71: Neuroscience of Positive Emotions with Dr. Nicole Tetreault

We all need more positive emotions and positive changes in our lives, but how do we make those things happen? Most of us don’t know where to begin, and that’s where today’s guest comes in with real science and practical wisdom. Join the conversation to learn more!Dr. Nicole Tetreault is a compassionate neuroscientist, author, meditation teacher, and international speaker on topics of neurodiversity, neurodevelopment, creativity, mental health, and wellness. Her book, Insight into a Bright Mind, explores groundbreaking research examining the experiences of unique, creative, and intense brains through interviews, storytelling, and literary science while advocating for new directions of human diversity and neurodiversity. Based in Los Angeles, she leads a new generation of meditation practices by fusing novel discoveries and neuroscience with the ancient lineage of Asian meditation. As a recipient of the Milton Career Exploration Prize from CalTech, she founded the novel nonprofit Beyond the Cell, a transformative program to rehabilitate incarcerated women through guided meditation, neuroscience, literature, and expressive writing. Nicole believes we can wire our minds for positive plasticity through compassion and wisdom and live the life we dream. We have a conversation full of juicy material around creating optimum conditions for our brains to be in a creative state, love-based vs. fear-based emotions, and so much more that you can put into practice right away. Show Highlights:How Nicole was drawn into neuroscience because of her mother’s Parkinson’s disease diagnosisHow Nicole came from a place of anxiety in caring for her mother and learned to “sit with what was” and quiet her mind through meditationThe facts: Over 16,500 scientific papers have been written about the benefits of meditation and mindfulness to reduce stress and anxiety and alleviate PTSD.How science shows that chanting activates different brain areas than standard meditation How chanting and meditation practices help regulate the heart rate by releasing positive neurochemicalsHow chanting and meditation rewire new patterns into more love-based states instead of fearHow meditation benefits can come from simple things, like taking a walk to notice nature or cookingHow we can cultivate a positive mental state if we find ourselves in a place of fearWhy we have been trained to prolong the emotion of fear and not be in tune with our natural intuitionHow love-based emotions shift us into a place of trust, greater connection with others, less sense of othering and sufferingHow our brain waves can have a shared consciousness and oneness through chantingHow meditation helps cultivate a creative mind stateThe identified stages of the creative process: practice, incubation, insight, evaluation, and elaborationHow working with the hands opens up the mind and helps creativity to flowWhat has been found about the lasting effects of gratitude and appreciationHow Nicole approaches the language of neurodiversity in her bookHow each individual has their own “brain print,” shown by the different types of wiring and ways of processing the world What it means to Nicole to live in her purposeA look at Nicole’s astrologyHear Nicole’s answers to rapid-fire questions about helpful advice, grounding habits, favorite hot beverage, last meal on earth, morning routine, an inspiring person, something people might not know about her, what she’s reading right now, and what’s bringing her joy right now. ResourcesConnect with Paula: Find out more about working with me and book a call