endorphins |

Why Teenagers Take Risks July 1, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Lisa Arnone

Category: Anxiety & Fear, Identity & The Self

Adolescent risk-taking is rooted in brain biology: the amygdala and reward circuits mature before the prefrontal cortex, leaving teenagers flooded with sensation-seeking drive and no brake. Armand DiMele, co-host Giullian Gioiello, and Lisa Arnone, LCSW trace this from evolutionary necessity through modern dangers like cutting, substance use, and viral stunts.

Feeling Good Is a Chemical State January 13, 2011

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Elemy, Lauren Sykes, Richard Christensen

Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Feeling good is not a vague mental state but a precise chemical one, and Armand DiMele breaks down how everything from exercise to eating to orgasm is really the body engineering its own neurochemistry. The episode also reframes feeling good as often just the absence of pain.

The Healing Power of Touch September 16, 2009

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Faith Schwartz, Sherri Siegel

Category: Aging & Mortality, Emotions & Inner Life

Touch is a basic human need that goes unmet for many people, especially the elderly. Armand explores the science and practice of massage with Dr. Sherry Siegel, M.D. and licensed massage therapist Faith Schwartz, covering everything from nerve sensitivity and endorphins to the many massage modalities and why draping builds trust.

Your Brain on Radio and Television Undated

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Moriarty

Category: Addiction & Compulsion, The Mind & Neuroscience

Turning on the TV after work is a chemical event, not just a habit. Armand and co-host Roberta Moriarty trace how screen watching shifts the brain from the neocortex to the limbic system, floods the body with endorphins, and makes media figures feel like family members. They also argue that the current younger generation, raised on interactive media, is escaping the passive hypnosis that shaped baby boomers.