Change Your BRAIN, Change Your LIFE! These Hacks Will Improve Your BRAIN | Dr. Daniel Amen (Replay)
Dr. Daniel Amen discusses how the brain is constantly influenced by past experiences, food, and environmental factors, introducing the concept of "dragons"—psychological patterns rooted in trauma and limiting beliefs. He outlines practical strategies for identifying and taming these dragons through cognitive reframing, bilateral hemisphere stimulation techniques like EMDR and Havening, and lifestyle interventions including diet, exercise, and clear goal-setting.
Summary
Dr. Daniel Amen explains that the brain is always "listening" to past experiences, current diet, marketing messages, and environmental inputs. He introduces thirteen identified "dragons"—psychological patterns or limiting beliefs stemming from past trauma that continue to negatively impact emotional regulation and decision-making. Examples include the anxious dragon, the abandoned/insignificant dragon, the wounded dragon (trauma-related), the inferior/flawed dragon (comparison-based), and the death dragon (fear of mortality). Over 100,000 people have taken Amen's online dragon assessment, with most people having approximately six dragons affecting their lives. Amen emphasizes that while dragons have downsides, they often have upsides—his experience of insignificance as a second son in a Lebanese family motivated him toward achievement and significance. The key to managing dragons is engaging the prefrontal cortex, which acts as the brain's "brake," to achieve balance between emotional drive and rational control. Amen shares personal trauma examples, including childhood trauma around his pet goat being slaughtered, which later triggered a panic attack in Mexico decades later, demonstrating how past memories remain connected to present emotional responses. For processing trauma, Amen details EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Havening techniques—both employing bilateral hemisphere stimulation to reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories. He describes how a police officer study using brain imaging showed that EMDR sessions reduced the characteristic "diamond pattern" of PTSD activation in the limbic system. Amen recounts how Havening (bilateral touch while recalling trauma) helped him process his father's death, shifting his emotional response to a photograph from irritation to love. Amen stresses the importance of accurate thinking over positive thinking, using five cognitive questions to challenge distortions: Is it true? Is it absolutely true with 100% certainty? How do I feel when I believe this thought? Who would I be without the thought? And what's the opposite/alternative thought? He emphasizes that people must repeat this exercise at least 100 times to retrain automatic negative thought patterns. Amen introduces the concept of playing the "Glad Game" (from Pollyanna) to train the brain to identify positive elements in difficult situations, which he credits with helping him develop skill in reframing. Regarding goal-setting, Amen argues that having clear, specific goals is foundational to brain health and decision-making. He recommends defining goals across five domains—relationships, work, money, physical health, and emotional/spiritual health—rather than pursuing money as a primary goal, which he describes as a "prescription for unhappiness." He posts his goals in multiple locations and regularly asks himself: "Does my behavior today fit the goals I have for my life?" Amen extensively addresses diet as critical to brain function, having published studies on 35,000 brain scans showing a linear correlation between increasing body weight and decreased brain activity across virtually every brain area. He emphasizes the phrase "only love food that loves you back" and warns against highly processed, pesticide-sprayed, high-glycemic foods stored in plastic. He notes that 72% of Americans are overweight and 42% are obese, with excess fat producing inflammatory cytokines linked to depression and dementia. The fat on the body also converts healthy testosterone into unhealthy estrogen forms and stores toxins. Amen presents neuroscience-based supplementation data: 97% of the population is low in omega-3 fatty acids, and approximately 80% are deficient in vitamin D. Regarding marijuana, Amen cites his study of 1,000 users showing decreased activity across all brain areas. He emphasizes particular concern for teenage use, noting his research on 62,000 brain scans showing that marijuana accelerates brain aging more than alcohol or smoking, causing reduced blood flow to the brain. Amen advocates reframing "mental illness" as "brain health issues," arguing this perspective empowers people to recognize they can improve their brains through behavioral changes. He describes working with Justin Bieber, whose recognition that "my brain is an organ like my heart is an organ" motivated radical behavioral changes and improvement. Amen presents a high school course called "Brain Thrive by 25" that uses gamification to demonstrate that people with healthier brains achieve better outcomes across relationships, education, employment, and personal consistency.
About this episode
<p>[Original air date: August 26, 2021]. You’re living in a society that has normalized everything that should be far from normal. From the time you open your eyes, your brain is kicking in and most likely living in overdrive. The unfortunate truth is most likely you’re not even aware of all the ways your brain is under attack.</p><p>Social media is being consumed at an unhealthy rate in both your personal and business life. Even if you have a generally healthy diet, processed foods and chemicals that damage the brain are still sneaking into your body’s system. Is there any wonder why anxiety, stress, and depression, trauma and PTSD are now considered to be the norm? Dr. Daniel Amen is a psychiatrist, brain scan expert and third time guest.</p><p>In this episode, he’s unleashing the truth about the emotional dragons you are likely dealing with. He gets into some of the most common dragons attacking your emotional brain today, anxious, wounded and inferior to name a few. If you’re low-key feeling attacked on a daily basis, breathe deep and listen in on ways you can start changing your brain and changing your life for the better.</p><p><br /></p><p>Follow Dr. Daniel Amen:</p><p>Website: https://danielamenmd.com/ </p><p>YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AmenClinic </p><p>Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amen_Clinics </p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doc_amen/ </p><p>Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmenClinic </p><p>Podcast: https://www.amenclinics.com/podcast/</p><p><br /></p><p>SPONSORS:</p><p>Get 5 free AG1 Travel Packs and a FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D with your first purchase at <a href="https://bit.ly/AG1Impact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/AG1Impact</a>.</p><p>Right now, Kajabi is offering a 30-day free trial to start your own business if you go to <a href="https://bit.ly/Kajabi-Impact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/Kajabi-Impact</a>.</p><p>Head to <a href="http://www.insidetracker.com/" target="_blank">www.insidetracker.com</a> and use code “IMPACTTHEORY” to get 20% off!</p><p>Learn a new language and get 55% off at <a href="https://bit.ly/BabbelImpact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/BabbelImpact</a>.</p><p>Try NordVPN risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee by going to <a href="https://bit.ly/NordVPNImpact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/NordVPNImpact</a></p><p>Give online therapy a try at <a href="https://bit.ly/BetterhelpImpact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/BetterhelpImpact</a> and get on your way to being your best self.</p><p>Go to <a href="https://bit.ly/PlungeImpact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/PlungeImpact</a> and use code IMPACT to get $150 off your incredible cold plunge tub today.</p><p><strong><em>***Are You Ready for EXTRA Impact?***</em></strong></p><p>If you’re ready to find true fulfillment, strengthen your focus, and ignite your true potential, the Impact Theory subscription was created just for you.</p><p>Want to transform your health, sharpen your mindset, improve your relationship, or conquer the business world? 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Key Insights
- Amen argues that the brain continuously processes past trauma, current environmental inputs, and dietary factors simultaneously, making it essential to address all these influences rather than relying solely on psychological intervention.
- Dragons (limiting belief patterns) stemming from childhood experiences operate with both downsides and upsides—Amen's insignificance dragon motivated achievement, demonstrating that trauma-driven patterns can be channeled productively if managed consciously.
- Bilateral hemisphere stimulation techniques like EMDR and Havening work by reducing emotional activation in the limbic system without requiring conscious narrative reframing, though intentional positive reframing can enhance the effect.
- Amen's research on 35,000 brain scans shows a linear correlation between body weight and decreased brain activity across nearly all brain regions, indicating that obesity directly impacts cognitive function independent of psychological factors.
- Amen found that marijuana accelerates brain aging more severely than alcohol or smoking in his 62,000-scan study, contradicting public perception that marijuana is less harmful than other substances.
- Accuracy in thinking—not positivity—is the goal of cognitive work; excessive positive thinking without grounding in reality creates dangerous behavior (like driving 125 mph in rain), requiring prefrontal cortex engagement for balance.
- People require explicit, specific goals defined across five domains (relationships, work, money, physical, emotional/spiritual) posted in multiple locations to consistently make decisions aligned with their values, rather than pursuing money as a primary goal.
- Amen contends that reframing 'mental illness' language to 'brain health' empowers behavioral change by positioning the brain as an improvable organ rather than a fixed pathology.
Topics
Transcript
because i really think better brain better decisions better brain better relationships better brain more money better brain better life hey everybody welcome to another episode of health theory today we are joined by a psychiatrist best-selling author and a brain scan ninja, Dr. Amen. Thank you so much for being here. I always love spending time with you and reading your books. They are incredible, have been life-changing for me. And the most recent one, Your Brain Is Always Listening, is no exception. So thank you so much for being here. Well, thank you for helping me spread the word about brain health. So speaking of the brain, if it's always listening, what is it always listening to? And…
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