The Body Does Not Keep the Score

<p>In this episode of <em>Flow Research, host</em> Steven Kotler sits down with fellow neuroscientists Dr. Michael Mannino and Glenn Fox to unpack their viral opinion paper, &quot;The Body Does Not Keep the Score.&quot;</p><p>Taking direct aim at popular trauma psychology, the team exposes why Bessel van der Kolk’s belief that trauma is stored in the body gets neuroscience completely wrong. They unpack how the modern &quot;cult of trauma&quot; hijacks genuine recovery, offering instead a ground-breaking path through systems neuroscience. Discover how predictive coding, dynamic flexibility (metastability), and flow states re-wire the brain to override trauma and unlock peak performance. </p><p><br><strong>Guest Bios:</strong></p><p><strong>Michael Mannino, PhD</strong></p><p>Dr. Michael Mannino is a neuroscientist, co-CEO of Syneurgy, and Chief Science Officer at Flow Research Collective. He works at the intersection of applied neuroscience, human performance science, and AI. Michael holds a PhD in neuroscience, has published research on cognition, consciousness, flow, and intuition, and brings a systems-level perspective shaped by work across academia, technology, and research institutions including NASA.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Glenn Fox, PhD</strong></p><p>Dr. Glenn Fox is a neuroscientist at USC’s Marshall School of Business, where he directs the Foundwell Initiative studying founder mindset and performance. A former principal investigator at USC’s Smart VR Center and leader at the Performance Science Institute, his research focuses on gratitude, flow, and resilience under pressure alongside military and elite athletic organizations. </p><p><br><strong>In This Episode:</strong><br>00:00 The Paper That Shook Neuroscience</p><p>02:26 78,000 Views: Why &quot;The Body Keeps the Score&quot; Got It Wrong</p><p>04:37 Evolutionary Models &amp; The Cult of Trauma</p><p>12:12 Re-evaluating Bessel van der Kolk’s Core Thesis</p><p>24:43 Inside the Brain: Decision-Making &amp; Somatic Markers</p><p>35:53 Metastability &amp; The Free Energy Principle Explained</p><p>44:07 How Flow States Re-Wire Traumatic Memory</p><p>52:43 Post-Traumatic Growth, Gratitude, and Stress Signals</p><p>59:36 The 2-to-4 Hour Protocol to Override Burnout</p><p>01:13:28 AI, Divergent Thinking, and the Missing Somatic Feedback Loop</p><p><br><strong>Episode Resources:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>READ THE RESEARCH: </p><p>Read Steven, Glenn, and Michael’s viral paper, &quot;The Body Does Not K