Podbit · Huberman Lab
A rigorous human laboratory study by Dr. Helen Blair Simpson found that smoked cannabis — whether THC-dominant or CBD — had little acute effect on OCD symptoms and actually produced smaller anxiety reductions than placebo. The popular belief that cannabis helps OCD isn't supported by the data.
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At 29:22 · chapter starts 29:09
Huberman examines two treatments that generate significant public interest. First, cannabis: a human laboratory study by Dr. Blair Simpson found that smoked cannabis — whether THC-dominant or CBD — had little acute effect on OCD symptoms and, critically, produced smaller reductions in anxiety than placebo. This is a striking finding given widespread beliefs about cannabis as an anxiolytic. Second, transcranial magnetic stimulation: TMS coils applied non-invasively to motor and supplementary motor areas of the skull can interrupt the automatic quality of compulsive motor behaviors. Small-scale studies have shown reductions in OCD symptoms that persist after treatment ends. Huberman tempers enthusiasm by calling TMS promising rather than proven, and notes that the greatest excitement surrounds combinations of TMS with CBT or pharmacological treatment.
A human laboratory study found that smoked cannabis — whether THC-dominant or CBD — had little acute impact on OCD symptoms and produced smaller anxiety reductions than placebo.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to motor and supplementary motor areas can interrupt compulsive motor behaviors and reduce OCD symptoms beyond the active treatment session.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation targeted at motor and supplementary motor areas can interrupt the automatic quality of compulsive behaviors, with symptom reductions persisting after the sessions end. TMS isn't a magic bullet, but its combination with CBT or drug treatment is generating real excitement.
AI nailed Andrew Huberman's vertigo-vs-low-blood-pressure diagnosis because that pattern has been reported millions of times. But every patient's liver is different and data on liver surgeries is scarce worldwide — making solo robot surgery dangerous. The rule is simple: data abundance means AI can help; data scarcity means keep the human in the loop.
Fei-Fei Li's father had liver surgery performed by a da Vinci robot guided by a surgeon. The result: 10 times less blood loss than a typical procedure. This isn't replacement — it's the gold standard of human-machine collaboration, where the human's judgment and the robot's precision combine.
US drug overdose deaths fell from 110,000 to roughly 70,000 — the biggest CDC-recorded single-year drop ever. Men's rates fell 27% in one year, and the steepest decline of all was among 15–24-year-olds, down 37%. The crisis narrative around young men needs to make room for signs of genuine progress.
Kessler thought his grief expertise would protect him. It didn't. When his son David died unexpectedly, he found himself on the floor — and eventually realized that acceptance alone wasn't enough. That unmet need became the sixth stage: finding meaning.
Grief isn't just death — it's any unwanted change. Kessler lectured at Coca-Cola and General Mills not because they had lots of funerals, but because change management is grief management. People who grieve well live well.
Witnessing someone's grief isn't just emotional support — it's an essential act of healing. Kessler argues grief is a severance and connection heals it. But real witnessing has two steps: seeing the pain AND affirming the person's capacity to recover.
Avoiding grief isn't free — it's exhausting. Kessler's beach ball metaphor nails it: pushing a small balloon down is easy, but holding a massive beach ball underwater takes constant, draining energy. Unattended feelings don't disappear; they just consume you.
Most people try to control their environment to avoid triggers. Kessler flips this entirely: triggers aren't problems to manage around — they're a detailed map to your pain and your healing. Every trigger points directly to what needs attention.
Running from pain doesn't leave it behind — it accelerates the chase. Whatever we run from pursues us, and whatever we face transforms us. Both Kessler and Lewis Howes testify to knowing both roads firsthand.
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