On Wisdom

Episode 10: Wise Bodies, Wise Brains (with Wendy Berry Mendes)

November 22nd, 2018  |  49 mins 35 secs

challenge response, culture, emotional contagion, heart rate variability, mind-body, mybplab, paced breathing, psychology, psychophysiology, social psychology, stress, threat response, vagal flexibility, vagal tone, vagus, wisdom

Is our capacity for wise behaviour determined not just by our psychology but also by our physiology? Is there such a thing as ‘good stress’, and how might our assessment of a situation reduce the chances of us 'choking'? And can our own bodies actually be physically affected by other people's emotions? Wendy Berry Mendes joins Igor and Charles to discuss the interaction between the psychological and physiological processes underpinning wise behaviour, exploring 'challenge vs threat' stress responses, vagal flexibility, affect contagion, and the physiology of social sensitivity and good judgement. Igor wants to know how to stay calm before dance competitions, Wendy shares tales of stressing out unsuspecting young mothers and their babies, and Charles learns of the hidden upsides to mind-body meltdowns. Welcome to Episode 10.