Episode #694
Jane McGonigal
Books mentioned
Timestamps are segment start times from the podscripts.co transcript of the audio release (includes ad reads), so they may differ from the video by a few minutes.
Game designer and author Jane McGonigal discusses the game-based strategies she developed during her prolonged concussion recovery and how they supported her health and optimism. She and Joe Rogan explore how prediction, feedback, mastery, social connection, and technology influence behavior, while considering games as tools for rehabilitation, resilience, empathy, and understanding adversity.
What they talked about
- Post-concussion syndrome and suicidal thoughts
- Creating the 'SuperBetter' game for recovery
- Concussion recovery protocols and cognitive rest
- Epidemiology of head injuries in sports
- Dopamine and the neuroscience of predictions
- Mirror neurons and co-located vs. online gaming
- Trigger warnings and PTSD avoidance
- Game design as a metaphor for social change
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