What Magic & Mind Reading Reveal About the Brain | Asi Wind

Welcome to the Huberman Lab podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Asi Wind. Asi Wind is one of the top magicians and mentalists in the world. Now, you may be asking yourself, "Why would the Huberman Lab podcast host a magician mentalist?" And the obvious answer perhaps would be that magicians and mentalists reveal to us where our gaps in perception reside, that is where the human brain falters such that magicians and mentalists can take advantage of that and give us the impression, the illusion that certain things happened when they didn't. However, during today's discussion, you will learn that Asi Wind's magic and mentalist work, which by the way is absolutely astonishing, you can see examples of this in some of the links in the show note captions that will take you to YouTube clips in which Asi did some of these tricks and mentalist work on me directly in the studio, and there are other examples out there that we've linked to on the internet as well, that the work that Asi Wind does illustrates how we form memories, how we erase memories, and the specific things that we all can do in order to stamp down certain memories and to erase other memories. Indeed, much of what Asi Wind's work does is to use an understanding of how the brain works in order to create false memories, to erase recent memories, and indeed to use emotion and empathy and storytelling in order for you, the observer, to create a perception of something that happened that may or may not have actually happened. Indeed, what Asi reveals to us today tells us not how a magician or mentalist fools us, but rather how we, with our own brains, lead ourselves to believe that certain things happened when in fact they may or may not have happened and the way that we collaborate with others in order to create those either false or real perceptions. It's a discussion that I'm sure everyone, whether or not you're a fan of magic or not, will find fascinating. Indeed, I learned so much from the discussion with Asi about neuroscience and about how the human brain constructs narratives of the past, present, and future, that it informs not just my understanding of how the brain works, but indeed how to learn better, how to remember things better, and to consolidate that information to really stamp it into your memory so that you never forget. So while Asi Wind is a magician and mentalist, today's discussion is really a discussion about the neuroscience of how to learn, how to forget, how to access creativity, and how art and storytelling, empathy and emotion all can allow us to access powers within us that make us far more effective in whatever pursuits we may be after. Before we begin, I'd like to emphasize that this podcast is separate from my teaching and research roles at Stanford. It is, however, part of my desire and effort to bring zero-cost-to-consumer information about science and science-related tools to the general public. In keeping with that theme, I'd like to thank the sponsors of today's podcast. Our first sponsor is LMNT. LMNT is an electrolyte drink with everything you need and nothing you don't. That means plenty of salt, magnesium, and potassium, the electrolytes, but no sugar. As I mentioned before on this podcast, I'm a big believer in getting sufficient hydration and making sure that that hydration includes sufficient electrolytes, salt, magnesium, and potassium. And the reason for that is that all the cells in our body, but indeed especially our neurons, our nerve cells, are critically reliant on electrolytes and hydration in order to function properly. LMNT makes it very easy to get the hydration and electrolytes you need. When I wake up in the morning, one of the first things I do is to drink 16 to 32 ounces of water with a packet of LMNT dissolved in it. I particularly like the raspberry-flavored LMNT, but then again, I also like the watermelon flavor, and the citrus flavor, and the orange flavor. So basically what I'm saying is, I really like all the flavors of LMNT. If you'd like to try LMNT, you can go to DrinkLMNT, spelled L-M-N-T, .com/huberman to claim a free sample pack with your order. Again, that's DrinkLMNT, L-M-N-T,.com/huberman. Today's episode is also brought to us by BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers professional therapy with a licensed therapist carried out online. Now, I've been going to therapy for well over 30 years. Initially, I didn't have a choice. It was a condition of being allowed to stay in school. But pretty soon I realized that therapy is extremely valuable. In fact, I consider doing regular therapy just as important as getting regular exercise, cardiovascular exercise, and resistance training, which of course I also do every week. The reason I know therapy is so valuable is that if you can find a therapist with whom you can develop a really good rapport, you not only get terrific support for some of the challenges in your life, but you also can derive tremendous insights from that therapy, insights that can allow you to better not just your emotional life and your relationship life, but of course also the relationship to yourself and to your professional life, to all sorts of career goals. In fact, I see therapy as one of the key components for meshing together all aspects of one's life and being able to really direct one's focus and attention toward what really matters. If you'd like to try BetterHelp, go to betterhelp.com/huberman to get 10% off your first month. Again, that's betterhelp.com/huberman. Today's episode is also brought to us by AeroPress. AeroPress is similar to a French press for making coffee but is in fact a much better way to make coffee. I first learned about AeroPress well over 10 years ago, and I've been using one ever since. AeroPress was developed by Alan Adler, who was an engineer at Stanford. And I knew of Alan because he had also built the so-called Aerobie Frisbee, so he was sort of famous in our community for developing these different feats of engineering that turned into commercial products. Now, I love coffee. I'm somebody that drinks coffee nearly every day, usually about 90 to 120 minutes after I wake up in the morning, although not always. Sometimes if I'm going to exercise, I'll drink coffee first thing in the morning. But I love, love, love coffee. And what I've personally found is that by using the AeroPress, I can make the best possible tasting cup of coffee. I don't know what exactly it is in the AeroPress that allows the same beans to be prepared into a cup of coffee that tastes that much better as compared to any other form of brewing that coffee, even the traditional French press. The AeroPress is extremely easy to use, and it's extremely compact. In fact, I take it with me whenever I travel, and I use it on the road in hotels, even on planes. I'll just ask for some hot water, and I'll brew my coffee or tea right there on the plane. With over 55,000 five-star reviews, AeroPress is the best-reviewed coffee press in the world. If you would like to try AeroPress, you can go to aeropress.com/huberman, that's A-E-R-O-P-R-E-S-S.com/huberman, to get 20% off any AeroPress coffee maker. AeroPress ships in the USA, Canada, and over 60 other countries in the world. Again, that's aeropress.com/huberman to get 20% off. And now for my discussion with Asi Wind.Ossi Wind, welcome.