Meet the Neuroscientist Who has Scanned Over 5000 Psychopathic Brains!

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Download my FREE EBook 26 Neuroscience Books for 2026 HERE: https://thegiantsshoulder.com/ Get Professional High Quality Talk Therapy at BetterHelp. 10% off your first month of therapy with this link - https://betterhelp.com/giantsshoulder (Paid Partnership by BetterHelp) Kent Kiehl is a neuroscientist and clinical psychologist whose groundbreaking work has transformed how we understand psychopathy, morality, and the criminal mind. He’s the man who put an MRI scanner inside a truck and drove it into prisons across America — scanning over 5,000 inmates to uncover what makes a psychopath’s brain different. His discoveries reveal what happens when empathy, fear, and conscience fail to activate, and how these neural differences shape crime, punishment, and free will itself. Expect to learn how psychopathy develops in the brain, why psychopaths can understand right from wrong but don’t feel it, what brain areas govern impulse control and empathy, how neuroscience is being used to predict reoffending, and what treatments are showing promise — from cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness to emerging ideas like psychedelic-assisted therapy and neuromodulation. We also explore the ethics of brain-based sentencing, whether “evil” is a medical condition, how early interventions could prevent psychopathy before it forms, and what Kent’s research means for the future of law, morality, and the human condition. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro — Meet the Psychopath Whisperer 04:35 What It’s Like to Sit Across from a Killer 09:20 How Psychopathy Is Measured (The PCL-R Explained) 14:15 Inside the Criminal Mind: Empathy, Fear & Free Will 19:40 Building a Mobile MRI Lab to Study 5,000 Inmates 25:30 What Brain Scans Reveal About Conscience and Control 31:25 Predicting Crime: The Neuroscience of Recidivism 37:50 Brain Circuits of Morality and the “Oh Damn” Signal 44:10 Can Psychopaths Change? Punishment vs Treatment 50:55 The Prison Programs That Actually Work 57:30 Mendota: The Model That Cut Youth Homicides to Zero 01:03:45 Neuroplasticity, Mindfulness & the Science of Change 01:10:05 tDCS, Psychedelics & Future Prison Therapies 01:16:40 Trauma, Brain Injury & The Two Types of Psychopaths 01:23:25 Ethics of Neuroscience Behind Bars 01:29:55 Retribution vs Rehabilitation: Rethinking Justice 01:36:50 AI, Brain Data & The Future of Neurolaw 01:43:30 Can Neuroscience Rewrite the Legal System? 01:50:20 Dream Study: Scanning Death Row 01:56:30 What Psychopathy Teaches Us About Being Human 01:59:15 Outro ... Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel) Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084 Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL ) Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder) Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqe Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249