Podbit · The Mel Robbins Podcast
Awe deactivates the brain's default mode network — the ego headquarters — and activates the vagus nerve, releasing oxytocin and quieting the mental noise of to-do lists and self-criticism. In that opened mind, you see yourself as part of something vast.
Where this was said
At 49:15 · chapter starts 47:15
Mel sets the scene with her upcoming Grand Canyon rafting trip and her obsession with catching barred owls at dusk, and Dr. Keltner uses these as entry points into the neuroscience of awe. When you encounter something beyond your frame of reference, the brain's default mode network — the headquarters of ego, to-do lists, and self-referential anxiety — deactivates. In its place, the vagus nerve activates, calming the heart, opening the chest, and producing a feeling of connection to others. Oxytocin is released, generating a 'we are all one' sensation. The immune system functions better. And crucially, the mind expands: you see yourself not as an isolated individual but as part of a larger ecosystem, a bigger story. Dr. Keltner's own experience backpacking with his daughter Natalie illustrates this — awe in nature consistently produces the feeling of being part of life itself, not separate from it [1] — Dacher Keltner "Awe deactivates the brain's default mode network — the ego headquarters — and activates the vagus nerve, releasing oxytocin and quieting th…" 49:15 .
Practicing one minute of awe per day was found to reduce depression, anxiety, daily stress, exhaustion, and loneliness, while improving heart health and immune function.
One minute of daily awe reduces depression, anxiety, daily stress, exhaustion, and loneliness, while also benefiting the heart and immune system and reducing inflammation. There is no pill, supplement, or routine with a comparable evidence base — and it costs nothing.
Vision didn't just help animals find food — it ignited the Cambrian explosion of speciation. Half of the human cortex is devoted to visual processing, and that same visual hierarchy directly inspired the neural network architectures powering today's AI.
Peptides come loaded with a powerful narrative: regenerative, subcutaneous, targeted, cutting-edge. That narrative can genuinely move outcomes, especially for pain, energy, and recovery. The RCT's job is to quantify how much additional benefit comes from the molecule itself — above and beyond the compelling story surrounding it.
A pharmaceutical is not an amino acid sequence — it is the successful solution to manufacturing, purification, formulation, and consistency challenges. When clinical trials prove a drug works, they validate a specific product under specific processes, not every preparation that shares the same sequence.
Ask one question of any peptide advocate: what evidence would prove this claim wrong? If every disappointing result gets attributed to wrong dose, bad supplier, wrong timing, or improper stacking, the hypothesis is not falsifiable — and a non-falsifiable claim is not a scientific claim.
When you vividly imagine something, your visual, auditory, and motor cortices light up almost identically to when it actually happens. This means daily visualization is genuine neural training — not wishful thinking.
Reality has gaps — and you fill them with stories. When you meet someone new and instantly form an impression, that's not perception, it's imagination. Recognizing this is the first step to changing the story.
Astronauts who see Earth from space consistently lose their sense of national separation and feel compelled to protect the planet. Dr. Vieten recreated that perspective shift through VR — and Mel described feeling simultaneously tiny and limitless.
Imagination is neurodiverse. Visual imaginers, social-emotional imaginers, smell imaginers, kinesthetic imaginers — all are valid and all are necessary. If you don't see vivid pictures, you're not broken. You have a different imagination fingerprint.
Consciousness isn't just what you're aware of — it's your beliefs, intentions, intuitions, and worldview. Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell realized in space that his consciousness was connected to the molecules of the stars. Your inner world is as real as the outer one, and it shapes everything.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.