The Science of Happiness

Happiness Break: How Poetry Helps Us Feel and Heal

March 31, 2026·17 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

What happens in your brain when you read or write a poem? We listen to powerful poetry from you, our listeners, and uncover the neuroscience of why it helps us feel, process, and recover. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.  Today’s Happiness Break Guest: SUSAN MAGSAMEN is a Neurology professor at John Hopkins, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Your Brain On Art: How the Arts Transform Us.  Find Susan’s book here: https://www.yourbrainonart.com/ Related Happiness Break episodes: Using Art As Medicine Series: https://tinyurl.com/k3mneupx Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv How To Awaken Your Creative Energy: https://tinyurl.com/4fknd8ev Related Science of Happiness episodes: How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/yc77fkzu Our Brains on Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/y9r9dyzd Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/43p9jtny

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