Keyword: neurotransmitters

↕

The Antidepressant Effects of Semen December 2, 2010

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Depression & Mood, Sexuality & Desire

Research by evolutionary psychologists Gordon Gallup and Rebecca Baruch reveals that semen contains over 50 compounds including cortisol, serotonin, oxytocin, and prolactin. Armand DiMele walks through studies showing women who have condomless sex report significantly lower depression and suicide rates, and considers the ethical weight of publicizing the findings.

Depression as Brain Overload June 17, 2010

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Depression & Mood, The Mind & Neuroscience

Depression is not weakness but a physical stress reaction triggered when the brain exhausts its supply of neurotransmitters. Armand DiMele explains the neurochemistry of collapse, the narcissistic wounds that drive suicide, and why a depressed person genuinely cannot imagine a way out. Callers share personal recoveries, including one with an MAO inhibitor.

How Moods Feed on Themselves October 13, 2009

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Moods are not simply feelings but products of neurotransmitters, nutrition, environment, and psychology working together. Armand DiMele argues that blame and repetitive arguing perpetuate bad moods rather than resolve them, and that a flexible, expansive mind, one open even to nonsense and surprise, is the real tool for change.

How Emotion Shapes Memory September 19, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atti
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Memory is not just repetition but emotion: the stronger the feeling, the deeper the imprint. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti trace memory from DNA and evolutionary survival through neuroplasticity, PTSD, and the chemical trio of acetylcholine, dopamine, and norepinephrine, showing why stuck emotions block us from moving on.

Treating Depression Without Medication June 13, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atin
Category: Depression & Mood, The Mind & Neuroscience

Can depression be treated without drugs? Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti work through the neuroscience of depression, explaining why natural supplements like 5-HTP, SAMe, and St. John’s Wort fall short for severe cases, and make a pragmatic case for short-term medication combined with a knowledgeable therapist.

The Magic of Belief with Eric Walton January 3, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Eric Walton, Roberta Maria Atin
Category: Identity & The Self, Meaning, Spirituality & Philosophy

Magic as a human need, not just a trick. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti welcome conjurer and actor Eric Walton, who performs an original narrative poem about Houdini before discussing how illusion works by engaging all five senses to suggest a sixth, and why audiences hunger to be astonished.

Hormones as Neurotransmitters with Roberta Maria Achi April 26, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Achi
Category: Personal Growth & Change, The Mind & Neuroscience

Estrogen isn’t just a reproductive hormone but a neurotransmitter shaping mood, pain, memory, and brain health. Nutritionist Roberta Maria Achi joins Armand DiMele to explain why carelessly manipulating hormone levels, through drugs or surgery, can have far-reaching consequences, and what diet can do instead.