Years ago, while studying with my mentor-professor at NYU, Zoran Josipovic - who was looking at brains scans of monks - I decided to stay for a few months at various monasteries. One of them was Deer Park - under...READ MORE

As we approach the end of the year, we may start notice within ourselves - and others - feelings of exhaustion, burn out, feeling frazzled or overwhelmed.     There are seasons that are influenced socially and symbolically.. for example,...READ MORE

Connection is a 'biological imperative'. Being a mammal means that we are extremely 'nurture-dependent'. We cannot survive without connection to another. On the one hand, each human must become self regulating to a certain degree. Self-regulation is what we do...READ MORE

Whether it's asking a question, raising our hands, speaking in public, posting or publishing, expressing something new, asking someone out, having a difficult conversation, setting a boundary, or wanting to have a new experience that challenges us…  our ability to...READ MORE

When we truly understand the power of the human brain, and we authentically become learners, neuroscience becomes a language of the human spirit - one that empowers and inspires.  Unfortunately, it can also become a language of buzzwords, hype and...READ MORE

As we approach the holidays and important moments in history… are there social or family dynamics that feel like repeats or remnants from the past?   Do you sometimes get the feeling that nothing ever really changes?  Repeating history isn’t...READ MORE

Purpose isn't just some grandiose, once-in-a-lifetime discovery. It's not a single "aha" moment where suddenly everything clicks. Instead, we can view a sense of purpose as an ongoing narrative that evolves with our unique sensitivities* and experiences - and the...READ MORE

"One thing about human intelligence is absolutely certain: it is malleable, meaning it can be changed through exposure to new information or even by looking at what you already know in a new way.  There is no limit to what...READ MORE

Emotion regulation doesn't mean being calm and collected all the time. It's about range and repertoire, and an ability to intentionally shift into a state we prefer.  A state that 'feels better'.  Feeling better is always relative - if we...READ MORE

The brain, more than anything, is a predictive system. It conserves energy by attempting to predict - rather than truly understand - what is in front of it. When information is missing, it fills in the blanks based on its...READ MORE

“Your brain - every brain - is a work in progress. It is 'plastic.' From the day we're born to the day we die, it continuously revises and remodels, improving or slowly declining, as a function of how we use...READ MORE