Stress Response Archives - Big Think

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A man in a suit sits on a chair against a white backdrop, with torn paper edges revealing dark storm clouds on the left and a sunny sky with clouds on the right.

Why forcing positivity after trauma doesn’t build resilience

“There are at least three very much interrelated misconceptions about trauma right now.”

A woman sits on a chair against a white backdrop, with yellow graphics of brain wave patterns in the background.

Move your body, grow your brain: the science of hippocampal neurogenesis

“We know that as little as 10 minutes of walking can improve your mood, getting that bubble bath with the dopamine, serotonin, endorphins going. Anybody can do that.”

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The Big Think Interview

Most people freeze in a crisis. Here’s why — and how to stop it

“The fear of panic has killed more people than most disasters themselves.”

A man in a suit looks upward with a surprised expression. There is a fiery effect in the foreground. Buildings and people are visible in the background.

How your brain works in an emergency, in 9 minutes

"Humans, like most mammals, tend to shut down in really frightening situations for which they have no training or prior experience. Researchers call it negative panic. People do nothing. They shut down."

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Legends

How the body keeps the score of trauma

Acclaimed psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, author of “The Body Keeps The Score,” discusses the widespread existence of trauma and how it settles in our bodies.

Bessel van der Kolk

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The Well

You have 3 brains. This is how to use them.

You’ve heard about your "lizard brain." But what about the other two?

Robert M Sapolsky

John Templeton Foundation

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