A Healthy More Resilient Brain with Brant Cortright, Ph.D.

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Brant Cortright, Ph.D. brings brain research into a new dimension by putting it into a holistic health context. Cortright’s lessons about brain health incorporate body, heart, mind, and spirit. He clarifies some common misconceptions, and shares how we can help our brains thrive and grow, including what we might be doing to unknowingly cause harm. Emotions are a critical element of our brain function, he says. “Having relationships and having feelings which are mostly in the positive spectrum is really good for our brain.” Isolation and loneliness are becoming the biggest risk factor for diseases and are most harmful to our brain, he says. He discusses how much greater our cognitive capacity could be if we made changes in our daily habits, and says “most people think of the brain as either healthy or unhealthy, but it turns out that what we think of as the normal healthy brain is actually operating at a level much below optimal…we are living in such a neurotoxic world, there are so many assaults that our brain is taking in…almost all of us are operating well below our capacity.” Listen to find Dr. Brant Cortright’s recommendations for achieving optimal brain function. (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)

Bio

Brant Cortright, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies. His consulting practice specializes in brain health and neuroscience-informed depth therapy.

He’s the author of:

• Psychotherapy and Spirit: Theory and Practice in Transpersonal Psychotherapy (Suny Series in the Philosophy of Psychology) (Suny Series, Philosophy of Psychology) (State University of New York Press 1997)
• Integral Psychology: Yoga, Growth, and Opening the Heart (Suny Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology) (State University of New York Press 2007)
• The Neurogenesis Diet and Lifestyle: Upgrade Your Brain, Upgrade Your Life (Psychic Media 2015)

To learn more about the work of Brant Cortright go to www.brantcortright.com.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• What is neurogenesis and how can we stimulate it
• What is really happening in a depressed brain
• How do depression medications affect the brain
• Why is sleep so important
• What happens when neurogenesis slows down
• How is “emotion navigation” useful
• What are some ways to improve neurogenesis
• What is cognitive reserve and how does it protect the brain from Alzheimer’s
• How is our virtual community harming our brain health

Host: Justine Willis Toms   Interview Date: 8/11/2015   Program Number: 3554

Music Playlist

From Album: Planet Passion
Artist: Ancient Future
2001 Ancient Future #AF-2010

Opening Essay: Track 01 Simsimay Panima
Music Break 1: Track 04 I Met Her In the Medowe.b
Music Break 2: Track 05 Ocean of Love
Music Break 3: Track 01 Simsimay Panima (reprise)