Dr. Jud Brewer
Dr. Jud Brewer
Habit Change Addiction - How Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science Converge on Self and Habits
Habit Change Addiction - How Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science Converge on Self and Habits
Habit Change Addiction - How Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science Converge on Self and Habits
Saturday 30th August 2025
Explore how Buddhist wisdom and neuroscience converge on addiction recovery with Dr. Jud Brewer's insights on habits and self-awareness.
19 minutes
Inspiring
Informative
Hopeful
Engaging
Transformative
About this podcast
Author:
Dr. Jud Brewer
Overview:
Categories:
Mindful Recovery
Mindfulness & Emotional Wellbeing
Mindfulness & Technology in Health
Understanding Addiction & Recovery
Navigating Intimate Relationships
Links:
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Episodes:
78 (View all)
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Get the buttons here!Breaking Addictive Cycles: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science
Episode Overview
- Mindfulness can disrupt cycles of craving and aversion.
- Ancient Buddhist teachings align with modern psychological theories.
- Understanding feeling tone helps break addictive patterns.
- Mindful eating can shift understanding of reward.
- Inner peace comes from awareness, not external pleasures.
"Mindfulness is like taking the wood away from the fire of craving and aversion."
What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? In this fascinating episode of The Dr. Jud Podcast, Dr. Jud Brewer explores how ancient Buddhist wisdom and modern neuroscience intersect to offer fresh insights into habit change and addiction recovery. He breaks down the concept of 'dependent origination' from Buddhism, which describes how our habits and addictions form through cycles of ignorance, craving, and clinging.
This cycle is linked to modern psychology's understanding of reward-based learning, making it clear how ancient teachings still resonate today. Dr. Brewer explains how mindfulness can help us interrupt these cycles, allowing us to make conscious choices rather than reacting on autopilot. With humour and relatable examples, like the weight watchers commercial parody, he illustrates how our cravings are conditioned responses to emotions.
The episode also delves into the role of the posterior cingulate cortex in forming our sense of self, showing how mindfulness practice can alter brain activity and potentially break addictive patterns. Moreover, Dr. Brewer introduces the idea of 'hacking vedana'—using awareness of our feeling tones to cultivate positive emotions and behaviours. He shares anecdotes from mindful eating programmes, where participants found peace and balance not just in food, but in emotional awareness.
This episode is a captivating blend of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science, offering listeners practical tools for overcoming addiction. It poses a powerful question: Can we find true happiness by understanding our inner world rather than chasing external pleasures? Dive into this thought-provoking discussion and discover the potential for personal transformation. Could understanding our feelings be the key to unlocking deeper contentment? That's a question worth exploring.