How to Biohack the Brain to Remove Emotional Triggers | Dave Asprey - EP 739 - Passion Struck with John R. Miles

Passion Struck with John R. Miles - Episode 739 Summary
How to Biohack the Brain to Remove Emotional Triggers | Dave Asprey
Aired: March 10, 2026

Episode Overview

In this compelling installment of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with Dave Asprey—entrepreneur, author, and founder of the biohacking movement—to dig deep into the intersection of biology and psychology in human transformation. The episode centers on understanding and dissolving emotional triggers through both biohacking and meditative practices, as explored in Asprey’s latest book, Heavily Meditated. Through candid stories and actionable insights, Asprey shares how optimizing the body and brain can help individuals regulate emotions, become more resilient, and live with authentic purpose.

Major Themes and Purposes

Integration of Biology and Psychology: Emotional regulation and transformation are shaped as much by our biology (cells, nervous system, biochemistry) as by our mindset and beliefs.
Biohacking Emotional Triggers: Techniques from both neuroscience and meditative traditions can help dissolve long-held emotional triggers, especially those rooted in early life.
The Importance of Mattering and Connection: The conviction that you matter—both internally and through service to others—is key to flourishing.
Resilience Through Reset: Life’s “crucible moments” (biological and social traumas alike) can be handled and healed with intentional resets, blending science and self-reflection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Evolution of Biohacking and Mind-Body Integration

[07:07] – [12:31]

Human Potential Movement: Asprey discusses its shift from a fringe idea to a global, community-based movement connecting mind, body, environment, and performance.
Quote: “You want your brain to work better, you work on your body. You want your body to work better, you work on your brain...instead of having these like separate domains, we're realizing that it's one seamless system.” (07:24, Dave Asprey)
His Personal Health Crisis: Chronic fatigue, weight gain, and cognitive dysfunction pushed Asprey into pioneering biohacking after conventional medicine failed him.
The Importance of Environment: “The single biggest contributor to both is the environment around you. So you set up the environment...community, air, sound, light, food.” (16:45, Dave Asprey)
Interconnectedness: Asprey’s work at 40 Years of Zen combines neurofeedback, nutrition, and meditation as inseparable tools for wellbeing.

2. The Biology of Resilience and "Resets"

[23:36] – [33:15]

Body as the Foundation: “Emotional resilience does start in your body...It's kind of like if you put really bad gas in a car, it runs, but it's sputtering, it doesn't have power.” (23:45, Dave Asprey)
Joe Rogan Smear Campaign: Asprey recounts the stress of a public smear and the importance of bodily and psychological resilience.
Quote: “All of a sudden, the next day, after Joe did the smear campaign, like a thousand comments calling me like a snake oil salesman...it was really ungrounding because it's like, I didn't do anything wrong yet I'm just getting punished.” (26:30, Dave Asprey)
Reset Process: Using techniques from 40 Years of Zen, he processed the trigger by tracing it back to an early-childhood injustice (first-grade betrayal).
Stickiest Emotions: Injustice and betrayal “are some of the stickiest...because betrayal affects your trust in the world. And injustice, like, you do the right thing and then you get punched in the face for it. It doesn't feel good.” (28:54, Dave Asprey)
Practical Takeaway: Everyone can reset their nervous system responses with the right tools—the process is outlined in Heavily Meditated.

3. Mattering, Trauma, and Neural Programming

[33:15] – [39:55]

Root Beliefs: Many people operate from childhood-programmed beliefs such as “I don’t matter,” causing lifelong suffering until consciously addressed.
Feeling Valued and Giving Value: Mattering is essential for both men and women, though expressed and experienced in different social and biological ways.
Receiving Gratitude: Quote: “I think that's an ... undervalued skill is just to be able to receive the feeling of mattering because it's probably there. You just don't know how to look for it.” (35:49, Dave Asprey)
Role of Career and Fulfillment: Service to others and perceiving one’s positive impact correlate directly with increased wellbeing and hormonal balance (e.g., testosterone in men).
Internal State, Not External Validation: True mattering comes from within, not from external recognition or status alone.

4. Authenticity, Congruence, and Emotional Regulation

[39:55] – [44:44]

The Loneliness of Success: The higher one rises in wealth, power, or fame, the more isolating it can become due to authenticity concerns and fears of being used for superficial reasons.
Mattering as an Internal State: Interpretation of others’ behaviors (or lack thereof) is often a personal projection, not objective truth.
Congruence: True power and leadership come from aligning inner states with outer actions; authenticity is felt and trusted by others more than any show of forced positivity.
Quote: “...Enlightened society requires the fact that when the person says that, it doesn't land right and you're entirely regulated...your words are ten times more powerful.” (42:20, Dave Asprey)

5. Teaching Emotional Regulation and Breaking Programming

[44:44] – [52:29]

Efforts Toward Children's Emotional Education: John shares his upcoming children’s book, “You Matter, Luma,” aimed at embedding the value of mattering early in life.
Civic and Institutional Limitations: Schools often fail to nurture emotional thriving and healthy environments.
Teaching Acceptance & Resilience to Kids: “Mattering doesn't mean you get what you want...but you matter even though you don't get what you want all the time...”
The Power of Peace over Anger: The opposite of fear is peace, not love. Emotional mastery enables acting with mindfulness rather than being manipulated or triggered.
Biohacking Triggers as “System Settings”: Instead of swiping away notifications (meditating on triggers), go into the system settings and disarm the triggers for good.

Memorable Quotes

On Integration:
“I don't think you can separate [biology and psychology]. They're exactly the same world.” (08:51, Dave Asprey)
On Trauma and Triggers:
“There are 40 something core traumas...Any of those beliefs is not actually true, but it feels true if you're stuck in that.” (00:30 & 33:51, Dave Asprey)
On Authenticity:
“...We want to feel that we matter for ourselves. And here's the trick. Your mattering is an internal thing.” (39:55, Dave Asprey)
On Internal Peace:
“The opposite of fear...is actually peace. When you can have internal peace, you can express love. You can also protect your family from a place of peace.” (47:10, Dave Asprey)
On Resilience:
“If you can be that person. Oh, didn't get to me. Sorry. Then you weren't manipulated. You didn't buy the crap you didn't need. You didn't vote for the person you didn't want to vote for because they ran some psyop on you. So I just want to create freedom that way.” (52:09, Dave Asprey)

Notable Lightning Round Moments

[52:29] – [55:50]

Brain Hacks No Longer Used: Early cognitive enhancers like hydrogen and lucidril; technology has advanced, and Dave now uses a range of nootropics and adaptogens tailored to specific needs.
Optimal Olive Oil Intake: 2–4 tablespoons daily is the “Goldilocks zone”—more is not always better due to increased oxidation risks.
Future of Biohacking—Biocentrism: Asprey believes mainstream science is moving toward the idea that our consciousness creates reality—a radical shift with major implications for personal freedom and health.

Timestamps for Key Segments

07:07: The convergence of mind-body biohacking and its roots in tech culture
13:31: Asprey’s personal health collapse and discovery of “hardware problems” in the brain
23:36: Emotional resilience, public smearing, and the reset process for triggers
33:15: The biology of mattering, childhood trauma, and why we feel invisible
39:55: Success, loneliness, and the challenges of authentic relationships
44:44: The importance of emotional education in children and peace as the antidote to fear
52:29: Lightning round—favorite brain hacks, olive oil, and mainstreaming biocentrism

Conclusion

This episode illuminates how human flourishing is not purely a psychological journey—it’s fundamentally biological and energetic, shaped by the environments we choose and the triggers we remove. Dave Asprey’s journey reveals not only how biohacking can heal the brain, but how deliberate introspection and biological upgrades can free us from inherited suffering, empowering people to live like they truly matter.

Next Episode Preview
The conversation continues with Dr. Tara Nerula, focusing on how turning off chronic stress through therapy, meditation, and exercise is key to resilient health.
Quote: “We can actually flip the switch and release the counter mechanisms to dial it down...people recognize okay, stress chronically is bad...but we are empowered and there are ways that we can elicit the reverse reaction.” (57:12, Dr. Tara Nerula)