Fireside Chat, Panel, Conference Presentation
A Conversation with Deepak Chopra and Seth Rogen | Milken Institute Global Conference 2023
- Chronological age is stated as 76, while biological age is claimed to be under 50, with the expectation that psychological age will align more closely with biological age than chronological age.
- It is predicted that depression, stress, and trauma memory can precede Alzheimer's or dementia by decades, and measuring inflammatory markers in young people relative to trauma memory is expected to identify future risk.
- The cortical brain is described as four million years old and immature compared to older brain structures, while a mindset of "running out of time" is expected to accelerate biological aging, increase heart rate, decrease heart rate variability, and induce inflammation.
- Success is expected to be measured by joy rather than other achievements, and a lack of joy is implied to constitute a wasted life.
- Less than 5% of all diseases and specifically Alzheimer's are expected to be genetically determined, with only three of 43 identified genes being fully penetrant while the remainder rely on lifestyle factors.
- Approximately 40% of Alzheimer's cases are expected to be preventable through a brain-healthy lifestyle, though it is anticipated that the average person is unaware this option exists.
- Cannabis is expected to decrease inflammation, while psychedelics are predicted to remove the neural correlates of the separate mind, allow the ego to recede, and eliminate anxiety and trauma from the conditioned mind.
- Laughter (non-sarcastic and non-hurtful) is expected to activate the vagal nerve and cause healing through specific chemical tears, and qualities like joy, compassion, empathy, and equanimity are expected to activate the body's healing process.
- Young people are expected to respond positively to simple, actionable checklists such as monitoring sleep, reducing sugar, and exercising, as they feel failed by the older generation for lacking instruction on active brain health maintenance.
- If healthy practices are not performed, it is expected that individuals will experience a brain that is less healthy, less sharp, and less happy on a day-to-day basis.
- Future actions include the continuation of the "Hilarity for Charity" initiative to teach young people about brain health, with a focus on providing specific, actionable practices.
- Stigma surrounding brain health is expected to cause people to delay addressing it due to its perceived mystery, while a lack of calm is noted as a difficulty in projecting a mindset for brain health without structured guidance.