How To Rewire the Brain’s Response to Pain and Reward | Eric Garland

Quick Overview

Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) is a breakthrough evidence-based mindbody therapy proven three times as effective as standard therapy for simultaneously addressing addictive behavior, emotional distress, and chronic pain, rooted in ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience.

Key Points: MORE is a breakthrough evidence-based mindbody therapy proven three times as effective as standard therapy in 16 clinical trials backed by $90 million in federal research. The MORE protocol consists of three core parts: Mindfulness, Reappraisal, and Savoring, designed to rewire the brain's response to pain and reward. Mindfulness practice in MORE focuses on cultivating meta-awareness, making the unconscious conscious to regulate automatic addictive behaviors like phone scrolling. The mindful pain technique involves 'zooming in' on pain sensations (heat, tightness, tingling) and 'zooming out' to the space around the body, which cuts chronic pain by about 25% after an 8-week program. Reappraisal, the second component, challenges negative thought patterns using the ABCDE model (Activating event, Beliefs, Consequences, Dispute, Evaluate) to decrease stress arousal and increase prefrontal cortical activity. Savoring teaches individuals to use mindfulness to relish natural, healthy pleasures, which helps the brain regain sensitivity to healthy rewards, thereby weakening the pull of addictive substances. Eric Garland avoided spinal surgery by applying the principles of MORE to his severe herniated disc pain, demonstrating personal efficacy of the treatment.

Context: The interview features Eric Garland discussing his development of Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), a therapy he created while working as a psychotherapist treating complex patients with overlapping chronic conditions like mental health issues, substance use disorders, and chronic pain. Garland's journey into this field began with his early attraction to meditative states, followed by an unexpected career pivot from clinical hypnosis research to mindfulness study after his initial PhD mentor dropped him, leading to two decades of research and clinical practice informed by neuroscience and contemplative traditions.