Sensing Our Way to Change: Interview with Professor Norman Farb

What do you do when the mental strategies that once made you successful start making you feel stuck?That’s the focus of my conversation with today’s guest, Dr. Norman Farb. Norm is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he studies the neuroscience of human identity and emotion.I became familiar with Norm’s work when I read the book he coauthored with clinical psychologist Zindel Segal called Better in Every Sense. In the book, Farb and Segal look at how our brain’s autopilot mode, which they term the "house of habit," can contribute to feeling stuck.Through their research, they’ve uncovered a surprising insight: the key to getting unstuck and breaking our bad habits isn’t necessarily more thinking or problem-solving; it’s deliberately paying attention to our senses.During the conversation we talk about* The specific brain mechanisms behind our brain’s autopilot mode* Why more thinking and problem-solving won’t necessarily get us unstuck* What makes sensation so critical for change* Why it’s important to build a practice that allows us to embrace uncertainty and constantly update our expectations of the world This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 90percentmental.substack.com