#6: Neuroscience of Grief: In Memory of Max Lenail (1999 - ∞)

Synapsis explores the neurobiological mechanisms of grief in this episode. When we lose a loved one, a pet, an object, a hobby, or even a job, we are left with a pain that often feels inexplicable. Although grief is commonly associated with death, anything we love can slip away from us even without it.Why do we feel an emptiness after a loss? Why is heartbreak actually a "brain break"? What are the differences between grief and depression? What personal predispositions can shape our grieving process? Why do we mourn people we didn’t even know after natural disasters like earthquakes? What is collective grief? And what can help in the healing process?I tried to fit the answers to these questions into 30 minutes.

00:00 - 04:00 Intro04:00 - 08:00 Grief in Nature 08:00 - 09:00 Nucleus Accumbens, Dopamine, Oxytocin09:00 - 12:00 From Prairie Voles to Humans 12:00 - 16:00 Complicated Grief, Catecholamines 16:00 - 17:00 Depression vs. Grief 17:0 - 23:00 Hippocampus and Nucleus Accumbens Interactions 23:00- 27:00 Healing Techniques, Vagus Nerve, Vagal Tone 27:00 - 30:00 Collective Grief30:00 - 34:00 Closing Thoughts