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What happens to your mind when the ground wobbles and the stakes feel high? We explore the frontier of adventure neuroscience with resident psychologist and mountain leader Dave Gallagher—measuring fear at 45 feet, restoring calm with targeted breath work, and turning freeze into forward motion with micro-steps and clear cues. This is a story about how nature, science, and careful coaching can rewire stress responses and build real-world resilience.

We unpack a 10-week program with The Wallich that takes underserved communities from indoor climbs to big mountain days, tracking mood and behaviour changes along the way. Dave shares new research that combines heart rate variability, executive function tests, and a “Leap of Faith” high-ropes challenge to see how decision-making shifts under pressure—and how a simple prolonged-exhale protocol can bring the prefrontal cortex back online. You’ll hear why small wins matter, how trust is built on exposed ground, and what extreme sports communities can teach us about progression, judgment, and self-preservation.

We also introduce Mind4Adventure, a trauma-informed, neuroscience-led approach that bridges talk therapy with guided outdoor challenges, leveraging the three-day effect and attention restoration to create durable change. From the science of the periaqueductal gray and freeze states to practical field tactics—like widening peripheral vision, assigning micro-tasks, and using cognitive drills at height—this episode offers tools you can use the next time stress narrows your world.

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The Wallich

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