16 Aug 2026
Neuroscience of Self Reflection
You know when you did something that you regretted or knew was wrong, and you start wondering why the heck you did it?
Why you snapped at someone you love. Why you keep making the same choice even when you know better. Why a comment from a stranger rolled right off you, but the same comment from your friend took you out for the rest of the day.
You probably came up with an explanation pretty fast. Our brains are good at that – handing you a reason, a story, an explanation, almost instantly. It felt true, like truly understanding yourself.
But… was it right?
For thousands of years, we’ve been told the path to wellness and peace is to “know thyself.” Look inward, reflect, journal it out. And many of us have tried.
But almost nobody stops to ask the question underneath all of it: is the story your brain hands you the whole truth of who you are… or just the loudest one?
>> Support the Brain Blown on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/BrainBlownPodcast)
>> Have questions, stories, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at info@brainblownpodcast.com (mailto:info@brainblownpodcast.com).
>> Learn more at www.brainblownpodcast.com (www.brainblownpodcast.com)
RESOURCES
The Meaning of Introspection: Introspection, Scientific Psychology and Neuroscience — H.G. Callaway
On Looking Inward: Revisiting the Role of Introspection in Neuroscientific and Psychiatric Research — Johan A. den Boer, A.A.T. Simone Reinders, and Gerrit Glas
The Neuroscience Behind Creative Journaling — Maria Fabiani
The Brain Mechanisms of Conscious Access and Introspection — Stanislas Dehaene
Neurophenomenology – The Case of Studying Self
Boundaries With Meditators — Aviva Berkovich-Ohana, Yair Dor-Ziderman, Fynn-Mathis Trautwein, Yoav Schweitzer, Ohad Nave, Stephen Fulder, and Yochai Ataria
Mindful Well-being: A Review on the Effects of Journaling and Meditation — Natalie Khoury and Melissa Armenta
What Introspection Has to Offer, and Where Its Limits Lie — Victor A. F. Lamme
Emotion Introspection and Regulation in Depression — Uwe Herwig, Sarah Opialla, Katja Cattapan, Thomas C. Wetter, Lutz Jäncke, and Annette B. Brühl
A Defense of Introspection from Within — Michel Bitbol and Claire Petitmengin
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Self-Awareness: Current Framework, Clinical Implications, and Future Research Directions — Daniel C. Mograbi, Simon Hall, Beatriz Arantes, and Jonathan Huntley
Brain Networks, Neurotransmitters and Psychedelics: Towards a Neurochemistry of Self-Awareness — Daniel C. Mograbi, Rafael Rodrigues, Bheatrix Bienemann, and Jonathan Huntley
Thinking About Thinking: A Coordinate-Based Meta-Analysis of Neuroimaging Studies of Metacognitive Judgements — Anthony G. Vaccaro and Stephen M. Fleming
The Brain in (Willed) Action: A Meta-Analytical Comparison of Imaging Studies on Motor Intentionality and Sense of Agency — Seghezzi, Zirone, Paulesu, and Zapparoli
The Insular Cortex: An Interface Between Sensation, Emotion and Cognition — Zhang, Deng, and Xiao
Understanding Emotions: Origins and Roles of the Amygdala — Goran Šimić, Mladenka Tkalčić, Vana Vukić, Damir Mulc, Ena Španić, Marina Šagud, Francisco Olucha-Bordonau, Vuksic, and Hof
Neural Correlates of Autobiographical Memory Retrieval: An SDM Neuroimaging Meta-Analysis — Susie Shepardson, Kristina Dahlgren, and Stephan Hamann
