#109: The Science of Letting Go - Shawn Prest

The Science of Letting Go explores how meditation works in the brain, drawing on neuroscience, predictive processing, and contemplative science to explain how letting go reduces stress, softens self-related thinking, and changes perception over time. In this episode of The FitMind Podcast, we sit down with PhD researcher Shawn Prest from Monash University about what's actually happening under the hood when we meditate. Rather than framing letting go as a vague emotional release, Shawn describes it as a measurable shift in how the brain assigns confidence to its highest-level models, including the sense of self. They explore how the brain functions as a prediction system, why excessive certainty can create mental tension and suffering, and how meditation helps loosen rigid patterns by shifting perception toward more direct sensory experience. These changes can support greater equanimity, reduced reactivity, and long-term improvements in well-being. Topics include: •

How meditation changes self-related brain activity • •

What "letting go" means from a neuroscience perspective • •

The difference between insight-based and absorption-based meditation paths • •

Why equanimity feels relieving rather than dull or passive • A grounded, science-forward conversation for anyone curious about how meditation really works and why letting go can reduce suffering. FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind Website: www.fitmind.org Show Notes 0:00 | Intro and why study the mechanics of meditation 4:40 | From meditator to researcher 9:10 | The brain as a prediction machine 14:20 | Valence, well-being, and suffering 18:50 | Why computational models matter 24:30 | Hierarchies in the brain 31:10 | What letting go actually is 37:40 | Why letting go feels relieving 43:50 | Mental tension vs physical tension 49:30 | Modeling letting go computationally 55:50 | Applying letting go on a stressful day 1:02:30 | Trauma, caution, and meditation 1:09:20 | Jhana and insight paths 1:18:40 | Cessation and lasting change 1:27:30 | Equanimity as perception 1:34:40 | The future science of awakening