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Inside your head
is an unexplored world.
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It holds all that you know,
everything you feel,
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and thoughts
you aren't even aware of.
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Now science is searching
the hidden reaches of our minds,
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decoding its inner language
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to discover
our true mental power
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and to understand the mysteries
of the subconscious.
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Space, time, life itself.
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The secrets of the cosmos
lie through the wormhole.
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♪ Through the Wormhole 03x08 ♪
Mysteries of the Subconscious
Original Air Date on July 25, 2012
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== sync, corrected by elderman ==
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The subconscious --
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it's the source of our
primal fears and desires,
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the wellspring of our dreams,
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the place where
our alter egos lurk.
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But as modern neuroscience
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explores the frontiers
of our minds,
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we're discovering
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the subconscious controls
our every waking moment.
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If we can truly understand
our unthinking minds,
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we could all become
smarter, healthier,
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and more creative
than we ever dreamed possible.
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I was eight years old when I got
on stage for the first time.
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I had to re-enact
"Little Boy Blue."
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Even though
the poem was only 12 lines long,
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I was certain
I was going to mess it up.
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But the moment I began to speak,
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some hidden part of me
seemed to take over.
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The lines flowed out of me
without a hitch.
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And I felt like
I wasn't even there.
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How is it we are able
to do something so complex
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without even thinking?
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Marcus Raichle
is a neuroscientist
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at Washington University
School of Medicine
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in St. Louis, Missouri.
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He is constantly amazed
at what our brains can do.
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We have memories
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that have to do with
how I move my hands and legs
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and all this kind of thing,
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for which we have
no conscious sense
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of how this is all implemented.
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We kind of forget how
complicated these things are.
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As an amateur musician,
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Marcus likes to compare
our brain's separate functions,
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like vision, hearing, memory,
and muscle control,
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to the individual players
in a musical ensemble.
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And for him,
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the miracle of the brain is how
it gets these complex systems
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to perform in perfect harmony...
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...rather than like this...
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After years spent
imaging brains,
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Marcus eventually discovered
an entire mental network
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that coordinates our movements
with our senses,
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and it turns on
the moment you stop thinking.
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Nobody was even
looking for this.
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It was almost by accident.
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It came to our attention
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that if you just
were laying in a scanner
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and we were looking
at your brain
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and then we asked you
to do something,
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not only did things go up,
but certain things went down.
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Certain parts
of the brain seem to turn off
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whenever we begin a task.
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Those same regions
become highly active
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whenever we are quiet
and relaxed.
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Marcus calls these
linked sections of the brain
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the Default Mode Network,
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because the brain defaults
to this activity
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whenever we are not
doing anything else.
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In fact, the brain is just
as active in this default mode
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as when we're
consciously doing something.
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After careful analysis, Marcus
thinks he understands why.
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The default mode
is deeply important
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in creating an ability
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to predict
what's gonna happen next.
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I think it's really critical.
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In the same way that
an ensemble's musical director
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organizes the group's music,
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the Default Mode Network
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organizes
all the functions of the brain
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so that mind and body
are always on the same page.
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But is our subconscious
always the servant
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of our conscious mind?
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Or can it also take charge?
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Henrik Ehrsson, a neuroscientist
in Stockholm, Sweden,
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is obsessed with his body.
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In fact,
he thinks about bodies nonstop
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because he wants to know
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exactly how our minds
control our bodies.
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Well, here I stand,
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like a sculpture
of skin and bone and joints.
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But I feel alive.
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I feel my conscious experience
in my entire body.
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My body feels like part of me.
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And what I'm interested in is to
understand how can that can be.
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How can we have
this experience
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of our own body
as part of ourselves,
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distinct from
the rest of the world?
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Welcome to the Dollhouse.
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These limbs, cameras, and knives
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are actually part
of a scientific experiment
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designed by Henrik
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to play with
our subconscious mind's sense
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of who and where we are.
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Well, we knew that there's
lots of processes in the brain
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that we are not aware of that
happens at a subconscious level.
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What we try to understand
is what makes those signals
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become part of
our conscious experience.
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A blindfolded subject
is led into a room
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with two beds,
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one for himself
and the other for a small doll.
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It's important that you try not
to move during the experiment.
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Okay?
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We use head-mounted displays
that we connect to cameras.
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So, there's two screens in front
of the participant eyes.
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And each screen is connected
to one video camera,
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which we can mount on the head
of a mannequin or a doll.
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So when you look down, you don't
see your own body anymore.
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You see the doll
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from the natural,
first-person perspective.
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The subject feels
the stroking on his leg
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but sees the stroking
on the doll's leg,
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so his brain is fooled
into thinking
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that the doll's legs
are actually his own.
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And what happens then
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is the brain just fuses
what you see and what you feel,
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and boom, you feel like
the doll or the mannequin.
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We think the brain creates
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like an internal model
of your own body,
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and we think the brain does that
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by integrating all available
information from all the senses
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and be part
of making that decision
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that "this is me"
or "this is not me."
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Having tricked
the brain into a false reality,
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Henrik can now
tweak that reality
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and reveal how powerful
the subconscious actually is.
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The researcher threatens
the doll with the knife.
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The subject flinches
with horror.
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His brain can't help
but expect excruciating pain.
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Even after the subject realizes
it was a trick,
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he continues
to have the same reaction
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when the illusion is repeated.
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His conscious experience
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cannot override
his subconscious reaction.
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You can't think it away.
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You know it's just,
you know, an experiment.
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But you can't help
that bodily feeling of "ugh"
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because you feel
that this doll is you,
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so your brain just reacts
in a very sort of basic way,
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and that signal, this reaction,
is what we're measuring
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to really prove
that the illusion is real.
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One of Henrik's goals
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in performing
these unnerving visual illusions
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is to locate the precise part
of the subconscious brain
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that keeps track
of where your body is.
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Brain scans he's performed
during a body swap
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point to increased activity
in the ventral premotor cortex,
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the sensory neurons involved in
the visual guidance of movement.
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Well, the ventral premotor
cortex
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is one of those key nodes
in the brain
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that integrate what you feel
and what you see
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for controlling the body,
for defending the body.
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Because if you're in a fight,
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you need to know, you know,
where is your body
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and where is your opponent,
and you need to be able to act.
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So those circuits of the brain
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are built to defend the body
from threat,
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for interacting with objects
in the world,
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and always keep track
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of the boundary
between you and the world.
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Ohh!
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Knowing the difference
between what is us and not us
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is so vital
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that our subconscious reactions
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will overrule
our conscious thoughts.
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And sometimes that can mean
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the difference
between life and death.
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Have you ever had a hunch,
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a feeling
that something was wrong?
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Most of us have.
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But where does that feeling
come from?
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It could be a message
from your subconscious mind,
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telling you it knows something
that you don't.
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Joshua Brown is always on the go
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and always anticipating
the unexpected.
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When I go out cycling,
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there are dangers
potentially everywhere.
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Is that pedestrian gonna jump
in front of me?
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Is that car door gonna open
in front of me?
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Is that car gonna cut me off?
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And I'm constantly evaluating,
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"is there some danger
that I need to look out for,
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that I need to be careful
to avoid?"
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But Joshua's research
at Indiana University
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in Bloomington
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has shown him
that this conscious evaluation
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is only the first layer
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of our brain's
danger-sensing mechanism.
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What really keeps us out of
harm's way is our subconscious.
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Joshua has found a way
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of studying how our subconscious
mind triggers a gut feeling
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when something
is about to go wrong.
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And it's a lot safer
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than riding your bike
through rush-hour traffic.
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Basically, on each trial,
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there's gonna be
an arrow that appears
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in the middle of the screen,
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and the arrow points
left or right.
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And it's really simple.
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Press the left button
if the arrow points left
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and press the right button
if the arrow points right.
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But there is a catch.
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Sometimes, within a half second,
an opposing arrow appears.
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And he must press
that arrow's direction instead.
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Each trial only lasts
one second,
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so if he decides too quickly,
he might miss the second arrow.
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Too slowly
and he could run out of time.
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And so the longer we wait,
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the more likely it is
it's too late
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and they've already
pressed the wrong button.
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Joshua has programmed
a pattern into the test,
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but it's too subtle for the
subject to pick up consciously.
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Instead, he must rely
on his gut feelings.
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What we really want to do is to
isolate mechanisms in the brain
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that might be able to signal
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when you think you're
more likely to make a mistake.
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Joshua now conducts
the same experiment
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while the subject
is an MRI machine.
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He sees that one brain area in
particular buzzes with activity
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when the subject feels like he
might be about to make an error.
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It's the
anterior cingulate cortex.
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And so,
here you can see, in red,
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the anterior cingulate cortex
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is showing a strong effect
of error likelihood.
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That is, even when subjects
don't actually make a mistake,
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they're still showing effects
in this region
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that seem to anticipate
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the greater likelihood
of making a mistake.
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Joshua believes this activity
in the anterior cingulate cortex
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is the source
of our gut feelings.
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But it's not just protecting us
as we bike down busy streets.
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Sometimes it can be responsible
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for the fate
of hundreds of lives.
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In 1991, in the opening days
of the Persian Gulf War,
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a fleet of British battleships
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is stationed 20 miles
off the shores of Kuwait.
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A lone naval officer
is Manning the radar station
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of one of the ships
looking for incoming threats.
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All is quiet
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until a blip suddenly appears
on the radar screen.
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That radar blip could've been
one of two things.
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It could've been
a friendly aircraft
253
00:14:38,443 --> 00:14:40,310
returning from a bombing run,
254
00:14:40,312 --> 00:14:43,179
or it could've been
a Silkworm missile
255
00:14:43,181 --> 00:14:45,181
fired by the Iraqis.
256
00:14:45,183 --> 00:14:47,584
The radar officer
had a decision to make.
257
00:14:47,586 --> 00:14:51,154
He could order
the firing of countermeasures,
258
00:14:51,156 --> 00:14:53,623
but if he did that,
and it was a friendly aircraft,
259
00:14:53,625 --> 00:14:55,859
he would down
a friendly aircraft.
260
00:14:55,861 --> 00:15:01,097
Now, if that incoming object
was an enemy missile,
261
00:15:01,099 --> 00:15:02,732
several hundred people,
along with the ship,
262
00:15:02,734 --> 00:15:03,867
could lose their lives.
263
00:15:03,869 --> 00:15:06,836
And he had less than a minute
to decide.
264
00:15:06,838 --> 00:15:08,371
Time is running out.
265
00:15:08,373 --> 00:15:11,608
But all the officer has to go on
is a gut feeling.
266
00:15:12,944 --> 00:15:16,880
So he orders
the launch of countermeasures.
267
00:15:21,485 --> 00:15:24,354
He sees the still
unidentified object
268
00:15:24,356 --> 00:15:26,990
fall off the radar screen.
269
00:15:26,992 --> 00:15:29,926
The countermeasures
destroy the target
270
00:15:29,928 --> 00:15:33,329
less than half a mile
from the fleet of ships.
271
00:15:34,932 --> 00:15:37,133
He went back to his room
and just --
272
00:15:37,135 --> 00:15:39,402
he was just tormented
over what had happened.
273
00:15:39,404 --> 00:15:42,639
His torment is short-lived.
274
00:15:42,641 --> 00:15:44,374
Radio calls confirm
275
00:15:44,376 --> 00:15:48,311
that the target
was indeed a Silkworm missile,
276
00:15:48,313 --> 00:15:50,413
not a friendly aircraft.
277
00:15:50,415 --> 00:15:53,716
In the final review
of the incident,
278
00:15:53,718 --> 00:15:56,786
investigators discovered
that a friendly aircraft
279
00:15:56,788 --> 00:16:00,523
would have appeared on the radar
screen during the first sweep,
280
00:16:00,525 --> 00:16:04,194
whereas the Silkworm missile
would initially be masked
281
00:16:04,196 --> 00:16:05,728
by ground interference.
282
00:16:05,730 --> 00:16:08,264
So, it would only appear
on the screen
283
00:16:08,266 --> 00:16:12,602
during the third radar sweep,
as it got closer to the ships.
284
00:16:12,604 --> 00:16:13,970
The officer's brain
285
00:16:13,972 --> 00:16:17,273
had somehow picked up
on this different pattern,
286
00:16:17,275 --> 00:16:20,243
even though it was not written
in any manual
287
00:16:20,245 --> 00:16:24,914
and he was not consciously aware
of the difference.
288
00:16:24,916 --> 00:16:28,518
The anterior cingulate cortex
registered the danger
289
00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:32,956
based on the experience
of cumulative encounters --
290
00:16:32,958 --> 00:16:36,226
what looks like a friendly
aircraft and what doesn't.
291
00:16:36,228 --> 00:16:38,962
And so, by his action,
in a matter of seconds,
292
00:16:38,964 --> 00:16:41,397
he saved the ship
and hundreds of lives.
293
00:16:41,399 --> 00:16:44,968
The brain
is constantly processing
294
00:16:44,970 --> 00:16:47,270
these kinds of signals.
295
00:16:47,272 --> 00:16:50,406
People may think that
they've just now become aware
296
00:16:50,408 --> 00:16:52,108
or they've just now decided,
297
00:16:52,110 --> 00:16:54,077
but in reality, most likely,
298
00:16:54,079 --> 00:16:57,981
their brain was processing
that information well before.
299
00:16:57,983 --> 00:17:02,585
Our subconscious mind
is always two steps ahead of us,
300
00:17:02,587 --> 00:17:06,856
signaling what to do
before we are even aware of it.
301
00:17:06,858 --> 00:17:11,361
Could other people's brains
pick up these signals, too?
302
00:17:13,914 --> 00:17:15,748
Body language --
303
00:17:15,750 --> 00:17:19,652
it's the native tongue
of the subconscious.
304
00:17:20,154 --> 00:17:23,956
The way we move,
the tone of our voice --
305
00:17:24,458 --> 00:17:28,393
we are constantly giving off
these subtle signals,
306
00:17:28,395 --> 00:17:32,798
and they can have a profound
effect on those around us.
307
00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:36,935
What if you could decode
this language?
308
00:17:36,937 --> 00:17:41,273
What are we really saying
to one another?
309
00:17:42,942 --> 00:17:46,512
Humans are always
communicating --
310
00:17:46,514 --> 00:17:48,747
chatting, talking on the phone,
311
00:17:48,749 --> 00:17:52,184
sending e-mails,
tweeting, and texting.
312
00:17:52,186 --> 00:17:56,889
"Sandy" Pentland of
M.I.T.'s Human Dynamics Lab
313
00:17:56,891 --> 00:17:59,791
tries to rise above
all this hubbub.
314
00:17:59,793 --> 00:18:03,228
He prefers a different
perspective on how we connect.
315
00:18:03,230 --> 00:18:07,266
For him,
words are not important.
316
00:18:07,268 --> 00:18:11,904
He cares about a more primal
form of communication.
317
00:18:11,906 --> 00:18:15,340
He calls it honest signaling.
318
00:18:15,342 --> 00:18:17,609
Groups,
before we had much language,
319
00:18:17,611 --> 00:18:20,445
had to still pool language
and make decisions.
320
00:18:20,447 --> 00:18:22,147
You see this in apes today.
321
00:18:22,149 --> 00:18:26,118
And people have the same
sort of behaviors and signals.
322
00:18:26,120 --> 00:18:28,921
It's our social sense
of each other,
323
00:18:28,923 --> 00:18:31,490
things like dominance,
attraction,
324
00:18:31,492 --> 00:18:33,358
interest, excitement, fear.
325
00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:36,695
Those can be examples
of honest signals.
326
00:18:36,697 --> 00:18:38,931
They're not very conscious
to us,
327
00:18:38,933 --> 00:18:42,734
but yet they have big impacts on
how we behave with each other.
328
00:18:42,736 --> 00:18:45,137
Sandy wanted to study
329
00:18:45,139 --> 00:18:48,473
how involuntary signals
are transmitted
330
00:18:48,475 --> 00:18:50,275
within groups of people,
331
00:18:50,277 --> 00:18:52,544
so he developed a special tool.
332
00:18:52,546 --> 00:18:55,280
They are called
sociometric badges.
333
00:18:55,282 --> 00:18:58,951
So, the sociometric
badges that we have,
334
00:18:58,953 --> 00:19:00,819
they measure
your tone of voice --
335
00:19:00,821 --> 00:19:02,921
so how you say it,
not what you say.
336
00:19:02,923 --> 00:19:04,590
They also measure
a certain of body language
337
00:19:04,592 --> 00:19:06,091
using an accelerometer.
338
00:19:06,093 --> 00:19:11,230
Today, Sandy has asked
eight M.I.T. graduate students
339
00:19:11,232 --> 00:19:13,332
to perform a group task.
340
00:19:13,334 --> 00:19:15,767
So, this is
a team-building exercise
341
00:19:15,769 --> 00:19:19,671
to look at how you guys actually
work together to do this task.
342
00:19:19,673 --> 00:19:24,209
And the task is
take pages from a comic book
343
00:19:24,211 --> 00:19:25,344
and put them in the right order
344
00:19:25,346 --> 00:19:26,878
but without showing them
to each other.
345
00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,381
So, you have to
talk to each other,
346
00:19:29,383 --> 00:19:31,683
you have to, you know,
figure out ways to describe it
347
00:19:31,685 --> 00:19:33,552
in order to
get it in the right order.
348
00:19:33,554 --> 00:19:36,855
And what we're also gonna do is,
while you do that,
349
00:19:36,857 --> 00:19:39,424
we're gonna have these badges
that we put on you.
350
00:19:42,061 --> 00:19:45,030
There is a weird, like,
spaceship in mine.
351
00:19:45,032 --> 00:19:46,798
I have the explosion.
352
00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:50,168
I can tell you that
the flamethrowers did not work,
353
00:19:50,170 --> 00:19:53,338
whoever had
that other section.
354
00:19:53,340 --> 00:19:55,974
While the students try
to solve the task,
355
00:19:55,976 --> 00:19:59,244
the smart badges are busily
recording intimate details
356
00:19:59,246 --> 00:20:01,613
of their subconscious behavior.
357
00:20:01,615 --> 00:20:04,683
So, a lot of these patterns
are, indeed, unconscious.
358
00:20:04,685 --> 00:20:07,252
They're things you can focus on
consciously,
359
00:20:07,254 --> 00:20:08,687
but, normally, you don't.
360
00:20:08,689 --> 00:20:10,856
It turns out
they have enormous impact
361
00:20:10,858 --> 00:20:12,491
on the productivity of a group.
362
00:20:12,493 --> 00:20:15,160
Robots and monsters,
there's two different things.
363
00:20:15,162 --> 00:20:16,628
Oh. I'm robots.
I'm robots.
364
00:20:16,630 --> 00:20:18,263
Maybe we should
clear that out.
365
00:20:18,265 --> 00:20:20,098
Does anyone actually have
a monster,
366
00:20:20,100 --> 00:20:21,833
or are we all robots
here?
367
00:20:21,835 --> 00:20:24,569
And though the task
has a clear goal,
368
00:20:24,571 --> 00:20:27,606
it's not the outcome
that primarily interests Sandy.
369
00:20:27,608 --> 00:20:29,641
In watching things,
370
00:20:29,643 --> 00:20:32,444
we always get distracted
by the ideas.
371
00:20:32,446 --> 00:20:35,180
But what seems to really count,
in terms of performance,
372
00:20:35,182 --> 00:20:37,082
is the flow of information.
373
00:20:37,084 --> 00:20:40,018
I'm not sure
whether that is the first page
374
00:20:40,020 --> 00:20:41,353
or whether it's after.
375
00:20:41,355 --> 00:20:44,056
Like, I could see either
yours as background story,
376
00:20:44,058 --> 00:20:46,692
and then we have, "Here is
your current adventure."
377
00:20:46,694 --> 00:20:48,960
This is showing
who's talking to who.
378
00:20:48,962 --> 00:20:51,763
And you see that everybody's
talking pretty much to everybody
379
00:20:51,765 --> 00:20:55,167
except for maybe this one
person, who isn't that involved.
380
00:20:55,169 --> 00:20:57,269
These little yellow balls --
381
00:20:57,271 --> 00:20:59,671
this is how much "in the loop"
people are.
382
00:20:59,673 --> 00:21:04,009
So, are they part
of a loop of conversation?
383
00:21:04,011 --> 00:21:07,012
And that's important
because it has to do with
384
00:21:07,014 --> 00:21:09,848
whether people are on
the same page or not.
385
00:21:09,850 --> 00:21:11,016
Yeah. Boom, boom.
386
00:21:11,018 --> 00:21:13,418
...resulted
from someone else's bomb.
387
00:21:13,420 --> 00:21:14,586
And then, down here,
388
00:21:14,588 --> 00:21:16,955
this is maybe
the most interesting thing.
389
00:21:16,957 --> 00:21:18,957
So, this is looking
at dominance.
390
00:21:18,959 --> 00:21:21,827
So this is how much people
are pushing the conversation
391
00:21:21,829 --> 00:21:22,828
and driving it.
392
00:21:22,830 --> 00:21:25,130
And the size
of the yellow ball there
393
00:21:25,132 --> 00:21:26,798
shows their dominance score,
394
00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,401
and you can see
everybody's about the same.
395
00:21:29,403 --> 00:21:31,903
Their yellow circles
are about the same size,
396
00:21:31,905 --> 00:21:35,006
which is what you want for
this sort of brainstorming task.
397
00:21:35,008 --> 00:21:37,509
You don't want anybody
to be really dominant.
398
00:21:37,511 --> 00:21:39,244
You want everybody contributing.
399
00:21:39,246 --> 00:21:42,147
You want everybody holding
the flow about the same time,
400
00:21:42,149 --> 00:21:44,549
and that seems to be
what we got.
401
00:21:44,551 --> 00:21:46,585
I think
I'm actually here.
402
00:21:46,587 --> 00:21:48,387
- Good.
- Okay.
403
00:21:48,389 --> 00:21:50,589
Oh, now we're getting rid
of the end.
404
00:21:50,591 --> 00:21:53,392
Sandy has also
found a connection
405
00:21:53,394 --> 00:21:55,894
between a person's tone of voice
406
00:21:55,896 --> 00:21:58,764
and how effective they are
in a group.
407
00:21:58,766 --> 00:22:01,366
Do you have a blond person
and a dark-haired person?
408
00:22:01,368 --> 00:22:02,834
Is that the "scientist,"
409
00:22:02,836 --> 00:22:05,404
or are they a different type
of scientist?
410
00:22:05,406 --> 00:22:08,173
Sandy's studies show
that people who speak
411
00:22:08,175 --> 00:22:12,244
in a direct and consistently
strong tone of voice
412
00:22:12,246 --> 00:22:15,580
are perceived
as having expertise.
413
00:22:15,582 --> 00:22:18,717
There's a sort of
practical type of charisma,
414
00:22:18,719 --> 00:22:22,821
which is being able to get
your point across convincingly.
415
00:22:22,823 --> 00:22:24,289
Then you want a lot of energy,
416
00:22:24,291 --> 00:22:26,358
people putting in
lots of contributions,
417
00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:30,262
so the balance of contributions
and having lots of contributions
418
00:22:30,264 --> 00:22:32,864
are two characteristics
of really good teams
419
00:22:32,866 --> 00:22:35,133
in this type of situation.
420
00:22:35,135 --> 00:22:37,135
Everyone's got to
tell their story --
421
00:22:37,137 --> 00:22:39,037
real short --
lay down their piece.
422
00:22:39,039 --> 00:22:40,839
And then, at the end,
423
00:22:40,841 --> 00:22:43,375
we'll turn them over
and see what happened, okay?
424
00:22:48,981 --> 00:22:52,117
The moment has arrived.
425
00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:54,586
Does their assembled comic strip
426
00:22:54,588 --> 00:22:58,557
match the correct one
lying facedown on the floor?
427
00:22:58,559 --> 00:23:01,760
Okay. Let's do it here.
428
00:23:01,762 --> 00:23:04,396
First ones.
429
00:23:12,472 --> 00:23:15,407
There we go.
430
00:23:15,409 --> 00:23:19,044
100% right. Yay!
431
00:23:20,780 --> 00:23:24,516
Sandy claims the device
has up to 90% accuracy
432
00:23:24,518 --> 00:23:28,320
identifying productive workers
and problem cases.
433
00:23:28,322 --> 00:23:32,090
Individuals want to come across
in a way that's effective.
434
00:23:32,092 --> 00:23:34,559
You want to
have people trust you.
435
00:23:34,561 --> 00:23:37,062
You want to
have your ideas heard.
436
00:23:37,064 --> 00:23:39,831
You don't want to be doing
things that put people off.
437
00:23:39,833 --> 00:23:43,168
The science that we've been able
to do with this says
438
00:23:43,170 --> 00:23:45,804
that it's not
sort of how smart you are,
439
00:23:45,806 --> 00:23:48,306
it's how smart you are
about other people.
440
00:23:48,308 --> 00:23:51,610
I think of it as
improving social intelligence.
441
00:23:51,612 --> 00:23:56,781
The subconscious is constantly
at work behind the scenes.
442
00:23:56,783 --> 00:24:01,152
Without it, we'd never make it
through the day.
443
00:24:01,154 --> 00:24:04,623
But could that hidden
brain power do even more?
444
00:24:04,625 --> 00:24:09,728
Some scientists believe we can
tap into our subconscious
445
00:24:09,730 --> 00:24:14,432
to heal our bodies
and expand our minds.
446
00:24:18,243 --> 00:24:19,977
Stress.
447
00:24:19,979 --> 00:24:22,379
It's all around us --
448
00:24:22,381 --> 00:24:26,884
traffic, deadlines,
financial pressures.
449
00:24:26,886 --> 00:24:30,454
And over time, it can
take a toll on our bodies,
450
00:24:30,456 --> 00:24:34,792
leading to sickness
and sometimes death.
451
00:24:34,794 --> 00:24:39,296
But what if there was a way
to reverse the effects of stress
452
00:24:39,298 --> 00:24:42,266
without the need for any drugs?
453
00:24:42,268 --> 00:24:46,403
What if our minds could heal us?
454
00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:50,240
Dr. Herbert Benson,
455
00:24:50,242 --> 00:24:53,944
of the Benson-Henry Institute
For Mind Body Medicine
456
00:24:53,946 --> 00:24:55,212
in Boston,
457
00:24:55,214 --> 00:24:59,016
is a scientist
of a different mind-set.
458
00:24:59,018 --> 00:25:00,985
He's on a crusade
459
00:25:00,987 --> 00:25:07,024
to show that sickness is as much
mental as it is physical.
460
00:25:07,026 --> 00:25:09,093
Well, it's not all in your mind,
461
00:25:09,095 --> 00:25:12,229
but a lot is in your mind
that we can tap into.
462
00:25:12,231 --> 00:25:17,401
In the 1980s,
Herbert trekked to the Himalayas
463
00:25:17,403 --> 00:25:21,305
to observe
how Tibetan monks chill out.
464
00:25:21,307 --> 00:25:24,875
At an altitude of 15,000 feet,
465
00:25:24,877 --> 00:25:28,178
in a monastery as cold
as a refrigerator,
466
00:25:28,180 --> 00:25:31,482
the monks wrap themselves
in frozen sheets
467
00:25:31,484 --> 00:25:37,221
to practice an extraordinary
form of meditation called Tummo.
468
00:25:37,223 --> 00:25:39,189
Through meditation,
469
00:25:39,191 --> 00:25:41,325
Herbert observed
that the monks were able
470
00:25:41,327 --> 00:25:43,360
to raise the temperature
of their skin
471
00:25:43,362 --> 00:25:46,664
by 17 degrees Fahrenheit
472
00:25:46,666 --> 00:25:50,701
while keeping their
core body temperature normal.
473
00:25:50,703 --> 00:25:54,872
Tummo is a form
of meditation they practice
474
00:25:54,874 --> 00:25:58,676
to do away
with negative thoughts.
475
00:25:58,678 --> 00:26:01,612
And as a by-product of that,
476
00:26:01,614 --> 00:26:06,583
the body is able
to generate enough heat
477
00:26:06,585 --> 00:26:11,388
to dry icy, wet sheets
on their naked bodies
478
00:26:11,390 --> 00:26:13,857
and get them steaming.
479
00:26:16,795 --> 00:26:18,862
It's still unknown
480
00:26:18,864 --> 00:26:22,433
exactly how the monks achieve
this inner fire.
481
00:26:22,435 --> 00:26:24,234
But scientists suspect
482
00:26:24,236 --> 00:26:26,603
the meditation
directly taps into
483
00:26:26,605 --> 00:26:31,608
the part of the nervous system
that regulates body temperature.
484
00:26:31,610 --> 00:26:33,110
We were fascinated
485
00:26:33,112 --> 00:26:37,781
on how far such
a mind-body effect could go.
486
00:26:41,554 --> 00:26:45,823
If meditation could
control our body's thermostat,
487
00:26:45,825 --> 00:26:49,560
Herbert wondered if the brain
also had the capacity
488
00:26:49,562 --> 00:26:53,197
to cure our modern-day epidemic
of stress.
489
00:26:55,066 --> 00:26:57,434
Herbert believes
that stress stems
490
00:26:57,436 --> 00:27:00,471
from our instinctive
fight-or-flight response,
491
00:27:00,473 --> 00:27:01,939
which begins
492
00:27:01,941 --> 00:27:06,009
when the brain's limbic system
releases a flood of hormones.
493
00:27:06,011 --> 00:27:08,912
A secondary effect
of these stress hormones
494
00:27:08,914 --> 00:27:13,050
is to cause inflammation
in cells.
495
00:27:13,052 --> 00:27:17,121
If cells become inflamed
for prolonged periods,
496
00:27:17,123 --> 00:27:19,823
they can trigger
a host of ailments
497
00:27:19,825 --> 00:27:24,661
like heart disease,
arthritis, and Crohn's disease.
498
00:27:27,233 --> 00:27:31,769
So Herbert developed
an eight-week therapy
499
00:27:31,771 --> 00:27:34,505
designed to combat stress,
500
00:27:34,507 --> 00:27:38,942
involving 15 minutes
of meditation every day.
501
00:27:38,944 --> 00:27:42,646
He calls it
the Relaxation Response.
502
00:27:42,648 --> 00:27:46,250
To bring that
relaxation response about,
503
00:27:46,252 --> 00:27:49,753
there has to be
a repetition of a word.
504
00:27:49,755 --> 00:27:51,555
Close your eyes.
505
00:27:51,557 --> 00:27:54,525
And you're gonna find
506
00:27:54,527 --> 00:27:58,228
all sorts of other thoughts
coming to mind.
507
00:27:58,230 --> 00:28:00,631
They're normal,
and they're natural,
508
00:28:00,633 --> 00:28:02,833
and they should be
expected.
509
00:28:02,835 --> 00:28:05,469
And when they occur,
don't be upset,
510
00:28:05,471 --> 00:28:09,039
but simply say,
"Oh, well. Peace."
511
00:28:20,251 --> 00:28:22,853
There's a quietude in the brain
512
00:28:22,855 --> 00:28:26,190
that occurs when you evoke
the relaxation response.
513
00:28:26,192 --> 00:28:30,694
Less static,
less noise on brain imaging
514
00:28:30,696 --> 00:28:34,331
measure the very activity
of brain cells themselves.
515
00:28:34,333 --> 00:28:38,969
Very slowly, slowly
open your eyes.
516
00:28:43,408 --> 00:28:45,709
Did you notice any changes
in your body
517
00:28:45,711 --> 00:28:47,077
while you were doing --
518
00:28:47,079 --> 00:28:50,280
repeating the word "peace"
and disregarding other thoughts?
519
00:28:50,282 --> 00:28:52,716
I did.
I just felt like a lightness.
520
00:28:52,718 --> 00:28:55,452
I just don't feel like
anything's bothering me.
521
00:28:55,454 --> 00:28:57,454
I don't have anything
on my mind.
522
00:28:57,456 --> 00:28:58,388
Welcome back.
523
00:28:58,390 --> 00:28:59,523
Yeah.
524
00:29:02,427 --> 00:29:06,430
Before and after the eight weeks
of relaxation therapy,
525
00:29:06,432 --> 00:29:09,233
Herbert drew blood samples
from his patients
526
00:29:09,235 --> 00:29:11,068
and looked for any changes
527
00:29:11,070 --> 00:29:16,206
in the activity of genes
that control inflammation.
528
00:29:16,208 --> 00:29:19,977
Say a certain gene
is being turned on,
529
00:29:19,979 --> 00:29:22,212
that gene will be red.
530
00:29:22,214 --> 00:29:24,381
These are the genes
531
00:29:24,383 --> 00:29:30,587
that control the inflammatory
immune processes of the body.
532
00:29:30,589 --> 00:29:34,291
Then you'll see,
looking at it afterwards,
533
00:29:34,293 --> 00:29:36,493
that gene will be turned off --
534
00:29:36,495 --> 00:29:39,596
red on, green off,
so red to green.
535
00:29:39,598 --> 00:29:41,999
You'll see that change.
536
00:29:42,001 --> 00:29:44,067
Evoking the relaxation response
537
00:29:44,069 --> 00:29:48,171
can actually change
your gene's activity.
538
00:29:48,173 --> 00:29:50,507
Herbert's study proves
539
00:29:50,509 --> 00:29:54,344
we can harness the power
of the subconscious brain
540
00:29:54,346 --> 00:29:57,214
to produce
concrete medical benefits.
541
00:29:57,216 --> 00:30:02,252
We now have
a scientifically proven approach
542
00:30:02,254 --> 00:30:05,022
right down to the genomic level.
543
00:30:05,024 --> 00:30:07,557
This will be more incorporated
544
00:30:07,559 --> 00:30:10,794
because,
not so much of the science,
545
00:30:10,796 --> 00:30:12,729
but also it's cheaper.
546
00:30:12,731 --> 00:30:14,564
This is cheaper than drugs,
547
00:30:14,566 --> 00:30:18,135
and it's obviously cheaper
than surgeries.
548
00:30:18,137 --> 00:30:22,072
If our inner mind
can be our medicine,
549
00:30:22,074 --> 00:30:26,209
in what other ways could we
use it to improve our lives?
550
00:30:26,211 --> 00:30:28,545
One scientist has found out,
551
00:30:28,547 --> 00:30:30,814
thanks to
an electrifying discovery.
552
00:30:36,604 --> 00:30:41,374
Have you ever tried to solve what
seems like a simple problem,
553
00:30:41,376 --> 00:30:44,911
only to find yourself
hopelessly stuck?
554
00:30:44,913 --> 00:30:49,749
You know the answer
is somewhere inside your mind,
555
00:30:49,751 --> 00:30:51,985
but you can't find it.
556
00:30:51,987 --> 00:30:58,424
Perhaps all you need
is a jolt of inspiration.
557
00:30:58,426 --> 00:31:02,862
Allan Snyder is the director
of the Centre for the Mind
558
00:31:02,864 --> 00:31:06,332
at the University of Sydney
in Australia.
559
00:31:06,334 --> 00:31:12,038
And he always has
his thinking cap on.
560
00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:16,342
I was about to get on a train,
and this girl gave me her cap,
561
00:31:16,344 --> 00:31:18,177
and she said, "hey,
you look so good in that.
562
00:31:18,179 --> 00:31:19,279
Keep it."
563
00:31:19,281 --> 00:31:20,546
And that's why I've worn it.
564
00:31:20,548 --> 00:31:22,148
In fact,
I've worn it ever since.
565
00:31:22,150 --> 00:31:25,018
Part comedian, part wizard,
566
00:31:25,020 --> 00:31:27,186
Allan spends much of his time
567
00:31:27,188 --> 00:31:31,624
thinking about the limits of
our problem-solving abilities.
568
00:31:31,626 --> 00:31:33,293
Imagine if you were asked
569
00:31:33,295 --> 00:31:37,397
to count the number of marbles
in this jar.
570
00:31:37,399 --> 00:31:38,965
Could you do it?
571
00:31:38,967 --> 00:31:43,436
Our minds categorize
things into concepts,
572
00:31:43,438 --> 00:31:46,205
and we're not so good at detail.
573
00:31:46,207 --> 00:31:48,574
We see the whole
and not the parts.
574
00:31:48,576 --> 00:31:51,411
We see the forest,
not the individual trees.
575
00:31:51,413 --> 00:31:54,514
But what would happen
if you weren't like that?
576
00:31:54,516 --> 00:31:58,017
Suppose you did have access
to all the literal details
577
00:31:58,019 --> 00:32:00,987
in the world.
578
00:32:00,989 --> 00:32:05,825
Allan thinks we can
access this cognitive power
579
00:32:05,827 --> 00:32:08,628
because some people already do.
580
00:32:08,630 --> 00:32:12,332
Autism is
a neurodevelopmental disorder
581
00:32:12,334 --> 00:32:16,402
that affects social
and communication skills.
582
00:32:16,404 --> 00:32:19,572
But 10% of autistics
are savants.
583
00:32:19,574 --> 00:32:22,542
They exhibit exceptional skills
584
00:32:22,544 --> 00:32:26,946
involving math, memory,
music, and art.
585
00:32:26,948 --> 00:32:31,751
An autistic savant
is someone who has the ability
586
00:32:31,753 --> 00:32:35,054
to see the parts
and not the whole.
587
00:32:35,056 --> 00:32:40,960
They have privileged access
to unconscious details,
588
00:32:40,962 --> 00:32:43,763
unconscious processes
that all of us have,
589
00:32:43,765 --> 00:32:46,599
but they're beyond
our conscious awareness.
590
00:32:46,601 --> 00:32:50,036
Maybe genius requires
a dash of autism.
591
00:32:50,038 --> 00:32:54,374
Allan has discovered
that autistic savants' brains
592
00:32:54,376 --> 00:32:57,377
share a pattern
of unusual activity --
593
00:32:57,379 --> 00:33:00,113
impairment
of the left temporal lobe,
594
00:33:00,115 --> 00:33:01,581
a region he believes
595
00:33:01,583 --> 00:33:04,917
is associated
with pre-existing concepts,
596
00:33:04,919 --> 00:33:08,388
and an overcompensation
in the right temporal lobe,
597
00:33:08,390 --> 00:33:12,492
which Allan suggests
deals with new ideas.
598
00:33:12,494 --> 00:33:16,696
Allan wanted to find
the inner savant in all of us,
599
00:33:16,698 --> 00:33:21,267
so he came up with the idea
of a creativity cap,
600
00:33:21,269 --> 00:33:23,202
a device that would mimic
601
00:33:23,204 --> 00:33:26,272
a savant's patterns
of brain activity.
602
00:33:26,274 --> 00:33:29,308
Imagine a device
that allows us to do, perhaps,
603
00:33:29,310 --> 00:33:32,645
problems that other people
have had great difficulty.
604
00:33:32,647 --> 00:33:34,580
We're going to show you
605
00:33:34,582 --> 00:33:38,351
a number of equations
made from matchsticks --
606
00:33:38,353 --> 00:33:41,387
Roman numeral type
of matchstick equations.
607
00:33:41,389 --> 00:33:44,257
And something's wrong
with the equation,
608
00:33:44,259 --> 00:33:46,659
and you're supposed to
move one matchstick
609
00:33:46,661 --> 00:33:49,529
to make the equation
correct.
610
00:34:03,477 --> 00:34:07,380
One plus three equals four, yep.
That's it. That's the solution.
611
00:34:07,382 --> 00:34:08,781
Now let's do another.
612
00:34:10,451 --> 00:34:12,685
Carl sees a pattern.
613
00:34:12,687 --> 00:34:18,424
By changing a Roman numeral X,
or 10, to a V, or 5,
614
00:34:18,426 --> 00:34:21,027
he can correct the equation.
615
00:34:21,029 --> 00:34:26,299
Applying the same pattern,
he solves several more puzzles.
616
00:34:26,301 --> 00:34:29,936
But when presented with
a different type of equation,
617
00:34:29,938 --> 00:34:33,372
one that is not corrected
by changing a 10 to a 5,
618
00:34:33,374 --> 00:34:35,908
Carl is stumped.
619
00:34:45,352 --> 00:34:46,853
No idea.
620
00:34:46,855 --> 00:34:48,020
Okay.
621
00:34:49,289 --> 00:34:51,357
Now Allan prepares to give him
622
00:34:51,359 --> 00:34:54,060
a jolt of inspiration.
623
00:34:54,062 --> 00:34:58,264
This cap sends a small
positive electric current
624
00:34:58,266 --> 00:35:00,433
to the right side of the brain,
625
00:35:00,435 --> 00:35:04,203
while a negative current
runs to the left hemisphere.
626
00:35:04,205 --> 00:35:06,339
The technique is called
627
00:35:06,341 --> 00:35:12,245
transcranial direct current
stimulation, or TDCS.
628
00:35:12,247 --> 00:35:16,115
And it's designed to mimic
the pattern of brain activity
629
00:35:16,117 --> 00:35:18,251
found in savants.
630
00:35:18,253 --> 00:35:20,720
Okay.
How do you feel now?
631
00:35:20,722 --> 00:35:23,322
There's a little bit tingling.
632
00:35:25,926 --> 00:35:29,161
After stimulating with TDCS,
633
00:35:29,163 --> 00:35:32,632
Carl tries
the matchstick problem again.
634
00:35:39,873 --> 00:35:41,874
Very good.
Congratulations.
635
00:35:41,876 --> 00:35:44,677
This is a case
of mental fixation.
636
00:35:44,679 --> 00:35:47,079
We can't help
but look at the world
637
00:35:47,081 --> 00:35:49,916
through the frames
of what we already know.
638
00:35:49,918 --> 00:35:53,686
We see a filtered view of the
world, not all the details.
639
00:35:53,688 --> 00:35:57,423
But Carl, after transcranial
direct current stimulation,
640
00:35:57,425 --> 00:35:58,824
was able to see the solution.
641
00:35:58,826 --> 00:36:01,227
Allan's creativity cap
642
00:36:01,229 --> 00:36:04,997
temporarily changed
the way Carl's brain worked.
643
00:36:04,999 --> 00:36:10,937
It appeared to give him
savant-like abilities.
644
00:36:10,939 --> 00:36:14,607
I can imagine a day
when we have creativity caps
645
00:36:14,609 --> 00:36:18,210
that can allow us
to look at the world anew,
646
00:36:18,212 --> 00:36:21,847
free of our mind-sets.
647
00:36:21,849 --> 00:36:25,351
But Allan's research
is only scratching the surface
648
00:36:25,353 --> 00:36:27,587
of the mind's true potential.
649
00:36:27,589 --> 00:36:32,325
This man believes the hidden
power of the subconscious
650
00:36:32,327 --> 00:36:36,429
can take us all to new heights.
651
00:36:38,537 --> 00:36:42,140
The subconscious mind
is more than just a storehouse
652
00:36:42,142 --> 00:36:44,943
for primal thoughts
and emotions.
653
00:36:45,445 --> 00:36:49,247
It's vital to our daily function
and survival.
654
00:36:49,249 --> 00:36:53,851
We know that we can harness it
to reveal temporary genius.
655
00:36:53,853 --> 00:36:57,755
But could we permanently modify
our brains,
656
00:36:57,757 --> 00:37:02,493
custom stimulate them
to be smarter and more powerful?
657
00:37:06,832 --> 00:37:09,700
Michael Weisend
is a neuroscientist
658
00:37:09,702 --> 00:37:13,671
at the Mind Research Network
in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
659
00:37:13,673 --> 00:37:17,108
He has been drafted
by the U.S. Air Force
660
00:37:17,110 --> 00:37:22,747
to improve its most powerful
image processes -- human brains.
661
00:37:22,749 --> 00:37:25,883
Military technicians,
not computers,
662
00:37:25,885 --> 00:37:29,787
analyze the images
from unmanned aerial drones,
663
00:37:29,789 --> 00:37:34,625
looking for enemy targets
suitable for aerial bombardment.
664
00:37:34,627 --> 00:37:36,627
It's a high-stakes task
665
00:37:36,629 --> 00:37:41,432
where one mistake could mean
destroying an allied aid vehicle
666
00:37:41,434 --> 00:37:46,470
instead of
an enemy artillery truck.
667
00:37:46,472 --> 00:37:49,607
Only humans interpret the data
that comes off of the drones.
668
00:37:49,609 --> 00:37:53,411
So there's a need for a greater
number of image analysts
669
00:37:53,413 --> 00:37:56,013
to look at that data,
670
00:37:56,015 --> 00:38:00,351
and we wanted to enhance
the ability of the brain
671
00:38:00,353 --> 00:38:03,020
to experience
and record information
672
00:38:03,022 --> 00:38:04,588
from the environment.
673
00:38:07,426 --> 00:38:09,427
Computers
are not yet smart enough
674
00:38:09,429 --> 00:38:13,698
to pick out enemy targets on the
grainy imagery from the drones.
675
00:38:13,700 --> 00:38:15,900
Only humans have enough skill
676
00:38:15,902 --> 00:38:19,003
in recognizing
their distinctive shapes
677
00:38:19,005 --> 00:38:21,739
when distorted
by sunlight and grainy pixels.
678
00:38:21,741 --> 00:38:24,942
It typically takes
many months of training
679
00:38:24,944 --> 00:38:27,645
to become proficient
at this task.
680
00:38:27,647 --> 00:38:32,416
The trouble is we cannot create
enough experts quickly enough
681
00:38:32,418 --> 00:38:37,021
to deal with the demand from
the remotely piloted aircraft,
682
00:38:37,023 --> 00:38:38,322
or the drones.
683
00:38:38,324 --> 00:38:40,491
But Michael had an idea.
684
00:38:40,493 --> 00:38:43,994
He would locate the region
of the brain that is most active
685
00:38:43,996 --> 00:38:46,697
while the experts
were looking for targets,
686
00:38:46,699 --> 00:38:50,234
then he would use transcranial
direct current stimulation
687
00:38:50,236 --> 00:38:54,472
to amplify the activity in that
region of the trainees' brains
688
00:38:54,474 --> 00:38:57,908
and see whether
it made them faster learners.
689
00:38:57,910 --> 00:39:00,578
One of the things that's
quite obvious in the scans
690
00:39:00,580 --> 00:39:03,547
is that, when you are a novice,
691
00:39:03,549 --> 00:39:08,252
there's low-level activation
in the medial temporal lobes.
692
00:39:08,254 --> 00:39:11,822
But in experts, there's
very high-level activation.
693
00:39:11,824 --> 00:39:15,092
And so we targeted TDCS
at these areas
694
00:39:15,094 --> 00:39:19,563
that increase activity
in order to accelerate training.
695
00:39:19,565 --> 00:39:23,401
Once the TDCS headgear
is in place
696
00:39:23,403 --> 00:39:25,369
but not yet turned on,
697
00:39:25,371 --> 00:39:28,539
the novice goes through
a half hour training session
698
00:39:28,541 --> 00:39:30,608
studying aerial photos.
699
00:39:31,843 --> 00:39:35,746
In the center is a red circle
that he needs to click and drag
700
00:39:35,748 --> 00:39:38,449
to any object
that looks threatening --
701
00:39:38,451 --> 00:39:42,219
in this case,
an enemy rocket launcher.
702
00:39:52,397 --> 00:39:57,034
This is definitely a pattern
recognition type of experiment.
703
00:39:57,036 --> 00:39:59,904
Here, where there are
yellow circles,
704
00:39:59,906 --> 00:40:03,040
those show the real targets
in the image.
705
00:40:03,042 --> 00:40:06,577
Where there are red circles
with no yellow,
706
00:40:06,579 --> 00:40:10,581
those are incorrect choices,
and so, in this case,
707
00:40:10,583 --> 00:40:15,252
there was one correct choice
and two incorrect choices.
708
00:40:15,254 --> 00:40:19,690
Next, Michael applies TDCS
709
00:40:19,692 --> 00:40:21,692
to the novice's brain.
710
00:40:21,694 --> 00:40:25,563
After 30 minutes
of electrical stimulation,
711
00:40:25,565 --> 00:40:28,365
he tries again.
712
00:40:31,336 --> 00:40:35,539
He now quickly identifies
five enemy targets
713
00:40:35,541 --> 00:40:39,810
in one image
without making a single mistake.
714
00:40:39,812 --> 00:40:42,480
In the people
who got brain stimulation,
715
00:40:42,482 --> 00:40:46,450
every individual
was performing at expert level
716
00:40:46,452 --> 00:40:49,186
after an hour of training.
717
00:40:49,188 --> 00:40:52,056
On average,
novices who've had TDCS
718
00:40:52,058 --> 00:40:57,294
identify twice as many targets
compared with those who haven't.
719
00:40:57,296 --> 00:40:59,897
When he put subjects
back in the scanner,
720
00:40:59,899 --> 00:41:01,131
Michael discovered
721
00:41:01,133 --> 00:41:03,868
that the patterns of activity
in their brains
722
00:41:03,870 --> 00:41:06,003
are permanently changed.
723
00:41:06,005 --> 00:41:09,740
Their newly acquired skills
stay with them
724
00:41:09,742 --> 00:41:12,810
even after
the stimulation wears off.
725
00:41:12,812 --> 00:41:17,448
It's not hard to imagine where
this technology could end up.
726
00:41:17,450 --> 00:41:20,384
College kids could use it
for calculus,
727
00:41:20,386 --> 00:41:23,888
tiger moms for
pitch-perfect piano recitals.
728
00:41:23,890 --> 00:41:26,257
Just isolate
the part of the brain
729
00:41:26,259 --> 00:41:28,225
you need to learn a skill,
730
00:41:28,227 --> 00:41:31,996
and a TDCS cap could
make you a master in minutes.
731
00:41:31,998 --> 00:41:33,998
Whee!
732
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:38,903
I've stimulated my brain
with TDCS many, many times.
733
00:41:38,905 --> 00:41:41,505
I've noticed this intense focus
734
00:41:41,507 --> 00:41:43,340
and the ability to concentrate
very carefully
735
00:41:43,342 --> 00:41:47,378
on material that I'm looking at.
736
00:41:47,380 --> 00:41:49,513
And I think it would be
a great benefit
737
00:41:49,515 --> 00:41:51,849
to be able to use
the tools of neuroscience
738
00:41:51,851 --> 00:41:53,784
to benefit people,
739
00:41:53,786 --> 00:42:00,324
to make sure that they
could perform at a high level.
740
00:42:00,326 --> 00:42:03,227
As we learn more and more
741
00:42:03,229 --> 00:42:07,698
about which structures in
the brain are being activated,
742
00:42:07,700 --> 00:42:09,867
we can show
it's part of you going on,
743
00:42:09,869 --> 00:42:12,069
whether you're thinking about it
or not.
744
00:42:12,871 --> 00:42:15,205
Much of what we do
is unconscious --
745
00:42:15,207 --> 00:42:17,541
our preferences, our prejudices.
746
00:42:17,543 --> 00:42:20,511
Someone back there
is guiding the show.
747
00:42:20,513 --> 00:42:21,712
Who's in charge?
748
00:42:21,714 --> 00:42:25,149
And I think it's the unconscious
that's in charge.
749
00:42:29,254 --> 00:42:33,824
Science has proven that
we really do have two minds.
750
00:42:33,826 --> 00:42:37,061
One drives
our conscious thoughts.
751
00:42:37,063 --> 00:42:42,266
The other is a shadow brain
that never stops working.
752
00:42:42,268 --> 00:42:46,637
It protects us from harm,
heals our bodies,
753
00:42:46,639 --> 00:42:50,441
allows us to think faster
and more creatively.
754
00:42:50,443 --> 00:42:54,378
We've unlocked some secrets
of the subconscious.
755
00:42:54,380 --> 00:42:58,282
When we finally tap into
its hidden powers,
756
00:42:58,284 --> 00:43:00,632
who knows what we will achieve?
757
00:43:00,633 --> 00:43:04,633
== sync, corrected by elderman ==