The FitMind Podcast: Mental Fitness, Neuroscience & Psychology

Rites of Passage & the Wisdom in Collapse explores how personal crisis can function as initiation, drawing on contemplative practice, psychology, and wisdom traditions to explain why avoiding discomfort often deepens suffering and why meeting it skillfully can transform us.
In this episode of The FitMind Podcast, we sit down with Linda Thai, therapist and meditation teacher, to examine what it means to grow up as individuals and as a culture. Rather than viewing breakdown as failure, Linda frames it as a descent — a necessary stripping away of outdated identities and rigid patterns that allows for integration and renewal.
We explore how modern life has largely removed meaningful rites of passage, how this absence contributes to addiction, burnout, and disconnection, and why surrender is often misunderstood. Linda describes maturation as a shift from avoidance to discernment, from compulsive striving toward restraint, reciprocity, and community.
Topics include:
How rites of passage traditionally supported psychological development
Why avoiding pain often becomes the source of suffering
The parallels between personal collapse and collective crisis
The difference between hustle culture and nourishment
How community supports skillful engagement with discomfort
A grounded, reflective conversation for anyone navigating transition, identity shifts, or collective uncertainty and for those interested in how maturity develops through discomfort rather than in spite of it.
FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind
Website: www.fitmind.org
Show Notes
0:00 | Collapse, initiation, and why maturity matters 1:20 | Introducing Linda Thai 2:58 | Identity, displacement, and belonging 6:45 | Alaska, Buddhism, and discovering interdependent happiness 12:16 | From practice to vocation 17:46 | Addiction, avoidance, and sitting with discomfort 19:34 | Rites of passage and confronting shadow 24:30 | Rough initiations and collective descent 31:17 | Are retreats modern rites of passage? 33:40 | Vipassana and observing the thinking mind 36:29 | The wisdom in collapse 41:05 | Community, addiction, and modern disconnection 42:16 | Nourishment vs hustle culture 46:38 | What a nourished life looks like 50:33 | Suffering with grace 51:19 | Intention and living into maturity 52:37 | You can't think your way into a new way of living 53:19 | Closing reflections

The Science of Letting Go explores how meditation works in the brain, drawing on neuroscience, predictive processing, and contemplative science to explain how letting go reduces stress, softens self-related thinking, and changes perception over time.
In this episode of The FitMind Podcast, we sit down with PhD researcher Shawn Prest from Monash University about what's actually happening under the hood when we meditate. Rather than framing letting go as a vague emotional release, Shawn describes it as a measurable shift in how the brain assigns confidence to its highest-level models, including the sense of self.
They explore how the brain functions as a prediction system, why excessive certainty can create mental tension and suffering, and how meditation helps loosen rigid patterns by shifting perception toward more direct sensory experience. These changes can support greater equanimity, reduced reactivity, and long-term improvements in well-being.
Topics include:
How meditation changes self-related brain activity

What "letting go" means from a neuroscience perspective

The difference between insight-based and absorption-based meditation paths

Why equanimity feels relieving rather than dull or passive

A grounded, science-forward conversation for anyone curious about how meditation really works and why letting go can reduce suffering.
FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind
Website: www.fitmind.org
Show Notes
0:00 | Intro and why study the mechanics of meditation 
4:40 | From meditator to researcher
9:10 | The brain as a prediction machine
14:20 | Valence, well-being, and suffering
18:50 | Why computational models matter
24:30 | Hierarchies in the brain
31:10 | What letting go actually is
37:40 | Why letting go feels relieving
43:50 | Mental tension vs physical tension
49:30 | Modeling letting go computationally
55:50 | Applying letting go on a stressful day
1:02:30 | Trauma, caution, and meditation
1:09:20 | Jhana and insight paths
1:18:40 | Cessation and lasting change
1:27:30 | Equanimity as perception
1:34:40 | The future science of awakening

Clinical psychologist and contemplative science researcher Dr. Nicholas Van Dam joins us to explore the ethics of meditation and what scientific research reveals about how contemplative practices actually work. He examines how much practice is needed to see meaningful change, why challenging experiences can arise, and what current methods can and cannot reliably measure.
We discuss the importance of informed consent in meditation, the role of wisdom traditions alongside modern science, and why honesty and nuance are essential as these practices enter mental health, education, and digital platforms. Dr. Van Dam also shares how contemplative science can support deeper understanding, responsibility, and care as meditation becomes more widely adopted.
 
FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind
Website: www.fitmind.org
 
SHOW NOTES
0:00 | Science, wisdom traditions, and the modern search for meaning
1:46 | Introducing Nicholas Van Dam and the ethics of contemplative science
3:00 | Early life, religious roots, and the path into meditation research
5:35 | From brain science to real-world mental health impact
7:30 | Building an agnostic contemplative research centre in Australia
13:10 | Ethics, bias, and responsibility in meditation research
17:00 | Translating between science and wisdom traditions
20:45 | How much meditation is enough? What dose-response research shows
26:45 | Challenging meditation experiences and informed consent
33:00 | The "missing middle": maps, stages, and what comes after beginner programs
40:50 | Equanimity, emotion, and tensions with modern life and values
52:45 | Engagement vs efficacy: why some practices are easier to sustain
1:03:00 | Retreats, daily practice, sleep, and intensity trade-offs
1:13:00 | Neuroplasticity and the limits of brain-based explanations
1:17:15 | Neurofeedback, psychedelics, and the ethics of shortcuts
1:24:15 | Mapping inner experience and the future of contemplative science
1:32:15 | AI, teachers, and scaling wisdom without losing depth
1:38:20 | The future of contemplative science and FitMind's role
1:45:21 | Where to learn more
Contemplative Studies Centre Website: https://psychologicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/CSC
Nicholas Van Dam's Personal Website: https://www.nicholastvandam.com

Social neuroscientist Dr. Tania Singer joins us to explore the science of empathy, compassion, and the plasticity of the social brain. She breaks down why empathy and compassion are entirely different neural states, what her research with Buddhist monks revealed, and why compassion, not empathy, is the more resilient response to suffering.
We discuss the ReSource Project's surprising findings, including why interpersonal "dyadic" practices reduce social stress far better than solo meditation. Dr. Singer also shares how these practices are being brought into schools, healthcare, and even economic thinking to help create a more caring society.
 
FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind
Website: www.fitmind.org
SHOW NOTES
00:00 | Empathy vs. Compassion: Understanding the Brain Networks 
02:57 | The Journey into Social Neuroscience
06:15 | Landmark Studies on Empathy and Pain
10:50 | Compassion: A Deeper Understanding
14:32 | The Resource Project: Mental Training Programs
20:47 | Dyadic Practices: Enhancing Social Connection
24:34 | Cortisol Levels and Social Stress
28:40 | Implementing Programs in Education and Healthcare
34:14 | Caring Economics: A New Vision for Society
40:49 | Where to Find Dr. Singer's Courses
Dr. Singer's Website: https://taniasinger.de

Cognitive scientist Dr. Therese Huston joins The FitMind Podcast to share practical, research-backed ways to sharpen focus, lower stress, and keep the brain healthy at any age. Drawing from decades of neuroscience, she explains why multitasking quietly erodes attention and memory and what to do instead.
We explore simple, realistic habits that help your mind function at its best: 20-minute single-task blocks, 40 Hz binaural beats for deep focus, and a brief 5-2-7 breathing technique that can quickly calm the nervous system. Dr. Huston also highlights how aerobic movement, dance, and social connection drive neurogenesis and long-term brain vitality.
If you've ever felt scattered, stressed, or mentally drained, this episode offers grounded science and clear tools for regaining clarity and calm in daily life.
 
FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind
Website: www.fitmind.org
SHOW NOTES
00:00 | Intro to Dr. Therese Huston

07:45 | Wellness overwhelm and how she filters research into usable habits

10:06 | Why "practical" matters more than trendy protocols

12:20 | The multitasking myth: short-term mood boost, long-term costs

17:09 | Live demo: single-tasking vs alternating tasks

19:40 | Errors, brain activity, and stress during multitasking

21:51 | Escaping the multitasking loop with timers and clear agreements

24:30 | Focus tools: how to use 40 Hz binaural beats

28:47 | Why multitasking feels productive and how to reframe arousal

32:33 | Before a talk: "excited, not anxious" and stress-as-fuel

36:03 | Guided 5-2-7 breathing and what it does in the body

41:18 | CO₂, vagus nerve, and decision quality after breath cycles

43:19 | Rethinking "amygdala hijack" and protecting prefrontal control

48:18 | BDNF, neurogenesis, and an aerobic exercise target for memory

51:24 | Dance, social connection, and brain longevity

52:53 | Quick fire: myths to ditch and personal focus resets

54:45 | Exercise snacks and team culture ideas