What Porn Does To Your Brain (& What To Do About It)—How To Use Proven Science To QUIT Porn For Good, With Dr. Trish Leigh.
Ben Greenfield
May 24, 2025
Episode description
In this episode with the remarkable Dr. Trish Leigh, a renowned cognitive neuroscientist and addiction recovery expert, you'll get to dive into the neuroscience of pornography and its far-reaching effects on the brain, hormones, relationships, and overall well-being.
If you’re looking to unlock greater focus, happiness, and intimacy—or want to help someone you care about—this episode brings neuroscience and practical wisdom together in a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Full show notes: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/mindovermatter
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Mindsip insights from this episode:
Stop porn consumption to restore healthy sleep rhythm
Porn consumption can cause a specific type of insomnia by locking the brain into a sluggish 8 Hz alpha wave state, preventing it from shifting into the deeper brain waves required for restorative sleep.
Recognize hidden dependency on porn for stress relief in high achievers
Many high-achievers unknowingly use porn to get a dopamine hit that offsets the extreme stress from their demanding careers, creating a hidden dependency.
Supplement with L-Tyrosine to boost natural dopamine production
Using supplements like L-Tyrosine, a precursor to dopamine, can help your system enhance its own dopamine production naturally while recovering from porn use.
Utilize Covenant Eyes for effective porn blocking and accountability
Covenant Eyes is recommended as a highly effective porn blocker because its AI is difficult to disable and it sends blurred screenshots to an accountability partner.
Utilize neurofeedback to overcome porn addiction in four months
A specific neurofeedback protocol using a Muse headband and the Dr. Trish Lee app can retrain the brain out of dysfunctional patterns caused by porn addiction in as little as four months.
Recognize effects of porn on brain states: from strained to drained
Porn use creates two dysfunctional states: a 'strained brain' (anxious, high-beta) which then transitions to a 'drained brain' (sluggish, low-alpha) after being flooded with dopamine.
Protect brain's reward system to maintain testosterone levels
Testosterone is first made in the brain before it's made in the sex organs, so depleting the brain's reward system with porn can lower overall testosterone levels.
Recognize porn's impact on ADHD-like symptoms
Porn can cause ADHD-like symptoms in adults by stunting brain development and keeping it in slower brainwave patterns that require constant, high levels of stimulation to achieve focus.
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