Explore every episode of the podcast The Cognitive Performer
Dive into the complete episode list for The Cognitive Performer. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
The Science of Performance Anxiety
14 May 2025
00:25:07
In this episode of The Cognitive Performer, I dive into the fascinating neuroscience behind performance anxiety and discuss how it specifically affects voice actors. Learn why your body responds the way it does during high-pressure situations, how anxiety impacts your vocal performance, and why trying harder often makes things worse.
I explore the surprising "paradox of choking" and understand the critical difference between helpful performance arousal and debilitating anxiety. You'll discover evidence-based techniques to regulate your nervous system, including specific breathing patterns, cognitive reframing strategies, and a complete pre-recording routine you can implement immediately.
Based on cutting-edge research from performance psychology and neuroscience, this episode provides practical tools to transform anxiety from your enemy into your ally. Whether you're dealing with audition nerves, session jitters, or that critical inner voice that sometimes shows up in the booth, you'll learn how to perform at your best, even under pressure.
Below are the links to research materials mentioned in this episode.
In this debut episode of The Cognitive Performer, we dive into the fascinating world of neuroplasticity and how voice actors can leverage this brain science to enhance their performances. Discover how your brain physically changes with each practice session and learn science-backed techniques to optimize your vocal training for faster skill development.
Navigating Imposter Syndrome: Evidence-Based Strategies for Voice Actors
09 Jun 2025
00:19:38
Imposter syndrome, a pervasive psychological phenomenon, is the focal point of our discourse today. We delve into the intricate interplay between the mind and body as we explore this condition that afflicts many, particularly within creative professions. By elucidating the underlying neuroscience, we aim to demystify the experiences associated with imposter syndrome, ultimately equipping our listeners with empirically supported strategies to manage its effects. Throughout this episode, we will examine how these feelings manifest, their neurological triggers, and the correlation with maladaptive perfectionism. As we navigate through this complex landscape, we shall also highlight effective interventions derived from contemporary research, thereby fostering a deeper understanding of this common yet often misunderstood experience.
Exploring the Intricacies of Cognitive Processing: Your Questions Answered
08 Jul 2025
00:23:00
In this special Q&A episode, Marco answers fascinating questions from fellow voice actors about the brain and performance. Discover why people think so differently (it's actual brain wiring, not just personality), what dreams really do for your brain, and the surprising science behind "manifestation." Plus: where creativity actually comes from, what happens in your brain during those amazing "aha moments," and why exercise might be the single best thing you can do for brain health.
Topics covered: Analytical vs. holistic thinking • Dream science • Positive/negative thinking patterns • Brain aging and adaptation • The neuroscience of creativity • "Eureka moment" brain chemistry • Exercise effects on the brain
Your gut is talking — and your brain is listening. Discover how diet, microbiota, and even fasting reshape your brain chemistry, mood, and cognition in this deep dive into the gut-brain connection.
Your gut is talking to your brain — and your brain is listening. In this episode of The Cognitive Performer, we explore the gut-brain axis — the communication highway connecting your digestive system and your mind. Discover how trillions of microorganisms influence your mood, focus, memory, and long-term brain health. We’ll look at how diet shapes your microbiome, why certain bacteria can act like microscopic pharmacists, and what dietary patterns best protect cognitive function. From the serotonin-shaping power of Roseburia intestinalis to the fasting-linked boost in microglial cleanup, this episode unpacks the real neuroscience behind “gut feelings.”
Key Takeaways
Roughly 90 % of the vagus-nerve signals run from gut → brain, not the other way around.
The gut microbiome produces neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA that directly influence mood and cognition.
Stress diverts tryptophan from serotonin production toward inflammation — but beneficial bacteria can reverse that shift.
Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets consistently support brain health by nourishing diverse gut bacteria.
Alternate-day fasting reshapes gut microbes and improves microglial function, translating into measurable cognitive gains.
Building cognitive reserve through learning, social connection, movement, and sleep can cut dementia risk nearly in half.
Links and Resources
Qu S et al. (2024). Gut microbiota modulates neurotransmitter and gut-brain signaling.Microbiological Research, 287.
Zhou M. F. et al. (2023). Microbiome and the kynurenine metabolic pathway in depression.Microbiome, 11.
Gong Y et al. (2025). Healthy dietary patterns and cognitive performance.J. Prev. Alzheimer’s Dis., 12.
Mela V et al. (2025). Microbiota fasting-related changes ameliorate cognitive decline in obesity.Gut.
Ward N A et al. (2023). PROMED-EX Randomised Controlled Trial.BMJ Open, 13.
Bekdash R A (2024). Epigenetics, Nutrition, and the Brain.Int. J. Mol. Sci., 25.
Margolis K G et al. (2021). Microbiota-gut-brain axis modulation of enteric and central nervous system function.Gastroenterology, 160.
Cryan J F et al. (2021). Diet, microbiota, and host behavior — narrative review.Adv. Nutrition.
Connect and Subscribe
For more neuroscience-backed insights on performance, mindset, and mental health, subscribe to The Cognitive Performer Newsletter at thecognitiveperformer.com.
Fear Extinction: How to Rewire Your Brain for Resilience
01 Oct 2025
00:18:18
Think you're stuck with an anxious, stressed brain? Think again. In this episode of The Cognitive Performer, Marco explores the neuroscience of fear extinction - your brain's natural ability to unlearn stress responses and build resilience instead. Discover why stress literally rewires your neural circuits, how fear conditioning keeps you stuck in anxiety loops, and the specific, science-backed techniques you can use to intentionally reshape your brain's stress response.
What You'll Learn:
The difference between classical and operant conditioning (and why fear responses use the classical type)
How chronic stress flattens your cortisol rhythm and damages neural connections
Why your amygdala hijacks your prefrontal cortex during stress responses
The three-step process of fear extinction and how it creates competing memories
Why cyclic sighing outperforms mindfulness and box breathing for nervous system regulation
How sleep actively rewires your brain through synaptic homeostasis
Practical tools for building antifragility - getting stronger from stress instead of just surviving it
90-second cyclic sighing protocol for nervous system reset
Mindfulness practices that break rumination loops
Movement strategies for neuroplasticity and BDNF production
Sleep optimization for emotional memory processing
Building safe exposure routines for stress triggers
Perfect for: Voice actors, performers, creatives, anyone dealing with performance anxiety, stress management, or wanting to understand how to work with their brain instead of against it.
Research-Backed: All techniques discussed are supported by recent neuroscience studies from 2021-2025, with specific focus on fear extinction mechanisms, large-scale brain network changes, and evidence-based interventions for stress resilience.
Bergstrom, H. C., & Maren, S. (2024). Pharmacological stimulation of infralimbic cortex after fear conditioning facilitates subsequent fear extinction. Neuropsychopharmacology.
Author(s). (2021). Rat models for low and high adaptive response to exercise differ for stress-related memory and anxiety. Physiological Reports.
Skill Learning & Mental Rehearsal
Demaison, C., et al. (2022). Mental practice modulates functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex. iScience.
Xie, K., et al. (2022). Motor learning selectively strengthens cortical and striatal synapses of motor engram neurons. Nature Neuroscience.
Mindfulness
Brechmann, A., et al. (2022). Mindfulness meditation increases default mode, salience, and central executive network connectivity. Scientific Reports.
Rogerson, A., et al. (2023). Mindfulness training changes brain dynamics during depressive rumination: A randomized controlled trial. Biological Psychiatry.
Sousa, R., et al. (2024). Neurobiological changes induced by mindfulness and meditation: A systematic review. Brain Sciences.
Exercise & Stress
Roth, M. M., et al. (2022). Learning and control in motor cortex across cell types and scales. Nature.
Li, K., et al. (2021). Stress undermines reward-guided cognitive performance through synaptic depression in the lateral habenula. Neuron.
Sleep & Trauma
Gvozdanovic, G. A., et al. (2023). Neural correlates of sleep-induced benefits on traumatic memory processing. Human Brain Mapping.
van der Heijden, K. B., et al. (2022). Sleep spindle dynamics suggest over-consolidation in post-traumatic stress disorder. Sleep.
Cairney, S. A., et al. (2024). Targeted memory reactivation to augment treatment in post-traumatic stress disorder. Current Biology.
Schäfer, S. K., et al. (2023). The potential beneficial effect of sleep deprivation following traumatic events to preventing PTSD: Review of current insight regarding sleep, memory, and trauma resonating with ancient rituals. Neuropsychopharmacology Reports.
Copyright 2026 Marco Rigazio
Dopamine: The Misunderstood Molecule
01 Sep 2025
00:14:19
We’ve all heard it: dopamine is the “pleasure molecule.” Catchy, sure. But wrong. In this episode of The Cognitive Performer, Marco Rigazio unpacks the myths around dopamine and explores its real role in the brain. Far from being just about “feeling good,” dopamine is a regulator—shaping focus, working memory, and even intelligence. Along the way, you’ll discover what happens when dopamine falls out of balance (ADHD, addiction, burnout, anhedonia) and why motivation isn’t just about willpower, but about your brain’s state of readiness.
Ever record take after take and still feel unsure which one was right?
It might not be a creative block. It could be decision fatigue.
In this episode of The Cognitive Performer, we break down what really happens when your brain gets overloaded — and how it quietly shapes the choices you make during creative work.
You’ll learn:
How small, invisible decisions stack up during a session
What fatigue does to your planning, flexibility, and creative flow
Why defaulting to “what usually works” isn’t always a good thing
How to spot the signs of mental drain before it tanks your performance
Simple science-backed ways to protect your energy and output
Subscribe to the newsletter for bonus content, behind-the-scenes extras, and a free glossary of neuroscience terms:
Thanks for listening — and don’t miss next month’s episode on dopamine: the buzzword, the brain chemical, and the reality behind the hype.
The Comfort of the Known - Why We Stay Stuck
01 Dec 2025
00:16:50
Why do we stay in patterns that hurt us? Why do we return to familiar anger, destructive relationships, or self-defeating habits even when we logically know better? In this episode, we explore the neuroscience of why the brain mistakes familiarity for safety - and what it takes to actually change.
In This Episode:
Why "knowing better" doesn't equal "doing better"
The two minds competing inside your brain (and which one usually wins)
How your hippocampus keeps you stuck in the familiar
The aversion amplifier: why change feels dangerous even when it's good
Five science-backed conditions for creating lasting change
SOURCES REFERENCED:
Brain Systems & Memory:
Dual hippocampal memory systems (associative vs. predictive coding) - optogenetic study in rats demonstrating separate memory pathways for familiarity and navigation
Default Mode Network:
DMN activation patterns in depression and rumination - increased self-referential processing maintains negative narratives
Aversion & Threat Processing:
Interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) circuit amplifies aversive experiences - isolated brainstem pathway that intensifies discomfort without triggering general anxiety
Cognitive Flexibility:
Brain signal variability correlates with cognitive flexibility - higher variability in inferior frontal junction predicts better task-switching ability
Model Arbitration:
Amygdala's role in arbitrating between habit-based and goal-directed learning systems
Quote:
Scott Galloway: "It's very difficult to read the label from inside the bottle"
The Verification Tax & Attention Hijacking
01 Apr 2026
00:14:27
Your brain evolved to trust what it sees. For millions of years, that worked. Now? Deepfakes, synthetic media, AI-generated everything. That instinct gets you fooled.
This is Episode 3 of our AI and the Brain series. Today we're covering two forces acting on your brain that most people don't even realize are happening.
In this episode:
The Verification Tax: the mental exhaustion of constantly trying to figure out what's real
Why your brain shuts down under cognitive overload instead of working harder
Delta wave activity in heavy digital users - your brain showing sleep patterns while you're awake
Why misinformation wins when you're already exhausted
Attention Hijacking: how social media algorithms manipulate your dopamine system like a slot machine
Brainwave changes that persist 15+ minutes after you close the app
Zombie scrolling, doomscrolling, and vicarious traumatization
The difference between tool AI (you're driving) and algorithmic AI (you're the passenger)
Psychological inoculation: building immunity to manipulation techniques
Practical boundaries for protecting your cognitive resources
Core message: Tool AI puts you in the driver's seat. Algorithmic AI puts you in the passenger seat - and the driver doesn't care where you want to go.
The "Brain Rot" Phenomenon: Yousef and colleagues (2025) dive into the concept of "brain rot" in the digital era, exploring what infinite scrolling and low-quality content do to the cognitive health of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Published in Brain Sciences.
Social Media's Modern Day High: A 2025 study by Satani et al. tracking real-time brainwave changes—like dopamine spikes, attention hijacking, and cognitive fatigue—while users scroll through social media feeds. Published in Cureus.
Teen Addiction & Social Media Algorithms: De et al. (2025) explored the neurophysiological impacts and ethical concerns of AI-driven social media algorithms that are designed to maximize screen time for teenagers. Published in Cureus.
Multitasking and Cognitive Load: Boere et al. (2024) used mobile brain-scanning (fNIRS) to measure exactly what happens to the prefrontal cortex when our brains are forced to handle complex multitasking and cognitive overload. Published in Neuroimage: Reports.
Screen Time & Teen Depression: A massive dose-response meta-analysis by Liu et al. (2022) that quantifies how every extra hour spent on social media increases the risk of depression in adolescents. Published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Passive Scrolling and Depression: Wang et al. (2025) researched how passive social media consumption links to "fear of missing out" (FOMO), vicarious traumatization, and depression during public health crises. Published in Frontiers in Psychology.
Why Misinformation Persists: Zhou & Shen (2024) explain the cognitive fallacies and motivational biases that make fake news and misinformation so hard to debunk, as well as the cognitive cost of skepticism. Published in Frontiers in Psychology.
Decision Neuroscience & Attention: A 2023 editorial by Chew and colleagues breaking down the brain mechanics behind goal-directed (top-down) versus stimulus-driven (bottom-up) attention. Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience.
Cognitive Fatigue and Performance: Stafylidis and team (2025) looked into how heavy mental exhaustion and cognitive fatigue mess with vigilance, reaction times, and physical performance. Published in Sports.
Crisis & Pandemic Fatigue Online: White et al. (2024) break down how internet users express digital fatigue, information avoidance, and feeling overwhelmed by constant emergencies on social media platforms. Published in BMC Public Health.
Cognitive Offloading - The Tradeoffs
01 Mar 2026
00:12:17
Last month we explored agency - how AI doesn't take anything from you, you give it away. This episode goes deeper into the mechanism: what actually happens in your brain when you delegate cognitive tasks to AI?
In this episode:
What cognitive offloading is and why AI is different from previous tools
The "inverse skills bias" - why AI helps novices more than experts
What we gain (speed, reduced load) vs. what we lose (memory formation, skill development)
The "inflated knowledge" problem - mistaking AI's knowledge for your own
Digital dementia vs. technological reserve - two competing hypotheses
Vending machine users vs. directors - the critical distinction
Why friction is the mechanism of growth
"Desirable Difficulties" and "Productive Failure" frameworks
The key question: Am I trying to get something done, or get better at something?
Core principle: Cognitive offloading isn't good or bad - it's a trade-off. Performance now vs. capability later. You decide which tasks to offload and which to struggle through.
Research Referenced:
Benge & Scullin (2025). A Meta-Analysis of Technology Use and Cognitive Aging. Nature Human Behaviour.
Grinschgl, Papenmeier & Meyerhoff (2021). Consequences of cognitive offloading: Boosting performance but diminishing memory. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.
Pyke, Lunau & Javadi (2025). Does difficulty moderate learning? Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.
Chen et al. (2025). Effects of generative AI on cognitive effort and task performance. Trials.
Ding et al. (2025). Productive Failure in Cultivating Clinical Thinking. Advances in Medical Education and Practice.
Danaher (2024). Generative AI and the future of equality norms. Cognition.
Zhozhikashvili et al. (2022). Parietal Alpha Oscillations: Cognitive Load and Mental Toughness. Brain Sciences.
Allen (2024). Desirable Difficulty—Make Learning Harder on Purpose. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
Grinschgl & Neubauer (2022). Supporting Cognition With Modern Technology. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence.
Additional Resources & Mentions:
Special thanks to Kyle Shannon, host of the AI Learning Lab and founder of the AI Salon, for his concepts of "AI slop," "chain of craft," and the floor vs. ceiling distinction. Learn more at thesalon.ai
Quote from Cisco VP Anand Sampath about humans being "pushed up the stack" sourced from The Rundown AI newsletter
Referenced Episodes:
Episode 1: AI Isn't Coming For Anything - It's Your Responsibility
AI Isn't Coming For Anything - It's Your Responsibility
01 Feb 2026
00:15:41
AI is about to become invisible - like electricity. And when that happens, we'll stop examining what it's doing to how we think, work, and develop skills.
This is the first episode in a multi-part series exploring AI and your brain. We're not doing hype or fearmongering - we're examining the neuroscience of what happens when you delegate cognitive tasks to these systems.
In this episode:
Why AI becoming "boring" is actually when we need to pay closest attention
The inversion: AI trajectory vs. human factor trajectory
Three types of AI and which one this series focuses on
The agency frame: You're not a victim of this technology
The friction question: Which challenges should you keep vs. remove?
What's coming in the rest of the series
Core principle: AI doesn't take your agency. You give it away - or you don't. This technology will reshape your brain based on how you choose to use it.
Planning For Friction: How to Set Up Your Year When You Know It Won't Be Smooth
01 Jan 2026
00:20:00
You know your year won't be smooth. So why plan like it will be?
In this episode, I break down my 2026 planning strategy - not rigid annual goals, but quarterly focus that adapts to reality. Drawing from competitive powerlifting training, I share why backward planning works, how to maintain agency when life gets chaotic, and why 90-day sprints beat 12-month marathons.
What You'll Learn:
Why structure creates agency (not rigidity) and the neuroscience of locus of control
The powerlifting method: backward planning from specific outcomes
Where to focus vs. where to allow variety - and why this matters for your brain
Research Cited: Amar, I.B., et al. (2023). The relationship between locus of control and pre-competitive anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1227571
Your Q1 Challenge: Before January 15, pick ONE concrete, measurable focus for your Q1. Work backward to weekly actions. Execute for 90 days. Reassess for Q2.