Brain as Predictive Engine - Placebo or Nocebo Effect?

23 Sept

NEUROLETTER #30 | SEPTEMBER 2025

Great to have you here, and why not share with others as we've all got brains!

Today we are looking at:

1. The power of changing mindsets through belief especially through good and bad times, as I found in my research into beliefs around stress being good or bad for you.

2. Latest studies– GenAI models capable of spotting speech patterns & diseases that may affect you. Plus, how some highly gifted dogs can categorise objects. And how your parenting style may be impacting your child’s relationship with anxiety.

3. New Brains@Work Diagnostic based on what our brains need to stay healthy and designed to show you how your brain is actually functioning at work, which could explain why you may be finding making decisions or feeling energised difficult.

4. And finally, please listen to the latest Brainy Podcast with our fascinating guest Dr. Charlotte Rae from the University of Sussex on the success of their 4 day week experiment for businesses and the benefits to the brain.

How do our beliefs shape our brain and our performance at work?

“Our minds aren’t passive observers simply perceiving reality as it is; our minds actually change reality. In other words, the reality we will experience tomorrow is in part a product of our mindsets today.” Alia Crum, Stanford University

When I first read this quote from Alia Crum, it simply stopped me in my tracks and reshaped my thinking; what we think today shapes how we perform tomorrow. Not metaphorically -literally.

The quote speaks to something both poetic and profoundly scientific: our brains are not neutral processors; they are predictive engines. The beliefs we form from both inward and outward experiences, influence us about stress, effort, illness, or our ability they not only colour our experience; they alter our biology, perception, and performance.

Belief is Biological

As everyone returns to ‘normality’ from the summer activities and reality drops back in, it seems a good time to revisit how our minds are working below the water line.

When we expect something good, our brain releases dopamine, the neurotransmitter that fuels motivation, focus, and learning. We become more engaged, resilient, and future-oriented.

It also triggers the release of endogenous opioids, our brain’s natural painkillers, which help reduce discomfort, boost mood, and make challenges feel more manageable.

When we expect something negative, we get a surge of stress chemicals like cortisol or CCK (cholecystokinin), and the brain shifts into protection mode. We shut down, take fewer risks, and like a needle on a record, get stuck.

This is the neuroscience behind the placebo and nocebo effects:

A clear, encouraging leader triggers motivation.
A fear-based culture triggers anxiety and disengagement.

Belief, expectation, and experience aren’t just “mindsets”, they’re neural instructions. Brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex (decision-making), anterior cingulate cortex (error detection), and amygdala (part of emotional processing) all shift their activity based on belief and expectation, reconfiguring our perception of what’s “real

We talk a lot about human capital, but the real game changer is brain capital - our team’s collective cognitive, emotional, and creative power.

To grow this valuable asset, we need to understand how brains actually work. That means working with everyone’s brains by:

Designing cultures that trigger focus and motivation, not fear.
Tapping into diverse ways of thinking and not just what we see as “high performance” from the louder people, but the quiet motivation of others.
Creating space for people to feel safe, seen, and supported which we all know is how brains thrive.
Being rigorous in insisting on down time for mental wellbeing and ideation flow.

Now I know that most of you know this stuff and in the crazy days of time and decision demand it’s hard to be consistent in making sure they are being applied. But without wagging my finger – you must.

Because conversely this form of culture speeds work up, engages the neocortex helping teams meld into flow, meaning that better decisions are made, trust is enforced, and mental & physical well-being is maintained leading to better engagement and retention.

This could not be more important than right now with the rapid progress of GenAI leading to uncertainty, leaving people feeling overwhelmed, even as many are optimistic about AI advancements.

Your team’s brains are your biggest asset. Meaning are you creating the kind of environment that sets them up to succeed, or pushes them down?

This is where I come in, helping teams and leaders build brain-smart cultures that unlock real performance against a backdrop of uncertainty and a feeling of lack of autonomy.

Let's talk about how to get the best from every brain in your business - professionally and personally, because we don’t draw a line under work or life, they blend together so when people thrive, results and engagement naturally follow.

Do you want to shape today’s minds fit for tomorrow?

🧠 Get in touch and let’s talk brain capital. If you would like to learn more about the impact of AI on the human brain, please get in touch as it is an area I am currently extensively researching and sharing with my clients.

News Spot

1. For some the jury may be out on Gen AI but the benefits it is bringing to so many areas of our lives are extraordinary. AI Models are being developed to analyse subtle cues in speech patterns faster and more comprehensively than humans to reveal personality and mental health clues and the top 4 diseases you’re most likely to face in the next 20 years, opening a radical new era of predictive health.

2. A new study has found that some highly gifted dogs can not only be taught the name of objects but also later these dogs then applied how they use them without training or explicit labelling. – sadly mine haven't!

3. A new meta-analysis of studies emphasises how parents need to agree a balance between guidance and trusting their teens autonomy to buffer against anxiety.

NEW Brains@ Work Diagnostic

Please get in touch if you would like to find out more.

Soraya Shaw