esther Perel is a psychotherapist, podcaster, and New York Times bestselling author.

Why do modern relationships feel so difficult? Even the happiest couples on the outside often hide unspoken rules and silent expectations that slowly erode intimacy. Resentment grows, trust fractures, and love feels harder to sustain. So how can men and women build partnerships that endure in today’s ever-changing world?

Expect to learn what the “Mankeeping” trend is that is going on with women right now, how women can support emotional openness in men without mothering or emasculating them, why there is an adversarial and tribal dynamic between men and women in the modern world, why women get bored with monogamy more quickly than men, if companies should rethink their approach to workplace romance and much more...

Timestamps:

(0:00) Red Flags Don’t Look Like Red Flags Through Rose Coloured Glasses

(6:57) Why We Should Avoid Polarising Attachment Discourse

(12:12) The Difficulties Behind Male Friendships

(20:23) What is Driving Male Loneliness?

(37:53) What is Pushing Men and Women Apart?

(44:39) The Growing Separation of Societal Groups

(50:47) Why Do We Cheat?

(55:28) What are the Early Signs of Deadness?

(01:01:32) Do Women Get Bored of Monogamy More Quickly Than Men?

(01:09:37) How Do Men and Women Relate in the Workplace?

(01:21:12) Find Out More About Esther