The FitMind Podcast · 2026-01-21 · 1h 36m
The Science of Letting Go explores how meditation works in the brain, drawing on neuroscience, predictive processing, and contemplative science to explain how letting go reduces stress, softens self-related thinking, and changes perception over time. In this episode of The FitMind Podcast, we sit down with PhD researcher Shawn Prest from Monash University about what's actually happening under the hood when we meditate. Rather than framing letting go as a vague emotional release, Shawn describes it as a measurable shift in how the brain assigns confidence to its highest-level models, including the sense of self. They explore how the brain functions as a prediction system, why excessive certainty can create mental tension and suffering, and how meditation helps loosen rigid patterns by shifting perception toward more direct sensory experience. These changes can support greater equanimity, reduced reactivity, and long-term improvements in well-being.
#114: Mindfulness, Medicine & the Biology of Stress - Dr. Craig Hassed70 / 100#113: Zen & the Science of Living Well - Robert Waldinger, MD#112: The Illusion of Self: Nondual Meditation & Brain Science - John Dunne, PhD#111: The Future of Meditation: AI, Neurofeedback, & VR - Steve Haberlin, PhD#110: Rites of Passage & the Wisdom in Collapse - Linda Thai