In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explore the sensations of pain and pleasure, explaining how they are sensed in the body and interpreted by the brain as well as methods to control their intensity.
I discuss both the hardwired mechanisms and subjective factors that shape an individual’s perception of pain and pleasure. I also explain why pain thresholds vary from person to person and discuss various treatments for pain management such as acupuncture and supplements. Finally, I explain the role of key neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin in mediating our experience of pain and pleasure.
Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
00:00:00 Pain & Pleasure
00:00:39 Skin, Appetitive vs Aversive Behaviors
00:02:10 Skin, Neurons & Brain
00:04:46 Brain Interpretation, Homunculus, Two-Point Discrimination Test
00:07:43 Pain & Pleasure, Subjective Interpretation
00:09:53 Sponsor: AG1
00:11:30 Tool: Pain & Expectation
00:13:08 Pain Threshold
00:14:46 Heat & Cold, Tool: Moving into Cold or Hot Environments
00:16:37 Subjective Pain, Psychosomatic, Fibromyalgia, Whole Body Pain, Acetyl-L-carnitine
00:20:54 Acupuncture, Electroacupuncture, Pain Management
00:23:44 Sponsors: LMNT & Eight Sleep
00:26:36 Red Heads & Pain Threshold, Endorphins
00:28:32 Improving Pain Threshold, Dopamine
00:30:00 Pleasure, Dopamine, Serotonin; Depression, Anti-depressants
00:34:12 Pleasure & Pain Balance, Dopamine, Addiction
00:36:08 Recap & Key Takeaways
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