How Your Thoughts Are Built & How You Can Shape Them | Dr. Jennifer Groh
Huberman Lab
Nov 10
How Your Thoughts Are Built & How You Can Shape Them | Dr. Jennifer Groh
How Your Thoughts Are Built & How You Can Shape Them | Dr. Jennifer Groh

Huberman Lab
Nov 10
In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Groh, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, delves into the intricate ways our brain processes and integrates sensory information to shape perception, thought, and attention. She explains how the brain constructs a stable experience of the world despite constant sensory shifts, and how internal simulations form the basis of thinking.
The brain uses dynamic sensory maps to integrate sight and sound, maintaining spatial awareness even during eye movements. Visual input dominates auditory localization, as seen in film or ventriloquism, though precise timing cues are critical for accurate perception. Sound localization relies on microsecond-level differences between ears and is supported by glucose metabolism and ear anatomy. Bone conduction and hearing protection strategies are discussed, along with how environments like cathedrals influence sound. Music's role in emotional bonding, memory, and evolution is explored, revealing its power in synchronizing groups. Thought itself arises from sensory-motor simulations, explaining cognitive interference when multitasking. Attention functions like a flow state, shaped by environment and modulated by techniques like mental interval training and controlled auditory input. Reducing digital distractions and varying physical settings can reset focus. Practices that broaden visual attention promote relaxation, while narrow focus—like screen use—can induce mental fatigue. Managing technology intentionally helps preserve natural attention cycles and cognitive performance.
10:53
10:53
Visual input overrides auditory location when cues conflict
13:52
13:52
The brain can detect sound differences smaller than a single action potential through coordinated neuron activity.
19:51
19:51
Ear folds filter sound and help with vertical localization
21:56
21:56
The brain reduces auditory input when we speak to avoid being overwhelmed by our own voice.
26:18
26:18
If others can hear your headphones, it may cause permanent hearing loss
34:20
34:20
The brain uses differences in arrival times of direct and reflected sound to estimate distance
43:07
43:07
Red-green colorblind people map both red and green to yellow
51:07
51:07
Rhythm helped early humans cooperate and amplify their presence to scare predators
1:00:41
1:00:41
Music organizes language in a way that makes it easy to remember
1:08:58
1:08:58
Eardrums move in opposite directions during saccadic eye movements
1:12:58
1:12:58
Top-down brain connections to the retina may influence circadian rhythms
1:16:50
1:16:50
High-frequency sounds travel efficiently along ceilings in large spaces.
1:25:55
1:25:55
It's okay not to have a complete story if the data doesn't support it
1:27:16
1:27:16
Thinking involves running sensory-motor simulations in the brain
1:33:22
1:33:22
Most people who think they can't concentrate just need a narrow set of sensory inputs.
1:37:48
1:37:48
Acetylcholine is crucial for attentional spotlighting and must be replenished through sleep.
1:48:44
1:48:44
Being blocked often means not knowing what's next, not a failure to produce
1:53:28
1:53:28
High stakes cause over-investment of motor effort, leading to performance choking.
1:59:38
1:59:38
Drawing a line in front of a chicken can hypnotize it by fixing its visual focus.
2:09:45
2:09:45
Social media’s seamless design mimics slot machines to keep users engaged