Rick Rubin: How to Hack Your Mind for Creative Breakthroughs

Dave Asprey

Feb 18, 2025

Episode description

Most people wait for inspiration. But what if you could train your brain to create on demand? 

Rick Rubin has spent decades shaping the sound of legendary artists—Jay-Z, Johnny Cash, Metallica, and countless others—by tapping into the unseen forces of creativity. But what’s the secret behind his genius? 

In this must-listen episode, Rick sits down with Dave to explore the science and soul of creativity, revealing how meditation, mindfulness, biohacking, and unconventional thinking fuel artistic breakthroughs. From rewiring your brain with meditation to stacking biohacks for peak creative flow, Rick shares the techniques that have kept him at the top of the music industry for over 40 years. 

Dave and Rick go deep on the mental and physiological hacks that enhance creative performance, the surprising link between biohacking and artistry, and the rituals that keep Rick sharp, focused, and endlessly inspired. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• How Rick Rubin taps into creative flow—and how you can too 

• The surprising connection between meditation and peak artistic performance 

• Why biohacking isn’t just for longevity—it’s for creative mastery 

• Rick’s favorite tools for mental clarity, focus, and creative breakthroughs 

• The real secret behind working with the world’s biggest artists 

• How to cultivate an environment that fuels creativity 



Resources:  

2025 Biohacking Conference: https://biohackingconference.com/2025 

Rick’s New Book The Creative Act: A way of Being: https://a.co/d/2bLbjeS   

Rick’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickrubin/?hl=en 

Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/ 

Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com 

Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com 

Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey 

Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com 

Episode description

Most people wait for inspiration. But what if you could train your brain to create on demand? 

Rick Rubin has spent decades shaping the sound of legendary artists—Jay-Z, Johnny Cash, Metallica, and countless others—by tapping into the unseen forces of creativity. But what’s the secret behind his genius? 

In this must-listen episode, Rick sits down with Dave to explore the science and soul of creativity, revealing how meditation, mindfulness, biohacking, and unconventional thinking fuel artistic breakthroughs. From rewiring your brain with meditation to stacking biohacks for peak creative flow, Rick shares the techniques that have kept him at the top of the music industry for over 40 years. 

Dave and Rick go deep on the mental and physiological hacks that enhance creative performance, the surprising link between biohacking and artistry, and the rituals that keep Rick sharp, focused, and endlessly inspired. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• How Rick Rubin taps into creative flow—and how you can too 

• The surprising connection between meditation and peak artistic performance 

• Why biohacking isn’t just for longevity—it’s for creative mastery 

• Rick’s favorite tools for mental clarity, focus, and creative breakthroughs 

• The real secret behind working with the world’s biggest artists 

• How to cultivate an environment that fuels creativity 



Resources:  

2025 Biohacking Conference: https://biohackingconference.com/2025 

Rick’s New Book The Creative Act: A way of Being: https://a.co/d/2bLbjeS   

Rick’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickrubin/?hl=en 

Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/ 

Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com 

Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com 

Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey 

Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com 

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Utilize Carbagen to enhance brain oxygen delivery

Inhaling a specific mix of oxygen and CO2 called Carbagen can trick the body into delivering more oxygen across the blood-brain barrier.

Utilize Russian peptides to rejuvenate organ systems

Specific peptides, originally researched in Russia, can be taken orally to signal specific organ systems like the thymus or pineal gland to become younger.

Reevaluate veganism for optimal health and consider bone broth

After 23 years as a self-described 'brainwashed vegan,' Rick Rubin was told by a Tibetan doctor that the diet was killing him and he needed bone broth.

Meditate on self for a year before extending kindness to others

In Metta meditation, you must focus the loving-kindness phrases on yourself for a full year before extending them to your family and others.

Engage in simple tasks to unlock subconscious creativity

Engaging in a simple task like swimming or driving can distract the conscious mind, allowing access to subconscious creativity.

Experiment with multiple biohacks simultaneously for desired results

Rick Rubin's philosophy is to try ten different potential solutions at once, not caring which one works, as long as he gets the desired result.

Harness sickness to ignite creativity

Rick Rubin found that when he gets extremely sick, it can induce a state where highly creative thoughts emerge.

Prioritize protein over fat for optimal health

Despite being in the paleo/keto world, Rick Rubin found through experimentation that his body does better with more protein than fat.

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© Mindsip 2025 – Made with ❤ in Vilnius

Unlock the wisdom of longevity

© Mindsip 2025 – Made with ❤ in Vilnius