Huberman LabNeuroscience of Emotions & Tools for Improving Emotion Regulation | Dr. Ralph Adolphs
Episode Details
EPISODE INFO
- Released
- August 17, 2026
- Duration
- 2h 9m
- Channel
- Huberman Lab
- Watch on YouTube
- ▶ Open ↗
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Dr. Ralph Adolphs, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biology at Caltech and a leading expert on the science of human emotions. We discuss how emotions shape our attention and decision-making, whether emotions are truly “stored” in the body, and whether facial expressions are truly reliable signals of emotion. We also cover tools for improving emotional regulation, including cognitive reappraisal and deliberate cold exposure. This episode provides a modern scientific explanation of how emotions are created and regulated in the brain and body, their many impacts on other aspects of brain function, and practical tools for improving emotional wellbeing and processing. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/aUJzvwy Get tickets to Huberman Lab live events: https://www.hubermanlab.com/events Pre-order Andrew's book Protocols: https://protocolsbook.com Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Helix Sleep: https://helixsleep.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Rorra: https://rorra.com/huberman Huberman Lab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter Dr. Ralph Adolphs Academic Profile: https://www.hss.caltech.edu/people/ralph-adolphs Lab Website: https://emotion.caltech.edu Books & Recent Publications: https://emotion.caltech.edu/publications Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=NgQCzOwAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate Timestamps 00:00:00 Ralph Adolphs 00:02:54 Emotions; Qualities of Emotions: Priority, Valence 00:10:00 Qualities of Emotions: Scalability, Persistence 00:15:25 Sponsors: Helix Sleep & Rorra 00:18:17 Do Animals Have Emotions?, Conscious Experience 00:22:58 Monitoring & Regulating Emotions; Emotional Granularity 00:31:22 Emotional Regulation, Tools: Situational Avoidance, Ice Baths 00:37:11 Ultramarathons, Perseverance, Adversity; Awe 00:45:04 Sponsor: AG1 00:46:17 Perception of Emotions, Amygdala & Fear, Facial Expressions 00:51:59 Interpreting Others' Emotions, Prediction 00:57:52 Emotions as Adaptations to the Environment, Types of Fear 01:00:13 Feeling Emotions in the Body, Pain, Insula 01:08:05 Brain & Body Connection; Marketing & Emotion 01:12:34 Sponsor: Function 01:14:11 Art, Music & Emotion 01:17:43 Interpreting Facial Expressions, Developing Emotions, Flexibility vs Reflexes 01:25:11 Emotional Intelligence, Context-Dependent Social Intelligence; Autism 01:33:31 Sponsor: LMNT 01:34:51 Autism & Social Dynamics, Eye Contact 01:42:01 Change Your Personality?, Body Movement & Thought, Social Interaction 01:47:18 Emotion Regulation, Tool: Training Mental Stillness 01:53:46 Task Switching, Tool: Meditation, Breathing Techniques 02:02:07 Illness, Diagnosis & Emotions, Gratitude & Awe 02:06:52 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter #hubermanlab #hubermanlabpodcast Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer
SPEAKERS
Dr. Ralph Adolphs
guestNeuroscientist known for research on emotion, the amygdala (including patient SM), and autism; co-editor of the journal Affective Science.
Andrew Huberman
hostNeuroscientist and host of the Huberman Lab podcast, known for interviewing experts and sharing science-based protocols.
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Dr. Ralph Adolphs and Andrew Huberman, Neuroscience of Emotions & Tools for Improving Emotion Regulation | Dr. Ralph Adolphs explores emotions as functional brain-body states; regulation via awareness and training Emotions are best defined by what they do—flexible control states that prioritize behavior in response to recurring environmental challenges—rather than by any single brain region or conscious feeling.
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